The FSDG Reunion Island scenery package is widely regarded within the flight simulation community as a "benchmark" release for tropical island destinations. It goes beyond a simple airport recreation, offering a comprehensive island-wide terrain overhaul combined with a highly detailed rendition of Roland Garros Airport. For pilots interested in cross-country VFR flying, challenging approaches, or hub-and-spoke operations between Réunion and neighboring Mauritius, this package is considered an essential purchase.
⚠️ Important: Aerosoft does not make FMEE. FSDG makes the scenery. Aerosoft is just a retailer or possible co-publisher for some boxed editions. Do not confuse with Aerosoft’s own airports.
Aerosoft acts as the publisher and often bundles the scenery with "La Réunion X" or similar titles. However, Aerosoft’s value comes from the surrounding environment. While FSDG does the airport, the complete "Reunion Island" experience typically includes the entire island mesh, photoreal ground textures, and autogen.
The Bottom Line: If you buy the complete pack (often labeled "La Réunion X" or "FSDG - Réunion Island"), you are getting FSDG’s airport (FMEE) + the full island scenery.
In the vast world of flight simulation, the pursuit of fidelity is a never-ending journey. For pilots confined to their desks, the magic lies not just in flying a complex airliner, but in the sensation of being somewhere—of conquering challenging terrain and experiencing the unique atmosphere of a distant corner of the globe. Few locations capture this spirit of adventure quite like Réunion Island (FMEE), a French overseas department nestled in the Indian Ocean. The quest to render this volcanic paradise accurately within Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and Lockheed Martin’s Prepar3D (P3D) has been championed by two notable developers: Aerosoft and FSDG (Flight Sim Development Group). Their respective works represent a microcosm of the broader evolution from FSX to P3D, highlighting a shift from global coverage to boutique, high-fidelity regional experiences.
For years, FSX served as the democratizing platform of flight simulation. However, its default representation of Réunion Island was a generic disappointment—a lump of green with an inaccurate runway. The arrival of Aerosoft’s La Réunion scenery was a revelation. It transformed the island into a living, breathing entity. Suddenly, the dramatic peaks of the Piton des Neiges, the erosive beauty of the Cirque de Mafate, and the active volcano of Piton de la Fournaise were rendered with breathtaking detail. For the FSX pilot, the approach into Roland Garros Airport (FMEE) became a white-knuckle event. The runway, abutting the coast, required a visual maneuver over the surf, with the island’s monolithic interior rising aggressively on the right. Aerosoft’s product didn’t just add buildings; it added context. It allowed simmers to recreate the real-world Air Austral flights, flying the challenging visual approach over the Saint-Denis harbor or the infamous "trombe" wind shear on short final. It was a testament to how third-party development could elevate a stale simulator into a genuine training and exploration tool.
As the community transitioned from the 32-bit architecture of FSX to the 64-bit stability of Prepar3D (P3D) v4 and v5, the baton for Réunion’s digital twin was passed to FSDG. While Aerosoft had laid the groundwork, FSDG’s Reunion Island scenery represented a generational leap. The shift was immediately noticeable: high-resolution orthoimagery eliminated the blurry ground textures of the past, and custom 3D vegetation made the island’s lush, mountainous slopes feel tangible. More importantly, FSDG optimized the scenery for P3D’s advanced lighting engine. The tropical sun glinting off the Indian Ocean, the long shadows cast over the volcanic craters at dusk, and the precise night lighting of FMEE’s apron transformed every flight into a cinematic experience.
However, the FSDG release also highlighted a growing fragmentation in the hobby. Aerosoft’s version, built for the legacy FSX platform, began to show its age, suffering from memory leaks and lower texture resolution. Conversely, FSDG’s P3D-native product required a powerful graphics card and a deep understanding of lighting shaders. The simmer was now forced to make a choice: stay with the familiar, vast library of FSX or upgrade to the superior performance of P3D. In this sense, the digital Réunion became a benchmark—a "canary in the coal mine" for system performance. If your system could handle FSDG’s Réunion with dynamic reflections and AI traffic at FMEE, it could handle anything.
