MSFS 2024 is, by many accounts, the best simulator for General Aviation (GA) flying. With its impressive visuals and realistic atmospheric modeling, flying GA in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is an excellent way to enjoy your time in the simulator. That experience is further elevated with an airplane that you love, enjoy and connect with – so here is our list of the Top 5 GA aircraft for MSFS 2024! Single-Engine edition first, with more to come!
First, a note: there are dozens, if not hundreds, of incredible GA aircraft in MSFS 2024. This Top 5 list, therefore, was challenging to narrow down. To do so, I decided to pick the five aircraft that I personally have connected with the most in MSFS 2024, and included some “honorable mentions” at the end from the FSNews team. This list is, therefore, rather personal and presented in no particular order. If your own best GA aircraft for MSFS 2024 list is different, let us know! Pop on in to our Discord and show off your favorites.
Classic Aircraft Simulations Piper J3 Cub
Two wings, an empennage, an engine, and a stick. The only “extra” here is a seat for a lucky passenger. What more could you ask for? Electrics? Nah, you don’t need that, just carry a handheld radio if you really must. Some say the purest flying is found in a Cub, and Classic Aircraft Simulations has brought an exceptional rendition of this timeless aircraft to MSFS.
The thing that impressed me most about the CAS J3 Cub is how well they have recreated the experience of flying a Cub. The engine is started in the walkaround view with a hand-prop. You can (and should) open the door, and it hangs realistically, swinging in the airflow. Engine wear and tear is simulated, but is simple, just like the engine itself.
Yes, you’ll be overtaken by a 172 at Flaps 30. Yes, it struggles mightily in my high Colorado mountains, and yes, if I were to nitpick, it’s not the best texturing I’ve ever seen in the sim. But over any terrain, along any route, with the wind whipping by and the control surfaces creaking, and the cork in the fuel tank bobbing away, there is no more connected flying experience than the CAS J3 Cub. While such excellently-maintained cubs in the real world are pricey, the CAS J3 Cub does not break the bank: it is the cheapest on this list, available on Contrail for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 for $17.88.
A2A Accu-Sim Piper Comanche 260
If you have read my comprehensive A2A Comanche review from its release in MSFS 2020, then this pick will come as no surprise. Though no native version for MSFS 2024 has yet been released, it’s flawlessly compatible and still impressive even after all these years.
A2A set an extremely high bar: A walkaround mode, where your preflight matters, comprehensive wear and tear on individual engine components, customization options galore, and a faithful flight model that made it a dream to fly. All of that excellence carries forward into MSFS 2024, resulting in an aircraft that I am always looking forward to flying.
To restate a salient point from my review, all this realism isn’t just for nerds: “All that attention to detail is felt throughout every flight, even if you turn off wear and failures. I felt it with every unique “rental” airframe, in every unique engine; I felt it in the way the controls respond, and in the incredible way the aircraft flies – even through my relatively basic set of home sim controls. There’s an exciting “X-Factor” that a real small aircraft has, and the A2A Comanche is the first aircraft in my hangar that brings that feeling off the ramp and into my home.” The A2A Accu-Sim Comanche 260 is available for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 via A2A’s website for $49.99.
Just Flight Piper PA-28R Arrow III
Some of my best real-world flying memories were made on a trip from Colorado to Wichita and back for a friend’s wedding, in a Piper Arrow III. I was able to relive those and create many more in-sim with the Just Flight PA-28R Arrow III. One of the first high-quality GA add-ons for MSFS 2020, it has maintained a high bar throughout its lifetime, and the recent major update brought a slew of fixes and improvements, as well as MSFS 2024-native renditions.
Just like its real-world counterpart, the Just Flight PA-28R Arrow III is an excellent cross-country cruiser. It trims neatly and handles well, cruising at respectable speeds with no drama. While it is still a single-engine, four-seat, retractable-gear Piper (much like the A2A Comanche), it provides a singular experience all on its own. Its impeccable visuals and smooth, accurate flying keep me coming back.
