Maybe the site could be converted to static, with this it could be hosted anywhere with lower cost and maintenance would be minimal, without database management. Links for downloading the content should be direct exposed and permanent. The site would be like a static image of the actual site, of course, no login or users management would be possible.
THE END of www.Flight-Sim.org ... if we found no other server-admin
-
higgy -
September 4, 2025 at 1:13 AM -
Thread is Resolved
-
-
Moin Pascal,
It can't hurt.
By the way, it is relatively easy for my content to move to GitHub because the amounts of data are small enough. It is difficult for the IMAGES.
And we still have to pay attention to a legal problem: copyright. All publications on Flight-Sim.org are released exclusively for publication there and according to the law in Germany. Therefore, since the beginning of our considerations, Jens ( higgy) and I have been thinking about the extent to which the current content can be transferred 1:1 elsewhere.
Tschüss, Michael
Okay, thank you, I'll try to contact him again, but there's probably little chance. But as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
In any case, whatever the choice or to what extent the current content can be reproduced identically elsewhere, know that you can always count on my presence to contribute to it.
-
Maybe the site could be converted to static, with this it could be hosted anywhere with lower cost and maintenance would be minimal, without database management. Links for downloading the content should be direct exposed and permanent. The site would be like a static image of the actual site, of course, no login or users management would be possible.
This could also be a solution
-
Actually GitHub can host static pages from a GitHub repository for free. This could allow for community-curated static sites; adding new files could be done by Pull Requests.
GitHub Pages documentation - GitHub Docsdocs.github.comActually this is the way how the Missionsgerät is hosted.
-
Have you found a server admin?
-
Hi all,
I’m writing this with a heavy heart:
Flight-Sim.org is shutting down and the entire website including all uploaded files will be deleted on December 31, 2025. The server contract has been cancelled, and unless we act now, Filebase, forum posts, screenshots, descriptions, comments - everything - will disappear and will be lost forever.Flight-Sim.org has been the main and biggest addon website for repaints, sceneries, tools and tutorials. If you have uploads there, please back up your files immediately. We likely can’t save the original site and infrastructure anymore, so focus on backups, reuploads and archiving.
I've been in contact with Jens (higgy), the site’s founder, and he has confirmed it himself.
Important: a full “mirror” of all files isn’t realistic because each upload is copyrighted by its creator. The only reliable way for content to survive is that authors re-upload their own work (or explicitly give permission).
Good news: the Filebase pages can now be saved by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Jens has fixed the Terms-of-Use redirect! You can save and preserve your addon pages (descriptions + images) here https://web.archive.org/save. I’m currently archiving my own pages and downloading my uploads.
Please take this seriously – we have less than 2 weeks left.
- Let others know – many creators don’t even know the site is shutting down!
- Reupload your work somewhere safe (Google Drive, Onedrive, etc.)
Thanks
Thank you to Jens for hosting this amazing site for so long.
But now it’s up to us to make sure the Aerofly community’s work isn’t lost and forgotten. -
This is one of the worst pieces of news I received before Christmas. Thank you for always providing the best resources for add-ons for our flight simulator players. Thank you and goodbye.
-
Display More
Hi all,
I’m writing this with a heavy heart:
Flight-Sim.org is shutting down and the entire website including all uploaded files will be deleted on December 31, 2025. The server contract has been cancelled, and unless we act now, Filebase, forum posts, screenshots, descriptions, comments - everything - will disappear and will be lost forever.Flight-Sim.org has been the main and biggest addon website for repaints, sceneries, tools and tutorials. If you have uploads there, please back up your files immediately. We likely can’t save the original site and infrastructure anymore, so focus on backups, reuploads and archiving.
I've been in contact with Jens (higgy), the site’s founder, and he has confirmed it himself.
Important: a full “mirror” of all files isn’t realistic because each upload is copyrighted by its creator. The only reliable way for content to survive is that authors re-upload their own work (or explicitly give permission).
Good news: the Filebase pages can now be saved by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Jens has fixed the Terms-of-Use redirect! You can save and preserve your addon pages (descriptions + images) here https://web.archive.org/save. I’m currently archiving my own pages and downloading my uploads.
Please take this seriously – we have less than 2 weeks left.
- Let others know – many creators don’t even know the site is shutting down!
