Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s Sim Update 6 beta has restored Bush Trips, bringing the curated navigation-focused activity back after its absence from the newer simulator. Build 1.8.8.0, released July 16, makes the trips available through the Activities menu for players enrolled in the public test.
Microsoft’s Flight Simulator team says it has already added a large portion of the Bush Trips originally included with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, with more due during the beta. That matters because these are not simply saved flights: Bush Trips package multi-leg routes, navigation challenges and points of interest into a structured activity designed around low-and-slow sightseeing rather than conventional flight planning or Career mode.
Not every trip is ready. Microsoft lists 10 still under test, including Discover Sweden, North Queensland Coast, Austria — Land of Mountains and Music, Germany’s Coast and the Rhine, The Alpine World of Switzerland, Wales, and the Breckenridge route. Their absence is a beta limitation, not a permanent cut, and the team is asking testers to play the available routes and report problems.
The latest SU6 beta also expands night-time airport lighting. According to Microsoft’s release notes, “MastLights” are now automatically placed at many generic medium through extra-extra-large airports, improving illumination around parking positions. The previous 1.8.5.0 beta had already introduced broader lighting work at generic airports.
Build 1.8.8.0 includes several practical fixes as well:
As with prior simulator betas, add-on users should be cautious. Microsoft specifically advises PC players experiencing crashes, poor performance, or excessive load times to move Community-folder packages elsewhere before restarting the sim, since outdated mods can affect beta behavior.
There is no confirmed public-release date for Sim Update 6, so Bush Trips remain a beta-only feature until Microsoft promotes the update to the main build.
Microsoft’s Flight Simulator team says it has already added a large portion of the Bush Trips originally included with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, with more due during the beta. That matters because these are not simply saved flights: Bush Trips package multi-leg routes, navigation challenges and points of interest into a structured activity designed around low-and-slow sightseeing rather than conventional flight planning or Career mode.
Not every trip is ready. Microsoft lists 10 still under test, including Discover Sweden, North Queensland Coast, Austria — Land of Mountains and Music, Germany’s Coast and the Rhine, The Alpine World of Switzerland, Wales, and the Breckenridge route. Their absence is a beta limitation, not a permanent cut, and the team is asking testers to play the available routes and report problems.
More than a content return
The latest SU6 beta also expands night-time airport lighting. According to Microsoft’s release notes, “MastLights” are now automatically placed at many generic medium through extra-extra-large airports, improving illumination around parking positions. The previous 1.8.5.0 beta had already introduced broader lighting work at generic airports.Build 1.8.8.0 includes several practical fixes as well:
- A frame-rate-cap issue that could slow initial startup has been fixed.
- Some unnecessary long loading times have been addressed.
- Xbox regains the missing first-person freelook-speed setting.
- The virtual-reality “Controller disconnected” pop-up should no longer appear when a VR controller enters sleep mode.
- Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 4 functionality returns on PlayStation 5, though Microsoft warns that older custom input profiles are incompatible with the updated peripheral SDK.
How to try it on Windows
Microsoft’s July 16 weekly briefing confirms that the SU6 beta is available through the Microsoft Store version on Windows, Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. PC players should enroll in the Microsoft Flight Simulator Insider program and then opt into the relevant test build through their platform’s beta controls.As with prior simulator betas, add-on users should be cautious. Microsoft specifically advises PC players experiencing crashes, poor performance, or excessive load times to move Community-folder packages elsewhere before restarting the sim, since outdated mods can affect beta behavior.
There is no confirmed public-release date for Sim Update 6, so Bush Trips remain a beta-only feature until Microsoft promotes the update to the main build.
References
- Primary source: Windows Central
Published: 2026-07-17T16:34:15+00:00
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 6 has a new beta and it's bringing back Bush Trips | Windows Central
A popular feature from Flight Simulator 2020 is coming back and you can start testing it right now.www.windowscentral.com