FSX Davis-Monthan AFB Scenery

Experience a detailed reimagining of the bustling Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (KDMA) in Tucson, Arizona, with this enhanced freeware add-on conceived by Jim Cook and tailored for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. This carefully upgraded scenery brings far more realism to the base, reflecting its high-tempo operations and extensive aircraft maintenance activities through comprehensive adjustments such as added military parking slots, static support vehicles, and dedicated helipads.

Refined Layout and Extensive Enhancements

Located in the southwestern region of the United States, Davis-Monthan AFB is widely recognized for housing the 355th Wing and serving as a major site for the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (sometimes referred to as “The Boneyard”). In this scenery upgrade, you will discover a series of improvements that aim to mirror the real-world busy nature of the air base. Jim Cook’s modifications include:

• Comprehensive Military Cargo and Combat parking to accommodate a range of operational and stored aircraft.
• A fire station replacement, complete with active-duty fire trucks for enhanced immersion.
• Designated helipads for rotorcraft operations, helping showcase the variety of missions carried out at the base.
• Static ground equipment, including forklifts, military transport trucks, tractor trailers, parking lots, and functional light poles.
• Accurate revisions of taxiways and apron geometries, ensuring alignment with official diagrams and satellite views.

Optional Tools and Compatibility

For simmers seeking an even more complete view of the Tucson region, one could look into Ray Smith’s Tucson International Airport AFCAD to complement this package. Additionally, Jim Cook employed Just Flight’s Military Plus Packs during his testing, and those assets work seamlessly here. Even so, no external scenery objects are required since all elements come from core FSX libraries, making this add-on straightforward to install and run. Users of Ultimate Terrain or FSGenesis landclass will find alignment unchanged, although these items are not necessary.

Development Methods and Accuracy

The author meticulously updated every component using Flight 1’s AFX and Instant Scenery, consulting real-world AirNav documentation as well as Google Earth references. This approach delivers a layout that is faithful to the actual airfield’s placement and design, factoring in taxi networks, ramp configurations, and surrounding support buildings.

Installation Procedure

File Placement

Unzip the AFX_KDMA_JC.bgl and KDMA_JC.bgl into the "Addon Scenery/Scenery" folder of your Microsoft Flight Simulator X installation.

Simulator Refresh

Restart the simulator to apply all changes seamlessly and enjoy the enhanced air base environment.

Future Military Base Updates

Jim Cook intends to improve additional military installations within the simulation world as opportunities arise. This effort promises to enhance the authenticity of flight operations at various strategic locations, starting with Davis-Monthan AFB, where you can now immerse yourself in detailed and visually realistic environments.

All credits and appreciation go to Jim Cook for his dedication in representing this important military airfield as accurately as possible.