Live isn't just a new feature. It's a new way to experience Infinite Flight. And when you introduce persistence into a flight simulator, people naturally start thinking about airports, organizations, ownership, and how an entire world works.

Today, we wanted to address some of the most common questions we've seen from the community.

Waitlist & Access

One of the biggest questions has been simple: how will access work?

Invitations will begin gradually as we continue testing and scaling the system. Access is not first come, first served, and selection is not based primarily on pilot grade or profile.

Our goal is to build Live carefully, gather feedback, and ensure a stable experience as we expand access over time. If you signed up for the waitlist, thank you. More pilots will join the skies as testing progresses.

Airport Congestion & Gate Availability

Persistence introduces a challenge that many of you immediately identified: what happens when airports fill up?

We're building systems to prevent gate hogging at high-demand airports and ensure arriving aircraft still have places to park. During major events or periods of congestion, aircraft may be moved dynamically into virtual hangars to keep airports functional and accessible.

Some smaller airports may also have additional rules when gate availability is limited.

Our goal is to strike the right balance between realism and usability.

Are Virtual Airlines Being Replaced?

No.

Live is designed to expand the ways people fly together, not replace the communities that already exist.

We do not plan to designate "official" airlines, nor do we intend to prevent multiple organizations from using similar identities. Existing Virtual Airlines remain an important part of the Infinite Flight community, and Live creates new opportunities for them rather than replacing them.

Is Live Replacing Infinite Flight?

Also no.

The Expert Server isn't going anywhere, and not every pilot will choose to use Live. For now, however, Live will exist only on the Expert Server. We may expand this down the road.

Live is an additional experience within Infinite Flight. You can continue flying the way you do today, or step into a persistent world when you're ready.

Aircraft Ownership & Permissions

Another common question has been: Can someone steal my aircraft?

No.

Only you, and members of your organization when permitted, can access your aircraft. We're also exploring future options such as temporary guest access for specific scenarios, like ferry flights.

Maintenance, Damage & Wear

Persistence naturally leads to questions about maintenance, wear, and long-term consequences.

At launch, aircraft maintenance and wear systems will not be part of Live. Crashes and incidents are recorded, but aircraft damage and maintenance mechanics are not currently planned for the initial release.

That said, maintenance systems are something we're actively exploring for future versions.

What About AutoPilot+?

AutoPilot+ works in Live just as it does today.

For now, stopped AP+ flights remain stopped indefinitely. In the future, we may introduce additional systems to return inactive aircraft to their origin airport after extended periods of inactivity.

We're also continuing to improve weather simulation over time, including winds.

One thing became very clear after reading thousands of comments: many of you aren't thinking about Live as a feature. You're thinking about it as a world.

That's exciting.

Live represents a new chapter for Infinite Flight, and while we won't have every answer on day one, we're building this world alongside the community that inspired it.

Lifts deserve their own spotlight, so we'll discuss that ecosystem in a follow-up article. Thank you for the questions, feedback, and enthusiasm. We're just getting started.

While 26.1 was centered around major foundational changes like the new rendering system and content pipeline, the current beta cycle has shifted toward improving day-to-day usability, expanding ground operations, and continuing to polish the experience across the simulator.

One of the biggest additions in the latest 26.2 beta builds is a significant expansion of Ground Services. What started with basic support equipment is quickly becoming a more detailed and interactive part of the Infinite Flight.

Ground Services Continue to Grow

Recent builds introduce expanded GPU (Ground Power Unit) support across more aircraft, complete with an external power switch and availability indicators integrated into aircraft electrical systems. This brings more realism to aircraft startup procedures and adds another layer to preflight operations.

Ground Service Equipment itself has also received major improvements in the latest 26.2 build:

• Jetbridges and stairs now live in separate flyout menus
• Jetbridges can dock to specific aircraft doors
• Stairs can now be used independently alongside jetbridges
• Cargo operations now better match aircraft type and door configuration
• New animations and sequencing improvements make service vehicles behave more realistically

Widebody aircraft now use pallet loaders where appropriate, while narrowbody aircraft favor belt loaders and rear cargo access. Vehicles also interact with aircraft more intelligently, including opening cargo doors automatically before positioning equipment.

A visual fuel truck has also been added as groundwork for future expansion of the system.

Navigation and Flight Planning Improvements

Another major area of focus since 26.1 has been improving in-flight usability and reducing friction while managing flights.

A new Navigation Panel was introduced to improve in-game flight plan management, with the option to place the panel on either side of the screen depending on personal preference and device setup.

Additional improvements across recent builds include:

• Flight plan undo fixes
• Better context menu readability
• Scrollable context menus
• Improvements to long menu labels
• Continued refinements to flight plan editing workflows

These changes build on the larger flight planning improvements introduced during the 26.1 Open Beta cycle and continue moving toward a faster, more flexible in-flight experience.

Performance and Stability

A large portion of recent Open Beta work has focused on performance and stability improvements across both iOS and Android.

Recent builds reduced loading freezes, improved startup performance, and refined in-flight UI responsiveness. Platform text input and controller support also received updates to improve reliability across devices.

A New “What’s New” Section

The latest 26.2 build also introduces a new “What’s New” section inside the app menu. This area highlights major additions and changes included in each update, making it easier to quickly catch up on what’s changed after updating Infinite Flight.

As always, Open Beta testing continues to help shape these improvements before public release. If you would like to take part in our beta testing, head to our beta page to sign up. Community feedback has already played a major role in refining many of the systems introduced over the past several months, and that process continues with 26.2.

Full Changelog Highlights

26.2 Build 16999

New Features

• Jetbridge Sync (see all jetbridge movements, even for other users)
• Expanded GPU support with aircraft electrical integration
• New external power switch and power availability indicators
• Ground Services overhaul:
  • Separate jetbridge and stairs menus
  • Door-specific jetbridge docking
  • Improved cargo equipment logic
  • Expanded service vehicle animations and sequencing
  • Added visual fuel truck
• Added in-app “What’s New” section

Improvements

• Reduced loading freezes and improved load times
• Scrollable context menus
• Better handling of long menu labels

26.1.2 Build 16922

Improvements

• Various user interface improvements
• Flight plan editing undo fixes
• Improved startup and in-flight UI performance

26.1.2 Build 16806

New Features

• Added GPU support in Ground Services
• Added new Navigation panel for flight plan management

Improvements

• Updated Settings Control UI
• Improved text input and controller support on iOS and Android

You can view the complete Open Beta changelog here:

https://infiniteflight.com/changelog/beta

Progress has also been shaped by our recent focus on delivering the new rendering system. With that now shipped, aircraft production can move forward with fewer interruptions. The team has also been working across multiple aircraft in parallel, including the A321neo and the Boeing 787, which has divided development time but reflects a broader ramp-up in production.

The Boeing 787 program has reached a major milestone. The 3D model is finalized, and UV maps are complete across all three fuselage variants. Work has now moved into texturing, with several areas already nearing completion. This is one of the first large-scale aircraft projects to fully benefit from the new pipeline, and it highlights the efficiency gains now in place.

A321neo Development

For the A321neo, the 3D model is complete and UV mapping is largely finalized. Texturing is now underway, with early results showing high detail across both the cockpit and exterior, including dirt mapping and fine surface features. Earlier in development, we shared cockpit previews that were created in-house. That work has since been handed off to the new team, which introduced additional coordination and integration time.

Alongside the NEO updates, we have added the Airbus A350-1000 as a soft rework. Built from our existing A350-900 model, the fuselage was extended and the -1000 landing gear configuration added without requiring a full geometry rebuild. As a result, some known limitations remain for now, including cockpit window proportions and other smaller details. This allowed us to bring the variant into the fleet efficiently while keeping focus on new aircraft development.

Follow our official A350-1000 tracking topic to stay up to date on its development.

With the new pipeline now in place and teams more familiar with the workflow, aircraft development is expected to progress more quickly from here.

And it's finally here.

This update introduces a new rendering system, the first aircraft built through our new modelling partnerships, improvements to our aircraft content pipeline, and a number of updates to the flying experience across the app. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

New Rendering System

Graphics and lighting overhaul

One of the biggest changes in Infinite Flight 26.1 is a completely rebuilt graphics engine. This new foundation makes it easier to deliver more realistic visuals, while also supporting more advanced visual improvements in future updates.

