---
title: "Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition: Complete Guide"
game: "Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/microsoft-flight-simulator-2020-40th-anniversary-edition"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
summary: "A practical guide to MSFS 2020 for new and returning pilots: setup, assists, your first flights, navigation, the aircraft worth learning, World Updates, the Marketplace, and performance tuning. Researched September…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/microsoft-flight-simulator-2020-40th-anniversary-edition-com-fcb106fb"
published: "2026-09-27T17:02:14.364Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T17:02:14.364Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition: Complete Guide

A practical guide to MSFS 2020 for new and returning pilots: setup, assists, your first flights, navigation, the aircraft worth learning, World Updates, the Marketplace, and performance tuning.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of the 40th Anniversary Edition with World Update 21: Australia (May 5, 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

> **Which sim is this?** This guide covers **Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)**, which launched in August 2020 and received the free 40th Anniversary Edition update in November 2022. Its successor, **Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024**, released in November 2024 as a separate product. MSFS 2020 is still sold, still receives World and City Updates, and has an enormous add-on library.

## Quick Start

1. **Run the Flight Training first.** The built-in lessons teach attitude, trim, turns, landing patterns, and radio basics. They're the fastest way to stop crashing.
2. **Start with the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.** It's forgiving, well documented, and every real-world tutorial applies to it.
3. **Pick your assist level.** The Assistance Options menu has presets ranging from full assistance to True to Life, and you can customize each setting individually. Turn on crash damage and realistic torque later.
4. **Map a few controls before your first flight.** Throttle, flaps, trim, brakes, and a camera hat are the essentials.
5. **Use the checklist system.** Interactive checklists highlight the switch you need and can even do steps for you.
6. **Install content via the Content Manager.** World Updates and City Updates must be downloaded there; some updates (City Update 13) require you to manually update older World Updates too.
7. **Fly in live weather once you're comfortable.** It's realistic, which also means crosswinds, low clouds, and storms.
8. **Lower rolling cache or clear it if the world looks wrong,** and use the Data options if your connection is limited.
9. **Save flights before tricky approaches** so you can retry landings without re-flying the route.

## Editions and What's Included

The 40th Anniversary Edition content is included for all owners. The current Steam listing describes **37 airplanes, gliders, and helicopters**, 25 handcrafted airports, 4 classic commercial airports, 14 heliports, and 15 glider airports in Standard.

| Edition | Adds on top of the previous |
|---|---|
| Standard | Base aircraft and airports, 40th Anniversary content |
| Deluxe | Diamond DA40-TDI, Diamond DV20, Beechcraft Baron G58, Cessna 152 Aerobat, Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000); Amsterdam Schiphol, Cairo, Cape Town, Chicago O'Hare, Madrid-Barajas |
| Premium Deluxe | Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, Cirrus SR22, Pipistrel Virus SW 121, Cessna Citation Longitude, Zlin Shock Ultra; Denver, Dubai, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, San Francisco |
| Aviator | Top-tier edition on Steam; check the store page for its current extra content |

### 40th Anniversary highlights

- **Airbus A310** airliner.
- **Two helicopters** and 14 heliports (helicopters were new to MSFS 2020 with this update).
- **Two gliders** and 15 glider airports, with thermals and ridge lift.
- **Seven historical aircraft**, including the **Hughes H-4 Hercules** ("Spruce Goose").
- **Four classic commercial airports** and **24 classic missions** from the franchise's history.

## Controls: The Essentials

Exact bindings depend on your device; these are the functions you must map.

| Function | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Throttle axis | Precise power control; keyboard throttle is clumsy |
| Elevator trim (up/down) | Holding pressure all flight is exhausting; trim it out |
| Flaps up/down | Slower approach speeds and steeper descents |
| Brakes and parking brake | Taxi control and holding position |
| Rudder axis or twist | Crosswind landings and coordinated turns |
| Camera look / view reset | Situational awareness on approach |
| Landing gear | Retractable aircraft only |
| Autopilot master and heading/altitude hold | Long cruise legs |
| Mixture and prop pitch | Piston aircraft at altitude |

**Hardware:** A cheap joystick with a throttle lever is a huge upgrade over keyboard and mouse. Rudder pedals are nice but optional; a twist-grip stick covers rudder. MSFS 2020 supports VR (OpenXR and SteamVR headsets, added as a free update on December 22, 2020) and Xbox controllers.

## Your First Flights

### Flight 1: Pattern work in a Cessna 172

1. Pick a small airport with a long runway and set clear weather.
2. Line up, full throttle, rotate around 55 knots indicated airspeed, climb at a gentle pitch.
3. Fly a rectangular traffic pattern: crosswind, downwind, base, final.
4. On downwind, reduce power, add a notch of flaps, and trim for a steady descent.
5. On final, aim for the runway numbers, keep the speed stable, and flare gently just above the runway.

Repeat until landings stop being a coin flip. This single skill carries over to every aircraft.

