Scenery Review : CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport by TaiModels



After the Mega WSSS Singapore, then Taimodels is back on the North American continent and this time in Canada with a city airport release in Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport. YQB also known as Jean Lesage International Airport which is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada. Designated as an international airport by Transport Canada, CYQB is located 17 km (10.5 mi) west of the city, in L'Ancienne-Lorette.

The airport was established in 1939, a year after the closure of the Aérodrome Saint-Louis. First established as a training facility for air observers, the first flight occurred on September 11, 1941. First known as the Aéroport de l'Ancienne Lorette, then the Aéroport de Sainte-Foy, and later the Aéroport de Québec, it was renamed to Aéroport international Jean-Lesage in 1993, in honour of Jean Lesage, the former Premier of Quebec. The airport is managed and operated by Aéroport de Québec inc., a non-profit and non-share corporation. The current terminal building has a capacity of 1.4 million passengers annually.

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec
IATA: YQB- ICAO: CYQB

06/24 - 9,000ft (2,743m) Asphalt
11/29 - 5,700ft (1,737m) Asphalt
Elevation AMSL 244 ft / 74 m

In being situated 17km west of Québec City, then the Jean Lesage International Airport is set in a rural setting, and so there is no Cityscape or skyline to reference to, for an International port it is still to be classified really as a medium sized airport.







First impressions are that both the provided Ortho base and the surrounding default scenery are very well meshed together and everything blends in very well, with no hard lines or edges to be seen... a great start.





The airport has two runways. Its longest runway northeast-southwesterly direction is 06/24, having a length of 9,000 by 150 ft (2,743 by 46 m). Runway 24 is YQB's main approach pattern is equipped with Area navigation (RNAV), required navigation performance (RNP), and non-directional beacon (NDB) approach. Runway 06 has the same approaches with the addition of an instrument landing system (ILS). Note the full RNP procedures are available in Charts.

There are seven taxiways: Alpha (connecting the main apron with runway 24), Bravo (connecting the main apron with runway 29), Charlie, Delta (parallel to the 06/24), Echo (connecting the main apron with runway 24), Golf (which links Delta to the threshold of runway 06) and Hotel (between Golf and runway 11/29).

The single Terminal complex is positioned directly East in the largest quadrant in between the intersecting 06/24 and 11/29 runways.



The Terminal layout is quite simple, with the central terminal with two wing extensions, the North being longer than the smaller angled walkway South, in the rear is the single large carpark, with the Field's Control Tower set along side centrally.



Beginning in 2006, with a budget of $65.8 million, Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport underwent a modernization designed to increase the terminal's capacity and substantially enhance the level of passenger service. The modernisation included reconfiguring the terminal on both the two levels, restructuring the baggage handling area and arrivals area, and also reconfiguring and enlargement of the waiting rooms. Fifty-four percent of the financing was provided directly by Aéroport de Québec inc. Completed in June 2008, the new configuration of the airport now enables it to handle 1.4 million passengers a year.



Currently there are 12 contact gates with airbridges (jet bridges) and 5 remote stands accessed via walk-out positions, however YQB airport has plans to expand its gate capacity to 24 gates in the near future.

TaiModels scenery has always been pristine and technically perfect, but they lack any soul. But you won't better the design and work on the Terminal here, intricate and very well detailed.









Glass is clear to see the modeled interior, there are a couple of tinted areas, but basically you can see everything inside. TaiModel's still oddly use the SAM plugin, which obviously does not work anymore, but the OpenSAM bridging tool does work here with the essential SAM functionalities like jetway animations and the VDGS (Visual Docking Guidance System). The Airbridges are excellent and connected to usually a Fixed Link corridor, with apron access, which are all very well done here.



Landside Arrivals is exceptionally well detailed, but also post-apocalyptic in that the radiation has killed everyone and melted the remains, all that is left here are the buildings, adding in people or even a few buses or taxis would be REALLY nice, it's just all so EMPTY and vacant.







Arrival area furniture and signage is well detailed and quality work.



There is some good clutter around the ramps although everything is generic with no airport or airline branding, but it is not what you could say overwhelming, ditto for the animated ground traffic, just the odd vehicle passing through now and then with Fuel Tankers and a ground refueling truck.





A lot of attention at YQB is the internal Terminal detail, with the duel-release of both X-Plane 12 and MSFS 20/24 then FlightSim users demand more internal detail, so we sort of get the fallout from that, but very, very good internally it is. This is Arrivals...







... I couldn't find the luggage carousels? but the airside departure areas were all very well modeled, and the detail goes right along the whole front of the Terminal.





The highlight focus is the central Blaxton Pub & Grill by Gate 33, it only opened in 2022, and it is the first true sit-down bar at YQB for over 25 years.



There is displayed the “The Effigies” associated with the Québec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec), this is a Temporary exhibit which include iconic winter-monster figurines, traditional characters (like Bonhomme), and symbolic artifacts from the festival’s history, which are displayed for around two years as part of the airport’s event area.





There is a premium lounge by Gate 29 which is branded and operated in collaboration with Club Med, and it is very well detailed in here.



Most of the internal areas are highly walk-able, with great views of the ramps and aircraft, and you can explore the internal airport areas in quite a lot of detail.

Northeast of the terminal, is the (small) Cargo area and FBO, for Air Canada, TSAS and JAZZ, which is wholly owned by Chorus Aviation and operates under the Air Canada Express brand.



Landside is Terminal (West), carparking (central) and East are Aviation support facilities.



Behind the Terminal is that large 900 space multi-level "Parkade" carpark. Detail and modeling is excellent, as most scenery carparks are just usually basic modeling. Car Rental entrance is on the Southeast corner, again well done for great detail.







The building on the south corner is the Administrative Building (Car Rental & Offices), again the modeling and detail is excellent.



Just north of the Storied-Carpark is the Control Tower. The current air traffic control tower at YQB was inaugurated in 1997 alongside the new NAV CANADA Aviation Complex, as part of airport-wide expansions in the mid‑1990s, it is 42.1 meters (about 138 feet) from the base to roof level.



Construction is a prominent concrete and steel shaft with a flared glass cab on top, offering 360° panoramic visibility for controllers, It covers local ATC services for ground movements, take-offs, landings, and low-altitude traffic near the airport. The En-route and approach/departure control functions are handled by Montreal ACC





Modeling is again top-notch, the tower detailing is excellent, as is the top glass cab windows with the roof antenna which is also nicely detailed. There is a basic internal layout, but the X-Plane (T) Tower View is not set, but only shows the west side of the tower?

