FS9 — Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight — is over two decades old, but it still has an active community of payware add-on developers whose products live on through legacy storefronts like simMarket rather than Amazon or eBay. If you’re still flying FS9, here are the payware aircraft the community consistently rates as the best of the era, and where to actually get them.
Top-rated FS9 payware aircraft
- PMDG 747-400 (“PMDG 744”): Widely considered one of the most realistic airliner add-ons ever made for FS9, with a deeply modeled flight management system and systems depth that still holds up today.
- Level-D 767 (“LevelD 763”): A study-level 767 known for its exceptionally accurate flight model and systems simulation, a favorite among virtual airline pilots.
- PSS Boeing 777 and 757: Popular for their realistic FMC and overhead panel implementations, though less deeply systems-modeled than PMDG or Level-D.
- PMDG 737-700/800: A well-regarded narrowbody complement to the 747, praised for handling and panel realism.
- Wilco 737 Classic (300/400/500): Known for very realistic sounds and panel work, a strong all-around narrowbody option.
- Maddog 2006 (MD-80): One of the most detailed payware add-ons of the FS9 era, popular with pilots who want an older-generation jet with deep systems modeling.
- JustFlight vintage aircraft (Spitfire, Mosquito, Lancaster, Tiger Moth): A different flavor of payware — highly detailed WWII-era and vintage aircraft rather than modern airliners.
Where to actually buy these
FS9 payware aircraft aren’t sold on Amazon or eBay — they’re downloadable software purchased directly from the developer or through legacy flight-sim storefronts, primarily simMarket, which still hosts and sells many FS9-era add-ons. Some older titles have also been re-released as freeware now that FS9 itself is long out of active commercial support, so it’s worth checking simulator community forums (AVSIM, Flight Sim Q&A) before paying for something that may now be free.
Buying tips
- Confirm the add-on is specifically built for FS9/FS2004 — many newer payware releases are FSX or MSFS-only and won’t run correctly on FS9.
- Check file-hosting/download availability before buying — some older FS9 payware has had its original download servers discontinued, even if the product listing is still up.
- Community forums like AVSIM are the best place to confirm a title still installs and runs cleanly on a modern PC running FS9, since compatibility quirks are common with 20+ year old software.