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The Antonov An-28 in Microsoft Flight Simulator is best on longer gravel utility fields, highland grass runways and short regional sectors—not on every famous bush strip. Microsoft publishes a 1,350-foot take-off run and 1,033-foot landing roll for Local Legend 26, while the aircraft’s 72-foot-5-inch wingspan and high-altitude performance demand more room than an XCub or Beaver. Start with Talkeetna–Skwentna in Alaska, then move to lightly loaded Kokoda–Wau and the longer Papua New Guinea highland strips. The package costs $14.99 in the Marketplace, has no autopilot, and was released on 26 October 2026. The route choices below are filtered by runway length, elevation, terrain, slope and realistic payload rather than by the fame of a landing video.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talkeetna (PATK)–Skwentna (PASW), Alaska | First An-28 bush leg | Gravel utility route; comparatively open approaches | Oct 2026 |
| Kokoda (AYKO)–Wau (AYWU), Papua New Guinea | Core highland bush trip | Grass highlands; Wau rated hard; fly lightly loaded | Oct 2026 |
| Tapini–Kompiam–Orbx Highland loop, PNG | Longer highland strips | Tapini 900 m/3,340 ft; Orbx strips 1,563–1,732 ft at 4,778–6,387 ft | Oct 2026 |
| McCall (KMYL)–Big Creek (U60)–Johnson Creek (3U2), Idaho | Advanced mountain VFR | Grass strips; confined valleys; 72-foot wingspan matters | Oct 2026 |
| McCarthy (PAMX), Alaska | Light-load utility mission | Gravel field surrounded by Wrangell terrain | Oct 2026 |
| EPKN–EPBC–EYPA–EVJA–EEKA, Poland and the Baltics | Scenic regional flying | World Update 23 airports; paved and prepared surfaces | Oct 2026 |
| Queenstown (NZQN)–Milford Sound (NZMF), New Zealand | Scenic confined-valley challenge | Paved runway; terrain and weather are the main hazards | Oct 2026 |
Is the An-28 suited to short-field or bush flying?
Yes, but it belongs to the utility-turboprop end of bush flying. It is not a large Super Cub: the twin-engine aircraft has a 72-foot-5-inch wingspan, a published 1,350-foot take-off run and a 1,033-foot landing roll. Those figures make gravel fields and longer highland strips sensible; they make 250-foot creek clearings, 300-metre steep strips and narrow one-way cuts poor choices.
Microsoft describes the aircraft as “The versatile, powerful, and rugged An-28 has proven to be one of the world’s great multi-role STOL utility aircraft.” The simulator model is Local Legend 26 by AT Simulations. Microsoft’s published figures are product specifications, not independently measured distances in the add-on. EUROCONTROL’s Aircraft Performance Database gives separate planning figures of 400 m take-off distance, 210 m landing distance, 80-knot V2, 90-knot Vat, 170-knot cruise TAS, FL200 ceiling and 550-nautical-mile range. Keep those datasets separate rather than averaging them.
What the aircraft is carrying
Microsoft lists a two-person crew, capacity for up to 17 passengers or 4,000 pounds of cargo, and four cabin layouts in the add-on: passenger, cargo, medical evacuation and paratrooper. A full cabin and full fuel are incompatible with the shortest strips. Fly Away Simulation’s Ian Stephens warns: “A mistake we see constantly is filling a powerful turboprop with fuel and cargo, then expecting its published STOL reputation to overcome the extra weight.”
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The real type was produced in a run of 191 airframes from 1975 to 1993, according to the Microsoft Flight Simulator Team (2026). Microsoft lists a 43-foot length, 16-foot-1-inch height, two 960-horsepower Glushenkov TVD-10B engines with three-blade propellers, 851-mile range, 19,685-foot service ceiling, 1,640-feet-per-minute maximum climb and 219-mph cruise. EUROCONTROL lists the related planning profile as 6,500-kg MTOW, 170-knot cruise and 550-nautical-mile range; those are not a replacement for the Marketplace aircraft’s checklist.
Why the wingspan changes route selection
A strip that looks generous from a Cub cockpit can feel narrow when a 72-foot-5-inch wing is passing trees and cut banks. Valley width, turning room and the possibility of a go-around therefore matter as much as the headline runway length. Automatic slats deploy aerodynamically at high angle of attack, helping low-speed lift, but they do not remove the need to control energy, sink rate and brake temperature.
Which bush route should you fly first?
Talkeetna to Skwentna is the most honest first route. It combines a prepared gravel utility destination with relatively clear approaches and avoids the extreme density altitude and one-way geometry of the shortest Papua New Guinea strips.
