Located on the western coast of Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, ➡️ Kowanyama Airport (YKOW) serves as a vital link for one of the region’s most remote Indigenous communities. Once known as Mitchell River Mission, Kowanyama has grown into a sizeable settlement with regular Dash 8 services connecting it to Cairns.
Gunther's new scenery release recreates the modern all-weather airstrip, which today accommodates scheduled regional flights, medevac services, and community charters. The developer, who spent time flying in northern Queensland, shares a personal connection to the area — even weaving in a real-world anecdote from his charter days — before turning to the technical side of the project. The highlight is a custom-built terminal building, marking gunther’s first foray into 3D modelling. Despite this being his initial effort, the structure captures the characteristic simplicity and scale of small regional airports in Australia’s far north.
Kowanyama works in both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, though notes that the latter introduces artificial terrain variation not present in reality. The actual airport sits on an almost perfectly flat floodplain, yet the 2024 engine’s enhanced surface detail system creates bumpy and uneven ground in certain areas, particularly near the windsock.
The package includes a copy of the creator’s flags library, and relies on several Microsoft World Updates and bespoke airports for ground textures and objects. To avoid compatibility issues, the developer advises ensuring the installation of several dependencies. Puffin’s “We Love VFR” is also listed as a dependency for MSFS 2020 users, though it should not be used in 2024 due to duplicate obstacles, such as missing exhaust stacks at the Kowanyama power station.
Gunther’s latest release reflects both technical craftsmanship and a genuine appreciation for remote Australian aviation. You can download YKOW Kowanyama ➡️ for free on Flightsim.to. If you enjoy the scenery, consider supporting gunther through a donation to encourage further development of Australian airfields for Microsoft Flight Simulator.