Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has added one of aviation’s most recognizable spectacles. Sim Update 7, released on October 13, 2026, brings the National Championship Air Races into the simulator as a free expansion, complete with the Reno and Roswell, New Mexico venues and four pylon racing categories.
The free update covers the Unlimited, Jet, T-6 and Biplane classes, plus a short take-off and landing (STOL) drag event. Races run between 50 and 250 feet above the ground, and speeds frequently exceed 500 miles per hour. The courses were built from thousands of reference photos and measurements, with near-perfect replicas of both venues and 3D-scanned cockpits.
Five classes and a 2,000-foot drag course
The Unlimited class is restricted only to a piston engine and propeller, while Jet covers non-afterburning, non-swept-wing trainers such as the Aero L-39 Albatros. T-6 is limited to the North American T-6 Texan family, and Biplane includes small aerobatic aircraft such as the Aviat Pitts Special. STOL Drag pairs two pilots on a 2,000-foot course, where each must take off, land, turn around, and repeat within strict location and time limits.
Time trials, multiplayer and engine wear
Pilots can race solo in Time Trials mode, organize their own multiplayer events, or join established races. An optional simulated wear-and-tear setting degrades engines according to throttle input, so holding the power open for an entire race can damage components and forces a more tactical approach.
A paid pack adds 40 historic racers
Racer Pack 1 is sold separately for $39.99 USD in the in-sim Marketplace, the Microsoft / Xbox store and Steam. It adds 40 aircraft, ten per pylon category, including P-51D Mustang “Voodoo” — the fastest piston-powered aircraft with a 554.69 mph record — and “Strega,” an 11-time winner. The Jet class includes L-39C “American Spirit,” the first dedicated jet racer acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
Sources
- Reporting source: GamerHeadlines
- Official announcement: Microsoft Flight Simulator