- Reupload your work somewhere safe (Google Drive, Onedrive, etc.)
Thanks
Thank you to Jens for hosting this amazing site for so long.
But now it’s up to us to make sure the Aerofly community’s work isn’t lost and forgotten.What was the reason for the site's closure and deletion? The owner of this site simply blocked access to the files and began banning numerous accounts for no apparent reason, in a completely hostile and authoritarian manner.
-
Display More
Hallo zusammen.
Ich habe nach einigen Monaten Hin und Her, nun eine Entscheidung getroffen. ( 100 % fest, darüber müssen wir also nicht diskutieren )
Leider ist die Bereitschaft etwas für den Server zu tun, ( sei es nun gute Dateien mit vernünftigen Screenshots und Erklärungen zu erstellen , oder zumindest mal 2 Eu zu zahlen ) oder auch nur generell im Forum Anfängern zu helfen auf ein Minimum gesunken.
( Von ca. 5200 Usern in den letzten 12 Monaten haben lediglich 36 User etwas gespendet ! )
Es gibt immer nur die gleichen ca 15 aktiven User, die meist sehr viel helfen im Forum, Dateien kostenlos erstellen / hochladen , und auch noch viel spenden.
(DANKE DAFÜR)
Leider hat sich auch kein User gemeldet auf meine Anfrage nach Mithilfe in Punkto Android APP die hochgeladenen Dateien zu checken und dann frei zu geben.
Somit wird diese Webseite / der Server spätestens zum 1.1.2026 ( wenn es keiner übernehmen wird ) gelöscht werden.
Nicht nur meine Arbeitszeit, auch die Kosten werden längst nicht mehr getragen und ich kann und möchte nicht mehr meine (Frei)Zeit und mein Geld weiter opfern für das Projekt.Ich danke allen Usern die etwas erstellt und hier mitgeholfen haben die letzten 8 Jahre, und besonders Apfelflieger für die Hilfe die letzten Jahre , ebenso auch Ipacs für die Unterstützung mit bezahlten Werbebannern.
Wer also über die technischen Kenntnisse ( und im besten Fall Erfahrung mit Internet-Servern ) hat,
und Bock hat ... möge sich melden, dann wird das Projekt vielleicht weiterleben.Natürlich würde ich in der Übergangszeit ( sind ja noch 3 Monate) mithelfen es zu übergeben.
mfg Higgy
--------------------------
Hello everyone.
After several months of back and forth, I've finally made a decision. (100% fixed, so we don't have to discuss that)
Unfortunately, the willingness to do anything for the server (be it creating good files including screenshots and good descriptions) or at least paying two euros) or even just generally helping newbies in the forum has dwindled to a minimum.
(Out of approximately 5,200 users, 36 donations in the last 12 months!)
There are always only the same 15 or so active users, who usually help a lot in the forum, create/upload files for free, and also donate a lot.
(THANKS FOR THAT)
Unfortunately, no user has responded to my request for help with the Android app, checking the uploaded files and then releasing them.
This website/server will therefore be deleted by January 1, 2026 at the latest (if no one takes over).
Not only my working hours, but also the costs are no longer covered, and I can't and don't want to continue sacrificing my (free) time and money for the project.I would like to thank all the users who have created something and helped here over the past eight years, and especially Apfelflieger for their help over the past few years, as well as Ipacs for their support with paid advertising banners.
So, if anyone has the technical knowledge (and ideally experience with internet servers),
please get in touch, and perhaps the project will survive.
Of course, I would help hand it over during the transition period (there are still three months left).
Best regards, Higgy
I understand that the site needs financial resources to continue operating, however your attitude of banning my account without me having done absolutely anything was extremely hostile, aggressive, rude, and authoritarian. I didn't even comment on the site, I only downloaded files, but you went and banned my account. You also did this to other users. Aren't you ashamed of yourself for doing this nonsense on the site and turning it into a dictatorship where you ban users' accounts? I was going to make a monetary donation to help the site, but you banned my account without me doing anything, and I became extremely angry with you. I wanted to openly insult you in this comment, but I won't do that out of respect for the IPACS moderators who own this forum and the users.