The central large set of carparks of 1,500 and 1,700 spaces (varies by season) are only lightly filled with 3D cars, really nothing else (did I say buses? well none here anyway) worse is the very poor LOD or Level of Detail, so if you zoom out to the parameter, the few vehicles in there anyway soon disappear? leaving an even more empty blank feel. TaiModels note "Optimized for high performance", but here it feels it is all just a little bit overdone.



All carparking and airport signage is exceptional, with great traffic navigation and advertising hoarding signs.







By the Threshold of Rwy 29 (Taxiway C), is a service taxiway (not labeled) that goes into the multiple FBOs (Fixed-Base Operators) area, specialising in general aviation and business jet services.



Here are Avjet Holding Inc. (also known as “Terminal Exécutif de Québec”), AFS Executive, LUX FBO, Harnois Energies, ChronoAviation, Aéropro and the headquarters of regional Air Liasion and Centre de Formation Aéronautique de Québec, CFAQ the official Québec City aviation flight school. All facilities can be accessed by the service taxiway. All buildings and hangars are really well designed and realistic, but all the areas are missing any static aircraft or support vehicles, so the empty areas create a desolate feeling.







Accessed Northeast on Taxiway D (and the main airport vehicular entrance) is a set of very large helicopter complexes. Complexe Capitale Hélicoptère and often referred to as Capitale Hélicoptère or Complexe Capitale Heli, serves as the main heliport FBO and helicopter service facility here. It is one of the largest heliport complexes in Canada, sitting on approximately 60,000 ft² with 11 helipads.







There is also Premier Aviation (Maintenance) and facilities for Transports Québec, officially the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD). The really old building on the corner at the entrance to the Québec Airport is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) facility that oversees the national aviation security enforcement.


_______________

Lighting
Overall the external lighting is very good. Both runways have the approved ICAO (brightness) and all runways have RAIL approach lighting.





Ramps are well lit, in a yellowish hue, very nice.... but the problem with clear glass is that it doesn't work so well in the dark? so internally although well lit, is quite duller(ish) inside?









Landside Arrivals is a bit "hit and miss", mostly TaiModels used hidden lighting to highlight the arrivals area, sorta works, but it could have been better.



There is a different (brighter) tone for the carparks than for other areas like the carpark roof which looks really good, and the Control Tower lighting is excellent...





Oddly the Road Traffic signs and the entrance hoarding sign were all dark? a missed task, or just plain lazy.



There is a lot of really great branded lighting on the infrastructure, most buildings and hangars had a logo shining in the dark.





Airport navigation signage and hold lights are very good, clear and readable, but no ground reflections.



Ground Textures
At first glance the textures looked great, with great surface texture detail, nice lineage and a stony feel... but then you started to delve a bit deeper? First the rubber landing marks were moving with your viewpoint (LOD), getting smaller into the distance as you moved or landed. The arrow here shows the small (left over) marks on the asphalt.



Lines not placed correctly, and horrible perfectly straight lines on every runway or taxiway...



... once seen, you couldn't unsee all those sharp lines and shapes.





Texture sizes were very uneven as well, to globby big, to too fine small, and there was too many different types of textures. There is no 3D grass either to hide the plain green (grass areas) textures, so they are not at all realistic either?





This is an X-Plane 12 scenery only, but that also brings you the dynamic weather features to the scenery as well, and being in Canada, then the winter effects are important up here. Dynamic Physically Based Rendering (PBR) with richer material reflections with Dynamic lighting response to sun angle and cloud occlusion and detailed normal maps and micro surface imperfections, all these effects bring your surfaces to life in the various (mostly winter) conditions.









Frost and standing water is excellent, as they are X-Plane 12 generated, but the surfaces still have to be conditioned to use the effects.



Overall I really liked the scenery, but wished for more activity on the Landside, using the main Terminal or the FBO operators, however any walkaround inside the terminal is rewarding.
___________

Summary
TaiModels mostly release Mega scenery, like their last release in WSSS Singapore. But they also release medium sized sceneries like Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida, and here it follows the same pattern with Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport in Canada.

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), also known as Jean Lesage International Airport is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada. Designated as an international airport by Transport Canada, it is located 17 km (10.5 mi) west of the city, in L'Ancienne-Lorette.

Taimodels have been around in the X-Plane Simulator for a few years now, their profusely large output, covers pretty well most major hubs in the world. But they can also be even after all this time be very exasperating in what they deliver, however price wise they are very good value.

The common theme here are the amazing intricately technically perfect detailed central modeling, mostly their excellent Terminals (Dubai was outstanding). And at Québec the standard is even higher, as here the internal detailing is better than the external with full floor-plans of excellent detail and signage. Ditto the excellently detailed carpark (yes a carpark) and lovely Control Tower and base, Arrival zones are also fully detailed as is the signage as is the well conceived airport FBO infrastructure. The layouts are also usually very good, but then as usual it all goes downhill.

TaiModels are obviously capable of in creating great sceneries, but usually always misfire in the smaller detail. Here it is "presence", a few cars in the carparks (that quickly disappear with LOD limitations) and the scenery is basically vacant of not only life, but give out that total empty feel as well with no people, no Buses, or even a single Taxi here to make the arrivals areas feel deserted, ditto any static aircraft or vehicles in the infrastructure makes for a lot of ghastly empty spaces, lighting is also a bit "Ho Hum", and Ramp clutter is sparse with also sparse animated traffic as well (three vehicles to be exact". Textures are a bit "Cut and Paste" with horrible sharp straight edges and they are still using the now discontinued SAM toolkit? TaiModels also never do any follow up updates either, so what you purchase here you are stuck with.

So is CYQB Québec City Jean Lesage worth your purchase. The answer is still a big yes (if you can accept those limitations), because on the whole the good is extremely good, and the the rest average, but overall YQB delivers at a value US$20, so it is certainly well worth adding into you network collection. I personally would rather pay US$25, even US$28 and have more external fill and better detail to create a lifeblood destination, but after all these years I doubt that TaiModels will ever change.
___________



The CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport by Taimodels is NOW available! from the X-Plane.Org Store
 
CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport
Priced at US$20.00
 
Requirements
X-Plane 12 (not for XP11)
Windows, Mac or Linux
8 GB VRAM Minimum 
Download Size: 953 MB
Current version : 1.0 (July 9th 2025)

Download: for CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport is 954Mb. There is only one folder to install;
CYBQ-Taimodels-Quebec-
Full Installation is 2.06Gb in your Custom Scenery Folder. (only X-Plane 12)

Documentation:
None
________________________
 
Review System Specifications: 
Windows  - 12th Gen IS1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz CPU - 64bit -32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 - Samsung 970 EVO+ 2TB SSD
Software:   - Windows 11 Pro - X-Plane 12.2.1
Plugins: JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00
Scenery or Aircraft
-None-

Scenery Review by Stephen Dutton
15th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) All Rights Reserved.

