There is freedom in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Choose any location in the world and you can take off, land, or fly over in any plane you want at that moment. That's fun, but it also requires a little progress, starting small and working your way up, rather than becoming the captain of a 747 flying over Tokyo before you finish the tutorial.

If you are looking for some structure in Microsoft Flight Simulator, there is a really great plugin called NeoFly. I use this plugin and not only does it work very well, but it makes flying more fun.

NeoFly is a bush pilot plug-in that you download to your PC, run, and choose from a list of short but often challenging missions. You might be carrying cargo, flying passengers between small airports, or transporting an important VIP from one location to another. Some missions are important, such as delivering paramedics and firefighters to difficult landing zones with no runways or taxiways. There are also little intrigues like cargo airlift missions and "secret passengers" that can only be transported at night. It's definitely a complete level up.

If you have a second monitor, this plugin will work fine on that as well. All you need to do is choose a mission and select the corresponding starting airport and airplane in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Once you confirm that you are in the parking area with the engine off, the plug-in will start the mission; the NeoFly tracking tab will show a green light if the mission start conditions are set correctly.

The sound effects of cargo loading and passenger boarding are also fun.

During the flight, NeoFly tracks your progress on a beautifully detailed map (you can see my second monitor in the image above) to help you stay on course. Best of all, you earn virtual XP and cash for each successful mission, which unlocks new ranks and new jobs, or allows you to purchase larger planes.

Caution is advised, however: Erratic flying or failed landings can damage planes and require expensive repairs. Some missions have time limits or other specific requirements; when flying VIPs, one should avoid sharp banking and ensure that the flight is comfortable. Also, if sensitive cargo is to be transported, proper soft landings are necessary to avoid damage.

If you are looking for a new challenge and progression in Microsoft Flight Simulator, I highly recommend checking out NeoFly, NeoFly is free, but if you enjoy it, you can make a donation to the creators on the main page of their website at You can donate to PayPal; download NeoFly here.