The legacy of these sceneries extends beyond mere polygons and textures. They serve as digital time capsules. For those who flew the Aerosoft version in FSX, the memory is one of achievement—struggling against an unstable simulator to land an A320 on a narrow strip of asphalt while the frame rate dipped dangerously low. For the P3D user with FSDG’s version, the memory is one of immersion—smoothly descending through scattered cumulus clouds, watching the turquoise lagoon appear beneath the wing, and taxiing to a gate surrounded by high-definition ground crews. Both experiences are valid, and both honor the spirit of the real FMEE, an airport famous for its "carrousels" (high-speed turns to align with the runway) due to the imposing mountain barrier.
In conclusion, the story of Réunion Island in FSX and P3D, as told by Aerosoft and FSDG, is a story of passion and technical evolution. It demonstrates how a single, remote destination can become a cult classic within the simulation community. Aerosoft opened the door, proving that even a small island in the Indian Ocean deserved the "study level" treatment. FSDG then perfected the image, leveraging the power of P3D to create a living landscape. While the torch has now passed to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, where the entire world is streamed in photorealistic glory, the legacy of these add-ons remains. They taught simmers that the best flights aren't always from mega-hub to mega-hub; sometimes, the most rewarding journey is the one that ends on a short, coastal runway, surrounded by volcanic peaks and the endless blue of the Indian Ocean.
FSDG Reunion scenery, distributed by , is a comprehensive package for (v2 through v5) that recreates the entire French island of in the Indian Ocean. Just Flight Key Features Complete Island Coverage
: Includes custom mesh, autogen, night lighting, and hundreds of island-specific landmarks like bridges, antennas, and military installations. Airports Included Roland Garros (FMEE)
: The main international gateway with an accurate rendition, animated jetways (SODE/GSX), and custom apron traffic. Pierrefonds (FMEP) : A highly detailed secondary airport. Le Port & Bras-Panon : Two additional detailed airfields.
: Three additional heliports scattered across the island for vertical flight operations. Visual Enhancements
: High-resolution aerial imagery with night textures and volumetric 3D lighting designed for high performance. AI Traffic
: Features manifold AI traffic with multiple custom models for both aircraft and helicopters. Just Flight System Requirements Minimum Specification (SP2/Gold/Acceleration), FSX: Steam Edition 3.0 GHz Dual Core (recommended) 3D graphics card with at least 1 GB memory Windows 7 / 8 / 10 (64-bit recommended)
This scenery is designed to be compatible with popular add-ons such as . You can find the latest version on the Aerosoft Shop or through retailers like Just Flight or perhaps v4/v5 specific updates for this scenery? FSDG - REUNION FSX P3D3-5 - simMarket
| Feature | Aerosoft La Réunion X | FSDG Reunion Island | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Price | Lower (Legacy pricing) | Higher (Premium) | | Best for Version | FSX / P3D v3 | P3D v4 / v5 (FSX compatible) | | Terminal Detail | Dated (Pre-2010) | Modern (Post-2020) | | Island Mesh | Excellent (Volcanic peaks) | Good (Focus on airports) | | Night Lighting | Standard bitmap | Dynamic 3D lighting | | Helipads | Yes (Multiple locations) | Limited |
The Verdict: If you have a powerful rig running P3Dv5, buy FSDG. If you are still on FSX or a low-end laptop, Aerosoft is more stable and gives you the full island immersion.
Réunion Island (ICAO: FMEE) is a challenging, visually striking aerodrome located in the Indian Ocean. High-quality scenery add-ons enhance immersion and operational realism for virtual pilots. This paper investigates how FSX and P3D support such scenery, and assesses Aerosoft/FSDG's FMEE product within those ecosystems.
Even with high-quality add-ons, issues arise.