While the PA-28R Arrow III might be my PA-28 of choice, Just Flight’s entire PA-28 lineup is excellent, and I will therefore “lump them in” here in this category. If you’re flight training, the Warrior II is a superb procedural sim trainer. If you’re looking for more oomph, the Turbo Arrow IV’s powerful engine and unique T-Tail bring an altogether different experience in a more capable, if trickier, aircraft. If there’s a mission, there’s a PA-28 that can fly it. The Just Flight PA-28R Arrow bundle for MSFS 2020/2024 (including the Arrow III and Turbo Arrows) is available on Contrail for $66.69. Each aircraft is also available separately. The PA-28 Warrior II is available for $46.43, and there are additional bundle discounts for Arrow owners.
SimWorks Studios Pilatus PC-12 Legacy
Yes, I do have eyes for aircraft not built by Piper! The Pilatus PC-12 is a ubiquitous workhorse. If you want to get just about anything just about anywhere, and want to do it faster and in more style than a Cessna Caravan, the SimWorks Studios Pilatus PC-12 Legacy is your ticket to ride. But don’t confuse “Legacy” for “Simple.” The SWS PC-12 boasts incredibly detailed systems simulation, including some of the best turboprop simulation on the market. Coupled with excellent sounds and extensive customization, the SWS PC-12 is my pick for when pistons just won’t cut the cheese.
That cheese can be eaten in a luxurious cabin, packed tightly between cargo, or carried as a snack for onboard EMTs, because the SWS PC-12 is fit for any mission you can throw at it. SWS’s “Legacy” PC-12 includes the authentic EFIS50 and a combination of analog and digital avionics that I just find far more engaging than those of the NGx included in MSFS 2024. The SWS PC-12 flies excellently, and its sounds are some of the most immersive of any turboprop in MSFS 2024.
This aircraft is excellent now, and SimWorks Studios is preparing a massive update including fixes, improvements, and MSFS 2024-native features. For such a full-featured aircraft, I believe it is also a steal at its price of $29.79 on Contrail, and it will only get better.
Carenado Cessna 182Q
The Cessna 182 is a perennial workhorse, the small SUV of the sky. Maybe I have a soft spot for piston singles that are powerful but not too powerful and vintage but not too vintage, and I definitely have a soft spot for aircraft I have flown in real life. I’ve built my mountain flying experience over dozens of hours in the Cessna 182Q, and I’m thrilled to see that Carenado has brought such an exciting rendition of one of my favorite aircraft to MSFS 2024.
Adding a Carenado aircraft to this list may ruffle some feathers, but I believe that the Carenado Cessna 182Q is, at worst, a perfectly serviceable rendition of the real aircraft. At its best, the Carenado Cessna 182Q has allowed me to explore the same incredible terrain that I am privileged to fly in in real life. It has done it accurately, giving me valuable practice with procedures and navigation in the Colorado high country. It has also done it beautifully – Carenado’s visuals remain unimpeachable.
Carenado’s flight modeling has improved by leaps and bounds recently, and I believe the 182Q is the first example of this. Combined with MSFS 2024’s atmospheric excellence, the aircraft feels just as connected and alive as the others on this list. While you can certainly find flaws, I prefer to remember the fun it has given me and the superb flying experiences it will continue to provide. Fortunately, Carenado does not charge an arm and a leg either. The Cessna 182Q is the second-cheapest on this list, available exclusively on the Marketplace for $19.99.
Honorable Mentions
I could not complete this list without including some honorable mentions. These are other aircraft that I love or that the rest of the FSNews team just can’t stop talking about. Got your own? Jump into our Discord and share them! In no particular order, here are some other excellent aircraft that you should check out:
Asobo Cessna 172
Again, maybe this reflects my soft spot for the aircraft I fly every day – but if I just want to “load up and fly,” the Asobo Cessna 172 is my go-to. And it never disappoints: it has excellent, accurate avionics suitable for procedural training, true-to-life performance and flight dynamics (including Asobo’s new soft-body simulation), and an improved visual model in MSFS 2024 that accurately reflects my real-world experiences. And the best part: it’s available for $0 in the sim you already have!
