Understanding THGF Packages
How It Works
THGF packages work differently from any other aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Here's exactly what you're buying and how it fits together.
From purchase to flight
Purchase the Category Package
Each glider type — King Post, Topless, Single Surface, Spoiler, Rigid Wing — is a category. You buy one package and get the entire category in the simulator, including every make and model variant included at launch. Think of it as buying into a glider type, not a single glider.
Select It in the MSFS 2024 Hangar
Open the aircraft selection screen in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. You'll find the THGF category listed as a single aircraft entry. Select it, then choose your variant — each variant is a specific make and model (e.g. Wills Wing U2 160 Aero Tube). Every variant has its own flight model, specifications, and liveries.
Expand with Add-ons
Add-on packages extend a category you already own. Install an add-on and a new make/model variant appears in the hangar alongside your existing ones — no separate aircraft entry, no reinstalling anything. The base category package is required; the add-on plugs into it. You only need the base to fly in group sessions, even if other pilots have different add-ons.
Fly with the Community
Group flying in THGF is organised by category. A King Post session means every pilot is flying a King Post glider. If you own that category's base package you can join — your specific variant doesn't matter. Pilots without the base package for that category cannot join. This keeps group flights fair and consistent without requiring everyone to own the same add-ons.
What is a category?
Hang gliders are classified by their structural and aerodynamic design. A King Post glider has an above-wing kingpost with flying wires — the classic hang glider silhouette. A Topless glider removes the kingpost for cleaner aerodynamics and higher performance. Each category has its own handling characteristics, performance envelope, and community.
In THGF, each category is a separate product. Within that product, multiple manufacturers and models are included as variants — each with its own flight model built from real-world performance data. When you buy King Post, you get every King Post variant in the package, not just one glider.
The five categories
Base package vs add-ons
- ✓Required — you need this to fly the category
- ✓Includes all variants released at launch
- ✓Includes EFB, variometer, and flying sites
- ✓Required to join group flights in that category
- ✓One-time purchase or via Patreon
- ✓Optional — adds a new make/model to your hangar
- ✓Requires the base category package
- ✓Appears as a variant alongside base variants
- ✓Other pilots see the default glider if they lack the add-on
- ✓Sold separately, priced individually
MSFS 2020 vs MSFS 2024
- ✓One simobject per download
- ✓Separate package per glider model
- ✓No add-on support
- ✓Compatible with MSFS 2024
- ✓Gateway to the full experience
MSFS 2020 packages are free forever and will always run in 2024. They are the way to try hang gliding simulation before committing to a paid package.
- ✓One package — all variants included
- ✓Add-on variants sold separately
- ✓EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) built in
- ✓Variometer with WASM audio engine
- ✓Real-world flying site teleportation
- ✓Group flying support
The full THGF experience. Each category package is a one-time purchase or included with Patreon membership.
Go deeper
Read the THGF Manifesto
The full technical and philosophical background behind the THGF package system — how we design gliders for both simulators, the MSFS 2020 → 2024 progression, and where this is going.
Read the Manifesto (PDF)