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Committed to the global Aviation and Flight Simulation Community! Bringing you top-notch classic genre content along with the latest in Flight Simulation and Aviation News!... Read More |
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The FAA has finalized permanent helicopter and powered-lift restrictions near Reagan National Airport (DCA), reducing collision risk and separating mixed traffic near active runways.
via: https://skyblueradio.com/faa-permanent-helicopter-restrictions-reagan-national-dca  Share on Facebook ·  Bookmark on Delicious
FlyTampa has released version 3.1 of their Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS) + Las Vegas City scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, bringing a fast-follow fix pack after user feedback from the big V3 release.
https://skyblueradio.com/flytampa-las-vegas-v3-1-patch-out-now-for-msfs-2024
X-Plane 12.4.0 Beta 3 is out now, bringing Airbus A330 refinements, ATIS fixes, VR improvements, and stability updates. Here's what simmers need to know.
via: https://skyblueradio.com/x-plane-12-4-0-beta-3-released MSFS 2024 Sim Update 5 is coming soon, with a public beta expected shortly. Simmers are split: stability fixes first or more content now?
via: https://skyblueradio.com/msfs-2024-sim-update-5-public-beta-coming-soon If you've ever flown the PMDG 737 in a busy airport environment and thought, "This aircraft deserves even more sonic personality," Orbx just dropped something that'll make your speakers sit up straight. Orbx has released the Boris Audio Works PMDG 737NG Sound Set for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, delivering a [...]
via: https://skyblueradio.com/orbx-releases-boris-audio-works-pmdg-737ng-sound-set-for-microsoft-flight-simulator-2024 Lockheed Martin, Blackshark.ai, and Unreal Engine unveil Prepar3D Fuse, a next-gen AI-driven military simulation platform featuring full-earth terrain, realistic forces behavior, and advanced training capabilities.
via: https://skyblueradio.com/prepar3d-fuse-ai-military-simulation-unreal-engine-5 If you've ever crept along an Icelandic canyon at "low and slow" speed only to spot a legendary waterfall... standing perfectly still like it got turned into a wallpaper, you're not alone. While Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has improved terrain generation in big ways, moving water can still look oddly [...]
via: https://skyblueradio.com/cli4d-designs-brings-animated-waterfalls-to-iceland-in-msfs-2024  Two of America's most vacation-minded airlines are planning to share the same beach towel.
Allegiant Travel Company announced today (Jan. 11, 2026) that it will acquire Sun Country Airlines in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $1.5 billion, including Sun Country's net debt.
If the deal closes as planned, it would create a larger, leisure-focused carrier with an expanded network and a combined fleet of about 195 aircraft, plus an eye toward cost savings that both airlines say can add up fast.
The deal terms (what Sun Country shareholders get)
Under the announced agreement, Sun Country shareholders would receive $4.10 in cash plus 0.1557 shares of Allegiant stock for each Sun Country share.
That package values Sun Country at $18.89 per share, a 19.8% premium to Sun Country's prior closing price (Jan. 9, 2026).
The companies project $140 million in annual synergies by the third year after closing, and Allegiant says the transaction should be immediately accretive to earnings.
What the combined airline might look like
Headquarters: Las Vegas, under the Allegiant parent company.
Ownership split: Allegiant shareholders would own about 67% of the combined company; Sun Country shareholders about 33%.
Leadership: Allegiant CEO Gregory Anderson is slated to become CEO of the combined company. Allegiant's Robert Neal would be President and CFO. Sun Country CEO Jude Bricker is expected to join the board.
Operations: While the merger is pending, the airlines say day-to-day travel should feel... normal. Sun Country's customer-facing FAQ says travelers can book and fly "as usual" and that existing rewards will continue to be honored.
Barron's also notes that both airlines would continue operating separately until they obtain a joint FAA operating certificate, which is a practical reminder that airline mergers are not "flip the switch" events.
Why this merger is happening now
The pitch is pretty straightforward: scale.
Both Allegiant and Sun Country are built around leisure travel, and combining networks can make it easier to funnel passengers into more nonstop options and build schedule density. Reuters reported the combined business would broaden exposure to more domestic and international markets and bring a fleet around 195 aircraft under one roof.
Axios frames the backdrop as a tough moment for budget carriers, pointing to rising costs and competition and suggesting the deal could become a notable early antitrust test for the current U.S. administration.