NEWS! - Scenery Released : CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport by TaiModels



There is a pattern here from Taimodels, release a Mega scenery like WSSS Singapore, then do a regional or primary city Airport. The last one was Orlando Sanford International Airport in Floriada, and here it follows the same pattern with Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport in Canada.

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, also known as Jean Lesage International Airport is the primary airport serving Quebec City, Canada. Designated as an international airport by Transport Canada, it is located 17 km (10.5 mi) west of the city, in L'Ancienne-Lorette. In 2024, it was the 12th-busiest airport in Canada, with 1,737,803 passengers. More than ten airlines offer 360 weekly flights to destinations across Canada, the United States, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.

The airport was established in 1939, a year after the closure of the Aérodrome Saint-Louis. First established as a training facility for air observers, the first flight occurred on September 11, 1941. First known as the Aéroport de l'Ancienne Lorette, then the Aéroport de Sainte-Foy, and later the Aéroport de Québec, it was renamed to Aéroport international Jean-Lesage in 1993, in honour of Jean Lesage, the former Premier of Quebec. The airport is managed and operated by Aéroport de Québec inc., a non-profit and non-share corporation. The current terminal building has a capacity of 1.4 million passengers annually.

YQB International Airport receives various long-, mid- and short-haul aircraft. The airport has two runways. Its longest runway northeast-southwesterly direction is 06/24, having a length of 9,000 by 150 ft (2,743 by 46 m). Runway 24 is YQB's main approach pattern equipped with Area navigation (RNAV), required navigation performance (RNP), and non-directional beacon (NDB) approach. Runway 06 has the same approaches with the addition of an instrument landing system (ILS).

Features:
Highly detailed 3D models of airport buildings and infrastructure
High-quality PBR textures for objects and ground surfaces
Optimized for high performance
Complete autogen coverage around the airport
Weather effects compatible with X-Plane 12


















Images are courtesy of TaiModels
This is an X-Plane 12 Airport scenery only
_______________________________



The CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport by Taimodels is NOW available! from the X-Plane.Org Store
 
CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport
Priced at US$20.00
 
Requirements
X-Plane 12 (not for XP11)
Windows, Mac or Linux
8 GB VRAM Minimum 
Download Size: 953 MB
Current version : 1.0 (July 9th 2025)

______________________
 
NEWS! by Stephen Dutton
10th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

NEWS! - X-Crafts issues Expo 2025 Roadmap



Post the Rhode Island FlightSim Expo 2025, Marko Mamula from X-Crafts has announced the current roadmap for the rest of 2025, and into 2026. There was a few new announcements and on-going significant current developments in here as well from this very experienced development house for the X-Plane FlightSimulator.

First announcement from X-Crafts was an interesting one, another new variant of the E-190/E-195! We already have a Passenger and Business jet (Lineage 1000), but now coming is also a Freighter version or Embraer E-Freighters which will include the E190F and E195F. Note this will be a standalone product from the E-Jet Family.





The E-Freighters will feature the full suite of E-Jet automated systems, with an accurate cargo interior based on real-world aircraft references (N986TA). Also included is a new ULD loader (Unit Load Device loader), which will enable you to load various types of cargo into the airplanes. The cargo E-Jets are currently in development by X-Crafts and alongside the other X-Crafts projects. There is currently no release date or pricing.

Embraer E-Freighters are cargo aircraft derived from the E190 passenger jet, designed for efficient and flexible cargo operations, particularly in e-commerce and express delivery. Embraer’s Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) program, launched in 2022 to meet the growing demand for cargo transport driven by e-commerce. The E190F and its larger counterpart, the E195F, offer over 50% more volume capacity, three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs compared to narrow-body aircraft.

An Embraer E190F, the first E-Jet converted from passenger to freighter configuration, successfully completed its maiden flight on April 5, 2024, in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The two-hour flight was part of Embraer’s ongoing evaluations before the aircraft enters commercial service. The first converted aircraft is owned by U.S.-based leasing company Regional One, and Bridges Air Cargo and is set to be the launch operator, with service expected to commence in the third quarter of 2025.

Second announcement is a full Simbrief Dispatch built directly into the EFB in the cockpit. This means you'll be able to generate, file, and load a flight plan with only a few clicks without ever leaving the sim. This feature will be incorporated into all X-Crafts payware products, enhancing immersion for hardcore users while simplifying flight planning for beginners. This intergration is not importing Simbrief into the FMS Systems, but to actually useing it in the EFB toolkit... nice!



There is a brief video showing the X-Crafts SimBrief system in action...


The E-ERJ Family 2.0 already announced also got a mention. The ERJ will feature completely reworked avionics and an authentic FMS. Custom systems throughout, plus you will enjoy popular X-Crafts features like integrated EFB or reworked sounds, including X-Crafts signature True Noise Cancelling. Here are a few more pictures of the E145, although the whole line-up will be included: E135, E140, E145, E145XR, and the Legacy 650.









Mamula did also note the E-ERJ Family is still on track for release this 2025 year. No pricing or release date has yet been announced for the ERJ v2.0, but expect around the current E-Jet US$75 for a single aircraft and US$150 for the full Family package



For the E-Jet Family X-Crafts have been working on the new custom autopilot for all the Embraers, which has allowed X-Crafts to add in Holds, flyover waypoints, and, later on, other traffic patterns. Additionally, they are reworking missed approaches and ensuring overall FMS stability and improvements.

Below is a quick demo of our E175 with the new custom autopilot is In the video below, and adding in a second hold into the flight plan, then edit it and then we can see how the autopilot already follows the holding pattern perfectly, before exiting the hold and proceeding to the final approach.


Overall it was a great Expo for Marko and the X-Crafts crew (far left), and meeting up with some other significant X-Plane developers, Including Torsten Liesk (ToLiss) and Roman Berezin (FlightFactor Aero).


______________________
 
NEWS! by Stephen Dutton
9th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

NEWS! - Laminar Research releases V12.2.1 Beta 2




Only three days after the release of X-Plane v12.2.1 Beta, comes Beta 2, and this is just a very, very small update, in fact it is only two lines of fixes under General...

Fixes and Enhancements
General
Improved environmental sounds
Readded former checklist commands for compatibility

Laminar have improved the environmental sounds and put back in the Checklist Commands... I did wonder why they took them out in the first place?
________________

Full Release Notes
For additional details and a more comprehensive list of changes, have a look at the full 12.2.1 release notes, are here.

You can update to X-Plane v12.2.1 beta 2 now via the built in X-Plane Installer application, just select "Update X-Plane" and make sure the "beta" selection box is ticked. It is a 852 Kb Installation via a 606 Kb download. The update is also currently available on the public_beta branch on Steam.



