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Microsoft Flight Simulator plans to add helicopters in 2022

If things go according to plan, helicopters will officially arrive in Microsoft Flight Simulator in 2022.

Bill Lavoy

July 20, 2021 12:25 PM

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Few things are as peaceful as taking a flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator, but airplanes are restricted by just how close they can pass by landmarks, or by how low they can fly to get close to them. Helicopters, on the other hand, are more versatile in the places they can access. That versatility is planned for arrival in Microsoft Flight Simulator in 2022.

During the July 15 Microsoft Flight Simulator development update, it was subtly announced that plans to have helicopters added to the game were tracking for 2022. I say subtle because you could do a CTRL + F and type “helicopter” into the update page and find nothing. The mention of helicopters was saved for an image in the Feedback Snapshot section. Interested players would need to click the web-friendly version to get more details.

According to the community, helicopters are the most requested feature among topics voted on that were included in the July 15 development update. It makes sense, too, as helicopters will drastically change what is and isn’t possible for players in the game. Imagine you wanted to fly by the CN Tower or the Statue of Liberty. As of right now, flying by is all you can do. Maybe you could circle it. However, players will be able to get closer to landmarks once they can use a helicopter to hover in place instead of pass by at high speeds.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the better games to come out in the last year, offering players a chance to see the world when the COVID-19 pandemic caused most travel to cease. In fact, our own Shacknews pilot, Jan, streams Shack Air most Thursday’s at 9 p.m. EDT until 11 p.m. EDT. You can catch those flights on the Shacknews Twitch channel, and you can keep updated with news using our Microsoft Flight Simulator topic page.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.