As part of this work, the renderer now uses photometric units, which allows lighting to behave in a more realistic and consistent way across different conditions. The update also improves how the atmosphere and clouds are rendered, making the sky feel more natural today while laying the groundwork for more advanced weather systems later on.

To further improve immersion, Infinite Flight 26.1 also adds real-time shadows for aircraft and ground service equipment. Taken together, these changes improve visual clarity and make the world feel more believable, cohesive, and alive throughout the flight experience.

A New Aircraft Development Approach

Introducing the PA-28 Archer II

Infinite Flight 26.1 also introduces the Piper PA-28 Archer II, the first aircraft created through a new aircraft development approach with additional modelling partners.

This new process allows us to scale aircraft creation while maintaining the level of detail and quality Infinite Flight pilots expect. The PA-28 Archer II represents the beginning of that effort, featuring a high-fidelity model designed to serve as the foundation for future aircraft built through this pipeline.

It also fills an important role in the fleet as a versatile general aviation aircraft that’s ideal for training, shorter flights, and exploring the world at lower altitudes.

Improving How We Build and Maintain Aircraft

The A330-200

The Airbus A330-200 joins the Infinite Flight fleet in this release as well, but its story is closely tied to another major change happening behind the scenes.

Recent work on our new content pipeline makes it easier for our team to update and maintain aircraft across the simulator. Instead of large, time-consuming updates, this pipeline allows us to make improvements more efficiently while keeping aircraft consistent with the evolving platform. This is what allows us to move faster on both new aircraft and variants going forward.

The A330-200 is one of the first aircraft to benefit from this improved internal workflow and expands the long-haul Airbus lineup with a versatile widebody used by airlines around the world.

Available liveries will initially include:

Flight Debrief

New post-flight insights

Infinite Flight 26.1 introduces a new Flight Debrief screen that provides a clearer summary of how each flight went.

After landing, pilots can review important details such as landing performance, distance flown, fuel usage, and other key statistics. This new system also improves how AP+ sessions are tracked, giving a more accurate view of flights that continue in the background.

The Flight Debrief is the first step toward a broader improvement to flight statistics and tracking within Infinite Flight as we gather data. Future updates will continue building on this foundation with additional insights and features.

Improvements for Expert Server Operations

Several improvements in this release focus on the Expert Server experience, with updates aimed at improving realism and reducing common operational issues.

Taxi operations now better reflect real-world airport procedures with speed limits applied in appropriate areas of the airport environment. Work has also been done to improve runway incursion detection and reduce false warnings during complex ground operations.

These changes are part of a broader effort to refine multiplayer operations on the Expert Server, and we’ll continue listening to feedback from the community as we expand on these systems.

Navigation and Flight Planning Improvements

Infinite Flight 26.1 also includes several updates to navigation and flight planning tools. Updates include drag-and-drop flight plan waypoints, improved procedure selection, and route drag to add waypoints.

Procedures and map interactions have been improved, making it easier to plan routes and interact with the map during flight preparation. These updates are part of our ongoing effort to make flight planning both powerful and easy to use for pilots of all experience levels.

You’ll also find a redesigned aircraft selection experience, along with improvements to navigation workflows and in-app tools that make starting a flight quicker and more intuitive. These updates are a step toward future pre-flight planning tools.

ATC Schedule Integration

This release also introduces in-app access to the Infinite Flight ATC schedule, making it easier to see when and where official ATC coverage is planned. This feature connects directly with the schedule published on the Infinite Flight website and helps pilots better plan their flights around active airspace.

Minimum Requirements for 26.1

To support new features and ongoing improvements, Infinite Flight 26.1 requires updated minimum device specifications. We make these changes carefully and always try to remain mindful of users on older devices.

iPhone and iPad
Infinite Flight 26.1 now requires iOS/iPadOS 17.0 or later.
This means the following Apple devices are no longer supported:
- iPhone: iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPad: iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (5th generation), iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)

Android
On Android, 26.1 will require Android 10 and will no longer include support for the x86_64 architecture. This primarily affects Android emulators (which were never *officially* supported and often not working on previous versions) and other x86_64-based Android environments. Most Android phones and tablets use ARM-based processors and are not affected. We still want to properly support emulators down the road.

Airport Updates

This update also features 211 new airports:

Selected Changes in 26.1

Below are some of the most notable changes included in Infinite Flight 26.1:

Graphics and Platform

• New atmosphere rendering system with improved sky blending, lighting, cloud rendering, and shadows

Aircraft

• New Piper PA-28 Archer II
• New Airbus A330-200 with multiple liveries
• New content pipeline enabling faster aircraft updates and development

Flight Experience

• New rendering pipeline with physically based lighting, atmosphere rendering, and improved shadows
• New Flight Debrief screen with expanded flight statistics
• Improvements to aircraft selection
• Notification Center improvements

Navigation and Planning

• Improvements to map interaction and flight planning
• Updates to procedures and navigation workflows

Expert Server

• Taxi speed limits with visible indicator implemented in appropriate airport areas
• Strobe light warning for some aircraft
• ATC improvements such as message reminders, Send & Assign autopilot feature, in-app schedule, frequency behavior, and more
• Improvements to runway incursion detection

For the full list of changes introduced during the 26.1 beta cycle, visit the full changelog. This release reflects the work of a long open beta cycle focused on building the next foundation for Infinite Flight. We're excited to have you on board!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve continued to iterate quickly across rendering, UI, ATC, and overall stability. This phase of the Open Beta has been less about introducing entirely new systems, and more about refining how everything works together in real scenarios.

A few areas in particular have seen meaningful progress.

Rendering & Visual Improvements

We’ve continued tuning the new rendering system, with a focus on consistency and clarity across a wide range of conditions.

Lighting and exposure have been adjusted to better handle transitions around dawn and dusk, while updates to fog, haze, and aerial perspective improve how scenes read at altitude and in varying weather conditions.

Shadow rendering has also been pushed further, with higher resolution, increased range, and improved visibility at distance. As part of ongoing testing, dynamic shadows are now being enabled on other aircraft as well, which helps us evaluate performance and visual impact at scale.

Runway Awareness & ATC Quality of Life

Runway incursion warnings are now in place, adding both visual and audio cues when approaching or entering a runway. This brings more situational awareness during taxi, especially in busier environments.

On the ATC side, we’ve introduced improved Send & Assign Autopilot behavior. When a controller issues a heading or altitude, the aircraft now automatically switches to the appropriate mode, ensuring the instruction is followed immediately and correctly. LNAV and VNAV are disabled as needed, and a notification confirms the change, making these interactions clearer and more reliable in busy environments.

Aircraft Selection & UI

The aircraft selection experience continues to evolve. Layout, spacing, and navigation have all been refined, with a shift toward faster browsing and clearer structure as the fleet grows.

Manufacturer categories have been introduced to make it easier to navigate larger aircraft lists, and the system now remembers your last selected aircraft and livery for a more seamless return experience.

This area is still actively being worked on, and you can expect further iteration in upcoming beta builds.

Stability & Performance

A significant portion of recent work has focused on reducing stutters, improving memory usage, and increasing stability during longer sessions and in high-traffic areas.

We’ve also introduced safeguards for lower-memory devices to help maintain a more consistent experience, along with additional compatibility checks on certain Android GPU drivers.