COWS Diamond DA-40
This honorable mention comes from Project Manager George, who says:
“Being both a real-world glider and private pilot, Diamond aircraft will always have a place in my heart. The company’s rich history in both fields and significant glider remains in the aircraft design make this, in part, why I decided to go with the COWS DA-40 rendition for my honorable mention. Having flown real Diamond aircraft, I must say that I am still being surprised every time I start my sim up and load into the aircraft with how realistic it feels. There is a reason why Diamond aircraft are commonly used in training and for travel – they’re very comfortable to fly and do not behave unpredictably. And the COWS DA-40 rendition manages to convey that to the simulator perfectly. The addon behaves as it should with its relatively big wingspan, the engine simulation is remarkable, even simulating incorrect startup procedure hiccups, and the sounds are as if I was sitting in the real airplane. I would lie if I said the aircraft is perfect, but it’s all I need to practice the checklist procedures, experiment with how various engine and aircraft settings affect the airplane, and train instrument procedures.” The COWS Diamond DA-40 is available from Orbx for $26.38 for MSFS 2020 and 2024.
Parallel42 FreedomFox
This is an excellent honorable mention by our Operations Coordinator Patrik, who states:
“The Parallel 42’s FreedomFox has to be one of my most favourite GA planes that I have ever used in Microsoft Flight Simulator. It may not be a high-fidelity add-on, however, the amount of fun you can have with it is wonderful. Getting the FreedomFox gave me four different options of the aircraft, each behaving differently. The plane is best used for bush flying, which I like to do a lot, and that’s where it performs the best. With its powerful engine, it can be quite tricky to get the flying characteristics into the hands, but that’s what I like about it. The challenge. I also completely fell in love with how it looks, and it quickly became my top pick in my hangar.” The FreedomFox is available from Contrail for $40.02 and is compatible with both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024.
Got Friends PZL-104 Wilga
Reporter Alexander is a huge fan of this aircraft, stating:
“The 1960’s PZL Wilga, hailing from Poland, is a utility aeroplane that really leans heavily towards the utility. In the often sterile and procedural world of aviation and flight simulation, I find that the Wilga, as depicted by Got Friends, is a wonderful antidote to the regimented side of things.
If you want to go and take her flying in the back country, then the ability is more than there; just as easily you can land on smooth as glass glider strips when decked out as a tug. Got Friends have made sure there’s plenty of configuration options, there are variations in cockpit and even language layouts, which really add to the immersion. A particular favourite of mine is the ability to select realistic engine operation. Push it beyond reasonable limits and you’ll find yourself working hard to avoid a total engine-out simulation.” The Got Friends Wilga 35/80 Series is available on Contrail for $27.46.
Black Square TBM 830
For my second honorable mention, I am going with the aircraft that has some of the best turboprop engine simulation you can get on a home simulator: the Black Square TBM 850, recently updated with MSFS 2024 compatibility. This fast, sleek, and flexible private aircraft is always excellent fun to fly and finds new life in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It can be adapted for your level of experience and the avionics you feel comfortable flying, with support for PMS & TDS GTN 650 and 750s, as well as the Working Title G430/530. The star of the show, however, is the singular KNS-80 RNAV system: before the days when “RNAV” was synonymous with “GPS,” navigation anywhere on the globe was accomplished through sophisticated use of existing ground-based navaids such as VORs. For those who wish to challenge themselves, the KNS-80 in the TBM 850 offers such a unique experience that it is worth buying for that alone. In totality, Black Square has created an aircraft that feels real in almost every aspect and provides experiences you cannot get with any other aircraft.
The Black Square TBM 850 was so close to making my complete list, but lost out solely because it can, and I am sure will, become even better in the future with updates. It lacks custom engine sounds (borrowing from the TBM 950) and the texturing could use a touch-up to bring it to MSFS 2024 standards. But those shortcomings do not diminish the incredible flying experience that the Black Square TBM 850 will provide, and it is absolutely still worth a place in your hangar. The Black Square TMB 850 for MSFS 2024 is available from Contrail for $43.02.
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