Where is the MSFS 2024 aircraft carrier and how do I land?
Find aircraft carriers in MSFS 2024, choose a landable deck, set up the F/A-18, catch an arresting wire and fix common carrier problems.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has no single universal aircraft-carrier location. Open an included carrier activity, or use the coordinates, nearby airport, map marker or route supplied with a compatible add-on. To land, fly a tailhook-equipped jet on-speed, lower the hook, do not flare and add power at touchdown until a wire catches.
Where is the aircraft carrier in MSFS 2024?
Aircraft carriers are found through activities, optional content or add-on instructions rather than at one fixed location shared by every installation. Most are not searchable airports on the World Map.
| Carrier type | Where to find it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier activity | Activities or landing challenges | A prepared aircraft and approach; the carrier may not exist in Free Flight |
| Operational add-on | Published coordinates, airport code or map marker | Arresting wires or catapults only when specifically documented |
| Static scenery carrier | A fixed position near a named airport or coordinates | A visible model; deck collision and systems vary |
| Moving naval traffic | A documented route or schedule | May not appear on the map and is often visual traffic only |
| Museum carrier | Its real geographical location | Suitable for sightseeing, not assumed to be landable |
Real museum carriers include USS Midway in San Diego, USS Lexington at Corpus Christi, USS Intrepid beside Manhattan and USS Hornet at Alameda. Their appearance depends on the scenery data, and a visible flight deck should not be assumed to have a solid collision surface.
- Check activities and optional content. Look for a carrier mission or landing challenge. Menu names differ between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024, while licensed activities shown in older videos may not be installed or available in your copy.
- Read the package documentation. Confirm the simulator generation, dependencies, coordinates, nearest airport and any supplied waypoint or airport code. Simple scenery may work across both simulator generations, but compatibility should not be assumed. A mistake we see constantly is treating the ship’s name like an airport and searching for it on the World Map.
- Create a nearby departure. Paste the coordinates into the map when it accepts the supplied format, start airborne nearby or depart from the named airport. A moving carrier may spawn after the flight loads and then leave its original position.
- Enable required ship traffic. For AI-based packages, make sure
Ships and Ferriesis not set to zero when the instructions require it. Check the documented route, schedule and dependencies too. - Check platform support. PC users can install compatible Community-folder packages from our MSFS aircraft and add-on library. Xbox and PlayStation users cannot copy PC Community packages onto their consoles and need carrier content distributed through supported in-sim channels.
Can I land on every MSFS aircraft carrier?
No. A usable carrier needs a solid deck with collision detection, working arresting logic, a compatible aircraft and tailhook binding, and explicit moving-deck support if the ship travels. Catapult functionality is separate again; a naval aircraft alone cannot make a decorative ship operational. Our guide to how decorative, landable and fully functional carriers differ explains the compatibility checks.
Choose a fixed operational carrier for predictable practice. Use moving naval traffic mainly for interception, formation flying and maritime scenery unless its documentation explicitly promises a working deck.
How do I land on an aircraft carrier in MSFS 2024?
A successful carrier landing is an on-speed, no-flare approach followed by immediate power at touchdown in case the hook misses every wire.
- Choose a carrier-capable aircraft. The F/A-18 is the practical starting point where installed. Avoid excessive fuel and stores, which increase approach speed and touchdown energy.
- Assign and test the tailhook. Search Controls Options for
tail hook, bind an accessible control and verify that the hook moves before joining the approach. - Configure several miles astern. Align with the angled landing deck rather than the ship’s bow. Lower the gear, select landing flaps and extend the hook.
- Trim for on-speed angle of attack. In the F/A-18, use the angle-of-attack indexer and E-bracket rather than relying on one memorised airspeed, because the correct speed changes with weight.
- Control the glide path with power. Preserve on-speed angle of attack with pitch and trim, then use small throttle changes to control descent. Follow the optical landing system when the carrier has a working one.
- Do not flare. Hold the landing attitude through touchdown. Flaring can carry the hook over the wires or produce a long, floating arrival.
- Add military power at touchdown. Keep straight and advance the throttle as the main wheels meet the deck. Close it after a confirmed wire catch; if the hook misses, the added power provides a safe bolter.
- Go around after a bolter. Keep the gear, flaps and hook down, establish a positive climb and fly another circuit rather than forcing the aircraft back onto the deck.
For aircraft-specific cockpit indications and configuration, use our detailed F/A-18 carrier-landing procedure. A structured carrier-landing practice plan helps build consistent angle-of-attack, glide-path and bolter recovery skills.
Why is the carrier missing or the arresting wire not working?
Missing carriers and failed traps usually result from installation, compatibility, traffic or approach problems rather than incorrect geographical coordinates.
- Nothing appears: confirm that the package is enabled, installed at the correct Community-folder depth, compatible with your simulator generation and not missing a dependency.
- A moving ship is absent: check its route, schedule and traffic requirements. It may spawn only after the flight loads.
- The carrier cannot be selected on the map: this is normal for scenery objects and AI ships without an airport code or map marker. Start nearby and intercept it in flight.
- The aircraft falls through the deck: the model lacks a usable collision surface or moving-platform support. Graphics settings cannot repair this.
- The hook crosses the wires: the wires may be decorative, the aircraft and carrier may be incompatible, or the hook was not extended. Avoid flaring and touch down positively in the wire area.
- The aircraft bounces: the approach is commonly fast, off the correct angle of attack or descending too sharply. Stabilise earlier instead of repairing it over the stern.
- Automation spoils the approach: disable AI piloting and automated landing assistance, which may treat a moving deck as scenery rather than a runway.
Can I launch from the aircraft carrier too?
Catapult launches work only when the carrier, aircraft and supporting logic are compatible. Working arresting wires do not guarantee working catapults, and there is no universal MSFS command that makes every scenery carrier operational.
Follow the package procedure. It may require a designated deck position, launch-bar command, brake action or throttle setting. If the aircraft simply rolls towards the bow, verify compatibility instead of applying more power and driving it over the edge.