How do I install custom scenery in FlightGear?

To install custom scenery in FlightGear, extract the archive and preserve its Terrain, Objects and optional Buildings folders. Add the folder that directly contains those subfolders to FlightGear’s additional scenery paths, give it priority over TerraSync or default scenery, restart the simulator, and test an airport inside the package’s stated coverage.

Should I use TerraSync or manual FlightGear scenery?

Choose TerraSync for automatic scenery downloads and manual installation when you need a particular airport, custom scenery or dependable offline coverage.

TerraSync downloads and caches scenery around the areas you visit; it does not fetch the entire world in advance. Our TerraSync configuration guide covers the cache location, automatic downloading and the checks to make when tiles do not arrive.

Manual packages and TerraSync can coexist. Keep third-party files out of the TerraSync cache, which FlightGear manages itself, and put the custom scenery earlier in the search order where their coverage overlaps.

I need it offline—what should I download?

For reliable offline flying, install a manual package covering the whole route rather than relying on scenery that TerraSync may or may not have cached.

Previously cached TerraSync areas can still load without a connection, but missing en-route tiles cannot be fetched. Before travelling or disconnecting, test the departure, destination and route with automatic downloading disabled or the computer offline. Check that every part of a multipart archive and every stated dependency is already installed.

Where can I find a FlightGear custom scenery download?

Use a download explicitly labelled for FlightGear and confirm its coverage, format and installation notes before extracting it.

Our freeware aircraft and scenery downloads library includes add-ons for several simulators, so verify that the selected file names FlightGear rather than FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator. Their scenery packages are not interchangeable simply because they contain similar-looking model files.

For broad manual coverage, see our offline world-scenery package and its placement notes. Large downloads may be divided into parts; obtain everything required by the description before extracting anything.

For an airport or regional download, look for a named ICAO code, map or coordinate range. “Worldwide” object data, airport buildings and terrain mesh are different types of content, so do not assume that one package replaces every part of the default scenery.

Which FlightGear scenery folder should I select?

Select the directory that directly contains the package’s Terrain, Objects, Buildings or other supplied scenery subfolders.

• Correct: if extraction creates MyScenery/Terrain and MyScenery/Objects, add MyScenery.
• One level too high: if the result is Downloads/MyScenery/Terrain, do not add Downloads.
• One level too low: do not add Terrain and Objects as separate scenery roots.
• Still compressed: FlightGear does not use a ZIP, 7z or other archive as a scenery directory. Extract it first.

Not every package contains every standard folder. A terrain-only package may have just Terrain; an object enhancement may contain only Objects, models and textures. Preserve the supplied directory names and capitalisation, especially on case-sensitive file systems.

Is SI a FlightGear scenery folder or setting?

No. SI is not a standard FlightGear scenery-root folder or installation switch. If an add-on author uses “SI” in a file name or readme, treat it as a package-specific abbreviation unless the instructions define it; if you meant SI units, they do not affect scenery installation.

How do I install downloaded scenery manually?

Install manual scenery in its own user-owned directory, then add that directory through FlightGear’s launcher or scenery-path option.

1. Read the package instructions. Confirm the FlightGear requirement, geographic coverage, dependencies and whether the download has multiple archive parts.
2. Extract the complete archive. Retain its internal folder structure. Do not drag out selected files or flatten all directories into one folder.
3. Find the true scenery root. Open any wrapper folders created during extraction until you reach the directory directly containing Terrain, Objects or the other scenery folders.
4. Move it to a permanent location. Use a dedicated folder you can write to, outside FlightGear’s core data and the TerraSync cache. This avoids permission trouble and prevents a simulator update from disturbing the add-on.
5. Add the root to FlightGear. Use the launcher’s additional scenery folder or scenery-path control; its wording and position vary between launcher releases. Command-line users can pass a single directory with --fg-scenery=/full/path/to/MyScenery.
6. Set its priority. Place the custom directory before TerraSync and default scenery when it is meant to replace content in the same area.
7. Restart FlightGear. A full restart ensures the new search path is read cleanly.
8. Test a listed location. Start at an airport or coordinate explicitly covered by the package. Testing a nearby but uncovered tile is a common reason a correct installation appears not to work.

A mistake we see constantly is merging several packages into one Terrain or Objects tree. Keep them separate unless their instructions specifically require merging; separate roots are easier to reorder, disable and troubleshoot.

How about airports—do they install differently?

FlightGear airport scenery normally uses the same scenery-root method, but the visible result depends on what the airport package actually contains.

An object-only package may add terminals, hangars or landmarks while leaving the default runway and taxiway layout unchanged. A package containing airport layout or terrain data can alter more of the field. Check the description instead of assuming that “airport scenery” replaces every airport component.

• Start by ICAO code: use the exact airport named by the package rather than a nearby field.
• Check the coverage: some regional packages stop close to an airport boundary or cover only its surroundings.
• Watch for overlaps: two airport packages can produce duplicate buildings, flickering surfaces or mixed layouts.
• Confirm compatibility: copying airport scenery made for another simulator into a FlightGear path will not convert it.

If the airport loads but looks unchanged, inspect the archive before altering FlightGear. The download may provide surrounding objects rather than replacement airport data.

Is there a vid showing the folder choice?

There is no video in this answer because launcher layouts change, but the decisive folder check remains the same: the path you add must open directly onto Terrain, Objects, Buildings or the package’s other scenery directories.

If you follow a video recorded with a different FlightGear launcher, trust that folder structure rather than the exact position or wording of its buttons. Also compare the video’s package layout with your own; different downloads do not always extract to the same number of wrapper folders.

Why is my FlightGear custom scenery not showing?

The usual causes are the wrong folder level, incomplete extraction, lower search priority, missing dependencies or testing outside the downloaded coverage.

• Only ocean or blank terrain appears: verify that the package includes terrain for that coordinate and that its root is in the active scenery path. TerraSync users should also allow the required tile to finish downloading.
• Default scenery still appears: move the custom directory ahead of TerraSync and default scenery, then restart FlightGear.
• Terrain loads but buildings do not: confirm that every archive part, model, texture and supplied Objects or Buildings folder was extracted. Check the package notes for dependencies.
• The airport layout is unchanged: the package may contain visual objects only, or its airport data may not cover that field.
• Objects appear twice or flicker: disable other scenery covering the same location, or correct the search order. Do not delete individual files from overlapping packages at random.
• It works on one operating system but not another: check folder-name capitalisation and paths. Case-sensitive systems distinguish names such as Objects and objects.
• The launcher path looks correct but nothing changes: make sure it points to the extracted directory rather than the archive, restart FlightGear and verify that the selected launcher profile retained the path.

For a clean diagnosis, disable other custom packages, load an airport named in the download and inspect FlightGear’s startup log for the scenery directories it opened. Our detailed missing-scenery troubleshooting steps cover incorrect paths, incomplete downloads, TerraSync failures and priority conflicts.