Publisher: BarelliMSFSaddons
Available: Various including the in-sim marketplace
Cost: $13-$14 USD
Released: July 2023
Sir Seretse Khama's distinctive terminal building
Firstly, it is great that any developer would put out a product that one would imagine has a limited market. For us that live in Gaborone, SSKIA is an important part of life but it does have limited flight schedules, either domestic or international, and it lacks much of the glamour of the Okavango Delta. In view of this, any improvement of the basic stock airport should be appreciated by those who do fly here.
Air Botswana ATR-72 n MSFS 202
The same aircraft in real life.
Barelli MSFS Addon (BMA) describe themselves as a “Compact but nimble team of flight simulation enthusiasts” and their Italian roots are clear in their previous releases that have centred largely on Italian regional airports, although Zanzibar’s Kirauni Airport does appear on their website.
The fact that Microsoft/Asobo released a decent ATR-72 that has Air Botswana liveries available should breathe more life into a simulated FBSK - I hope so for the sake of the developer, - although Ethiopian Airlines fans might enjoy it too. It should not be forgotten that there is an active general aviation scene at the airport including a couple of flight schools and a range of private aircraft.
The general layout of the airport is well captured and all the main features are there. The general aviation and government hangars are well represented, along with the fire-fighting facilities and the control tower. However, it is the unusual terminal building that catches the eye and is the star of the show.
We all need imagination!
The main airport building now stands out, as it does in real life, on approach and captures the ‘corrugated roof’ look of the original well. The runway textures and signage have also improved a lot.
Many of the textures are just a little bit too clean, this is especially noticeable on the general aviation side of the airport.
I would have two main complaints - one technical and one from depth of view.
The first, is the textures used for the buildings. It is a little too clean for many of the hangars and the glass of the terminal is not particularly well captured.
The second is just a few things that are slightly wrong or simply missing. This is to a degree understandable, given that it is an Italian based outfit recreating a relatively small airport in Botswana.
Away from the front of the airport, the standard of the scenery slips a bit.
However, one cannot help but feel that there were a couple of easy wins that were missed by BMA. On the airside these include a slightly more accurate front to the terminal - with the covered walkway and entry/exit doors examples. Stationary aircraft, including the big white Boeing at the end of the runway and the aircraft dumps would have been nice. Yellow, instead of red, fire engines would have also been a nice bonus.
However, it is the back of the airfield that feels most lacking. The road to the general aviation side is missing, as is the Kalahari Flying Club building. The massive welcome horns and fake animals at the exit to the carpark are also absent.
Neither of these are deal breakers and one hopes that they could be improved in a later update.
DangerousBanana - not a dodgy fruit salad but an SA freeware developer - has produced a range of very good airport improvements using a range of freely available buildings and aircraft. His FBSK (https://flightsim.to/file/55003/sir-seretse-khama-international-airport-fbsk) is well worth a look and does a good job of the hangars and airport buildings, but the BMA terminal separates the two by a wide margin. Compare them side by side by checking the BMA version on flightsim.to - https://flightsim.to/product/gaborone-fbsk-intl-airport
Ethiopia Airlines on finals!
While not perfect and lacking some of the finer details you would get from a top of the range range product, this scenery is a massive improvement over the stock version and the airport building makes it a big step up over the available freeware upgrades.
If you fly in Botswana then I think that it is a must buy. It makes FBSK actually feel like Sir Seretse Khama International. With a bit of luck, a minor update would add a lot with relatively little effort from the developer.
Rating 4/5