Jeppeson2001 is back with another gorgeous and very immersive new scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Niagara Falls City Pack & Heliport. This impressive mod provides a stunning upgrade to an area that truly deserves a high-quality presentation in the simulator and comes after a series of similarly noteworthy releases from the developer such as Victoria Falls, the Hogwarts Express Train, and Falcon Field Airport.
Spanning the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York State in the USA, Niagara Falls is formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. The combined falls boast the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America with a vertical drop of more than 50 meters (160 feet). Jeppeson2001’s rendition of this area stretches from the North Grand Island Bridge to the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge down the Niagara River, with POI markers peppered throughout the region.
This mod is jam-packed with features, including animated waterfalls with realistic sounds, mist, and lighting effects. The Horseshoe, American, and Bridal Veil falls are all beautifully rendered and offer remarkable sightseeing opportunities in your favorite aircraft. The custom 3D-modeled hotels and casinos of the Niagara Falls City skyline add to the realism of the landscape, while the rapids and textures along the Niagara River bring the whole waterway to life.
Both the USA and Canadian sides of the falls feature custom 3D modeled docks, complete with low-poly crowds of tourists wearing the correct poncho colors for their respective tours. The Niagara Helicopters Heliport (CPQ3) is also included, boasting a hand-crafted terminal with interior, hangar, animated doors, and 13 helipads to choose from.
Other notable features include custom-made wind socks, anemometers, helipad lights, and obstacle lighting systems. An animated freight train with sounds traverses the Whirpool Rapids Bridge and passes by the Heliport, which adds another very cool layer of immersion to the whole experience in MSFS.
The developer added a great selection of points of interest in this package that include animated tourist boats such as the Maid of the Mist and Hornblower, animated Incline Railway, the City Cruises Funicular Railway, Zipline, Sky Screamer ride, Whirpool Aerocar, power generation stations, bridges, and more.
This scenery is best appreciated with a slow-flying fixed-wing aircraft or a helicopter. You’ll begin to appreciate the beautiful work of the developer immediately as you prepare to take off from the Niagara Falls Heliport (CPQ3) and head to the waterfalls. The flowing water in the distance, the mist, the water sounds, the buildings nearby, all contribute to the atmosphere of the scenery. I did a short flight around the area with the recently released Alouette III, which provides a great observation viewpoint all around the cockpit, and the experience is simply remarkable!
Jeppeson2001 notes that there are a few known minor issues and bugs, such as terrain LOD bugs and clipping, but the overall experience remains very captivating and immersive. It’s important to note that the USA World Updates, as well as the Canada World Update, are mandatory for this scenery to display correctly. The scene is designed to integrate with photogrammetry, which must be turned on for the scenery to display accurately.
Jeppeson2001’s Niagara Falls City Pack & Heliport is another stunning work from the talented developer that invites MSFS simmers to explore this iconic landmark in North America. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit this location in the virtual world of Microsoft Flight Simulator!
Niagara Falls City Pack & Heliport is now available for Microsoft Flight Simulator, priced at around $14,00 USD. It’s available through simMarket, flightsim.to, and iniBuilds.
Editor’s note: The original version of this article erroneously stated that this scenery was also available in the Marketplace for PC and Xbox. It’s not the case yet, unfortunately. Jeppeson2001’s Victoria Falls was recently added to the Marketplace, but Niagara Falls may take a bit longer.
