FlightSimWeekend, one of the world’s premier flight simulation events, is less than a month away now. First held in 1998 at the Aviodrome Aviation Museum in Lelystad, the Netherlands, the event has become a cornerstone for flight simulation enthusiasts, developers, and professionals. But if you’re still doubting whether you should attend FSWeekend 2025, this article should tell you everything you need to know to make up your mind. Spoiler alert: You should definitely go!
Connect With Enthusiasts, Professionals and Developers
The event will be visited by many fellow enthusiasts in all facets of flight simulation, from civil simulation, to military, from Microsoft Flight Simulator, to X-Plane, and from DCS to IL-2. And sure, those who still use P3D are welcome too… FSWeekend will be a welcome place for everyone! Share ideas and experiences from fellow hobbyists, learn about simulator development from the developers themselves, and make new friends to share your passion with. The event is also a great opportunity for those who are only getting started in the vast world of flight simulation to get their feet wet with a lot of software and hardware that is available for all the platforms.
The Perfect Place to Kickstart Your (new) Hobby
The event is for all ages, so if you have a child who is interested in aviation, this is the perfect place for both parent and child to learn more about flight simulation, which you can practise together. However, you obviously don’t have to be a child to start on this new hobby. If you are curious about flight simulation, this is the perfect place to learn all about it and to connect with people who can help you get started. You can even buy everything you need for your first flight simulation experience, right there at the event, usually with a nice discount directly from the developers.
There’s also everything for the seasoned simmer. Specialized software, high-quality and real-to-life hardware, custom cockpit builds, VR headsets and more!
All the Best Hardware and Software in One Place
What is flight simulation without joysticks, yokes and other hardware? Severely inconvenient!
But everyone has different priorities and budgets, so which peripherals are right for you is often a difficult pursuit, especially when there aren’t many shops anymore where you can try these bits of hardware physically. FSWeekend will host a significant amount of hardware, ranging from budget options to high-end ones, that you can play with and test out for yourself. And this doesn’t just mean yokes and joysticks. Things like aircraft panel parts, throttle quadrants, VR headsets and even whole aircraft cockpit builds, are there at your disposal.
The event will also host a huge amount of software for you to try out. With over 1500 add-ons in the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace alone, it can often be difficult to decide what to spend your hard-earned cash on, especially since many online stores don’t offer refunds on these products, should you find out that the add-on isn’t what you were hoping for. FSWeekend is one of the few places out there where you can actually try these products out before deciding to buy them or not.
And since many developers will be there with their own stands, chances are you’ll be among the first to test out brand-new products that often aren’t even available to the public yet.
Hear the Latest News Directly from the Developers
Now, we obviously would rather have you learn the latest bits of flight simulation news from us, but at FSWeekend you’ll have the chance to pass on us and hear it all directly from the developers themselves. There will be several presentations where they will fill you in on their latest products, current developments and plans. Their presentations frequently include showcases of new products, and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to ask them your questions. All of these presentations will be held in the FSElite Theatre, located at the entrance of the event.
A Ticket for FSWeekend is a Ticket for the Aviodrome Museum
The entire event will be held inside the Aviodrome Aviation Museum in Lelystad. It houses many interesting and unique aircraft that all are in immaculate condition. Aircraft like the Lockheed Constellation, Douglas DC-2, Junkers Ju-52, Gloster Meteor, Saab Viggen and even a whole KLM Boeing 747-200 are all part of the vast Aviodrome collection. So, should you need a brief snap back to reality, you can always decide to admire the beauties of the museum for a bit. Aviodrome is also part of Lelystad Airport and has an outside viewing area where you can enjoy some private aircraft and struggling student pilots.
Summary
No matter the sort of flight simming that you are interested in, or the experience level that you have, FSWeekend will have something fascinating for everyone. It’ll be a welcoming place for both enthusiasts and developers to engage with each other, to learn new things and to form new friendships. Tickets are available at the FSWeekend website and will cost €19,95 for a one-day ticket, or €29,95 for a two-day ticket. A whole bunch of our FSElite staff will be attending the event as well, and we’re excited to meet you there!