New Liveries

This round of updates also brings several new liveries across the fleet:

• A320 — Pakistan International Airlines
• A321 — Turkish Airlines (Sharklets)
• A330-300 — Lion Air, Qatar Airways (GE CF6), Vietjet Air
• A330-900 — Infinite Flight (2021)
• A350-900 — Delta Air Lines – 100 Years
• B737-800 — Alaska “Salmon People”

Full Changelog

✨ New Features

• Added runway incursion warnings with hold-short awareness and callouts
• Added Notification Center with history and unread indicator
• Added toast notifications with improved interactions
• Added ATC message reminder for unread messages
• Added manufacturer categories to aircraft selection
• Added flight plan toggle button on the map
• Added Cumulative DIST to the waypoint list

⚙️ Improvements

Graphics & Rendering

• Improved lighting and exposure, including better dawn/dusk balance
• Improved fog, haze, and cloud rendering for more consistent visuals
• Reduced aliasing in fog/cloud conditions
• Improved indirect lighting on distant terrain
• Improved shadow rendering:
  • Higher resolution and longer range
  • Improved visibility at distance
  • Enabled dynamic shadows on other aircraft (ongoing testing)
• Reduced visual popping and animation inconsistencies

Performance & Stability

• Reduced stutters during loading and rendering
• Improved overall rendering efficiency
• Reduced memory usage
• Improved stability during long flights and in high-traffic areas
• Added device-based performance safeguards for lower-memory devices

ATC & Ground Operations

• Added Send & Assign Autopilot behavior improvements:
  • Heading assignments disable LNAV and switch to HDG mode
  • Altitude assignments disable VNAV and switch to ALT + VS mode
  • In-app notification shown when autopilot modes are updated
• Improved detection of inactive ATC/controllers
• Re-enabled procedures in ATC mode
• Improved runway warning logic and runway end detection

Flight Planning, Map & Navigation

• Added context menu actions in search and map
• Added ATC tag in map context menu
• Improved procedures selection flow with clearer actions and previews
• Improved runway labeling in procedures

Aircraft Selection & UI

• Continued improvements to aircraft selection and livery browsing:
  • Updated layout, spacing, and navigation
  • Vertical scrolling
  • Remembers selected aircraft and last-used livery
• Improved aircraft name display and consistency

Controls & Camera

• Improved free/drone and interior camera motion
• Improved input handling and validation across the app

Notifications & Alerts (Quality of Life)

• Improved toast interaction and stacking behavior
• Notification Center now blocks flight controls while open
• Adjusted notification priority and visibility
• Suppressed unnecessary NAV alerts during LNAV/APPR
• Added multiplayer connection and disconnection notifications

Systems

• Improved wind behavior on approach
• Refined stall warning behavior into a single persistent alert
• Enabled passenger signs for Category B aircraft

Spotter Camera

• Preserves COM frequency when entering
• Disables automatic COM tuning on entry
• Allows manual tuning from the UI

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed crashes during ATC tuning, replay loading, and certain rendering states
• Fixed freezes when entering low power mode
• Fixed joystick and control input issues in various scenarios
• Fixed controller inputs resetting after inactivity
• Fixed flight plan issues that could cause invalid navigation states
• Fixed missing ATC options and tuning issues
• Fixed false runway approach alerts when spawning near hold-short lines
• Fixed VNAV/LNAV messages appearing incorrectly
• Fixed throttle issues after landing
• Fixed aircraft parts disappearing too early at distance
• Fixed fog and cloud rendering issues
• Fixed washed-out instrument displays
• Fixed UI issues including:
  • Aircraft name truncation
  • Selection button visibility
  • HUD and input blocking behavior
• Fixed scenery editor interaction and rendering issues
• Fixed missing sound packs on some liveries
• Fixed Android GPU compatibility issues and added driver checks

As always, your feedback during the beta period plays a big role in shaping these updates. Some of the improvements in this round came directly from community suggestions.

Easier Access to Procedures

One of the biggest improvements in recent beta builds is how procedures are accessed and selected.

Procedures can now be opened directly from an airport on the map, making it much faster to explore departures, arrivals, and approaches while planning your route.

If the airport is already part of your flight plan, procedures can also be opened directly from the bottom of the flight plan panel. This reduces the number of steps required to modify a route while planning or adjusting mid-flight.

A More Intuitive Procedure Selection Flow

The procedure interface itself has also been improved to make navigation clearer and more interactive.

When browsing procedures, the breadcrumb navigation at the top of the panel is now fully tappable, allowing you to quickly jump between levels such as airport, SID/STAR, and runway selection without restarting the process.

Procedure previews can also be explored directly on the map, helping you better visualize how each option fits into your route before committing to it. Once selected, procedures integrate seamlessly into the flight plan, updating the route and waypoint list accordingly.

These changes aim to make building realistic routes faster and easier while keeping the map context visible throughout the process.

ATC Schedule Now Available In-App

The ATC Schedule is now available directly inside Infinite Flight, making it easier to see which airports will have scheduled ATC coverage each day. You can browse upcoming events, view details, and even add them to your device calendar so you never miss a session.

The schedule is also available on the web at infiniteflight.com/atc-schedule, giving you a quick way to explore upcoming ATC events before launching the simulator.

Community-Requested Improvements

Based on community feedback, the Flight Plan list header now allows you to switch the ETE column between leg ETE and cumulative ETE. This small change makes it easier to quickly understand the timing of each segment of your route.

We appreciate the suggestions that led to this improvement and encourage continued feedback as the beta progresses.

New Community-Requested Liveries

As part of our regular livery updates, several new community-requested liveries have been added to the beta.

A321

• Turkish Airlines

A320

• Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

A350-900

• South African Airways
• Delta Air Lines
• Sichuan Airlines
• STARLUX Airlines

A330-900neo

• Infinite Flight - 2021

B737-800

• Alaska Airlines
• SpaceX

Other Improvements and Fixes

Recent builds also include improvements to atmosphere rendering, texture loading performance, AP+ behavior, and various bug fixes affecting landing stats, lighting, and interface elements.

Full Changelog

Build 16067

New Features

• Added an in-app ATC Schedule calendar with daily events and event details.
• Added support to add ATC Schedule events to the device calendar (iOS and Android).
• Added an in-app “more details” view for ATC Schedule event links, with an option to open the full post in a browser.

Improvements

• Updated the Flight Plan list header so the ETE column can switch between leg ETE and cumulative ETE.
• Adjusted Flight Plan column widths for improved readability.
• AP+ now alternates the displayed route time between ETE and local ETA automatically.
• Reduced sharp turns in AP LNAV.
• Improved atmosphere, sky, clouds, fog, and overall blending to reduce visual artifacts.
• Reduced cloud artifacts near the poles.
• Improved model and texture loading behavior to reduce missing-texture flicker while assets load.
• Improved texture loading performance to reduce stalls during loading (notably on iOS).

Bug Fixes

• Fixed cases where the sky could appear too dark.
• Fixed incorrect landing stats in some situations (including touch-and-go and bounce landings).
• Fixed missing landing stats in some rapid touch-and-go scenarios.
• Fixed AP+ fuel projection after resuming so fuel does not increase compared to the saved value and “Fuel Used” does not stay at 0.
• Fixed the AP panel background color.
• Fixed the C172 default livery being incorrectly mapped, which could cause livery selection issues.

Build 16015

New Features

• Added a PROC button in the Flight Plan view to open procedures for airports in your route.
• Added a setting to hide the Free/Drone camera joystick control overlay.
• Added a 10 second unread ATC message reminder (popup + beep, clears on open)

Improvements

• Procedures are now accessible from airport menus on the map.
• Improved procedure selection with:
  • Press-and-hold preview for procedures and transitions.
  • A clickable procedure path for easier navigation between procedure, transition, and runway choices.
  • Centered map view when selecting procedures.
  • Updated procedure list layout with clearer spacing, hints, and button visuals.
• Updated map and search UI:
  • Improved search results layout with clearer icons, fonts, and additional details such as distance and status indicators.
  • Map no longer keeps following the aircraft when centering on a searched waypoint.
  • Simplified airport menus and added PROC badges where relevant.
• Improved visuals for ground and atmosphere rendering:
  • Fixed pavement layer ordering.
  • Improved atmospheric blending and lighting behavior in fog and cloud conditions.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed overspeed warnings triggering incorrectly.
• Fixed issues where selecting procedures could break when adding waypoints.
• Fixed night-time lighting on metallic surfaces.

Here’s what’s new.

A New Flight Debrief Experience

One of the most noticeable additions in this cycle is the redesigned Flight Rating page. This addition provides a clearer, more complete look at how your flight unfolded.

You’ll now find:

• An interactive debrief map
• Support for multiple legs
• Landing statistics
• An altitude and speed playback timeline

Instead of static summary numbers, you can now review the progression of your flight in context. For multi-leg operations especially, this adds a level of clarity that was previously missing. This feature also opens the possibility to add more useful data to your Infinite Flight logbook experience in the future.

