MSFS 2024 AAU_06 Updates Five German Aircraft Free for Existing Owners

There is a condition. The free part applies to people who already own the aircraft. Gamereactor reports that those who don't already own the aircraft can buy each one through the in-sim Marketplace for $14.99. So this is not a free five-plane bundle for everyone. It is a no-cost upgrade for current owners and a paid, one-plane-at-a-time purchase for everyone else.

What Microsoft confirmed ahead of release​

This update was on the schedule. Microsoft Flight Simulator's official September 2026 Development Update, posted on September 17 after the September 16 developer livestream, said Aircraft & Avionics Update 6 was planned for September 29. It also said the update would bring five aircraft "to native MSFS 2024 standards": the Dornier Do J "Wal", Dornier Do X, Dornier Do 31, Junkers F 13 and Junkers Ju 52.

That list matches Gamereactor's report exactly, so no aircraft has been added or dropped. The Gamereactor story appeared on September 30 and says the update is already available. A September 30 release-notes announcement from the official MSFS account also says AAU_06 is live.

The same Development Update said more Aircraft & Avionics Updates for other Local Legends and Famous Flyers are planned, with the specific aircraft still to be announced. AAU_06 is one step in an ongoing program, not the last one.

Summary: Microsoft announced both the date and the aircraft list in advance, and AAU_06 arrived on that schedule.

The five aircraft and what changed​

Gamereactor lists several changes that apply to all five aircraft:

• Native framework migration: MSFS 2024 update brings five German aircraft to the native framework. Gamereactor says all five now use the MSFS 2024 aircraft framework and modular aircraft system.
• Flight model work: flight performance, control response and ground handling were refined.
• Systems: engine, fuel, electrical and cockpit systems were updated where needed.
• Visuals: materials, textures and detailing were revised, and assets and levels of detail were optimized for MSFS 2024.
• Career Mode: eligible configurations now support appropriate Career Mode activities.

The phrase "eligible configurations" matters. The report does not say every variant of every aircraft works in Career Mode. Check the individual aircraft before planning a career around, for example, a twelve-engine flying boat.

Gamereactor also reports these aircraft-specific changes:

The two flying boats, the Do X and the Do J Wal, get the most noticeable handling change. Gamereactor says water handling is improved for taxiing, take-off and landing. Water operations have long been tricky in flight sims, so this is the part many seaplane pilots will test first.

The Do 31 is the odd one out. It is a vertical take-off transport jet, and its changes cover hover control and the transition from vertical to forward flight, which is the hardest part of flying it.

Summary: Gamereactor's per-aircraft list focuses on each airframe's unusual features: many engines, water operations and vertical flight. Microsoft's own roadmap confirmed only the broader move to native MSFS 2024 standards.

How AAU_06 compares with AAU_05​

AAU_06 follows a pattern Microsoft set a month earlier. In its August 20 Weekly Briefing, Microsoft said the team had launched Aircraft & Avionics Update 5 (AAU_05) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, bringing updates to the ATR 42/72-600, Bell 47J Ranger, Boeing 307 Stratoliner, Curtiss C-46 Commando, and Ford 4-AT Trimotor. Microsoft described that update in terms very close to Gamereactor's description of AAU_06: it covered enhancements to the following aircraft, upgrading them to the native MSFS 2024 framework and also adding support for appropriate Career Mode activities.

The approach is the same each time: pick a group of older aircraft, rebuild them to MSFS 2024 standards and make them usable in Career Mode where possible. AAU_05 mixed a modern turboprop, a helicopter and several vintage American aircraft. AAU_06 is entirely German and mostly vintage, apart from the Do 31.

The program's larger goal comes from a community write-up rather than an official document. Blogger TOAPAPA, summarizing Microsoft's plans around Sim Update 6, described the returning AAU series as an initiative to rebuild existing paid aircraft to MSFS2024 native quality. The same post reported that according to Jörg Neumann, the goal is to convert all aircraft included in the Aviator Edition to 2024 native quality by the end of 2027, and that updated aircraft will be available for individual purchase outside of the Aviator Edition bundle. That would explain AAU_06's $14.99 individual Marketplace prices. Treat that timeline as secondhand reporting of Neumann's comments, not as an official Microsoft commitment.

Summary: AAU_06 continues a monthly-style program of rebuilding legacy aircraft. The claim that the full Aviator Edition fleet will be converted by 2027 comes from a secondhand account of Neumann's remarks.

What this means for simmers​

A few practical points, based on the reporting and general experience with MSFS updates:

1. If you own the aircraft, don't buy them again. Gamereactor says the upgrade is free for existing owners. If the store asks you to pay for an aircraft you already own, check your content and ownership status first.
2. Re-learn the flying boats. The Do X and Do J Wal have reworked water handling, so your old taxi and take-off habits may not work the same way.
3. Check Career Mode eligibility per aircraft. Only "eligible configurations" gain Career Mode support, so don't assume every variant qualifies.
4. PC users should check the Community folder. Microsoft's own Sim Update 6 notes warn that if you are playing on PC, outdated packages in your community folder may have an unexpected impact on the title's performance and behavior. Old liveries or modifications made for the legacy versions of these five aircraft could conflict with the rebuilt ones. Remove them for a test flight if something behaves strangely. This is general troubleshooting advice, not a documented AAU_06 problem.

Gamereactor lists Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PC, PlayStation 5, PS VR2, Steam and Xbox Cloud Gaming as ways to play MSFS 2024. The September Development Update separately names PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 as target platforms for the upcoming Sim Update 7. Neither source says whether AAU_06 works differently on each platform, so console players should not assume a problem either way.

What comes next​

AAU_06 lands shortly before a busy October. Microsoft's September roadmap says Sim Update 7 and the returning National Championship Air Races activity are targeted for October 13. It also lists World Update 23: Poland and The Baltics, plus the Antonov AN-28 Local Legend, for October. Expert Series 3, the Embraer Praetor 600, is scheduled for November 24.

Is a free rework of aircraft some people bought years ago enough to satisfy critics of MSFS 2024's launch problems? Probably not by itself. Still, updating paid legacy content to the new simulator's standards at no charge to owners is a reasonable way to handle an older catalog. For the five German aircraft here, the rework reaches all of them, from the three-engine Ju 52 to the twelve-engine Do X.