-
Display More
Hi all,
I’m writing this with a heavy heart:
Flight-Sim.org is shutting down and the entire website including all uploaded files will be deleted on December 31, 2025. The server contract has been cancelled, and unless we act now, Filebase, forum posts, screenshots, descriptions, comments - everything - will disappear and will be lost forever.Flight-Sim.org has been the main and biggest addon website for repaints, sceneries, tools and tutorials. If you have uploads there, please back up your files immediately. We likely can’t save the original site and infrastructure anymore, so focus on backups, reuploads and archiving.
I've been in contact with Jens (higgy), the site’s founder, and he has confirmed it himself.
Important: a full “mirror” of all files isn’t realistic because each upload is copyrighted by its creator. The only reliable way for content to survive is that authors re-upload their own work (or explicitly give permission).
Good news: the Filebase pages can now be saved by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Jens has fixed the Terms-of-Use redirect! You can save and preserve your addon pages (descriptions + images) here https://web.archive.org/save. I’m currently archiving my own pages and downloading my uploads.
Please take this seriously – we have less than 2 weeks left.
- Let others know – many creators don’t even know the site is shutting down!
- Reupload your work somewhere safe (Google Drive, Onedrive, etc.)
Thanks
Thank you to Jens for hosting this amazing site for so long.
But now it’s up to us to make sure the Aerofly community’s work isn’t lost and forgotten.I only use this site to download files, but the owner banned my account without me doing absolutely anything. I don't even participate in the discussion forum and only download add-on files, but the site owner started banning several accounts, including mine, without any apparent reason, in an extremely hostile, authoritarian, and aggressive manner, turning the site into a kind of dictatorship. I believe he must be doing this as revenge because users aren't financially supporting him with the site's costs. I was going to make a donation, but when I logged in, I discovered that my account had been banned, even though I only downloaded files occasionally and not very frequently.
-
Display More
Hallo zusammen.
Ich habe nach einigen Monaten Hin und Her, nun eine Entscheidung getroffen. ( 100 % fest, darüber müssen wir also nicht diskutieren )
Leider ist die Bereitschaft etwas für den Server zu tun, ( sei es nun gute Dateien mit vernünftigen Screenshots und Erklärungen zu erstellen , oder zumindest mal 2 Eu zu zahlen ) oder auch nur generell im Forum Anfängern zu helfen auf ein Minimum gesunken.
( Von ca. 5200 Usern in den letzten 12 Monaten haben lediglich 36 User etwas gespendet ! )
Es gibt immer nur die gleichen ca 15 aktiven User, die meist sehr viel helfen im Forum, Dateien kostenlos erstellen / hochladen , und auch noch viel spenden.
(DANKE DAFÜR)
Leider hat sich auch kein User gemeldet auf meine Anfrage nach Mithilfe in Punkto Android APP die hochgeladenen Dateien zu checken und dann frei zu geben.
Somit wird diese Webseite / der Server spätestens zum 1.1.2026 ( wenn es keiner übernehmen wird ) gelöscht werden.
Nicht nur meine Arbeitszeit, auch die Kosten werden längst nicht mehr getragen und ich kann und möchte nicht mehr meine (Frei)Zeit und mein Geld weiter opfern für das Projekt.Ich danke allen Usern die etwas erstellt und hier mitgeholfen haben die letzten 8 Jahre, und besonders Apfelflieger für die Hilfe die letzten Jahre , ebenso auch Ipacs für die Unterstützung mit bezahlten Werbebannern.
Wer also über die technischen Kenntnisse ( und im besten Fall Erfahrung mit Internet-Servern ) hat,
und Bock hat ... möge sich melden, dann wird das Projekt vielleicht weiterleben.Natürlich würde ich in der Übergangszeit ( sind ja noch 3 Monate) mithelfen es zu übergeben.
mfg Higgy
--------------------------
Hello everyone.
After several months of back and forth, I've finally made a decision. (100% fixed, so we don't have to discuss that)
Unfortunately, the willingness to do anything for the server (be it creating good files including screenshots and good descriptions) or at least paying two euros) or even just generally helping newbies in the forum has dwindled to a minimum.
(Out of approximately 5,200 users, 36 donations in the last 12 months!)
There are always only the same 15 or so active users, who usually help a lot in the forum, create/upload files for free, and also donate a lot.
(THANKS FOR THAT)
Unfortunately, no user has responded to my request for help with the Android app, checking the uploaded files and then releasing them.