Expert & Training Server Enhancements

Two new operational safeguards were introduced on the Expert and Training servers:

• Taxi speed limiting on the ground, including an on-screen “TAXI LIMIT” indicator
• Taxi strobe-light warnings

These additions help reinforce good operational habits and maintain higher standards on shared servers. The intent is guidance and consistency rather than restriction.

Navigation & Procedure Improvements

The Navigation page has been streamlined into a single Map + Flight Plan layout. Separate Map-only and Flight Plan-only modes have been removed, reducing context switching and simplifying planning.

Procedure and flight plan handling also saw meaningful refinements:

• Improved Oceanic Tracks add-to-flight-plan behavior
• Where some navigation data included the airport in the procedure, destination airports now appear correctly at the end of the flight plan instead of inside procedure groups
• Improved autopilot and AP+ resume behavior to continue on the correct leg
• Fixed AP+ resume location issues on certain flight plans

These changes reduce edge cases and improve reliability during longer or more complex operations.

ATC Stability and Improvements

A substantial portion of recent work focused on ATC stability and usability.

Improvements include:

• More reliable frequency retuning when disconnected
• Improved availability of radar and tower options and better handoffs
• “Expect Approach” can now be issued without requiring a prior pilot request
• Aircraft blink on the ATC map only when tuned to the selected frequency
• Friendly frequency labels are preserved during ATC replay

We also resolved numerous ATC-related crashes and edge cases, including:

• Message formatting issues involving missing sender or receiver data
• Speech playback crashes
• Session restoration issues after reconnecting
• Long-press crashes on the ATC map
• Blank missed-approach readbacks when heading is omitted

ATC reliability is essential before leaving Open Beta, and this work continues to strengthen that foundation.

Crash Fixes and Performance Work

Across the latest builds, we addressed a wide range of stability issues:

• Fixed replay loading crashes
• Fixed ATC map crash when selecting certain navaids
• Fixed weather not refreshing on the main page
• Fixed Android login crash
• Fixed Android crash related to incomplete input device data
• Fixed crashes related to ending flights, ground services, and replay interactions
• Improved stability for low storage or out-of-memory devices

Performance improvements remain ongoing as part of release preparation. Much of this work is invisible when done correctly, but it is critical.

Additional Quality-of-Life Improvements

A few smaller enhancements were also introduced:

• Aircraft search by type designator, such as “77W”
• Improved Android search box behavior
• Fixed radio click volume issues
• Adjusted map highlight behavior for aircraft transmitting via ATC speech

Full Changelog

New Features

• Added a new Flight Rating page with an interactive debrief map, multiple leg support, landing stats, and an altitude/speed playback timeline
• Added taxi speed limiting on the ground on Expert and Training servers, including an on-screen “TAXI LIMIT” indicator
• Added taxi strobe-light warning on Expert and Training servers
• Added aircraft search by type designator (e.g., “77W”)

Improvements

• Simplified the Navigation page to a single Map + Flight Plan layout
• Improved ATC frequency behavior:
  • Retunes to the same-airport Unicom if the frequency disconnects
  • Improves availability of radar and tower options and frequency handoffs
  • Allows “Expect Approach” without requiring a prior pilot request
  • Aircraft only blinks on the ATC map if tuned to the selected frequency
  • Preserves friendly frequency labels during ATC replay
• Improved autopilot and AP+ resume behavior to continue on the correct flight plan leg
• Fixed AP+ resume location on certain flight plans
• Improved Oceanic Tracks add-to-flight-plan behavior
• Improved Android search box behavior

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a crash during replay loading
• Fixed radio click volume issues
• Fixed orange blinking highlight on the map for aircraft transmitting via ATC speech
• Fixed ATC crashes related to message formatting with missing sender/receiver data
• Fixed crashes during ATC speech playback
• Fixed crashes when restoring ATC or flight session state after reconnecting
• Fixed crashes when long-pressing on the ATC map in some cases
• Fixed blank missed-approach readbacks when heading is omitted
• Fixed various crashes when interacting with the map and flight plan
• Fixed various crashes related to ending a flight, ground services, and replay
• Fixed crashes on low storage or out-of-memory devices
• Fixed Android crash when a connected input device reports missing information
• Fixed an issue on the Flight Rating page that could cause freezing if debrief data fails to load
• Fixed an issue where the destination airport could appear inside a procedure group instead of only at the end of the flight plan
• Fixed weather not refreshing on the main page
• Fixed Android login crash

Thank you for continuing to fly in Open Beta and for sharing detailed feedback. Each report directly informs these updates as we move closer to release.

This cycle centered on three areas: shadow rendering, propeller visuals, and autopilot/ATC reliability, along with a number of crash and stability fixes.

Shadow Rendering Improvements

Shadows received a meaningful upgrade in this build.

We improved shadow cascade selection logic to reduce aliasing and flicker, resulting in smoother and less jagged shadow edges across varying distances. The overall result is more stable shadow behavior and cleaner visuals, especially when flying low over detailed scenery or during dynamic lighting conditions.

Propeller Rendering Fixes

We also resolved three separate propeller-related rendering issues:

• Visual artifacts when propellers were viewed against bright skies or clouds
• Phantom propellers appearing on certain aircraft variants
• Aircraft lights not rendering correctly through spinning propeller discs

These issues were tied to how transparency, depth, and visibility logic interacted in certain lighting conditions. Those systems have now been corrected.

Propeller aircraft should now render cleanly against the atmosphere, display the correct configuration for each variant, and properly show navigation and strobe lights through the propeller disc. Night flying and golden hour conditions look noticeably more natural.

AP+ Flight Time Accuracy

We fixed issues affecting AP+ flight time tracking and landing counts. In some cases, AP+ sessions could result in incorrect flight time totals or inconsistent leg recording. Those tracking issues have now been corrected.

To clarify how AP+ works: only the time your aircraft is actively flying under AP+ mode is counted toward flight time and XP. Each AP+ session starts fresh, and only actual background flight progression is recorded. When you reach top of descent, that segment is logged as a completed leg and you’re notified to return and land manually.

ATC & Frequency Improvements

We made several fixes to frequency tuning and ATC behavior:

• Center can now always be tuned when inside an FIR boundary, with a clear “Outside of FIR” indicator when applicable.
• Tower frequencies that were missing from Center handoff options have been restored.
• Radar tuning inconsistencies have been resolved.
• Unknown aircraft visibility and aircraft detail display issues on the ATC map have been fixed.
• Transmission indicators now flash correctly during radio communications.
• The first pilot message no longer disappears from the ATC message log.

Controllers and pilots should see more reliable tuning behavior and clearer situational awareness.

Navigation & UI Fixes

This build also includes:

• Improved LNAV turn handling on short legs, with smoother tracking at lower speeds.
• Fixes for flight plan handling at the end of routes.
• Resolved drag-and-drop issues on long flight plan legs.
• Fixed missing waypoint names after drag-and-drop.
• Fixed “Add to Flight Plan” appearing incorrectly.
• Fixed long aircraft names being truncated in the aircraft info screen.
• Fixed an issue where the app frame would not fill the entire screen on certain iPad configurations.
• Improved control responsiveness when frame rate is low.

Stability

Multiple crash fixes were included in this cycle, including:

• Replay loading crashes
• Flight director crash
• A320 map rendering crash
• METAR handling crash in the weather system

We also deployed additional server and performance improvements to improve overall stability under load.

As always, thank you to everyone submitting reports and logs during Open Beta. These improvements are a direct result of that feedback.

Changelog

Improvements

• Improved shadow rendering for smoother, less jagged shadows and reduced flicker.
• Improved Center frequency tuning within FIR boundaries, including an “Outside of FIR” indicator when applicable.
• Improved control responsiveness when frame rate is low.
• Improved stability when loading aircraft models.
• Server and performance improvements.

Fixes

Rendering

• Fixed aircraft lights not rendering correctly through propellers.
• Fixed rendering artifacts with transparent/alpha-blended materials against the atmosphere.
• Fixed landing gear and other animations not always reaching their final position.
• Fixed iOS frame not filling the entire screen.
• Fixed long aircraft names being truncated incorrectly in the aircraft info screen.

