See which aircraft work in MSFS 2024 Career Mode and how licences, companies, missions, editions and exact variants control what you can fly.
MSFS 2024 Career Mode uses a supported subset of the simulator’s aircraft, not everything visible in Free Flight. Core usable types include the Cessna 172, Grand Caravan, PC-12, Vision Jet, Boeing 737 MAX 8, H125, Air Tractor AT-802 and CL-415, subject to licences, specialisations and mission eligibility.
Which aircraft are supported in MSFS 2024 Career Mode?
Career Mode’s regular progression centres on aircraft matched to specific jobs, from the Cessna 172 used early in a career to specialised firefighting aircraft and the 737 MAX 8.
| Career role | Common supported aircraft |
|---|---|
| Initial training and entry-level work | Cessna 172 Skyhawk; Guimbal Cabri G2 for helicopter training |
| Light and medium cargo | Cessna 172, Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, Pilatus PC-12 |
| Charter and VIP transport | Cirrus Vision Jet, Pilatus PC-12 |
| Airline passenger transport | Boeing 737 MAX 8 |
| Helicopter utility and search work | Airbus H125 |
| Agricultural aviation | Air Tractor AT-802 in the appropriate configuration |
| Aerial firefighting | Air Tractor AT-802 and CL-415 |
This is the core aircraft selection most relevant to normal progression, not a permanent exhaustive roster. Special missions can assign additional large or purpose-built aircraft, while simulator updates may revise individual aircraft and mission pairings. Being assigned an aircraft for one mission does not necessarily make it available to buy for a company.
Choosing between the supported types is mainly a question of operating cost, payload, speed and mission supply. Our role-by-role Career aircraft recommendations explain where aircraft such as the Caravan, PC-12 and Vision Jet make practical sense.
Does every aircraft included with MSFS 2024 work in Career Mode?
No—owning or installing an aircraft makes it available in Free Flight, but it does not automatically make that aircraft eligible for Career Mode.
| Where the aircraft appears | What that means |
|---|---|
| Free Flight aircraft selector | The aircraft is installed and available for unrestricted flying. |
| Career employee mission | The mission supplies a supported aircraft; you do not need to have bought it for a company. |
| Company aircraft purchase screen | The aircraft is approved for that company type and can be owned once its requirements are met. |
| Special activity or one-off mission | The aircraft may be usable only in that activity, not throughout Career Mode. |
Edition ownership and Career compatibility are separate checks. The complete Standard Edition aircraft roster shows what comes with the base edition, but Career Mode still applies its own mission, licence and company restrictions.
Why is a Career Mode aircraft missing or locked?
An aircraft is usually missing because one of several progression or compatibility conditions has not been met.
- Licence or rating: the pilot profile lacks the certification required for that aircraft class.
- Specialisation: the relevant cargo, charter, airline, rescue, agricultural or firefighting path has not been unlocked.
- Wrong company type: purchase lists are filtered by the company’s activity, so a firefighting aircraft will not appear for a sightseeing company.
- Employee versus company ownership: flying an employer-supplied aircraft does not unlock it for purchase.
- Exact variant mismatch: Career eligibility can apply to one model or configuration without covering another aircraft carrying a similar name.
- Unsupported add-on: a third-party aircraft can work perfectly in Free Flight yet lack Career mission integration.
- Missing content entitlement: an aircraft tied to another edition or content package must be owned and installed as well as Career-compatible.
For progression requirements, use our licence and specialisation unlocking walkthrough. If the missing aircraft is an add-on, our Career add-on compatibility explanation covers the exact-variant problem in more detail.
How can you check whether a specific aircraft is usable?
The Career interface is the definitive check for an aircraft’s eligibility on your installation and at your stage of progression.
- Check employee missions: inspect the aircraft shown on missions for the relevant specialisation. This confirms that Career Mode can assign that model for that role.
- Check the correct company: open the aircraft purchase area for the matching company type. An aircraft absent there may still belong to another specialisation.
- Read the locked requirement: look for a missing licence, rating, specialisation or company prerequisite rather than assuming the aircraft is unsupported.
- Match the exact model: verify the variant and configuration, particularly with add-ons or aircraft offered in several editions.
A mistake we see constantly is treating the Free Flight aircraft selector as a Career compatibility list. It is not: Free Flight confirms installation, while Career Mode separately checks the aircraft, mission role, pilot qualifications and company eligibility.