FSX / P3D scenery

FSX McChord AFB Scenery

McChord Air Force Base (KTCM) in Tacoma, Washington receives a detailed scenery refresh for FSX, expanding military cargo parking, adding correctly placed buildings, a fire station with vehicles, and convincing static ramp activity. Updated taxiways, aprons, and ramps better match real-world diagrams and imagery, while using only default objects with no external libraries required.

3.5/5 (2) 1.5k downloads 16.11 KB Scanned clean United States of America
Flight Simulator X Prepar3D

McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington (known by the ICAO code KTCM) plays a pivotal role in military transport operations. This freeware add-on, crafted by Jim Cook, enhances the default FSX rendition of this key location by adding a wealth of realistic details and expanded functionality for those seeking a more immersive experience. Plentiful new parking areas, freshly placed buildings, and meticulously arranged static assets reflect an accurate representation of an active air base. The entire scenery update is built from standard FSX objects, making it easy to install without extra resource libraries.

Significant Base Upgrades

This custom package provides a complete overhaul of the stock air base environment. You will notice a dramatic increase in Military_Cargo parking spots, which accommodates larger transport aircraft. Additionally, a fire station complete with firefighting vehicles is now accurately situated, and many previously generic buildings have been replaced with more appropriate structures. Fork trucks, fuel trucks, and various parked vehicles contribute to a dynamic scene.

McChord AFB Scenery.

McChord AFB Scenery.

Airfield Layout Adjustments

Taxiways and apron surfaces have been modified or repositioned to ensure they align closely with both AirNav diagrams and Google Earth imagery, preserving the real-world footprint of McChord AFB. By doing so, flight planners can coordinate realistic operations, especially for heavy-duty military cargo movements. Jim Cook fine-tuned the core airport layout, ensuring that runways, ramps, and access routes sustain the level of realism advanced users demand.

Optional Scenery Pairings

This updated air base works seamlessly with widely used products, such as Just Flight’s Military Plus Packs. It also remains fully compatible with third-party additions like Ultimate Terrain or FSGenesis landclass, though these extras are not mandatory for the scenery to function properly.

Toolset and Technical Notes

Every new building or object was positioned using Flight 1’s AFX program and Instant Scenery. By relying on these utilities and default FSX components, this scenery add-on for McChord AFB does not require any external library files, streamlining the installation process.

Installation Steps

  1. Unpack the two files named AFX_KTCM_JC.bgl and KTCM_JC.bgl.
  2. Copy or move them into your main “Addon Scenery/Scenery” folder within FSX.
  3. Restart your simulator to initialize the newly placed scenery.

Once the sim loads, McChord AFB will appear in its updated form. Jim Cook has further plans to enhance other military airfields, time permitting, so keep an eye out for additional releases.

By Jim Cook

Ready to download McChord AFB Scenery?

Free for all simmers · 16.11 KB · Scanned clean

File information

Filename
mcchord3.zip
File size
16.11 KB
Virus scan
Clean (scanned with ClamAV)
Access
Freeware
Content rating
Everyone

Download speed: Free tier is capped at 0.5 Mbps. PRO members download at full line speed.

How to install this mod

FSX / P3D scenery
  1. Extract the downloaded archive

    Use 7-Zip (free) or WinRAR to extract the ZIP to a temporary folder. Don't install while still zipped — the simulator can't read inside ZIP files.
  2. Place scenery in Addon Scenery

    Create a folder under FSX\Addon Scenery\ containing scenery and texture sub-folders.
  3. Activate in Scenery Library

    In FSX, go to Settings → Scenery Library → Add Area. Higher priority means it overrides lower entries for the same location.
  4. Always read the included readme

    Every mod ships with a readme.txt or README file. It tells you exactly where files go, what dependencies are needed, and any quirks specific to this add-on.

Finding the scenery

Use these coordinates to fly directly to this location once the mod is installed.

FSX / Prepar3D coordinates (or generate a flight plan)
47.13700000,-122.47600000
Decimal degrees
47.137000°, -122.476000°
Degrees, minutes, seconds
47° 08' 13.200" N 122° 28' 33.600" W

Launch FSX or Prepar3D and use Flights → Load to open the downloaded .pln file. Your aircraft will be positioned at this location.

What’s inside this archive

The archive mcchord3.zip has 5 files and directories contained within it.

File Contents

This list displays the first 500 files in the package. If the package has more, you will need to download it to view them.

Filename/Directory File Date File Size
mcchord_read_me.txt05.24.081.05 kB
AFX_KTCM_JC.bgl05.23.0828.41 kB
KTCM_JC.bgl05.24.084.73 kB
flyawaysimulation.txt10.29.13959 B
Go to Fly Away Simulation.url01.22.1652 B

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