As this is a beta release, so you may encounter unforeseen issues. Regularly back up your data and stay updated with official communications for any patches or fixes. Images here are provided courtesy Laminar Research.



A lot to get excited about here with Beta 2! Yeah right...
___________________________
 
NEWS! by Stephen Dutton
7th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) All Rights Reserved.

NEWS! - Felis Updates Boeing 747-200 Classic to v1.2.8



Felis Planes have done an update to their Boeing 747-200 Classic, this is v1.2.8. Any Felis update is epic, long and detailed, and v1.2.8 is another load of nice changes and bugs quashed. This Passenger version is the basis for the coming Felis Boeing 747-200F or Freighter, and to a point the changes here are reflected for that model as well.

v1.2.8 is a loooong list of fixes and refining. But there is a focus on doors, both the upper passenger and the lower cargo, details like the APU now has to be running to open the cargo doors, doors are now closed if you change airports, Cargo doors are locked on the ground and even added sounds to the opening/closing of the cargo doors (you can see where we are going here).

EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) has also had a lot of attention, for load and balance (Increments), CG readings, TO perf, Board/Deplane, tail wind fuel calculations, Payload discrepancies and the EFB now shows the power state for the cargo doors. You now fix failures in flight and the landing and runway turnoff lighting is now brighter... it's a big list of refinements as seen below.

Version 1.2.8 (July 6th 2025)
+++ fixed AP for Ctrl+T time compression at high FPS
+++ Changed "Tail wind" line in the fuel calculator EFB page
+++ Heading and Course rotaries for height FPS
+++ fixed pax doors controls
+++ fixed INS not updating POS when turning over waypoints
+++ INS DIST now shows distance from the current position, instead of previous POS, when using WPT CHG
+++ updated OpenGPWS and openWXR plugins
+++ 3D lights are OFF by default
+++ added automatic selection for the belly object, according to the livery.ini settings
+++ EFB GND service page now shows power state for the cargo doors
+++ XP12. added new axis for both brakes
+++ added pitch rate into A/T logic
+++ reworked VOR and ILS LOC capture logic
+++ Fixed LTN <P> waypoint being reset with SharedFLight
+++ Fixed HYD 4 leak bug, when loading aircraft on ground after interrupted previous flight
+++ Fixing failures in flight is now allowed
+++ Fast load page now loads TOW CG, instead of ZFW
+++ XP12. EFB and fuel gauges brightness now correspond to the environment
+++ A/T sync throttles option
+++ fixed LTN logic, when using LEG or DIR may prevent it from auto-changing waypoints.
+++ fixed small changes of fuel not registering in Fast load and Fuel load pages.
+++ fixed weight discrepancy in the Payload EFB page
+++ force cargo doors and pax doors to close when airport change
+++ new apt_cache format and automatic update
+++ fixed cargo increments on Load and Balance EFB page
+++ XP12. Fixed reading CG from sim in TO perf EFB page
+++ changed external lights to generic white. default landing should be ON for online.
+++ XP12. made landing and runway turnoff lights brighter
+++ XP12 fixed reading the weather in performance pages on EFB
+++ fixed stuck BOARD/DEPLANE status on EFB
+++ moved SPOILERS line from Descend to Landing checklist
+++ added the STOP line in Checklister
+++ fixed FA PA about turbulence, when turning ON seatbelts on descend.(again)
+++ fixed code for engine fan animation
+++ cargo doors now require APU or EXT power to operate
+++ cargo doors should be locked in place if not on ground
+++ added sounds for the cargo doors drive motors
+++ changed sound for the APU
+++ XP12 added Copilot toe brakes
+++ tuned brake temperatures
+++ option to enable/disable LuaJIT is back in Options page on EFB
+++ pax, cargo and fuel load pages on EFB is now in sync between their 3D and 2D instanses. Probably SharedFlight too
+++ lamps on VHF and Audio panels now correspond to IND TEST switch for their brightness.
+++ remodelled and recolored ADI FD bars to be thinner and brighter than main aircraft symbol
+++ sometimes NAV panels show weird frequency - fixed
+++ corrected position for the passenger door #2 in PlaneMaker
+++ fixed FA PA about turbulence, when turning ON seatbelts on descend.
+++ forcing low marker receiver sensitivity
+++ tuned AP to be more sensitive in VOR mode
+++ tuned sensitivity for Cone of Confusion detection and AP reaction to it.
+++ added pressure relief valves on the cargo doors and corresponding logic
+++ fixed labels on the front left pax door
+++ tuned engine oil consumption to 0.8 qt/hr (0.2 us gal / hr)
+++ fixed engine oil refill on the maintenance service EFB page
+++ added another signature for Shared Flight

The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet 2+1⁄2 times its size, to reduce its seat cost by 30%. In 1965, Joe Sutter left the 737 development program to design the 747. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 Boeing 747-100 aircraft, and in late 1966, Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop the JT9D engine, a high-bypass turbofan. On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the custom-built Everett Plant, the world's largest building by volume. The 747's first flight took place on February 9, 1969, and the 747 was certified in December of that year. It entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970. The 747 was the first airplane called a "Jumbo Jet" as the first wide-body airliner.

While the 747-100 powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-3A engines offered enough payload and range for medium-haul operations, it was marginal for long-haul route sectors. The demand for longer range aircraft with increased payload quickly led to the improved -200, which featured more powerful engines, increased MTOW, and greater range than the -100 and in increasing the maximum range from 4,620 to 6,560 nautical miles [nmi] (8,560 to 12,150 km; 5,320 to 7,550 mi). A few early -200s retained the three-window configuration of the -100 on the upper deck, but most were built with a ten-window configuration on each side. The 747-200 was produced in passenger (-200B), freighter (-200F), convertible (-200C), and combi (-200M) versions.


















Update download v1.2.8 is now available via the X-Plane.OrgStore (Account) or use the Skunkcraft Updater. Re-authorisation is required (A full restart is also recommended).

Design by Felis
Support forum for the 747-200 Classic by Felis
____________



Yes! the Boeing 747-200 Classic v1.2.8 by Felis Planes is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :
 
Boeing 747-200 Classic
Price is US$70.00
On sale: $70.00 US$50.00
You Save:$20.00(29%)

Requirements
X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11
Windows, Mac or Linux
8 GB+ VRAM Recommended
Download Size: 1.1 GB
Current version : 1.2.8 (July 6th 2025)
________________
 
NEWS! by Stephen Dutton
8th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) All Right Reserved.

