FlyTampa certainly kept the lid on this one and I must say, it seems a very unusual move for a developer whose previous work has always featured major hubs.
In short, Humberside has set a new bar for 2024, and in my opinion is currently the most detailed airport available for the sim. While smaller airports by their nature can be crammed with more intricate detail, this point shouldn't serve to take anything away from FlyTampa here — they've done an absolutely stellar job, with just two very, very minor gripes for me (which I'll detail shortly).
The ground and building textures are first-class, as is the general terraforming. The terminal interior is stunning and rivals anything by the likes of Pyreegue, IniBuilds or Jo Erlend Sund. The terminal landside is beautifully-detailed — the most detailed I've yet seen, in fact — every sign, every bin, every bollard, ever barrier, every lightpole, every fence (with grimy concrete posts), every billboard, etc. The Belisha beacons at the pedestrian crossings even flash in a staggered manner, just as they do in reality!
At night, the airport looks just as good, with airfield ground lighting that reacts with the environment (i.e. you get a coloured glow on the ground immediately surrounding each light).
There are three features that are particularly well done: the muddy puddles dotted around the apron (they look so real!), the very detailed puffs of smoke/steam that emanate from the chimneys of a nearby chemical plant (which, needless to say, has also been modelled), and the parallax interiors of peripheral buildings. Also worth mentioning that many roads (complete with signs) around the perimeter have been modelled, for that extra kick of immersion.
I've had the product for almost two days now and I keep finding new little bits and pieces, hidden away. It really is a treasure trove of Easter eggs!
So, my very minor grievances...
Firstly, there are some static Eastern Airways props, which look great — but are J31s rather than the J41s used by the airline. A small complaint but valid nonetheless as it does detract slightly from the experience, seeing aircraft that aren't entirely realistic. Secondly, there are some US-style trucks, which I wouldn't expect at a small UK airport. This I find odd since they've also modelled some European truck varieties. With reference to both anomalies, simply removing them would suffice, since the level of detail is more than high enough to compensate.
Ordinarily, I'd not wholeheartedly recommend such a small airport to everyone (only to those with a specific interest in the scenery in question) — however the detail here is so good that I think it's an essential purchase, irrespective of where you typically fly. It's just so well done, and certainly worth buying just to command the bragging rights to what is arguably one of the finest MSFS airports ever created!
A real bonus is the fact that some freeware POIs in the North Lincolnshire area are available, to make your approaches that bit more interesting.
I cannot recommend this fabulous scenery enough!