ATC & Frequencies

• Fixed missing Tower frequencies in Center handoff options.
• Fixed radar frequency tuning issues.
• Fixed unknown aircraft not appearing on the ATC map.
• Fixed ATC aircraft details (callsign/username/grade) not showing when an aircraft type is unknown.
• Fixed transmission indicator (amber flash) not showing correctly on the map/scope.
• Fixed first pilot message sometimes missing from the ATC message log.

Navigation

• Fixed LNAV turn handling on short legs and improved turn tracking smoothness at lower speeds.
• Fixed drag-and-drop issues on long flight plan legs.
• Fixed “Add to Flight Plan” showing incorrectly.
• Fixed missing waypoint names after drag-and-drop.
• Fixed flight plan handling at the end of a route.

AP+

• Fixed issues with AP+ flight time tracking.
• Fixed landing count inconsistencies.

Stability

• Fixed replay loading crashes.
• Fixed crash in flight director behavior.
• Fixed crash in A320 map rendering.
• Fixed crash related to METAR handling in the weather system.

Additions

• Added an expandable Quick Tune menu when selecting a VOR/NDB, with actions including:
  • Add to Flight Plan
  • Direct To
  • NAV 1/2 (or ADF 1) tuning
  • Information

For some, that’s exciting. For others, it raises fair questions about how a new aircraft variant shows up while other aircraft still in development haven’t shipped yet. This article adds a bit of context on how the A330-200 came to be, what changed behind the scenes, and why this kind of addition is possible now.

Not a new aircraft from scratch

The A330-200 isn’t being built the same way our other in-progress aircraft are. Those aircraft are full, from-the-ground-up projects, involving new geometry, systems work, testing, and coordination across teams. They move at the pace that level of scope requires.

The A330-200 is different.

This variant comes from reworking our existing A330-300 by modifying the fuselage length and configuration, then integrating it using our updated content pipeline. In simple terms, it’s a derivative variant rather than a clean-sheet build.

Why this wasn’t practical before

In the past, the challenge wasn’t the modeling (though the modeling phase took a significant amount of time). It was the integration.

Adding even a small variant required significant developer involvement: loading files, exporting with specific settings, managing builds, and working around tooling that often rebuilt more than necessary. Small changes created large interruptions, and context switching carried a real cost.

As a result, derivative aircraft were often deprioritized, not because they weren’t valuable, but because they weren’t efficient to add at the time.

What changed

Over the past year, several improvements came together:

• A rebuilt content pipeline that allows aircraft and liveries to be added in a structured, automated way
• Workflows that reduce the need for repeated developer involvement
• Tooling that automatically generates in-app thumbnails and supporting assets
• AI-assisted internal workflows that lower setup and iteration time

The biggest shift is that the integration cost dropped significantly. That alone changes what’s practical. When an artist adds or updates a model now, much more of the process can run automatically. The same applies to liveries. This is one of the first places where those improvements are visible externally.

Does this slow down other aircraft?

No.

The aircraft currently in development are on their own tracks, with different requirements and timelines. Work on a derivative variant like the A330-200 does not meaningfully pull resources away from those projects.

What this does and doesn’t imply

This does make certain derivative variants more realistic to explore over time. Within the A330 family, that could include freighter or passenger-to-freighter variants. It doesn’t mean every aircraft can suddenly be resized or released quickly. Some ideas remain complex, and some questions are still too early to answer.

The bigger picture

We’ve mentioned before that a lot of foundational work has been happening behind the scenes. The A330-200 entering testing is an early example of that work becoming visible. The goal isn’t to rush content. It’s to remove unnecessary friction so good ideas aren’t blocked by tooling limitations.

Thanks for the feedback, the questions, and the excitement. We’re still in open beta, still iterating, and still focused on building this carefully and sustainably.

More soon.

As always, thank you to everyone testing the beta and taking the time to report issues with clear steps and examples. That feedback continues to shape what makes it into each build. This beta cycle will continue for the time being as we also continue to refine the new rendering system.

New: More Flexible Map and Flight Plan Editing

This update introduces a more interactive way to edit flight plans, both on the map and in the flight plan list.

You can now insert waypoints by long-pressing and dragging directly on a flight plan leg, as well as move, replace, reorder, or remove waypoints, including entire procedure groups. When a change could significantly alter your route, confirmation prompts help prevent accidental edits.

Alongside this, tapping on a waypoint or other items on the map shows a refreshed menu, with quicker access to common actions like “Direct To” and clearer item details such as tags and subtitles.

Map Stability and Visual Fixes

Several recent beta builds have focused on improving map stability and resolving visual inconsistencies reported by the community.

This includes fixes for crashes that could occur when opening or interacting with the map, as well as issues related to runway labeling, map prioritization, and brief visual changes after ending a flight.

One example that helped guide this work was a series of reports around map-related crashes, including this community thread:

Game crashes when opening map

Version Information 26.1 Device Information Samsung S23 ultra Description spawned into LFPG during busy hours when when I open the map the game crashes every time

Infinite Flight CommunityPlaneboi19

We’ve also addressed issues affecting runway number visibility and color behavior under different wind conditions, improving readability during both planning and ATC operations.

Improved Throttle and Control Feedback

We’ve made targeted improvements to throttle, reverse thrust, and brake feedback for both joystick and touch control users.

Throttle inputs now allow for finer control, reverse thrust states are more clearly indicated, and brake percentage feedback is easier to interpret at a glance. These changes also resolve cases where joystick overlays could appear on top of modal dialogs or fail to clear correctly after resetting inputs.

Several reports of control feedback freezing or missing visual indicators were traced back to UI layering and state handling issues, which have now been addressed.

Streamlined Aircraft Selection

Aircraft selection has been simplified to reduce friction and improve reliability.

Search and browsing behavior has been refined, and operator mode selection has been removed from the aircraft UI. This resolves multiple reports where aircraft variants were not appearing as expected when filtering or browsing, and reduces the number of steps required to select an aircraft.

Feedback like this community report helped highlight where the flow was breaking down.

Red Sky Fix

Many users noted the sky at dusk/dawn turning red or orange when fog or clouds were present. This update has a fix for the sky color when there is cloud cover.

Flight Stats and AutoPilot+ Tracking

We’ve continued improving how flight data is tracked behind the scenes. This includes fixes for incorrect time tracking when using AutoPilot+, as well as a bug where AP+ flight time could continue accumulating after reaching top of descent. While these improvements aren’t all visible yet, they help ensure future end-of-year debriefs and logbook data are more accurate and consistent.

Platform-Specific UI Fixes

Several iOS and iPadOS issues have also been resolved in this update, including cases where small input fields could display incorrectly, UI elements didn’t respect safe-area insets on newer devices, or controls were obscured in certain orientations.

What’s Next

We’ll continue iterating on the areas above while monitoring new reports as they come in. Not every fix makes it into each build, but your reports help us focus on the issues that have the biggest impact on everyday flying.

More soon, and thanks again for helping shape the Open Beta!

Release Notes

New Features

• Added drag-and-drop flight plan editing on the map and in the flight plan list
  • Insert waypoints by long-pressing and dragging on a flight plan leg
  • Move, replace, reorder, or remove waypoints, including procedure groups, with confirmation prompts when needed
• Added an updated map item context menu with quick actions and clearer item details

Improvements

• Improved joystick throttle and reverse feedback
  • Finer throttle control
  • Clearer reverse thrust indication and brake percentage display
• Improved map and flight plan UI readability and interaction
  • Reduced unnecessary auto-scrolling in lists
  • Updated button styling and list appearance
• Improved aircraft selection flow, including search, and removed operator mode selection from the aircraft UI
• Improved flight stats tracking for debrief and logbook data
• Fixed an issue where AutoPilot+ flight time continued tracking after reaching top of descent

Bug Fixes

• Red sky at dawn/dusk with cloud cover
• Fixed joystick controls drawing over modal dialogs
• Fixed reverse thrust state not clearing correctly after resetting throttle, reverse, or brakes
• Fixed an issue on iOS 26.x where small input fields could display incorrectly

Before we get into specifics, it’s worth acknowledging something frankly: this phase is taking longer than we hoped or planned. In addition to coinciding with the holiday season, work on core systems uncovered issues that needed more time and care than anticipated. Instead of rushing out a release with regressions, we’ve prioritized stability and quality; an approach that pushes the timeline out but ultimately leads to a better product. Thank you to everyone participating in the beta and those waiting for the public release.