Thanks

NEWS! - AirSim3D releases C-560XL with TDS GTN750Xi



AirSim3D have released a version of the excellent Citation C-560XL for the TDS Software GTN 750Xi. This is a stand-alone version of the X-Plane 12 C-560XL, If you already own the C-560XL, you will only pay $24.95 for the GTN 750Xi version. Note the GTN 750 version will not work with this stand-alone version. The TDS 750Xi software is also not supplied with this aircraft, but as a 3rd Party addon... found here TDS-Software estimated extra cost is $76.64 USD / £55.86 GBP / 64.95 Euro.

This is a stand-alone C-560XL that has had its G1000 instrument replaced with a set of dual GTN750Xi instruments. Each unit operates independently, and is fully integrated with the C-560XL’s Autopilot and Systems. The touchscreens will work on both the 3D panel, or for convenience, both units can be popped out and used as a position-able, size-able touchscreen too. When the plugin owners release versions other than Windows (Mac/Linux), that jet will be upgraded with no cost to existing customers.

The Citation can be flown without the GTN 750Xi installed, but you won't have any access to the systems and no flightplan is possible, as there is no other navigation system included with this version.

The Cessna Citation Excel is an American midsize business jet in the Cessna Citation family. Announced in October 1994, the Model 560XL first flew on February 29, 1996, certification was granted in April 1998, and over 1,000 have been delivered. The 2,100 nmi-range (3,900 km), 20,200 lb (9,200 kg) MTOW jet is powered by two 3,650–4,080 lbf (16.2–18.1 kN) PW545 turbofans, has the cruciform tail and unswept supercritical wing of the Citation V (560), and a slightly shortened Citation X stand-up cabin.

Detailed Pilot Operations Handbook (POH)
(The POH is available online) - as an always-up to-date and on-demand reference for pilots to use to understand the systems and fly this 95% authentic aircraft (for ~50% of the cost of like high-end cost biz jets). The jet has been through an extensive Beta test period, for a virtually bug free product. The very detailed POH is the first place to visit after a purchase to follow its content and to begin having hours of frustration-free flying.















Designed by AirSim3D
Support forum for the C-560 XL
Visit our Tours and Tutorials:  https://www.youtube.com/@airsim3d41
Visit here for a full list of all planned/work in progress Tutorials: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/285444-c-560xl-informational-and-tutorial-videos.  And subscribe so you get updates as new ones are posted.
____________________
 

 
Yes! the Cessna Citation 560XL GTN750Xi X-Plane 12 by AirSim3d is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here:
 
Cessna Citation 560XL GTNXi XP12
Price is US$69.95
On sale: $69.95 $55.96

Features:
AirSim3D C-560 XL: Real-Jet authenticity
Real jet visits at Boeing airfield were extensively used to inform build and design decisions
100’s of pages of real POH manuals, specs, drawings, pics used
Real pilot tested and extensively beta tested
Result: real-world systems, lighting, functions, modeling and procedures authenticity
 
Requirements
X-Plane 12 Only - Windows only
The GTN750Xi plugin from TDS Software is a required and its installation is a prerequisite for the jet to function normally.
8 GB+ VRAM Recommended
Current version : 1.0 (July 4th 2025)
If you already own the C-560XL , you will only pay $24.95 for this new product. Discount automatically applies at checkout.
 
There are 3 other purchase options for the 560 XL
XP11 only Version . Get it here
XP12 only Version. Get it here
XP12 and XP11 Bundle . Get it here  (this one)
___________________________
 
News by Stephen Dutton
7th July 2025
Copyright©2024: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) All Rights Reserved

The Requirements state "X-Plane 12", my guess it is the level of the FMOD pack required, XP11 is nearly 3 years old now.

Is this also available for X Plane 11? Or is it exclusive to X Plane 12?

Thanks for this update review Steven.
I'm glad they're offering more scenery assets, and that they're high quality, I might even make the new fire trucks driveable.

NEWS! - Laminar Research releases V12.2.1 Beta




As announced in the June 19th Roadmap and detailed at the Rhode Island FlightSim Expo (26th to 28th June), here is the next Beta in X-Plane 12.2.1, known as the "Gateway Asset Update". Although announced and to be selected as a "Beta" update, most of the 12.2.1 release is mostly a large collection of Assets, 700 in all. So as a Beta run it will be extremely short (unlike the wildly Weather 12.2.0 Beta). But this is the biggest Laminar Research object release yet, as over the past year the Art department has grown significantly from the original Alex Unruh and Cristiano, added is Petr and the indomitable Justin Kissling or Misterx6 from ShortFinal Design. And the significance and output is reflected here, there are also a few extra nice additions as well that was not announced earlier.

Unlike the consistent changes to the Startup Screen thoughout 12.2.0, we still have the Laminar Research A330-300 image in 12.2.1, so no changes there...



Zermatt Heliport (LSEZ)
As noted this is an assets (objects/scenery) update, and the highlight feature is the Zermatt Heliport (LSEZ) which is located near the entrance of the iconic mountain resort of Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais, at an elevation of around 1,400 meters. It serves as the base for Air Zermatt, a world-renowned alpine helicopter operator known for its sightseeing flights, heli-skiing, cargo transport, and mountain rescue operations. Approaches and departures are particularly challenging due to the tight valley and high terrain. It’s most certainly a rewarding experience for skilled sim heliopilots. One unique feature of the real-world heliport is the lift that provides access from the valley floor, a reminder of Zermatt’s car-free nature. With stunning views of the Matterhorn and surrounding Alps.

The quality and detail at the Zermatt Heliport is far, far more outstanding than the first Heliport in New York released earlier, this is a craftmanship scenery to the ninth degree.











There is a video as well...


There has been a few comments about the LSEZ scenery not fitting in with 3rd party Orthos textures, like levitating? and it won't work either if you have the excellent Alps UHD XP12 by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini, as it doesn't fit in at all? but in the default Zermatt X-Plane landscape it is very good, if surrounded by German Autogen.

The focus of the 12.2.1 update is a load of new assets for the WED Community, and the list is quite significant, as in a first Laminar actually wanted the user base too give them ideas for new assets required, and actually put it in a poll so you could vote, it came with seven areas to improve; Airport - Lighting, Airport - Vehicles, Terminal - Kit, Airport Buildings, Generic - Vehicles, Generic - Buildings and Ground Surfaces. Out of this list came a load of ideas, some actually part of this 12.2.1 release.

Fire Equipment
Starting with some new Fire Trucks, there are both here, the standard red, and the lime-green Airport designs, detailed and really well done.





Construction
There is a load of Construction Assets been added, mostly for around Airport construction sites, but there are also big uses in other situations, certainly for the high cranes that will be giving you some "Vertical Obstacles", which is a delve into the FS 2024 feature list in by creating thousands of infrastructure in pylons, weather towers, power stations and god knows what else. Also added is partly constructed terminal for site reference





There has been some Volvo A40G Dump Trucks added, really nice and detailed they are as well...





