There are few things in gaming quite like the feeling of climbing into an aircraft with a story behind it. Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) has always understood that aviation is about far more than getting from one airport to another. It is about the machines themselves, the people who designed them, the pilots who pushed them to their limits, and the strange, wonderful circumstances that turned certain aircraft into legends. Famous Flyers Pack 1 leans heavily into that idea, bringing together ten very different aircraft spanning almost a century of aviation history.
What makes this collection particularly appealing is just how wildly different its aircraft are. One moment you can be wrestling with the notoriously lively Gee Bee racer; the next you are lumbering through the sky in an Antonov An 2 or commanding the enormous Antonov An 225 Mriya. There is also something wonderfully nostalgic about climbing aboard the Ford 4 AT Tri Motor or the Douglas C 47D Skytrain before jumping forward into the jet age with the Boeing 707 320C. It is a collection that feels less like a conventional aircraft pack and more like a small museum that happens to let you fly everything inside it.
A Celebration of Aviation’s Greatest Machines
The headline attraction here is arguably the Antonov An 225 Mriya, and it is difficult not to be impressed by the sheer absurdity of this aircraft. The enormous six-engine cargo aircraft feels like something that should exist only in an engineering textbook, yet Microsoft Flight Simulator allows you to experience its tremendous scale from both the cockpit and the external camera. Taking control of something this large is an experience in itself, particularly when you appreciate how strikingly different its presence in the sky is compared with the smaller aircraft elsewhere in the pack.
Yet the An 225 is not the only reason to spend time with Famous Flyers Pack 1. The Antonov An 2 provides an almost completely opposite experience, with its rugged design and comparatively modest performance making it ideally suited to low-level sightseeing and rougher airstrips. There is something immensely satisfying about coaxing the old biplane into the air and simply exploring the world below without worrying about breaking any speed records. It is an aircraft that encourages you to slow down and appreciate the scenery, which Microsoft Flight Simulator has always done exceptionally well.
Then there is the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, one of the most visually distinctive aircraft in the collection. Its beautiful lines and classic styling make it feel like a product from another era, when aircraft could be elegant as well as functional. Flying it is a much more intimate experience than commanding the An 225, and that contrast is precisely what makes this collection work so well.
Racing on the Edge
If there is one aircraft here guaranteed to make your palms sweat, it is the Granville Gee Bee R2 and its sibling, the Gee Bee Z. These aircraft have acquired legendary status among aviation enthusiasts for their unusual proportions and uncompromising racing pedigree. They are tiny, powerful and remarkably demanding, turning what might initially seem like a straightforward flight into something that requires considerably more attention.
The Gee Bee aircraft are not particularly interested in letting you relax. Their performance demands respect, and the experience feels wonderfully old-school as you attempt to keep everything under control. There is a real sense of occasion when you push one towards its limits, because these are not aircraft designed around modern convenience. They are machines built around speed, and that personality comes through beautifully.
It also gives the pack some much-needed variety. Without aircraft like the Gee Bees, Famous Flyers Pack 1 could have felt like another collection of historically important transports. Instead, there is a genuine sense of adventure running through the whole package. Every aircraft asks something slightly different of you, and that encourages experimentation rather than simply finding one favourite plane and ignoring everything else.
From Warbirds to the Jet Age
The Douglas C 47D Skytrain brings another fascinating chapter of aviation history to the collection. This aircraft has an enormous legacy, and its presence here gives players the chance to experience a machine that played such an important role in military transport. The inclusion of the Waco CG 4A glider adds another dimension, offering a chance to experience unpowered flight and the challenges it entails.
The glider is particularly interesting because it changes your relationship with the aircraft. There is no roaring engine to save you, and no opportunity to simply add power when something goes wrong. You have to pay attention to altitude, approach and momentum, making every landing feel like a small achievement. It is a lovely example of how Microsoft Flight Simulator can turn an aircraft that might seem relatively simple on paper into an engaging flying experience.
At the other end of the technological spectrum sits the Boeing 707 320C. Suddenly, the world becomes faster and the cockpit more complex, as the collection moves from propellers and radial engines towards the dawn of the commercial jet age. The transition is fascinating because it highlights how quickly aviation changed. Flying the 707 after spending time with the Ford Tri Motor makes the technological leap feel enormous.