At this stage of the Open Beta, most of the work ahead isn’t about adding new features, but about refining how the simulator renders and performs in real-world scenarios. From a user perspective, this can show up as:

• Skies or clouds holding onto red or orange tones longer than expected after sunset
• Brief blackouts or flickering when loading into a flight or moving the camera
• Noticeable drops in performance at busy airports or in high-traffic areas
• Sudden brightness or exposure changes that make cockpits and displays hard to read

Internally, these all trace back to the same core effort: tuning the new rendering and lighting systems, so they behave consistently across devices, lighting conditions, and workloads. These are some of the harder issues to solve, but resolving them is what ultimately leads to smoother flights, more stable visuals, and a more reliable experience once the update is fully released. This cheeky phrase always comes to mind:

The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time.

For full changelog details and the latest builds, check the official beta change log topics.

What’s Improved Significantly

Even though the Open Beta isn’t feature-complete, there have been meaningful improvements that enhance the experience and pave the way for the next stable release.

Stability and Performance

Across multiple builds, we’ve:

• Fixed various app crashes and startup issues (IFC Dec 17, 2025).
• Resolved problems with propeller and engine animations not playing correctly on some aircraft (IFC Dec 17, 2025).
• Improved general performance and responsiveness in several areas of the UI and rendering pipeline (IFC Dec 22, 2025).

These fixes might sound incremental, but they’re essential to having a reliable beta where testers can actually evaluate the upcoming changes.

Usability Enhancements

Several additions and refinements have landed during this period:

• Continued improvements in aircraft lighting positioning and HUD/control panel styling (IFC Dec 22, 2025).
• New on-screen joystick controls and expanded input options that broaden how pilots can fly (IFC Jan 1, 2026).
• A new long-press method to clear all onscreen controls for clean screenshots and video capture (IFC Jan 1, 2026).
• New Auto Exit to Autopilot+ option in pause menu to help prevent overshoot when away from the device

Continued Visual and UX Improvements

Recent builds focused heavily on polish:

• Improved pop-up and flyout menu readability and consistency (IFC Dec 29, 2025).
• Fixed transparency issues and minor UI bugs to create a more cohesive interface (IFC Dec 29, 2025).

While these changes may feel subtle individually, together they help establish a cleaner, more scalable interface for future updates.

Where We Are on the Road to Release

The Open Beta timeline has stretched beyond our initial expectations. As we’ve progressed, work on foundational changes exposed issues requiring more investigation and attention. Instead of pushing forward with instability, we chose to slow down and refine the underlying systems first.

At this time, there’s no confirmed public release date for the full version 26.1 rollout. Our priority remains delivering a stable, high-quality update with fewer regressions and a foundation that supports faster improvements long term.

Full Changelog (Last ~25 Days)

Below is the comprehensive list of all notable beta updates logged in the Open Beta changelog topic from mid-December through early January:

Build 15461 — Dec 17, 2025

Linked in thread as updated on this date: IFC Dec 17, 2025

• New Build (iOS & Android 15461)
• Fixed various app crashes
• Fixed propeller and engine animations not playing correctly on other aircraft

Build 15475 — Dec 22, 2025

Linked in thread as updated on this date: IFC Dec 22, 2025

• New Build (iOS & Android 15475)
• Performance improvements
• Fixed aircraft preview images in aircraft selection menu
• Fixed misconfigured liveries
• Fixed propeller animation issues
• Fixed crash viewing the grade table in profile
• Fixed iOS crash related to audio when the app was interrupted

Build 15482 — Dec 22, 2025

Linked in thread as updated on this date: IFC Dec 22, 2025

• New Build (iOS & Android 15482)
• Added a Mute button to the pause menu
• Improved aircraft light positioning consistency
• Unified HUD/control panel background styling
• Fixed trailing spaces in airport names
• Fixed contributor list in airport info
• Fixed multiple aircraft and livery issues
• Fixed various other crashes

Build 15496 — Dec 29, 2025

Linked in thread as updated on this date: IFC Dec 29, 2025

• New Build (iOS & Android 15496)
• Improved popup and flyout menu visuals and readability
• Improved flyout panel rendering consistency
• Fixed crash occurring when app is minimized and restored
• Addressed transparency issues in popup and jog control backgrounds
• Fixed minor popup panel title bugs

Build 15506 — Jan 1, 2026

Linked in thread as updated on this date: IFC Jan 1, 2026

• New Build (iOS & Android 15506)
• Added on-screen joystick flight and camera controls
• New input mode settings (accelerometer or on-screen joystick)
• New long-press clear screen control method
• Improved jog flyout visibility
• Fixed light sprite rendering issues

Build 15518 — Jan 4, 2026

Linked in thread as updated on this date: IFC Jan 4, 2026

• New Build (iOS & Android 15518)
• [Preview] Added Auto Exit to Autopilot+ option in pause menu to help prevent overshoot when away from device
• Disabled roll/pitch controls when using free cam in replay/ATC mode

As always, beta testers are encouraged to report issues and feedback so we can refine these builds. If you’re not in the Open Beta yet but want to help shape the next release, we invite you to join the program and share what you find.

Happy flying,
Infinite Flight Team

iOS SIGN UP ANDROID SIGN UP

What's coming in this version?

This Public Beta marks a major milestone: we’re delivering the first public preview of the new rendering engine in Infinite Flight alongside our refreshed content-pipeline architecture. Under the hood, this change brings significant visual and technical updates aimed at elevating how the world looks and feels in-game. Since we're approaching a new year, the next release will be version 26.1.

Key highlights include:

• The Piper PA-28-181 Archer II aircraft
• A fully rewritten rendering engine that improves lighting, shadows, and atmospheric effects, helping environments and aircraft feel more realistic than ever
• Refined shading and texture workflows powered by the content-pipeline update, making assets look more realistic and more consistent across devices.
• Enhanced ambient lighting, including improved sun positions and volumetric lighting groundwork, setting the stage for future features like dynamic aircraft lights and immersive night environments
• Stability and performance optimizations tied into the pipeline work, helping ensure these new visual features remain smooth, even on supported mobile hardware

This beta gives you a front-row seat to the foundation of what’s next. We’re asking for your participation now to help us identify visual or performance issues across a wide range of devices and usage scenarios so we can polish before the full release.

Known Issues

There are some issues we're aware of that do not require reporting. The non-exhaustive list is as follows, which may be amended as the open beta progresses:

• Cloud rendering is not final
• Red clouds at night
• Sunset/Sunrise lighting in fog issues
• Piper model/animation issues
• Crashes on devices with less than 4GB of RAM
• Degraded performance on older devices, and devices with very high resolution displays (eg, iPad Pro 12.9)
• Aircraft and airport model textures appear black/pink/random while loading
• Various transparency issues
• The moon is missing (goodnight moon 🌚)

FAQ

What is an open beta?
Traditionally, at Infinite Flight, we test by releasing an app build to our staff, which undergoes several rounds of QA testing. During this period, staff will test the first iterations of new features, which helps identify major issues quickly. Next, our developers will release a build to our closed beta group, which we are now referring to as "Alpha". This group is hand-picked from active and helpful community members who have shown a genuine desire to help find issues.

This time around, we're inviting the public to join us in testing the new version of Infinite Flight before its official release. This Infinite Flight Beta build will be its own app, called "Infinite Flight Beta" on your device.

How do subscriptions work in beta?
Due to technical limitations, subscriptions cannot be purchased in the Open Beta app; however, you can login to use your previously purchased subscription. To use Infinite Flight Pro in the Open Beta, you must:

• have purchased a subscription in the main version of the app
• linked your IFC account

You will need to log in to the Open Beta with your IFC account to access your subscription. You can purchase a subscription at any time in the main app, and as long as you are logged in within the Open Beta app, your subscription will be available. The beta does not provide free access to Infinite Flight Pro.