### Flight 2: A short cross-country

- Plan in the World Map: choose departure, arrival, and "VOR to VOR" or "Low Altitude Airways" for a route.
- Use the G1000 or steam gauge navigation, or fly visually by following roads, rivers, and coastlines.
- Tune ATC to request flight following and landing clearance.

## Navigation and ATC

- **VFR (visual flight rules):** fly by looking outside. Good for scenic flights and bush flying.
- **IFR (instrument flight rules):** fly by instruments and flight plan. Needed for airliners and bad weather.
- **Garmin G1000 and G3000** glass cockpits handle flight plans, autopilot, and approaches. Learn the Flight Plan (FPL) and Direct-To buttons first.
- **Autopilot modes:** HDG (heading), ALT (altitude hold), VS (vertical speed), NAV (follow flight plan), APR (approach).
- **In-game ATC** handles clearances and handoffs. It's simplified but useful; community tools like third-party ATC add more realism.

## Aircraft to Learn, in Order

| Stage | Aircraft | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cessna 172 (steam or G1000) | Basic handling, patterns, navigation |
| 2 | Diamond DA40/DA62 or Cirrus SR22 | Faster pistons, glass cockpits, autopilot use |
| 3 | Beechcraft King Air 350i or TBM 930 | Turboprop power management, pressurization |
| 4 | Cessna Citation CJ4 or Longitude | Jet speeds, FMS flight planning |
| 5 | Airbus A320neo, Boeing 787, A310 | Airliner procedures and SIDs/STARs |
| Anytime | Gliders, helicopters, bush planes | Different skill sets, huge fun |

Helicopters are a separate skill: collective, cyclic, and anti-torque pedals need practice. Start by hovering in a large open space with assists enabled.

## World Updates, City Updates, and the Marketplace

- **World Updates** are free regional improvements (photogrammetry, points of interest, handcrafted airports). Recent ones include **World Update 20: Japan** (September 2025) and **World Update 21: Australia** (May 5, 2026), which added 40 areas of interest across all six Australian states and two main territories.
- **City Updates** add photogrammetry cities, such as **City Update 13: California** (January 28, 2026) with 18 urban areas from Sacramento to San Diego.
- **Marketplace** sells third-party aircraft, airports, and scenery; frequent sales (e.g., the April 2026 Spring Sale) can cut prices heavily.
- Freeware add-ons (via community sites) go into your **Community folder**. Keep it tidy; conflicting add-ons cause crashes and missing scenery.

## Performance Tuning

- **Rendering scaling and terrain level of detail** are the biggest performance levers. Lower terrain LOD before touching anything else.
- **DirectX 12 vs DirectX 11:** DX12 is available; test both on your system.
- **Bandwidth:** the sim streams Bing Maps photogrammetry via Azure. Wikipedia (citing Windows Central) lists 5 Mbps minimum, 20 Mbps recommended, and 50 Mbps ideal. You can fly offline with a rolling or manual cache.
- **Photogrammetry** is heavy. If cities stutter, lower object LOD or disable photogrammetry for a smoother experience.
- **Frame generation and upscaling** options depend on your GPU; test DLSS/FSR with your target frame rate.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Flying without trim.** Constant stick pressure means constant oscillations.
- **Landing too fast.** Most bad landings come from excess speed. Use flaps and the published approach speeds.
- **Ignoring mixture at altitude** in piston aircraft (leading to rough engines and poor performance).
- **Overloading the Community folder** with outdated add-ons after a sim update.
- **Forgetting to update World Updates** in the Content Manager when a newer City Update requires them.
- **Starting with the airliners.** Airliners are fun but assume you know autopilot and FMS logic.
- **Using the keyboard for rudder in crosswinds.** An axis makes this much easier.

## Advanced Tips

- **Learn real-world charts:** approach plates (from official sources) make IFR flying in the sim much more rewarding.
- **Use a flight planner** (such as SimBrief) to build realistic routes and import them.
- **Bush trips and landing challenges** are the best structured practice after Flight Training.
- **Gliders:** read the sky for cumulus clouds and ridges; the 40th Anniversary gliders model thermals and ridge lift.
- **Replay and save points:** save the flight before approach so you can practice the same landing repeatedly.
- **Multiplayer:** live players show up in the world; turn on "All Players" for shared skies or group flights with friends.

## FAQ

**Should I buy MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024?**
They're separate products. MSFS 2020 has a mature add-on library and runs on many systems; MSFS 2024 is the newer sim with new features. Check whether the add-ons you care about support your choice.

**Do I get the 40th Anniversary content for free?**
Yes, it's part of MSFS 2020 for all owners.

**Can I play offline?**
Yes, using caches, though you lose live photogrammetry, weather, and traffic.

**Does it support VR?**
Yes, via OpenXR and SteamVR headsets.

**Where do I install mods?**
Put freeware add-ons into the Community folder; Marketplace items install through the in-sim Marketplace.

**What's the easiest aircraft for beginners?**
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250410/)
- [Steam news feed: World Update 21, City Update 13, Marketplace sales](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1250410)
- [Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Flight_Simulator_(2020_video_game))