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Use Talkeetna as the departure base, load only the fuel required for the leg plus a reserve, and choose the cargo or passenger cabin. Fly Away classifies Skwentna as a beginner-friendly gravel field for a bush single or light utility aircraft. That description fits the An-28 better than a 650-foot clearing, provided you respect the aircraft’s published 1,350-foot take-off run and 1,033-foot landing roll.
Keep the first approach in daylight and stable weather. A reconnaissance pass lets you identify the usable gravel, windsock and escape path before committing. Do not accept an unsuitable runway merely because in-sim ATC assigned it; select the runway that gives the best slope, wind and go-around geometry.
2. McCarthy (PAMX), Alaska
McCarthy is a separate Wrangell utility expedition rather than a mandatory stop on the Talkeetna circuit. Fly Away describes PAMX as a gravel field surrounded by Wrangell terrain and suitable for a bush single or a lightly loaded utility turboprop. That last qualification is the important one: use reduced cargo, avoid topping the tanks, and leave enough visual and performance margin to divert.
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Queenstown, Juneau, Talkeetna and McCall make useful longer-runway staging bases before remote legs. The Alaska Bush Strips Pack adds 14 strips between Elmendorf and Nelchina, ranging from 650 feet to 4,500 feet. Filter that package aggressively: the 650-foot members are below the An-28’s published take-off run. North’s Favorite Landing Spots lists Towhead Mountain at 240 feet and Hidden Creek at 250 feet; Bear Island is described as very short and STOL-only. Those are not appropriate An-28 destinations.
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Papua New Guinea and West Papua provide the richest bush theater, with hundreds of unpaved fields, but the aircraft should begin on the longer and lower strips. Community guidance consistently identifies PNG as the best region for bush flying in the sim. For the An-28, treat that consensus as a reason to filter more carefully, not as permission to land everywhere.
3. Kokoda (AYKO) to Wau (AYWU)
Fly Away’s named route pairs Kokoda, an intermediate grass highland field, with Wau, rated hard and explicitly suitable for a powerful STOL single or utility turboprop. Use conservative weather, a light load and a planned go-around point. A medevac or cargo cabin gives the sector a plausible operational purpose without pretending that a 17-passenger load belongs on every PNG strip.
4. Tapini, Kompiam and the longer default fields
Tapini is about 900 m at 3,340 feet with little or no slope in the community table, making it a strong first PNG stop. Kompiam (AYAQ) is 800 m at 5,092 feet. Sisamin, Gawa (AYGQ) and Tsinga (WACZ) are listed at 600 m; Bime (WAUC), Arou (AYAU), Maimafu and Tekin (AYTN) are 500 m and should wait until you are comfortable with the aircraft’s weight and density-altitude margins.
Bugalaga (WX53) is listed at 400 m, 6,250 feet elevation and medium slope. That length is close to the published 1,350-foot take-off run, while the elevation increases density altitude. Treat it as an experienced, light-load, cool-day landing rather than a starter airport.
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Pack 4 is the best documented payware set of An-28-sized highland strips in the available scenery. All seven are between 1,563 and 1,732 feet, but they sit from 4,778 to 6,387 feet, so the runway length alone is not a guarantee.
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| Airport | Elevation | Runway length | Operational note |
|---|---|---|---|
| AYGM Gema | 5,070 ft | 1,638 ft | Use uphill runway after an overflight |
| AYBY Wuyabo | 6,387 ft | 1,646 ft | Highest density-altitude challenge |
| AYUX Usarumpia | 5,738 ft | 1,645 ft | Light load and careful approach |
| AYDY Sindeni | 5,604 ft | 1,732 ft | Longest strip in the pack |
| AYAD Ande | 5,399 ft | 1,563 ft | Tightest runway in the pack |
| AYKX Asinuwa | 5,829 ft | 1,647 ft | High elevation; preserve an escape route |
| AYOI Boikoa | 4,778 ft | 1,698 ft | Lower-elevation starting option |
Ken Hall, who documented the pack, advises: “I’d suggest overflying on your first visit as all strips are sloped and always land uphill.” Trees have been cut on approaches, but valleys are preferable to direct ridge crossings and weather can change quickly. Start with Boikoa or Sindeni, then add Gema and the others with minimum practical fuel. Wuyabo’s 6,387-foot elevation can stretch the published performance significantly.