Next is the KOMATSU PC 360 LCi-11, which is a 36-ton class hydraulic excavator, and CAT front loaders.







Police SUV Cars
More Police Cars, very nice to chase the Drug runners, but again still they are all very American Centric, some Euro versions would be nice.... please!





Airport Infrastructure
A lot of basic Airport Infrastructure in X-Plane has been around for decades, you needed OpenSceneryX if you wanted something new. But in 12.2.1, you get a though (updated) overhaul of most of these airport based assets with more modern detailing and realism... including Hangars & Utility Sheds, Ground Markings, Colored Polygons, Compass Roses and new Grass Runway markings, and a load open sided shelters...









Like the Hangars, then the ground marking have also been improved... with new Colored Polygons, Compass Roses and Grass lettering.





Another big significant change is the apron airport lighting, with new lighting towers and more options.







Class F jetways (passenger boarding bridges) are large-capacity, heavy-duty jet bridges designed to accommodate widebody aircraft in Code F classification under ICAO standards, such as the Airbus A380, and are now included in X-Plane.



A Cherry Picker or Scissor Lift.... nice!



This is one that you thought was already in there? a Mobile Heli-Trolley, but no there wasn't any, until now.





Laminar gave a stage bow to the art crew! well done guys... for me some Port container cranes would be at the top of my next list...



Mouse Zoom Lock (Stop Zooming X-Plane)
The biggest surprise of the 12.2.1 rollout is a new option in the settings to disable the mouse zoom separately for internal and external views. Additionally, you can now assign a modifier key: this means zooming will only work while holding that key, helping to prevent accidental zooming during regular mouse use.



Oddly I was swearing profusely in setting up the Zibo Boeing 737-800 only a few days ago, and it works! and so no more cockpit swearing.

The new Zoom Option has also created a change on the X-Plane Settings menu. There is now a new page called "User Interface", the BASE FONT size has been moved here as well as the new Zoom Scroll option.
There are the two new switchable options... "Enable mouse wheel zoom for internal views" and "Enable mouse wheel zoom for external views". or you can select either your own Keyboard Command, or use the two Default options (keys) "Control" or "Alt", they are great choices and work well in their keyboard position when adjusting the zoom normally.



New Hardware Support
Laminar has added in more support for a range of supported hardware with new additions from several manufacturers. Now supported are...



MOZA Flight Sim Gear
We’re happy to announce full support for MOZA’s impressive new line of flight simulator hardware. This release supports the AB9 FFB Base with the MH16 Flightstick, the MTP Throttle, and the MTLP Panel. Full support for the AY210 Yoke Base and the MFY Yoke is also on the horizon.

Thrustmaster SOL-R 1 Flightstick
We’ve also added full support for the new SOL-R 1, Thrustmaster’s next-gen Flightstick, designed specifically for flight simulations.

rotAIR by SimFlight Services
We now support the rotAIR modules from SimFlight Services, enhancing your sim experience with high-fidelity input.

Global Airports
There has been another big update to the X-Plane "Global Airports" in default sceneries for the Simulator. Here another 613 sceneries for a total of now 39,016 airports out there to be used... these new or updated sceneries have been added in this release.



Fixes and Enhancements
There are a few other changes to ATC, General, a few removed features and a Technical Note (Linux)

ATC
Added support for continual circuits (touch & go)
General
Save the last airport the user was on ground at instead of the last airport overflown for “Resume Flight”
Fixed various translation issues
Removed Features
We have removed the following unused and old features:
Removed the checklist feature
Remove the text file feature
Technical Notes
Linux
Fixed an issue when using the Steam installation of X-Plane on Linux, when Steam was installed using a snap package. Please note, that snap installations are not supported by Valve (XPD-16840)

An important note is that "Birds will no longer cause damage unless “birdstrike” is set on the failures screen", so unless you now activate the "Birdstrike" in a failure mode, they will leave you alone.

A note from Laminar was all very pleasing...

"We hope this update will kick-off a new wave of creativity amongst our scenery artists. It’s been no secret that we are working on Next-Gen Scenery, and the ideas you have proposed to us, will help form more assets that we can refer to and create for the future!"

NEXT-GEN Scenery! then X-Plane will really fly (pun intended)
________________

Full Release Notes
For additional details and a more comprehensive list of changes, have a look at the full 12.2.1 release notes, are here.

You can update to X-Plane v12.2.1 beta now via the built in X-Plane Installer application, just select "Update X-Plane" and make sure the "beta" selection box is ticked. It is a 3.6 Gb Installation via a 2.2 Gb download. The update is also currently available on the public_beta branch on Steam.



As this is a beta release, so you may encounter unforeseen issues. Regularly back up your data and stay updated with official communications for any patches or fixes. Images here are provided courtesy Laminar Research.



X-PlaneReviews have only done a quick flight of X-Plane 12.2.1 beta, very impressed (again) with another great set of additions to the X-Plane Simulator, but these assets will take time to flow through. Like noted at the head of this NEWS! release, although a "Beta", it won't be a long one, in just a few weeks as it is mostly assets. Next is... X-Plane 12.3.0, the next big step up. It is noted as a "Weather Update", and yes coming soon.
___________________________
 
NEWS! by Stephen Dutton
5th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) All Rights Reserved.

Scenery Review : LGSK - Skiathos, Greece by Mango Studios

Skiathos is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades archipelago, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia on the mainland, and just west of the island of Skopelos.

The island has a north to southwestern axis and is about 12 kilometres (7 miles) long and 6 kilometres (4 miles) wide on average. The coastline is indented with inlets, capes and peninsulas. The southeast and southwest parts have gentler slopes and that is where of most settlements and facilities are located. The terrain is more rugged on the north coast, with the highest peak at 433 m (1,421 feet) on mount Karafiltzanaka. The distance to the Greek capital in Athens is only approximately 133 kilometers (83 miles). 



Despite its small size, Skiathos with its many beaches and wooded landscape is a popular tourist destination as it is traditionally Greek. It has over 60, mostly sandy, beaches scattered around the 44 km (27 mi) coastline. These include Achladies, Troulos, Vromolimnos, Koukounaries, Asselinos, Megali Ammos and Mandraki.

Mango Studios is not usually a name associated with scenery, but with Sound Packs and Engine MODS (modifications), and it's not an association with the name Mango either via a 3rd party, but it is in actually Mango Studios releasing the scenery, so they are pretty versatile in many areas. That said this is also the first scenery released from Mango Studios, and so there will be a few comments here, we don't expect perfection first time out, as it is still also payware, so the scenery still has to meet certain criterion standards.

