How time flies: We are thrilled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Maps2XPlane this month! Since the start in April 2015, we – i.e. I as founder in cooperation with numerous partners – dedicated ourselves crafting high-quality custom sceneries for the X-Plane flight simulator, bringing breathtaking and immersive landscapes to virtual pilots around the world. To mark this special occasion, we have prepared a special «10th Anniversary Sale» – stay tuned until the end of this post for more details – but first of all, a recap of our exciting journey over the last decade:

The Journey Begins: Antarctica4XPlane

All started on 17th April 2015 when the development of Antarctica4XPlane with a group enthusiasts under the lead of Nino begun. In three parts this scenery provides a groundbreaking 3D representation of selected regions of the Antarctic continent, covering i.a. the South Orkney Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, Victoria Land and the Transantarctic Mountains, as well as Coats Land and parts of Queen Maud Land. My contribution to this freeware initiative set the stage for my commitment to bringing the most remote and challenging landscapes to life for X-Plane.

Exploring the Arctic: Svalbard XP

Next, I ventured with partner Stairport Sceneries into the Arctic with Svalbard XP, capturing the raw beauty of this northern archipelago. With a highly detailed terrain mesh covering an area of about 62.000 square kilometers, realistic snow and ice texture sets with seasonal changes, and accurate renditions of not only the main Svalbard Airport but also two additional airfields and two heliports, this project lead into my first and still one of the most popular payware sceneries for X-Plane.

A North Atlantic Gem: Faroe Islands XP

Building on my passion for unique landscapes, I started to develop with Albert Ràfols the Faroe Islands XP, a meticulously crafted recreation of the entire Faroe Islands archipelago. With a high-resolution terrain model, seasonal texture sets,  Faroese-themed autogen, and detailed renditions of the challenging Vágar Airport and not less challenging eight heliports, this extensive scenery pack offers an unparalleled flying experience for virtual pilots of airliners and rotorheads.

A Tropical Paradise: Seychelles XP

My journey in cooperation with Albert then took us to the Indian Ocean with Seychelles XP. This project captures the enchanting beauty of the Seychelles archipelago with lush vegetation, pristine beaches, and faithful reproductions of Seychelles International Airport and Praslin Island Airport, as well as more than a dozen additional landing sites spread over the huge tropical archipelago – offering with every flight over these islands a breathtaking and unforgettable experience.

Caribbean Charm: Saint Croix XP

Continuing my mission to bring captivating destinations to the X-Plane community, I developed in cooperation with Cami De Bellis – after a couple of freeware sceneries – with Saint Croix XP also a first payware scenery. An immersive depiction of the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. With a high-resolution photo-mesh, authentic Caribbean autogen, and a detailed rendition of Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, this scenery invites pilots to explore the Caribbean paradise of Saint Croix.

The Beauty of the Pacific: Society Islands XP

Back at work with Albert, our next destination was the heart of the Pacific with Society Islands XP, which brings to life in two parts the idyllic islands of the archipelago in the South Pacific: Bora Bora & Leeward Islands XP and Tahiti & Windward Islands XP. With photorealistic textures, dense tropical vegetation, and unparalleled detailed autogen, these scenery packs feature in sum eight airports and airfields, and ten heliports and helipads – ensuring a truly immersive experience!

Collaborations and Contributions

In addition to all these own projects, I have also contributed to countless third-party scenery developments, supporting talented designers such as Cami (CDB Scenery Design), Agi and Marten (Stairport Sceneries), Justin (ShortFinal Design), and Thorsten (FSDG) – just to name a few: it is not meant to be a complete list of the numerous partners to whom I am infinitely grateful! Collaborating with all these creators has allowed me to enhance even more of stunning locations, ensuring the highest quality and realism of our scenery packs for the X-Plane community.

A Heartfelt Thank You

You see, over the past decade I have been dedicated with my partners pushing the boundaries of what is possible in X-Plane. Our passion for flight simulation and attention to detail have driven us to create some of the most beloved and realistic scenery packs available. As we celebrate this incredible milestone, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our community, my partners, and everyone who has supported me. A special thank you goes to Albert and Cami, whose talent and dedication have been instrumental in shaping such stunning scenery packs for X-Plane!

A brief look into the future

On to the next decade of exploration and innovation! What I can already reveal is that we are continuously working on keeping our existing scenery packs up-to-date for X-Plane 12. In progress are in addition a small but exciting Caribbean scenery in collaboration with Cami De Bellis, and I’m currently also working on another, well-known Pacific island in cooperation with Albert Ràfols – before Albert and I want to move on to colder regions again. Follow us here on our developer blog, in the Aerosoft forum as well as in the Org forum , and on our Facebook page to stay up to date!

Oh, the special «10th Anniversary Sale» I mentioned at the beginning: All so far released scenery packs by Maps2XPlane are now discounted in the Aerosoft Shop! Your unique chance until April 21, 2025 to grab – for 50% off! – all of our scenery packs that aren’t yet part of your collection.