Who can join?
iOS and Android users can participate with a few important conditions that will be outlined below. There is no cap to the number of open beta testers on Android. On iOS, there is, but it’s a very high number we don’t anticipate hitting. If we do hit a cap, we will communicate that in this article.

What is the signup process?
For iOS users, developers will issue a TestFlight link, which can be opened on the device they will be using to test. The TestFlight app from Apple is required before using the link.

Android users will be able to opt in to the open beta program via Google Play. A link will be provided when we are ready for launch.

For how long will the open beta last?
The goal is no more than a few weeks; however, like any release, testing, approval, and launch are subject to change. Many factors go into what constitutes a stable release candidate, and we will do our best to ship promptly and, of course, keep you updated along the way.

What else should I know?

• You are helping test. As a result, there's a very good chance some things may be broken. If you anticipate this being an unacceptable outcome for you, this program may not be your thing.
• To provide feedback, please use our community forum and our official beta feedback category. Note that the Infinite Flight team may not actively engage with all feedback.

26.1 Changelog

• The Piper PA-28-181 Archer II aircraft
• New 3D airports and aircraft liveries
• New rendering engine that improves lighting, shadows, and atmospheric effects
• Enhanced ambient lighting
• Stability and performance optimizations
• Single finger zoom in maps with Double Tap + Drag up/down
• Gate Guidance now shows a pop-up for better visibility when parking at equipped gates
• Flight Deck panel lighting has On/Off/Auto options now

Happy testing, and we'll see you in the Infinite Flight skies! ✈️

In a recent update on the Infinite Flight Community, our CEO and co-founder, Laura, outlined what had been holding things up. One of the major issues has since been solved, and we are now down to a single remaining blocker in the renderer transition.

In Laura's words:

“When building the production version of the app, we use a tool that optimizes the code. However, the optimizer is currently breaking our dynamic shadow rendering. We can’t skip this optimization step as doing so would cut the app’s performance in half.”
Read the full post

Laura explained that our production builds were being affected by a code optimization tool that broke dynamic shadow rendering. The team has since identified and implemented a solution, which leaves the remaining issue involving memory use. The new renderer uses more advanced techniques, so some devices run out of memory more easily (especially when many aircraft are visible). This is now the primary focus of the team.

This final memory issue is complex and requires careful tuning and testing. The team is being deliberate so that the Open Beta can focus on uncovering edge cases rather than problems we already know about.

Where things stand now

• The renderer overhaul is complete and performing well in development builds
• Visual improvements like dynamic shadows, refined glass, improved normal maps, and better atmosphere and environment lighting behave as intended
• The optimization tool issue affecting dynamic shadow rendering has been resolved
• Memory reduction work is in progress and already showing improvements, and it is now the final blocker before the Open Beta
• Once the remaining roadblock is resolved, the Open Beta can begin

We know many of you are eager to get your hands on this update. The excitement around the new engine has been a huge boost for the team. As Laura put it:

“We’re almost there, watch this thread for more updates. I promise, the wait will be worth it.”
Read the full post

We will continue to keep you updated as we close in on the Open Beta release. This is a major step forward for Infinite Flight, and we appreciate the community’s patience and support as we work through the final details.

Why the Change?

25.2 was originally scoped as a lighter release focused on things like a new aircraft selection UI and quality-of-life improvements. The Archer was planned for 25.3, and the new rendering engine wasn’t expected until much later. But as development progressed, it became clear that sticking to the old rendering system would only slow us down.

So, instead of spreading these updates out, we combined them. By bringing the new rendering engine and content pipeline forward, we’re setting ourselves up for faster development and a more realistic flying experience in the long term.

What’s Coming in 25.2

• Piper PA-28 Archer: a detailed new general aviation aircraft, built in the updated content pipeline.
• New rendering engine: improved atmospheric lighting, shading, shadows, and overall visual realism.
• Streamlined content pipeline: the foundation for faster aircraft and scenery development.
• Visual improvements across aircraft, environments, and UI.

Note: all images in this article are considered a work in progress, and actual in-app visuals on devices are subject to change.

What About Other Aircraft?

• The Airbus A321neo family is still on track for early 2026.
• The 787 rework is also on track and being developed in parallel.

Beta and Release Timeline

• Internal beta is targeted for late September.
• We’re aiming to release 25.2 by the end of October, giving us November and December to focus on polish and fixes.

Platform Updates

With 25.2, we’re also updating the minimum supported OS versions. Infinite Flight will now require Android 10 or higher and iOS 16 or higher.

For Android, this ensures all devices run 64-bit and support Vulkan 1.1, which gives us more room to continue improving our renderer. On iOS, moving to iOS 16 brings Metal 3 support, opening the door for future rendering enhancements.

These changes also simplify our code base by removing the need for older compatibility paths, helping us move faster and focus on the features that matter most.

Looking Ahead

This release is more than just a new airplane. With the rendering and content pipeline upgrades, we are positioned for bigger, better, and more frequent updates. While some features like advanced clouds and dynamic lighting will continue to evolve, 25.2 delivers the foundation we need to keep pushing forward.

The wait has been long, but it’s almost over. Infinite Flight 25.2 is set to deliver a new aircraft, a new look, and a new foundation for everything to come. Stay tuned! We’ll be sharing screenshots, previews, and updates as beta begins.

Here’s a peek at what changed, why it matters, and what it unlocks next.

Why rework the pipeline now?

Infinite Flight’s earliest content pipeline dates back to our Windows Phone era (remember those?). It served us well, but a lot has changed in real-time rendering and tooling since then. As our fleet grew, the older process made it harder to move quickly, maintain consistency, and iterate on feedback.

Our goals for the new pipeline were simple:

• Accelerate the release of new aircraft and updates to existing ones.
• Adopt open standards so our tools are more future-proof and easier to automate.
• Improve consistency in materials, lighting, and LODs across the fleet.

What’s new under the hood

Centered on glTF

The new pipeline is built around glTF, a widely used open format designed for efficient delivery of 3D content. By making glTF the foundation of our workflow, we’ve reduced the need for custom converters and one-off steps, meaning fewer surprises and faster builds.

Cleaner handoffs, fewer manual steps

We’ve streamlined the flow from artist deliverables → validation → optimization → in-sim testing. Automated checks now catch common issues early (naming, scales, missing maps), and our build system packages assets in a predictable, repeatable way.

Smarter optimization

We’ve standardized on modern material workflows and texture packing so aircraft render consistently while staying performant on a range of devices. This also makes LOD (level of detail) tuning and draw-call budgeting more straightforward for the team.

Better iteration loops

Since everything works more reliably, it’s easier for our team to test fixes and update aircraft without delays. When our artists or QA engineers report a fix, we can cut new builds quickly and verify changes in-sim without babysitting long, fragile export chains.

Refining our new rendering architecture

This new content pipeline is closely tied to our ongoing work on our long-term effort to modernize Infinite Flight’s internal rendering architecture. Our content pipeline is a vital part of our upgraded rendering engine, and it is a necessary piece of the puzzle to ensure we are ready for the next generation of lighting, materials, and visual fidelity.

About that Piper PA-28…

A few months ago, we announced the Piper PA-28, which was an unexpected one for many of you. It’s also the first aircraft to ship through our new content pipeline, which is why it’s taken a little longer than usual. We deliberately chose a smaller, less complex aircraft so we could fine-tune the new system before applying it to bigger projects.

(Final images subject to change while we iterate.)

What this means for you

• Faster deliverables: Once the PA-28 and pipeline land, you should see smoother, more predictable aircraft releases and updates.
• Consistency & quality: Materials and lighting should feel more uniform across the fleet, especially as we revisit older airframes.
• Maintainability: Open standards reduce technical debt, so we can spend more time building features you can feel.

Timeline & what’s next

• PA-28 + new pipeline: Targeting later this year as part of 25.3.
• A321 & B787: Already well into production using the new pipeline. Progress will continue in parallel, and the lessons from PA-28 will help us move faster here.
• Cosmetic fixes for existing aircraft: Our artists have been secretly combing through the existing list of aircraft livery and other aircraft issues in preparation for the new pipeline, which will be released in 25.2!
• We’ll share more shots and notes as we lock things down and move toward release.

