Orbx is continuing its mission of bridging the past and present of flight simulation with the release of 2WA1 Diamond Point Airstrip for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024—a small yet intricate airfield that’s part of the sim’s longer lineage, especially if you’ve been flying since the FSX days.
Developed by longtime Orbx indie partner Andreas Hegi, Diamond Point is a bit of a nostalgia trip. Originally designed for FSX and Prepar3D, this airpark has now landed in MSFS 2024 with several enhancements over its 2020 iteration, including four newly modeled buildings, reworked textures, and adjustments to better reflect the new sim’s lighting and ground behavior.
For those unfamiliar, 2WA1 is a residential airpark—one of those fly-in communities where pilots taxi from their front yard to the runway. That gives the scenery a distinct feel: a place where life revolves around flying, and the airport is the neighborhood. Many of the homes have hangars integrated directly into them, and Hegi has gone to some lengths to replicate that layout based on on-site photos.
The runway itself is narrow—just 24 feet (7 meters)—and positioned on a coastal plateau, which adds to the challenge. Wind conditions can be tricky, with gusts rolling in from the nearby shoreline. It’s the kind of airfield where crab angles, crosswind technique, and short-field skills can make a difference. And if you’re into pattern work, the local circuit includes a mix of trees, cliffs, beaches, and even an offshore island. There’s no ILS, no PAPI, and not much margin for error, which is precisely why this spot can be so much fun on both real and virtual worlds.
While a version of Diamond Point was already available for MSFS 2020, this new release takes advantage of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s updated environment system and includes additional scenery elements:
- Four new airport buildings not present in the previous version
- Retuned ground textures and materials for MSFS 2024
- Continued focus on VFR utility and local visual references
- Photorealistic HD textures throughout, based on actual photographs
- Full PBR and emissive lighting, including custom night ambiance
Also bundled in the package is the nearby WA45 Olympic Field, giving you a second location to explore without needing to load a new airport from the menu.
Diamond Point is part of Orbx’s fantastic Pacific Northwest collection, a group of handcrafted airfields originally released in the FSX/P3D era and now gradually resurfacing in MSFS. If you remember Anacortes (74S), Orcas Island (KORS), or Concrete Municipal (3W5) from those days, you’ll know the kind of atmosphere we’re talking about: richly textured, full of small aviation quirks, and deliberately grounded in real geography and pilot culture.
2WA1 Diamond Point Airstrip is available now from OrbxDirect for roughly $12.28 USD.
