Skypark Just Sim fun

I have a purpose… with The Skypark by //42

One of my hobbies is spending my retired days enjoying flights in Microsoft Flight Simulator, aka MSFS, with my friends using FlightSim.com/DigitalThemePark’s TeamSpeak, address ts3.digitalthemepark.com. They introduced me to a recently released program for MSFS called The Skypark by //42, pronounced as “parallel forty-two”. Their website is https://parallel42.com/sim/skypark

I am a simple General Aviation pilot, I use that term loosely, but I must say “Skypark” is not just an add-on it is an experience! In a nutshell, it gives you purpose in MSFS as a contract pilot. Many may compare this to other contract pilot applications, but you are not limited to routes or aircraft. //42 refers to it as a “living playground”. You have probably seen some of the features that other reviewers have shown. Sure, Briget is cute and Jeff is funny, but, I have flying to do.

My flying day usually consists of tooling around, mostly VFR with the DTP folks, and staying out of major hubs. One of the best parts of ”Skypark” is that while enjoying my flight I can open that ingenious tablet looking and operating Skypad, find a job near me, and pick up the contract which I have hours or days to complete.

While en route I’ll take a look on the Skypad to see if there are other jobs on the way. This allows me to increase the pay for just a little more flight time. As an added plus, I get to visit new airports I don’t think I would have ever even known about. If I want to split a longer route job into two days, I have the option to land, pause, and continue later, as long as I don’t exceed the destination’s delivery deadline.

Since I mostly do short-distance flights I have not yet flown passengers. Most of my jobs are toilet parts, golf clubs, machine parts, paper towels, and many other items, but, HEY I am making a few virtual bucks and having fun. Like I said I tend to fly near home and I am seeing little airstrips that I didn't even know were there.

The contracts can be anywhere in the world. Perhaps not right at the airport you're currently at but it will be nearby. So I find myself flying to a nearby airport to pick up the product or passenger and then I'm on my way to my destination.

The main connection to flights is through their windows based application Transponder which provides a connection between your sim and the Skypad Windows app. There is no perceivable performance impact on MSFS.

Now that my in-game “Karma” is up a bit I think I will take a trip to Kansas City, visit Briget and take her to lunch. Though I have heard she eats well and it will cost you a small amount from your virtual “bank”. Speaking of your “Karma” rating, you can also take naughty trips. You may be paid more, but it can lower that particular rating.

“Skypark” gives flights and pilots all kinds of options. You can fly any aircraft from many airports while transporting products or passengers. There are long-distance flights anywhere worldwide and there are short ones, grass strip to dirt strip all in MSFS 2020 and at the convenience of the pilot.

Getting Started: When you first open your Skypad you'll be greeted with a cell call from Briget, who seems to manage all of the ClearSky contracts, then Jeff helps you load your aircraft and get into the sky. At the end of the flight you deliver your products or people and the money gets deposited into your account. I was surprised how quickly it added up.

Inside “Skypark” as an independent pilot you will fly contracts of your choice and also pick the company you wish to fly for. Right now there are two Coyotes (naughty offerings) and ClearSky (legit offerings).

A unique part of this product is that you have a certain amount of time to complete a contract. Usually, hours or days giving you plenty of time to get to a different airport or fly a different contract.

“Skypark” is in early release, but that did not deter me. The ~$30 USD program (only takes 2GB of drive space) is well polished and looks to have a lot of room to grow. I can see that the developers have left plenty of space to listen to the pilots and users of this program. Rumor has it, this is just a small taste of the entire roadmap. I am glad to get in early to learn the features as they are introduced.

“SkyPark” gives me the freedom to fly anything, anywhere and it really is fun to have a purpose in a flight simulator. I believe that Parallel 42 truly fills that need very well.

Feel free to join me and your other fellow flight simmers at the FlightSim.com/DigitalThemePark TeamSpeak at ts3.digitalthemepark.com.

Tom SWFL