A Properly Varied Hangar
The Ford 4 AT Tri Motor is another highlight for anyone with an appreciation of aviation history. Its three-engine configuration and unmistakable appearance make it instantly recognisable, while the cockpit offers a glimpse into a period when flying was a much more hands-on affair. It is not about glass displays and automated systems here. Instead, the experience is built around mechanical instruments, careful control and the distinctive character of an aircraft from aviation’s formative years.
The Cessna 207T Turbo Stationair 8 brings a more practical flavour to the collection. It lacks the glamour of some of its companions, but that is precisely why it earns its place. This is the sort of aircraft that makes you appreciate the everyday side of aviation, whether you are hopping between smaller airports or exploring remote corners of the world. It feels useful rather than glamorous, and that gives the collection another welcome change of pace.
The Beechcraft Bonanza V35 sits somewhere between the classic and the modern, offering a comfortable and capable general aviation experience. Meanwhile, the Mitsubishi MU 2 provides a taste of fast turboprop flying, demanding considerably more attention than the gentler aircraft elsewhere in the collection. Together, these aircraft fill in some of the gaps between the historic pioneers and the larger transports, creating a surprisingly complete snapshot of aviation development.
Cockpits Full of Character
As you would expect from Microsoft Flight Simulator, presentation is one of the collection’s biggest strengths. The aircraft have been lovingly recreated, with a tremendous amount of detail in the cockpits, from analogue instruments and mechanical switches to worn materials and period-appropriate fittings. Sitting inside these machines often feels almost as interesting as flying them.
The visual differences between the aircraft are especially impressive. The polished elegance of the Staggerwing feels worlds away from the industrial bulk of the An 225, while the exposed, functional character of older aircraft gives them a personality that modern cockpits sometimes lack. There is a tactile quality to the whole collection that makes you want to explore every switch and gauge, even when you already know exactly where you are going.
Sound plays an equally important role. Radial engines rumble and growl, turboprops have their distinctive mechanical whine, and the Boeing 707 brings the unmistakable sound of early jet aviation. These details may seem minor when viewed individually, but together they make every aircraft feel like a machine rather than simply another model in a digital hangar.
Flying Through History
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Famous Flyers Pack 1 is how it encourages you to think of aviation as a journey rather than a destination. You can start with the Ford Tri Motor, move on to the C 47, experiment with the Gee Bee, take the An 2 into the countryside, and eventually find yourself hauling cargo in the enormous An 225. The aircraft do not simply offer different statistics. They embody different philosophies of flight.
There is also tremendous replay value here because Microsoft Flight Simulator itself gives these aircraft almost limitless room to breathe. You can fly them around familiar locations, take them into challenging weather, recreate historical routes, or simply climb into something you have never tried before. The pack does not need traditional missions to justify its existence because the world around these aircraft effectively becomes the playground.
That said, this is still fundamentally an aircraft collection rather than a major new gameplay expansion. Players looking for structured campaigns, substantial new career content, or dramatic changes to the core simulator will not find those here. The value comes almost entirely from the aircraft themselves, so whether the asking price feels worthwhile will depend heavily on how much you enjoy historical aviation and experimenting with different flight characteristics.
Verdict
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) Famous Flyers Pack 1 is a superb celebration of aviation history that explains why these machines remain fascinating decades after many left active service. From the tiny, temperamental Gee Bee racers to the enormous Antonov An 225, the collection constantly surprises with its variety. Some aircraft are challenging, others relaxing, and a few simply exist to make you sit back and admire the extraordinary ingenuity that went into their creation.
More importantly, there is a sense of character here that makes the collection feel genuinely special. These are not interchangeable aircraft designed simply to pad out a hangar. Each has a personality, a history, and a different story to tell through the controls. Asobo Studio and its development partners have put together a collection that should appeal just as much to aviation enthusiasts and historians as to dedicated flight simmers.
There are aircraft here that you will probably fly for hours, alongside others that you may only take up once or twice before moving on. That is perfectly fine. The strength of the collection lies in giving players ten very different reasons to return to the skies, and few flight simulator expansions can offer quite this much variety in a single package.
