Gaya Simulations has published a second preview of its Santa Barbara Airport (KSBA) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, posting new images and a short development note on social media. The post follows the studio’s earlier announcement of the project and its recent close-ups of Vienna (LOWW), and it says the scenery is now “very close to release”.
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport serves the city of Santa Barbara on California’s central coast, with the Pacific on one side and the mountains behind. It is best known for its terminal, built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style that suits the region’s architecture. It is a regional airport handling airline services alongside general aviation, which makes it a good fit for both airliner and light-aircraft flying.
The preview concentrates on the look of the airport. According to Gaya, the scenery recreates the classic California Spanish-style architecture, including red-tiled roofs and sunlit courtyards. The team also mentions custom ground support equipment, sidewalks and people. Gaya Simulations says the same level of care extends to the apron, the ground surfaces and the runways. The developer hints at further previews over the coming days, with “a few surprises” involving the people placed around the airport.
Gaya also says performance has been a priority throughout development, with what it calls meticulous optimisation, so that the airport “has to look great and run great”. No frame rate figures or technical details were shared, so how this holds up in the sim remains to be seen. The team adds that it can’t stop taking screenshots of the airport, which suggests more material will follow before launch.
No release date or price has been announced for Gaya Simulations’ Santa Barbara Airport. The developer invites interested simmers to its Discord community to discuss the project.
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