Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Equipment Guide: Best Equipment Ranked

Q: How is Flight Simulator 2024 different from the 2020 sim?

It is a separate release from 19 November 2024 built around a career mode with certifications, specialisations, aircraft maintenance and companies you can run. The world engine was also rebuilt with over 500 TIN cities and more than 100,000 square kilometres of countryside photogrammetry.

Q: What does career mode actually involve?

You begin unlicensed, buy certifications up through PPL, CPL, Instrument Rating and ATPL, and each one unlocks specialisations gated by career level. Missions range from skydive drops paying around 5,000 up to VIP charter work worth 50,000 to 100,000.

Q: Which specialisation should I aim at first?

Cargo work. It builds cash faster than anything else available early and the aircraft it uses, mainly the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, stay useful for years of career progression.

Q: How many aircraft are included?

The Standard Edition carries more than 65 aircraft, spanning trainers like the Cessna 172, turboprops, helicopters including the Airbus H125, airliners such as the A320neo and 747, and oddities like the Wright Flyer and the Jetson ONE.

Q: Do I need a joystick or can I fly on keyboard?

Keyboard and controller both work, but the career mode scores landings on vertical speed and approach stability, and hitting under 200 feet per minute consistently is far easier with a yoke or stick that gives fine pitch control.

Complete Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 equipment guide. Every equipment option ranked with stats, best builds, and how to get them.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Asobo Studio released Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on 19 November 2024 as a separate product from the 2020 sim, built around a career mode rather than free flight alone. The Standard Edition ships more than 65 aircraft and the world engine draws on over 500 TIN cities, more than 100,000 square kilometres of countryside photogrammetry, roughly 1.5 billion buildings and close to 3 trillion trees. Career progression runs through more than 20 certifications, each opening specialisations from skydive drops up to heavy cargo.

Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.

Equipment Rankings

Equipment	Tier	Best For	Notes
Cessna 172 Skyhawk	S	The unlicensed and PPL phase, and for practising the under-200-feet-per-minute touchdown that earns the landing bonus	The training aircraft the career hands you early and the one every certification exercise assumes.
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX	A	Cargo contracts and remote freight into fields the airliners cannot reach	A single-engine turboprop that hauls a genuine load into short strips.
Beechcraft King Air 350i	A	Private and VIP charter, medevac runs, and longer cargo legs	A twin turboprop that covers charter, cargo and medevac work with speed and range that single-engine types cannot match.
Air Tractor AT-802	B	Aerial Firefighting Initial Attack and agricultural aviation contracts	A new addition in the 2024 Standard Edition, built for agricultural work and firefighting.
Airbus H125	B	Search and Rescue, mountain operations, and confined-area landings	A single-engine helicopter used heavily across the rescue and mountain work in career mode.

S-Tier: Cessna 172 Skyhawk

The training aircraft the career hands you early and the one every certification exercise assumes. Slow enough to think in, honest enough that bad technique shows up immediately.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	S
Best For	The unlicensed and PPL phase, and for practising the under-200-feet-per-minute touchdown that earns the landing bonus
Key Mechanic	Career mode with certifications
Recommended Build	Skydive

How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.

Best builds using Cessna 172 Skyhawk: Pairs naturally with Skydive thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX

A single-engine turboprop that hauls a genuine load into short strips. It is the workhorse of the cargo path and the aircraft most players use to fund their Instrument Rating.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Cargo contracts and remote freight into fields the airliners cannot reach
Key Mechanic	Specialisations and mission payouts
Recommended Build	Search and Rescue

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX: Pairs naturally with Search and Rescue thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Beechcraft King Air 350i

A twin turboprop that covers charter, cargo and medevac work with speed and range that single-engine types cannot match. It is the natural aircraft to own once the Turboprop rating is done.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Private and VIP charter, medevac runs, and longer cargo legs
Key Mechanic	Aircraft wear and maintenance
Recommended Build	Aerial Firefighting

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Beechcraft King Air 350i: Pairs naturally with Aerial Firefighting thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Air Tractor AT-802

A new addition in the 2024 Standard Edition, built for agricultural work and firefighting. Loaded with retardant it handles nothing like an empty airframe, which is the whole challenge of the firefighting specialisation.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Aerial Firefighting Initial Attack and agricultural aviation contracts
Key Mechanic	Rebuilt world engine
Recommended Build	Medevac

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Air Tractor AT-802: Pairs naturally with Medevac thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Airbus H125

A single-engine helicopter used heavily across the rescue and mountain work in career mode. Power margin at altitude is the limiting factor on the missions that matter most.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Search and Rescue, mountain operations, and confined-area landings
Key Mechanic	Companies and hired pilots
Recommended Build	Charter Service VIP

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Airbus H125: Pairs naturally with Charter Service VIP thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

Equipment Progression Path

The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:

Starting gear → Enough to clear Courchevel Altiport
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX → Your first real upgrade, available early
Beechcraft King Air 350i → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
Cessna 172 Skyhawk → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous

Equipment Tips

Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
Aim for touchdown under 200 feet per minute of vertical speed. That is the threshold for the landing bonus, and anything above 400 feet per minute counts as a hard landing with maintenance consequences.
Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.

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