FlightSimExpo 2023 turned out to be a phenomenal success by attendance alone. This year it was held at the LoneStar Museum in Houston Texas. FlightSimulation Association (FSA) organizer Evan Reiter has announced the date and venue for FlightSimExpo 2024. The location was selected following a community-wide survey in which more than 500 simmers selected Las Vegas as their top location choice. FSExpo 2024 will be held June 21st to the 23rd, 2024, at the Tropicana Las Vegas, a Doubletree by Hilton. But don’t book your travel and lodging yet, as Evan is negotiating lower conference prices.
What is the Flight Simulation Association?
Flight Simulation Association (FSA) has been organizing conferences for flight simulation enthusiasts since 2018 and has taken us to Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, and recently Houston. The Flight Simulation Association (FSA) is a community-driven organization of developers, simmers, hardware manufacturers, and real-world pilots working to make it easier to get started in home flight simulation. You can join the community for free at flightsimassociation.com for resources, learning content, webinars, and discounts on top add-ons and simulation hardware.
“We are excited to bring FlightSimExpo back to Las Vegas,” said Evan Reiter, FSA co-founder. “The space at Tropicana is perfect for our event, while the destination offers a great backdrop for families, resort-seekers, and those who love gaming and entertainment.” FlightSimExpo was in the news in 2023 here.
Why Would You Want to Attend?
The expo features sim product developers like IniBuilds, Parallel 42, Blackbird Simulations, Orbx, Hype Performance Group, Just Flight, and many more. Independent software developers like Seb of Cockspur and Wombii were at the expo to meet in person. Hardware developers such as HoneyComb Aeronautical, Thrustmaster, Allied Cockpit Equipment, Altimeter Motives, and Yawman Arrow, to name a few. There was no shortage of almost anyone who makes something for our favorite hobby on hand at FSExpo in 2023.
FlightSimExpo in 2024 will follow a similar format as in 2023, with the first day being product-reveal day. This is where software and hardware vendors announce products to our surprise or our expectations. Honeycomb announced an inexpensive version of their famous Alpha yoke and a whole new glass panel that everyone seemed to put on their wish list immediately. A2A simulations debuted the Accu-Sim Comanche 250 low-wing and very realistic airplane to a crowd of 2,000 verbal ohs and awes. One product that caught our eye was the Yawman Flight Arrow, a new “cockpit-controls-in-your-hand” device. This device looks similar to an Xbox controller but has sliders for throttle, mixture and prop, trim wheel, and full autopilot buttons. We can’t get enough of these exciting things when attending FSExpo.
Microsoft Has Been Absent from FlightSimExpo in Past Years
Microsoft was at FlightSimExpo 2023 for the first time with two familiar faces presenting, Jorg Neumann and Sebastian Wloch, and the familiar Community Fly-in staff on hand to answer all your questions. Jorg revealed Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (MSFS 2024) with a trailer video that had everyone riveted. They acknowledged, for the first time, the term “FS2020” and you can see they are keeping the year in the name of the product going forward. They also brought us up-to-date on dev news and announcements. They have promised to return to FlightSimExpo in 2024 in Vegas, and you can bet the topic will be all about Flight Simulator 2024.
What Happens in Three Days of FlightSimExpo?
The first-day format is capped with an FSA member dinner. Each day after that is filled with educational seminars, product demonstrations, and endless vendor displays of products you can buy right there on the spot, or at least try them and see how they work. There were plenty of flight simulation stations for simmers to sit down and try their hand at flying. Microsoft’s booth seemed to be the biggest, right in the middle of the hangar. The expo will also feature developer roundtables, panel discussions, and experience presenters with a wealth of flight simulation experience. As in previous years, simmers will be able to watch portions of FlightSimExpo from anywhere with the event’s Online-Only registration.
FlightSimExpo is one of the worlds largest dedicated flight simulation conferences and tradeshows. It is produced by the Flight Simulation Association (FSA), a community-driven organization of developers, simmers, hardware manufacturers, and real-world pilots working to make it easier to get started in home flight simulation. You can join the community for free at flightsimassociation.com for resources, learning content, webinars, and discounts on top add-ons and simulation hardware.
