With its pleasant, warm, and admittedly humid climate, abundant nature, and waterways, Florida, the “Sunshine State,” is a magnet for tourists and a beloved retirement destination for Americans and Germans alike. Join me as we journey to the southwest of the state, to Fort Myers and the Southwest Florida International Airport…
Reality
The city of Fort Myers, home to 90,000 residents, is nestled along the Caloosahatchee River. The area boasts four airports: Page Field (IATA: FMY, ICAO: KTMY), Naples (APF/KAPF), Punta Gorda (PGD/KPGD), Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ/KSRQ), and the largest of them all, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW/KRSW). RSW is located approximately 15 kilometers southeast of downtown Fort Myers and 20 kilometers southwest of the Gulf of Mexico.
Construction on Southwest Florida International Airport began in 1980, and it officially opened on a sprawling 5,500-hectare site on May 14, 1983. The airport is accessible only by road, with LeeTran bus services operating from Monday to Saturday, 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM.
Currently, the airport features a single asphalt runway, 06/24, measuring 3,658 meters in length and 46 meters in width. Runway 06 is equipped with a CAT I-ILS and a MALSR approach lighting system. Both landing directions support RNAV procedures, and Runway 24 can also be approached using the (Doppler)VOR/DME LEE COUNTY RSW 114.15 MHz, co-located with a TACAN on channel 88Y. The VOR is situated approximately 700 meters northwest of Runway 06’s threshold. Plans are underway, without a firm date, for a second, parallel runway measuring 2,800 by 46 meters, located southwest of the terminal.
Fifteen airlines currently operate from RSW, serving 71 destinations across the United States and Canada (Ottawa and Montreal). Lufthansa’s subsidiary, Discover Airlines, provides regular service to Frankfurt/Main. Additionally, FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, and Western Global Airlines offer cargo services to nine destinations, including eight in the USA and Seoul-Incheon in South Korea. In the 2023/2024 fiscal year, Delta Airlines led in passenger numbers with 2.2 million, followed by Southwest with 1.8 million, American and United Airlines (1.5 million each), and JetBlue (960,000).
Aerial views reveal remnants of the original terminal, demolished in 2006, which once stood north of the runway with two concourses and now serves as the “North Ramp.” Construction of the new terminal began in early 2002, with the completed building opening in early September 2005. It features Concourses B, C, and D, creating a W-shaped structure, each with nine parking positions equipped with jetways.
Lee County, through the Lee County Port Authority (LCPA), which also manages the airport, operates Fire Station 92 adjacent to the new tower inaugurated in January 2022. The station houses three Rosenbauer vehicles (one Panther 4×4 and two Panther 6×6), an Oshkosh Striker 6×6 Crash Tender, and a Ford F-350-based ambulance.
In 2024, the LCPA reported 11,028,182 passengers (2023: 10,069,849) and 17,086 tons of cargo (17,642) with 97,077 flights (87,685). This makes KRSW the second-busiest airport in the USA with a single runway, after San Diego. According to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego International Airport handled 25,242,377 passengers last year.
From 1994, LTU, with its distinctive red and white DC-10s and later MD-11s, flew the route Munich – Düsseldorf – Fort Myers – Miami – Düsseldorf – Munich, catering to the region’s large German-speaking population. Successor Air Berlin discontinued the service in October 2017.
Information
- flylcpa.com
- German Wikipedia: Southwest Florida International Airport
- English Wikipedia: Southwest Florida International Airport
Simulation
Pachilabs introduced their rendition of the airport for MSFS 2020 in April 2022, followed by Fly2High in autumn 2023 (with a bug-fixing update in March 2024). See also the PDF “Off the beaten track in the US.” For simulation history buffs, Latin VFR released their version of the airport for FS X and Prepar3D (P3D) v1 to v4 in June 2015, which is now also available for P3D v5.
In mid-May 2025, Verticalsim released their Southwest Florida International Airport scenery for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024, available on simMarket.
After a download of approximately 3GB, the scenery occupies around 3.8GB of storage space once installed.
Verticalsim advertises a high-performance scenery featuring a detailed terminal interior, accurately modeled hangars and aircraft workshops (Fixed Base Operators – FBOs), optimized Level of Detail (LOD) files, a high-resolution aerial image reflecting the airport’s 2025 layout, handcrafted markings, signage, lighting, and beacons, including the correct MALSR with sequential flashing lights, high-resolution textures for the buildings, and correctly positioned parking spots for various aircraft.
Furthermore, Verticalsim has recreated JetBlue Park, complete with a baseball stadium and six baseball fields, where the Boston Red Sox conduct their spring training since March 2012. The scenery also includes the “Skyplex Boulevard” leading from the park to the airport.
Testing in MSFS 2020 confirmed that all advertised features were fulfilled, including the seamless integration of the airport into its surroundings. The level of detail and the abundance of ground objects are impressive. The terminal construction site, as depicted by Fly2High, is nearly complete, with ongoing work on the cordoned-off southern apron area in front of Concourse D.
Animated vehicles move around on the airside, while the landside features a large parking area with 3D cars, “flat” vehicles visible on the aerial image that blend well during flight operations, a large parking garage, and the terminal entrance. The interior of the concourses is visible from the cockpits of parked aircraft.
The new tower, illuminated in purple at night, and the fire station have been exceptionally well recreated.
GSX Pro Profile
A custom GSX Pro profile by “US Profiles” is available for download and installation via the “Configuration” tab in the Contrail app.
Identified Issues
Minor issues include unretouched ground shadows from business jets on the apron near the old tower and the airport beacon only illuminating at close range. The developer has been notified and will address the beacon issue if possible, although it may be related to an MSFS limitation.
Conclusion
While Fly2High delivered a solid product, Verticalsim’s Southwest Florida International Airport is structurally more consistent, modern, and highly detailed. This third-party rendition is a worthwhile addition, offering an immersive and enjoyable experience. It earns our recommendation and the FS Reviews Gold Medal!
Bert Groner
May 2025
Support the author: paypal.me/BertGroner
Availability
Verticalsim KRSW Southwest Florida International (MSFS20) on simMarket
Enhancements
For shorter flights, consider these nearby airports, also from Verticalsim:
- Sarasota/Bradenton (KSRQ): 125 kilometers northwest. Get the freeware GSX profile by NB7478.
- Tampa (KTPA): 180 kilometers northwest. Get the freeware GSX Pro profile by DGG1.
Enhance the region with these freeware additions:
These enhancements are compatible with the following payware bridge projects:
Flight Navigation Charts
Freeware
Payware
Navigraph (Subscription-based, with optional flight navigation data)