Every scenery has a feature as to of why you would buy that scenery? In most cases it is the location and mostly added in with the scenery's heritage, like say Heathrow, Changi or even Idlewild, say New York JFK. But there are also a few other other reasons to buy the scenery and that is the reason here in this case. First it is the location in the Greek Islands, but LGSK - Skaithos (JSI) has another reason in that it is known as a challenging approach, then followed by a short Up-slope runway of only 5341 ft or 1628 m. That creates the situation of in that only certain aircraft that can get into here, and out again obviously. Usually no bigger than a B737/A320 or a smaller regional aircraft. So lets look at the charts...



Both Runways in 19 from the North and 01 from the South have to pass through the SKP or SKOPELOS VOR on the northwesten tip of the Skopelos Island, from there it is both a tight u-turn into either approach. Rwy 19 is a little easier in that it is more straight forward in line, but 01 is more at an slightly off angle approach, so it is far more difficult than it looks on the chart to get right, and there are no navigation or ILS aids to help you either (There is an NDB (SKC), but who uses them anymore), so it is a pure "seat of the pants and hands on approach".

Yes we love a challenge and that is what LGSK Skiathos gives you. Departure is from LIRF - Rome. You can do a short hop from LGAV - Athens, but it is just that in a short hop (77 Nm), okay for a General Aviation or Regional aircraft, but if you want the full experience then you need something bigger. Here I'm using the ZIBO Boeing 737-800, but the perfect aircraft would be something like the Airbus A319 for size.







Flying distance is 616 Nm, in first crossing Southern Italy, then over the Ionian Sea to Greece. 70% of the flight was spent on how I would approach.... well the Skaithos 01 Approach, in working out the speeds and heights to get the best outcome for myself and the passengers, mostly in getting the job done safely.



If you look at the 01 Approach chart there are two very important waypoints, D202J and FQ01, both have to be inserted into the FMC to get the correct turn and alignment to the 01 Runway. but also important are your heights at these same two points in to pulling off the landing (successfully). But the first important height is the turn at SKP VOR, then get that one wrong and you will never get the rest of the descent pattern correct. My TOD point (from FL330) was at VOR YNN (IOANNINA) and you are then mostly in crossing the whole half of Greece in going down...

After a hook of Mainland Greece then Skiathos comes into view with Skopelos further East. You can't see Skiathos Airport here as it is positioned further south and hidden in a hollow.



I'm coming in via a Western track, EVIK1C is more direct, but the FMS wouldn't accept it? but this gave me the option to use PELIP and BAMOS to loop around to the Northern IBID1C track into SKP. It also gave me more time to visually weigh-up the situation. At BAMOS I tracked 155º to SKP VOR and at this point Skiathos Airport was finally seen (top) right, at the SKP turn you are now parallel to the 01/19 Runway.



Height is 6,000ft, Speed 275 at SKP, right we are now in the "Loop" or landing circuit. Now it is time to get your bird ready for landing... Speed 172 knts, Gear Down, Flaps 30º and crucially the altitude set at 1,500 ft, and you should be all ready and set in these places at the bottom of the loop or D202J



But when you come out of the hard turn, you are not exactly aligned directly with LGSK 01 Rwy, so this is the tricky bit?



Your workload now goes through the roof, you need to get your speed down and Flaps 40º (Full), watch your height and get the aircraft onto the correct approach path... this is an Approach that you have to Feel your way in, and you have to be exact on descent the numbers.





Passing through 500 ft and you are still working on the Approach delta. Nudging this way, then nudging the aircraft the other way, wings balancing left then right, trying to home in on that perfect line into Rwy 01, it is known as a 3.3° visual approach. There is only a singular visual reference, it is only when you get to certain point, then you will see the angle of the runway, so you sorta of adjust (a few times actually) then get a better bearing as you get closer (and lower) coming in.



It's far trickier than it looks... 200, 150... 100.



On the final Approach there is a Greek Windmill on your left as you arrive... flying over the fence means also flying over a road and loads of observing people, these LGSK approaches are as famous as the one at Princess Juliana International in Sint Maarten, you can get really close to the landing aircraft, VERY close.



The runway is a Up-slope Gradient creating a tendency to flare late and increasing the risk of a hard landing, the slope is 9' to 54' in elevation of 0.84% slope, significant when coming in from the south for slowing the aircraft, but dangerous if coming in (19) from the North as the slope is gravity down. Notable is that the tower can't see the 19 threshold set over the hill either.





Touch was around 147 kts, but the slower and shorter you hit the runway, then the more space you have to stop... which is the general idea.



Not quite a Carrier landing, but you need to slow as much as you can if you don't want to end up in the Aegean, as the end of threshold of Rwy 19 is short and steep. The turning circle is very tight here as well even for the Boeing 738, the 01 Pre-Threshold circle is much larger to navigate.



You may think this landing is all a bit overstated here for dramatic effect... I thought it was tough anyway, but then I watched a video (Airbus) of the same 01 approach on You Tube you then realise how very authentic this landing was.

And it was as tricky in the video as in my own experience, and the same with the landing patterns.





Skiathos International Airport
"Alexandros Papadiamantis"
Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Σκιάθου «Αλέξανδρος Παπαδιαμάντης»
IATA: JSI - ICAO: LGSK

01/19 - 5,341 ft (1,628m) - Asphalt
Elevation AMSL - 54 ft/16m

Skiathos Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport is an airport on the island of Skiathos, Greece. Its 5,341-foot (1,628-meter) runway is able to accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 757-200. The runway is characterised as 'short and narrow'. Because of the uneven terrain on the island of Skiathos, Skiathos Airport was created by reclaiming land from the sea between Skiathos island and the smaller island of Lazareta (a former leper colony) effectively joining the two islands into one larger island, though it was built on land already part of Skiathos. The location was chosen by a mechanic who lived in Volos. The airport is named after Alexandros Papadiamantis, a Greek novelist and native of the island. The airport first operated in 1972.

A passenger terminal and a new control tower was constructed here in 1988. In 2001 the terminal was closed down by a minor earthquake, and a new passenger terminal opened in 2002, to better accommodate the growing number of passengers.
From 2019, as part of the Fraport construction works the airport has 2 current terminals. Terminal 1 was reconstructed and is currently the Domestic Terminal, and Terminal 2 is for international arrivals.

Installation
For to use the Mango Studio's LGSK - Skiathos scenery there are three files to install, and one in a required download of a Orthos tile. Both "aaa Mango Studios LGSK Airport XP12" and the "aaa Boundless_Library" go into the Custom folder, the downloaded (932 Mb) "Mango Studios LGSK Othro Patch + Pre Made tile", also goes into the Custom Folder, but you have to adjust the "scenery_packs.INI" file to move the Ortho file to the bottom of the list (but above the GLOBAL AIRPORTS folder). And you have make sure they are in the right .INI order for it to work correctly.