Strips to leave for a different aircraft class
Aziana and Owena are each listed at 300 m, with Aziana at 4,190 feet and high slope and Owena at 5,397 feet. Fane, Okbape, Okhika, Yawan (AYYW), Dinangat (AYDN) and Pogapa (WAYS) are among the 400-metre fields listed between roughly 4,000 and 6,500 feet. They are Beaver or Porter country in normal community usage. An An-28 attempt is an advanced, near-empty, uphill exercise—not a recommendation.
The Missionary Bush Trip Papua New Guinea add-on lists 36 airstrips over 1,075 miles and is based on Ryan Farran’s book Above the Treetops. Use it as a mission spine only after checking each airport’s length, slope and elevation. Navigate to the airport rather than blindly following a magenta line into rising terrain.
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Yes, after Alaska, but the challenge is confinement rather than runway length. The recommended line is McCall (KMYL) to Big Creek (U60) to Johnson Creek (3U2). Fly Away classifies Big Creek and Johnson Creek as intermediate grass mountain strips whose usual aircraft class is a light taildragger or light STOL single.
Their runway lengths are generally more generous than the An-28’s 1,350-foot take-off figure, yet the valleys are narrow and the aircraft’s wing is much wider than an XCub’s. Plan a high reconnaissance pass, establish an early go-around point and avoid turning toward rising terrain after a missed approach. Do not copy single-engine taildragger energy-management advice without adapting it to a heavier twin and its checklist speeds.
Which famous bush-style airports are poor An-28 choices?
Several celebrated destinations are challenges because of approach geometry, surface or altitude rather than because the runway is unprepared.
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- Lukla (VNLK): Fly Away rates it hard, with uphill runway 06, downhill 24 and no late go-around. Consider it a later mountain exercise, not a first bush leg.
- Milford Sound (NZMF): The Queenstown–Milford route is a scenic confined-valley flight on a paved runway. Calm weather and a stable approach matter more than STOL branding.
- Chagual (SPGL): Approach terrain makes this a specialist challenge.
- Barra (EGPR): It is a tidal beach operation; simulated tide timing may not match real-world operations.
- Matekane (FXME): Fly Away labels it extreme and very-light-STOL with a cliff-end; skip it in the An-28.
- Syangboche (VNSB): The 400-metre runway at 12,347 feet creates extreme density-altitude demands and is unsuitable except as a stunt.
What is a good Poland and Baltics route for Local Legend 26?
World Update 23 is the natural day-one scenery partner, but it is regional short-field flying rather than jungle bush work. The free update is available on both Microsoft Flight Simulator editions and includes five Gaya airports: Opole–Kamień Śląski (EPKN), Warsaw–Babice (EPBC), Palanga (EYPA), Jūrmala (EVJA) and Kärdla/Hiiumaa (EEKA). The suggested circuit is EPKN to EPBC, then EYPA, EVJA and EEKA.
Use the passenger cabin for the Baltic coast or cargo for an inland utility theme. Microsoft’s update includes 12 photogrammetry areas, 77 points of interest and five Gaya airports; named city areas include Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan, Lodz, Katowice, Vilnius, Kaunas, Riga and Tallinn. The low-and-slow coast toward the Gulf of Finland and the Krakow–Tatra guided tour suit the Polish-built aircraft’s history better than an impossible pier landing.
World Update 23 activities include Discovery Flights over Warsaw, Sigulda and Tallinn, precision landings, a Sopot Pier landing challenge, a Tatra National Park tour and a rally race. Those activities are not An-28-specific. The Sopot challenge recreates a CubCrafters landing and is the wrong place to force a 72-foot twin.
How should you plan and fly an An-28 bush leg?
Plan around runway margin, density altitude, slope and a survivable missed approach. The absence of an autopilot means every sector is a hand-flying exercise; use a dedicated stick or yoke if fine short-field control is difficult.
- Measure the destination against the aircraft’s figures. Use Microsoft’s 1,350-foot take-off and 1,033-foot landing figures as the initial filter. Treat 400 m as a borderline take-off length once slope, heat or elevation are added.
- Check elevation and temperature. Density altitude at 5,000–6,000-foot PNG fields reduces engine and propeller performance. A cool day and a light aircraft can turn a marginal strip into a manageable one; the reverse is also true.
- Load for the route, not the brochure. Carry only route fuel plus reserve. Remove cargo or passengers before accepting a short, uphill strip. Assign the cargo, passenger, medevac or paratrooper cabin to the mission.
- Reconnoitre where terrain permits. Overfly sloped strips, identify the uphill runway, inspect trees and confirm the escape valley. Ken Hall’s advice for Pack 4 is to overfly first and always land uphill.