Quick Q&A

Why pick the PA-28 first?
It’s focused, well-scoped, and perfect for validating our new process without risk to a flagship release.

Will this change performance on my device?
Our optimizations aim to maintain or improve performance while increasing visual consistency. We’ll continue tuning across a range of supported devices.

Does this affect existing aircraft?
Over time, yes! In a good way. The pipeline makes it easier to update older models with improved materials and fixes.

We’re excited about what this unlocks for Infinite Flight in 2025 and beyond. Thanks for your patience while we do the unglamorous work that makes the glamorous stuff possible. Keep an eye out for more PA-28 shots and progress on the A321 and B787 as we head toward our 25.2 release!

The problem some pilots faced with our grade system is that although they worked hard and flew a lot to achieve a grade (especially that coveted Grade 3 for Expert Server access), something caused them to take a break, or not fly as much. Subsequently, after 90 days they would be moved down a grade and potentially lose the access they had.

What's changing?

Effective in 24.2, we are removing both the 90-day requirement for flight time and landing counts for grades 3 and below. This means if you have worked hard to fly on the expert server but you're unable to fly for an extended period, you will not lose this access!

This change is retroactive, meaning if the 90-day limit impacted you, it will be removed, and your grade will automatically be adjusted provided you meet the rest of the requirements for that grade (eg: your violation to landing ratio hasn't increased outside of limits).

If you have questions about this change, please join the discussion on our community forum or reach out on our subscriber Discord Server. This change, along with the reworked A380 and more is coming soon to Infinite Flight!

The problem

It has happened to all of us. We suddenly realize we can't finish our flight because the responsibilities of life are bearing down on us. Maybe we've started that long haul but we now realize we won't be around to finish it. Maybe the 12-foot charging cable we got from Wish isn't cutting it. Or maybe in taking that phone call, our device decided we didn't need that other app anymore. Whatever the scenario, it sure would be nice to pick up where we left off.

The solution

In Infinite Flight 24.1, we're introducing Flight Resume. If your current flight meets certain criteria, you'll be able to resume it exactly how you left it in the event of any interruption (voluntary or not). This feature is not only available in single-player but also in multiplayer; a first in the world of flight simulation. Here are the criteria required for Flight Resume to activate and stay active:

Solo

• Your altitude must be 5,000ft AMSL or greater
• You must be in level flight

Multiplayer

• Your altitude must be 28,000ft AMSL or greater
• You must be in level flight
• LNAV must be activated
• Your estimated time en route (ETE) to your destination must be 30 minutes or greater
• You must be on your flight plan track

To not cause chaos for other pilots or ATC in multiplayer, we've taken special care to create criteria that will allow for smooth re-entry into your flight.

These criteria will help ensure that your flight doesn't resume in the vicinity of a busy airport or in a congested airspace.

The gameplan

We're looking forward to sharing this with you soon in 24.1! You might be wondering why this isn't being announced for an end-of-year release. Our developers have been working away behind the scenes on an Android subscription code-base rework that was required by Google for this release (which will help pave the way for some new Android and iOS integrations down the road).  While this update is feature complete, there are final testing efforts underway to fix some remaining bugs.

Our artists have also been working hard on the A380 which is, well, a very large aircraft requiring a lot of model components. We'll continue to share progress on our social media channels, but until then, we're excited to bring you Flight Resume, along with some bug fixes, new 3D airports, and new liveries in 24.1!

We asked senior developer, Cameron some questions to help get a bigger picture.

You’ve been working on overhauling the multiplayer servers. What prompted this?

It's a mix of reasons, but mostly it's because some architectural changes are needed to continue building new online features while maintaining performance with high levels of traffic. Our multiplayer server code was first launched in 2014, and while it has undergone a lot of improvements in that time, some larger changes are required to bring things in line with the rest of our server infrastructure.

Right now, we are working on two major areas:

• Optimizing the existing servers and running them off our new infrastructure
• A full rework of the multiplayer servers to allow for new features, such as synchronized jetbridges and ground service equipment

For reference, we reworked most of our server (non-multiplayer) infrastructure between 2020 and 2021. It's important to note that we have been working on optimizing our existing servers alongside our reworked multiplayer. More improvements should come with the rework.

What are some of the main goals behind this from a tech perspective?

Server loads, especially around releases and events can be quite heavy. Improved performance to allow for greater loads is really important and these updates help with that a lot. We will also have better operational tools to diagnose and address issues in production with minimal user impact. These changes will also bring the multiplayer server to our new infrastructure.

What were some of the main hurdles you had to overcome from a tech perspective?

For the optimizations, we needed to handle updates to our underlying tooling with the goal of being able to run our Multiplayer Servers on Linux and these updates address that. In addition, running on different operating systems came with some different, unexpected behavior that affected performance. We spent time investigating and improving certain processes to make them much faster than before.

Also important is that Infinite Flight is continuously in development, and we need to be able to make major changes without affecting the production servers or the released app. The server rework addresses this as well, with the aim of integrating multiplayer more closely with any new Infinite Flight features.

Lastly, networking at scale comes with challenges, such as latency and dropped packets, which makes debugging harder.

What can users expect to notice right away?

Hopefully, nothing new, except for improved performance and fewer random server drops and dropped messages! In time, our major rework will allow for features such as synced jetbridges/ground service equipment, and more.

Expert Server Beta

We are launching a new Expert Server (Beta) with the intention of stress-testing the server optimizations with Expert-levels of traffic. This server may experience disconnections or crashes, but we are monitoring stats with the aim of eventually replacing the existing Expert Server.

If you would like to use this server, please report any disconnections, disappearing aircraft, or server crashes via this thread.

The new Expert Server (Beta) will be available to anyone with Expert Server access. Please bear in mind that some downtime may be expected, especially if issues occur over the holidays, but these will be addressed as quickly as possible with a longer-term fix.

Infinite Flight business jets

First released in September of 2014, Citation X has been the only purpose-built business jet available to Infinite Fight pilots. Now fully in the legacy category, it’s time for an update. Rather than rework the Citation, an aircraft with diminishing real-world orders and a lack of diverse operators, our team has chosen to use an abundance of resources available to us to bring the Challenger 350 to life! This modern jet boasts a state-of-the-art glass cockpit and beautiful cabin interior, with great performance specs to match.

In September of 2021’s development roadmap, we laid out our decision-making process for aircraft builds. We noted that we will involve the Infinite Flight community as much as possible, while sometimes making the decisions internally instead. To that end, the business jet was chosen by staff due to data accessibility and aircraft versatility.

Next up after the Challenger 350 will be a rework from a popular aircraft category, which will be determined using a combination of community forum votes and a community poll. We will announce more on that this winter. Until then we'll keep you up-to-date with Challenger progress! Stay tuned as well for an exclusive discord stage event for Infinite Flight Pro subscribers that features a real CL35 pilot! We’ll tell you all about it and answer your questions.

With global representation, this staff pick will bring new life to business jet activity in the Infinite Flight skies. Oh, and E190 fans, don't worry; that release comes first!

On an undisclosed Saturday morning, Laura thought it would be a good idea to experiment with adding a SpaceX rocket to Infinite Flight. After all, it's just another aircraft with an engine that is bound by the laws of physics, right? Fast forward to today:

I wanted to experiment with placing models for a feature I'm working on. For this, I needed a system to add objects anywhere I wanted. Our current setup allows us to place objects near airports only, which wasn't versatile enough. So I made a new system to handle this (which all other systems will eventually use). To test it, I needed a model, so I used a Falcon 9 rocket.

Laura then came upon a report of crashes in the beta release that were related to airport GSE (ground service equipment) vehicles. As it turns out, the system she built "for fun" because she wanted to see a rocket in Infinite Flight was the key to squashing this bug. As a bonus, when the new system for object placement was added to the beta, it revealed another bug that had existed for a while in the aircraft model manager.

GSE will see some major updates in the next release of Infinite Flight and thanks to Falcon 9, an aircraft flickering bug won't come along for the ride. As for the future of Falcon 9 in the simulator... time will tell.