The actual 01/19 Runway is in a hollow between of what was once two separate islands, so from certain angles it can hide the landing strip. There are hard lines each side of 01/19 where the textures don't exactly mesh together, so this aspect is a bit messy, and should have be better with using a custom photo tile, but this visual aspect is only seen from the air.



The Southern approach is well done, as we shall look into more later... the actual JSI airport is set into a nook on the Western side of 01/19





First impressions are very good, but the ground textures are a bit layer on layered and you feel it is an airport scenery built on this concept, as mentioned a photo Orthos should create a base on which to build up on, but these look like just textures on textures, it does work... but only just?

There are two Terminals as noted, the newer larger one on the right, note the coloured blast fence, the wrong way around? This area is divisive. There was such a fence a few years ago, and yes also it was positioned backwards? but it has now been removed. I have seen this LGSK scenery with it installed and removed, and yes it is better in position, as it adds colour and elements in to a bland area, problem is though is that it also causes problems with the parking slots (S1 to S5). In the old days (with fence) the aircraft parked only parallel to the terminal in two positions, now they are face in, with five bays, or are they? The signage layout here is correct, but there are two layers of different markings, one for nose in (or out) and two sets for turnaround, but the turnarounds are too close to the barrier, so you would damage your wings if you used them?





At first the Terminals look too clean, even with a slight modeling aspect. But the real buildings are always very freshly painted with no wear or outward marks, so again the view is correct. Linage is overall very good, but it still feels like that more clutter and detail is needed around the main Terminal and apron.





The Greek style is good, and overall the terminals are well presented, but there is no internal detail in either. The roof Air-Conditioning detail is well done.





Constructed as part of an expansion project completed in 2016, where six new stands (1 to 6) were built north of the original two stands at the Terminal, these are really well done with plenty of parking options. Apron detail and clutter is also very good here.





Landside detail is very good, with that Greek Island feel. Car/Rental parking with Jet2Go buses are excellent, fencing is also well done. There is a fuel depot north of the Terminal.





Between Mango Studios LGSK v1.0 and v1.1, there has been a load of rusted poles popping up? they are not visible on the approach roads or is there any in the area? so what are they really doing here?



There is some nice detail of people viewing the aircraft approaches at the road by the 01 Threshold, and yes that could be me in hoodie and backpack.



Close by and seen on the 01 Approach is the Mylos Tavern, which is a beloved Greek restaurant with Historic Windmill. Its unique location offers diners the thrill of watching planes land while enjoying authentic Greek cuisine. Behind is Radical Storage, for airport baggage holding.



There are plenty of boat yards, and even a sort of Skiathos harbour, but no Ferries or other prominent Skiathos sland features. Even the housing of Skiathos is the default X-Plane German housing. This is small scenery and the foreshore with Greek buildings of Skiathos should have been part of the package, the harbour is highly visible on the approach, but sadly all is missing here... the detail of a scenery is in the detail.





Custom textures are very good... to a point. Runway textures are good with great texture and grit, and the landing rubber marking are very realistic as are the side edge joins, and the line markings are also nicely faded. Apron textures are also gritty and stoney. But runway repair patches are just overlaid different textures, a bit lazy and noticeable and the word "Blend" doesn't work here, and that layering aspect is shown throughout the scenery.





There is 3d grass, and it is well done and mostly in tuffs, making the field feel Greek island realistic... side roads are the same well neglected Greek council work, and worn edges.


Lighting
There is no approach lighting (surprise), just threshold and runway side guide lights (no PAPI either, but it is installed at the airport?), there are no centre line guide lights either, so it is a tough approach at night.



Extension apron and in fact all the aprons are well and nicely lit.



Landside lighting is very good as well, but still has only basic street-lighting.



Sadly there is no Terminal or building lighting, and this makes the scenery dark at night with the showing of no window detail? Mango Studios say's the lighting will come, but no note of when?





Highlight is the Mylos Taven, looking lovely on the approach in the twilight, the best time to arrive.



Summary
Mango Studios are well known for their Sound Packages and aircraft MODs (Modifications), so a scenery is a bit from left field (they have also now released LEMI - Murcia in Spain). But this scenery is LGSK - Skiathos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea just north of Athens.

The main attraction is the North and especially the Southern approaches to Skiathos Airport, hidden in a hollow between two islands, the approaches are as famous as the one at Princess Juliana International in Sint Maarten. These are bare knuckle hands on approaches with a short Up-slope 5341 ft or 1628 m runway.

Overall the scenery is very good (for a first time delivery) it has that great Greek Island feel, great ground textures and ground lighting, the Runway 01 approach with observers is a great touch with a value price.

The LGSK - Skaithos scenery is really quite passible in this package, I really like it, and loved using it. But it does still need a bit more development to fulfill it's promise, and take the learning curve out a bit further. More fill clutter (certainly around the terminals), missing Terminal lighting, PAPI lighting, and if you want to go the full salt seller, then recreating the Skiathos township and harbour would give the scenery gravitas. There is the rule, the smaller the scenery then the more detail is required to compensate.

As a first project there is seriously a lot to like here, and those approaches will white knuckle you to a head forward stop, overall a worthy value addition to your Greek collection.
_______________



The Mango Studios LGSK- Skiathos Airport, Greece is NOW available! from the X-Plane.Org Store

Mango Studios LGSK- Skiathos Airport, Greece
Priced at US$17.99
 
Requirements
X-Plane 12
Windows, Mac or Linux
8GB VRAM Recommended
Download Size: 3.2 GB
Current version: 1.0 (June 13th 2025)

Download: for LGSK - Skiathos is 3.36Gb.
aaa Mango Studios LGSK Airport XP12
aaa Boundless_Library
Also required is a download Ortho patch
Mango Studios LGSK Othro Patch + Pre Made tile (932Mb)
Full Installation is 6.36Gb in your Custom Scenery Folder. (only X-Plane 12)

Documentation:
LGSK Readme (Installation)
________________________
 
Review System Specifications: 
Windows  - 12th Gen IS1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz CPU - 64bit -32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 - Samsung 970 EVO+ 2TB SSD
Software:   - Windows 11 Pro - X-Plane 12.2.0
Plugins: JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00
Scenery or Aircraft
- Zibo Mod Boeing 737-800 by ZIbo (X-Plane.Org) - Free
______________________
 
NEWS! by Stephen Dutton
4th July 2025
Copyright©2025: X-Plane Reviews
 
(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)