What it could mean for travelers (the practical stuff)
In the near term: likely very little changes for customers. Sun Country says booking and flying continues as normal and rewards will still work.
In the medium term: the biggest "watch this space" items are usually:
Route maps: overlapping routes sometimes get trimmed, but mergers can also add new connections once networks are coordinated.
Fares and fees: low-cost carriers live and die by ancillaries (bags, seats, bundles). Pricing strategy tends to evolve after approvals.
Fleet strategy: the merger presentation highlights synergies partly driven by scale efficiencies and fleet related improvements, which often show up as smoother utilization and, eventually, product tweaks.
Timeline and hurdles
The companies expect the deal to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
That's where the "big question mark" lives: regulators will decide whether this combination reduces competition on key routes or changes the bargain-fare landscape in a way they don't like. Axios notes the political and legal environment around airline deals has been active in recent years, with major transactions drawing heavy scrutiny.
Sky Blue Radio take
Think of this merger like two vacation playlists being combined into one: you might get more variety, but somebody's favorite track could get skipped.
For flight simmers, too, this is real-world airline chess that often ends up shaping the liveries, routes, and schedules we see reflected in the sim ecosystem. For travelers, it's a developing story with real potential upside (more network reach) and real potential downside (less competition on certain city pairs).
We'll keep an eye on the regulatory phase, the joint operating certificate timeline, and what the combined route map starts to look like once the paperwork turns into painted tails.
The post Allegiant to Buy Sun Country in $1.5B Deal, Creating a Bigger Leisure Airline (and a Bigger Question Mark for Regulators) appeared first on Sky Blue Radio.
via: https://skyblueradio.com/allegiant-acquires-sun-country-merger  The trijet that refuses to be forgotten is lining up on the runway again. TFDi Design has released an official trailer teasing the MD-11 "Definitive Edition", with the MSFS 2024-compatible version arriving Monday, January 12 (12JAN26).
TFDi describes this as a high-fidelity refresh of its already deep MD-11 simulation, aimed at bringing a more polished visual package, expanded systems depth, and a longer list of "MD-11-isms" that fans of the aircraft know and love.
What's included (and why MD-11 fans are grinning)
According to TFDi's trailer and supporting coverage, the MSFS 2024 edition focuses on a mix of cockpit detail, systems depth, and interaction inside and out:
Highly detailed cockpit with customer options and differences between passenger and freighter configurations
Meticulously modeled exterior with an emphasis on mechanical detail, plus clickable doors and ground-service interactions (GPU/ASU)
Thorough systems and autoflight/FMS depth, including support for modern procedures like SIDs/STARs, holds, predictions, and ECON/CI-style planning
Custom flight behavior and classic MD-11 quirks, including dial-a-flap, control droop, windmilling, and engine options (Pratt & Whitney and General Electric)
Audio by Echo 19
Interactive cabin features: door controls, bins, shades, and more
Extended Simulation: when you want the MD-11 to bite back
For pilots who like their checklists with a side of consequences, TFDi also highlights an Extended Simulation add-on that introduces working circuit breakers and over 230 possible failures.
TFDi's own product page frames this package as an additional layer with operational failures and a dedicated failures menu, with circuit breaker functionality included as part of that expanded simulation scope.
Pricing and packages
TFDi sells the MD-11 in a modular setup:
Base Pack: $69.99 for Passenger or Freighter
Expansion (other variant): $9.99
Extended Simulation Pack: listed at $4.99 (often rounded to about $5 in coverage)
Some outlets also report a post-release price increase for new customers after the MSFS 2024 version goes live.
Existing customers: "the update you've been waiting for"
In the trailer copy, TFDi directly calls out that current owners should see the long-anticipated upgrades roll into this MSFS 2024 push, including the Pratt & Whitney engine option, art updates, and Extended Simulation progress, alongside Flight Simulator 2024 support.
Watch here!
The post TFDi Design's MD-11 "Definitive Edition" Touches Down in MSFS 2024 on January 12 appeared first on Sky Blue Radio.
via: https://skyblueradio.com/tfdidesign-md11-msfs-2024-release-date News, , Airliner, Simulation, , Autoflight, , Echo, 19, Audio, , flight, sim, news, , Flight, Simulator, add-on, , FMS, |
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