Aircraft Guide & Recommendations
Choosing the wrong aircraft can ruin your experience. Test new aircraft and mission types in Employee Mode before committing to a purchase that might not suit your flying style.
At this time, avoid the ES-30, Saab 340, King Air 350i, and depending on your preference the two large helicopters: Boeing CH-47D Chinook and Erickson S-64F SkyCrane.
Recommended Progression by Specialisation
Cargo Transport - Light
Four solid options for a first aircraft. Listed prices are for new purchases, but your first aircraft includes a large discount (example: C172 at 25,950 Credits used after discount).
| Name | New Price | Cruise (KTAS) | Range (NM) | Ceiling (ft) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172 | 499,800 | 124 | 640 | 14,000 | G1000 |
| Norden | 431,000 | 100 | 660 | 15,000 | Cheaper, slower |
| Draco X | 639,000 | 156 | 550 | 31,000 | Faster, taildragger |
| DHC-2 | 961,400 | 109 | 395 | 15,750 | Too expensive |
The Cessna 172 is a solid and reliable choice. If you’re comfortable with taildraggers, Draco X offers more speed, but it won’t matter much early on. Prioritise safety and ease of operation, fly what you know best.
Charter Service - Private
Watch Charter Service - Private prerequisites, get Jet Engine Rating for the Cirrus Vision Jet G2, then buy into Charter Service (25,000 Credits). Look for a used Vision Jet G2, evaluate total cost as used price plus estimated maintenance costs, buy the cheapest viable option, repair it, and start flying.
Expect to spend around 900,000 Credits after repairs. You can often get 1 or 2 flights out of a used aircraft before needing repairs. If it fails enroute, exiting the sim may reduce losses, but that’s your call.
Cargo Transport - Medium
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan is the cheapest step up. A better option is the PC-12, with a major caveat: do not fly it above FL200 or missions may fail due to a bug. File FL180 and carry extra fuel. Consider PC-24 when affordable (Premium or standalone ownership).
| Name | Used Price (approx) | Cruise (KTAS) | Range (NM) | Ceiling (ft) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 208B Grand Caravan | 4 mil | 195 | 964 | 25,000 | Poor handling, Garmin avionics |
| Cessna C408 SkyCourier | 5.5 mil | 210 | 920 | 25,000 | Garmin avionics |
| PC-12 | 5.5 mil | 290 | 1803 | 30,000* | Stay under 20,000. Fatal above 20,000, Apex avionics |
| PC-24 | 6.5 mil | 440 | 2040 | 45,000 | Fuel burn bug, bind “Add Fuel Quantity”. Controller throttle issues on Xbox |
Charter Service - VIP
Access upgraded PC-12/PC-24 and luxury CJ4. Missions pay considerably more. PC-24 is the go-to workhorse (except on Xbox with controller throttle issues). CJ4 worth depends on preference.
Passenger - Airliner
Entry-level airliners (ES-30, Saab 340b) can crash on spawn, fail boarding, or behave unpredictably. That leaves Boeing 737 Max 8 as the only operational, if buggy, option.
Passenger Airliner bug notes and tips
- Never use “Skip to Taxi” (causes mission failure, sometimes damage).
- Taxiing can cause crashes.
- “Skip to Takeoff” can also crash the plane.
- Some airports spawn you midair or slam the plane into the ground.
- Autopilot struggles above 2x sim rate.
- ATC may glitch, reassign runways mid-flight, or stop responding.
Tips: keep a buffer and backup aircraft, test unfamiliar airports in Employee Mode first. Rapid missions using skips with cruise altitude 7000 ft can earn around 10 million Credits per 30 minutes (variable, reroutes and bugs happen). Top insurance costs little with this method.
Planes from Deluxe or Premium packages
| Name | Package |
|---|---|
| Beechcraft King Air C90 GTx | PREMIUM |
| Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner | PREMIUM |
| Boeing B747-400 LCF (Dreamlifter) | PREMIUM |
| Boeing CH-47D Chinook | PREMIUM |
| Cessna 172 Skyhawk (Basic) | DELUXE |
| Cessna C408 SkyCourier | DELUXE |
| Cirrus SR22T | PREMIUM |
| Diamond Aircraft DA40 TDI | DELUXE |
| Pilatus PC-24 | PREMIUM |
| Pipistrel Virus SW121 | PREMIUM |
| Saab 340 | PREMIUM |
| Textron Aviation Beechcraft Baron G58 | DELUXE |
| Zlin Aviation Norden | PREMIUM |
| Zlin Aviation Shock Ultra | PREMIUM |