VerticalSim’s St. Petersburg-Clearwater KPIE Now Available

Scenery developer VerticalSim has released its St. Petersburgh-Clearwater International Aiport (KPIE) scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Located in Pinellas County on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the airport was originally called the Pinellas International Airport, or PIE, and is a public-use airport serving the roughly 3.2 million Clearwater/Tampa Bay-area residents. KPIE offers domestic flights to various destinations as a hub for low-cost carrier Allegiant Airlines, making it a convenient option for budget-friendly travel to the many scenic beaches of the region. In 2023, the airport saw nearly 2.5 million passenger movements.

VerticalSim’s KPIE includes the 2024 airport layout using high-grade aerial imagery, full PBR texturing of airport buildings, and custom static models. KPIE joins VerticalSim’s Tampa International Airport, Sarasota International Airport, and VCities Tampa freeware to round out the developer’s Tampa Bay area offerings.

KPIE is home to Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, the largest and busiest Air Station in the United States Coast Guard. In addition to the local area, CGAS Clearwater’s Area of Operations includes the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean basin, and the Bahamas. KPIE also hosts a U.S. Air National Guard Blackhawk Squadron, two busy General Aviation FBOs, flight schools, and maintenance facilities.

Features:

• Terminal with simple interior for maximum performance
• Fully modeled accurate USCG, and FBOs
• LOD’s for optimization
• Custom high-grade aerial imagery
• 2024 airport layout
• Custom static models: Coast Guard C130s & Jayhawks
• Custom taxiway signage, obstruction lights, guard lights, etc.
• High-resolution accurate texturing of airport buildings with the full PBR suite
• Custom Bayside Bridge model (Download VCities Tampa for free for a custom Tropicana Field)
• Official GSX Profile (made by US Profiles)
• All spawn types (airliner, helipad, GA, business jet)

St. Petersburg-Clearwater is available via VerticalSim’s website for $16.99 (plus any applicable taxes).