MSFS2020 hot air balloon.

Hello there!

To answer your question about the likelihood of a hot air balloon making its appearance in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020), it's a bit of a complex topic. From my knowledge, at the time of writing, Asobo Studio and Microsoft have not yet formally announced such an addition to MSFS2020. But let's delve into it a bit more.

1. Possibility of Implementation

Given the highly detailed graphics engine in MSFS2020, a hot air balloon could be an impressive addition. Hot Air Ballooning (the process of navigating a balloon that is lighter than air due to the hot air inside it) would indeed provide a unique perspective on the breathtakingly realistic terrains of the simulator.

However, implementing this type of aircraft would require the developers to design new physics models specifically for it. The flight dynamics of a hot air balloon, influenced by air temperature and wind, is fundamentally different from fixed-wing aircraft or rotorcraft.

2. Demand and Precedence

We've seen hot air balloons in previous iterations of flight simulators, like FSX, though as you rightly pointed out, they left something to be desired in terms of their aesthetics. Considering the significant improvements in graphics fidelity since FSX, I would love to see what the artists at Asobo could accomplish!

If there is a substantial demand from the user base, this may nudge the developers to consider adding hot air balloons as a new feature in MSFS2020. The best way to get this noticed would be to voice your interest in the official MSFS2020 forums or through their official feedback channels.

3. The Future - MSFS2024

There is, however, some exciting news on the horizon. Microsoft recently announced the next edition of the Flight Simulator series, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which we've got a great write-up about on Fly Away Simulation here. They've teased a Hot Air Balloon Trips feature in this upcoming release, which includes missions associated with hot air balloon flights.

In conclusion, while the chances of a hot air balloon feature in MSFS2020 might seem a bit up in the air (pun intended) for now, the future appears promising. For those of us who love the idea of serenely drifting across digital skies, let's keep our fingers crossed!

Safe skies!