- Set a go-around gate before descent. Decide the altitude, distance or visual cue at which an unstable approach becomes a missed approach. Do not continue below that gate because the strip is one-way.
- Use the aircraft checklist for speeds. EUROCONTROL’s 80-knot V2 and 90-knot Vat are independent planning values, not measured MSFS performance. Apply the add-on’s published checklist when available.
- Brake progressively. Keep the aircraft straight, avoid locking wheels and leave room for a turn only where the strip and surface support it.
- Use Little NavMap for discovery. Official forums repeatedly recommend it because the default World Map hides many unpaved fields. Verify every candidate manually before loading it into a route.
What scenery and aircraft context improve these routes?
World Update 23 supplies the Poland and Baltics context. Orbx PNG Highland Bush Strips Pack 4 supplies seven documented highland strips sized close to the An-28’s published ground-run envelope. Wantok’s PNG/West Papua mega mod, Flightsim.to strip fixes and Photosbykev highland collections add freeware context; check compatibility and current versions before installing.
The An-28 sits between the light taildragger class and larger utility aircraft. Fly Away’s classes place an XCub in Idaho grass work, a Beaver or PC-6 in load-carrying bush roles, and Caravan or Kodiak aircraft at McCarthy, Kokoda and Wau when lightly loaded. MSFS Addons compares the An-28 with Project MAX’s CASA C212-200 Aviocar as another high-wing STOL utility twin. That comparison is about mission type—mixed loads and remote fields—not a claim that the two models have identical handling.
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Should you buy Local Legend 26 for bush flying?
Buy it if you want a hand-flown, two-engine utility aircraft for gravel, highland grass and short regional routes. Microsoft announced a $14.99 USD Marketplace price on 26 October 2026. It is a separately priced aircraft, not part of free World Update 23.
AT Simulations reported 12 liveries from the 1970s and 1980s and the four cabin configurations listed above. The package has no autopilot: MSFS Addons reported Andrei of AT Simulations saying, “The biggest surprise is that there’s no autopilot. Andrei said the real aircraft didn’t have one, so the team left it out for accuracy, which means every flight is a hand-flying exercise.” Cockpit labels were reported as Russian at stream time, with an English-decal version described as in development; check the current Marketplace listing.
Do not buy it expecting a universal answer to “best bush airports in MSFS 2024.” The shortest strips that suit a Beaver, Porter or XCub often do not suit a 72-foot twin. Also note that no independent published flight-model test or measured in-sim take-off and landing test had appeared by 29 October 2026. Xbox Advisor and VGKami recorded that the launch announcement did not clearly state separate 2020-versus-2024 aircraft entitlement. Open the Marketplace in the edition you own rather than assuming cross-entitlement; World Update 23 itself is confirmed free on both editions.
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How were these routes chosen?
The ranking uses seven practical filters: runway length against the 1,350-foot take-off and 1,033-foot landing figures; elevation and density altitude; valley width relative to the 72-foot-5-inch wingspan; surface; slope and one-way operation; payload that can actually be carried; scenery quality and the existence of a realistic go-around. It does not treat a famous landing video, an unverified score or a short runway as proof that the An-28 belongs there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the An-28 add-on support both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024?
The 26 October 2026 launch announcement did not provide a clear separate entitlement statement for the 2020 and 2024 editions. Check the Marketplace listing inside the edition you own; do not infer aircraft entitlement from the fact that World Update 23 is free on both.
What payload should I use on a PNG An-28 flight?
Begin with an empty or lightly loaded cargo or medevac cabin and fuel for the planned sector plus reserve. Add weight only after you can meet the uphill runway and go-around plan at the strip’s elevation.
Can I use the An-28 on a 300-metre bush strip?
Only as an advanced, near-empty experiment where the slope, elevation, wind and escape route all cooperate. A 300-metre field is near or below the aircraft’s published take-off requirement once density altitude and slope are included, so longer strips such as Tapini or the documented Pack 4 fields are safer choices.
Why do Microsoft and EUROCONTROL show different landing distances?
Microsoft’s 1,033-foot landing roll is the figure published for the simulator product, while EUROCONTROL lists a separate 210-metre planning distance for the aircraft type. They use different source and operating contexts, so neither should be rewritten as the other’s measurement.
Is there an official Microsoft An-28 bush-trip route list?
No official list was announced. Build routes from runway, elevation, terrain and payload checks, then use community scenery, Little NavMap and the in-sim Bush Trips format to organize the legs.
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