This website/server will therefore be deleted by January 1, 2026 at the latest (if no one takes over).
Not only my working hours, but also the costs are no longer covered, and I can't and don't want to continue sacrificing my (free) time and money for the project.I would like to thank all the users who have created something and helped here over the past eight years, and especially Apfelflieger for their help over the past few years, as well as Ipacs for their support with paid advertising banners.
So, if anyone has the technical knowledge (and ideally experience with internet servers),
please get in touch, and perhaps the project will survive.
Of course, I would help hand it over during the transition period (there are still three months left).
Best regards, Higgy
You're probably doing this to users (banning accounts) as a form of revenge or retaliation for not receiving donations to continue maintaining your site, which I find completely absurd. I was going to make a donation to help you continue maintaining the site, but since you banned my account without me having made any donation at all, as I only downloaded files without commenting on the forum, I won't do it anymore and I leave with an extremely bad impression of you because I see that you act in a hostile, aggressive and authoritarian way on the flight-sim.org site, banning the accounts of users like me who access the site only to download files without participating in the forum. I had a kind intention to help you continue with the site, but you don't seem to be someone trustworthy.
-
I only use this site to download files, but the owner banned my account without me doing absolutely anything. I don't even participate in the discussion forum and only download add-on files, but the site owner started banning several accounts, including mine, without any apparent reason, in an extremely hostile, authoritarian, and aggressive manner, turning the site into a kind of dictatorship. I believe he must be doing this as revenge because users aren't financially supporting him with the site's costs. I was going to make a donation, but when I logged in, I discovered that my account had been banned, even though I only downloaded files occasionally and not very frequently.
He said, that money is not the main problem.
The biggest problem is, that taking care/ the administration of the webiste takes a lot of time. Each new Upload as to be checked and in the past few month there has been a lot of many uploads with limited description, and in general more uploads. He doesn't want to invest his time into flight-sim.org.
Why he banned you, I can't tell, but for sure not of revenge or because he is very hostile and authoritarian. Maybe it is because you have only downloaded and didn't take part of any disscusion. Only taking, without being an active member for Flight-sim.org.
-
Back to topic:
I have saved all my airport/sceneries on my PC. But I will have to find a way, to still make them availabe for download online.
-
He said, that money is not the main problem.
The biggest problem is, that taking care/ the administration of the webiste takes a lot of time. Each new Upload as to be checked and in the past few month there has been a lot of many uploads with limited description, and in general more uploads. He doesn't want to invest his time into flight-sim.org.
Why he banned you, I can't tell, but for sure not of revenge or because he is very hostile and authoritarian. Maybe it is because you have only downloaded and didn't take part of any disscusion. Only taking, without being an active member for Flight-sim.org.
I wasn't aware that the site was blocked for downloads because I hadn't accessed it in a while. I only discovered the download block recently when I tried to download some add-ons. I then closed the site because I saw that downloads were blocked. When I returned to make a monetary donation, I realized my account had been banned without me having done anything at all, since I didn't participate in the discussion forum. Therefore, I interpreted this ban as a hostile and authoritarian act, since this person also did this to other users. It seems like he's promoting a mass account ban on the site as a form of retaliation or revenge for users not making monetary donations. Or it could be a kind of blackmail to get what he wants. That's why I'm so irritated. It seems like this person banned me just because I went back to the site to make a donation.
-
FlyWorld On some subjects, we don't have the same approach.
Please be aware that, according to what you are saying, you are attacking not only Jens, but indirectly also all the third-party developers who have graciously and freely shared their addons for the community over all these years.
Downloading discreetly without even a thank you or a simple like for the author, I don't think that's the best way to contribute.
Unfortunately, far too many people share your opinion, saying, "(I WANTED TO MAKE A DONATION)"???
Why didn't you make a small contribution when you registered on Flight-Sim.org as a new member? Even just to support the site itself and to thank him. That would have been a first step.
By the way, this little donation idea that Jens implemented with a small button on his Flight-Sim.org site partly originated from an idea I suggested to him. He must certainly remember.
But back then, my suggestions on this forum were often unwelcome and deleted.
Have a wonderful holiday season everyone!
-
Jet-Pack (IPACS)
December 20, 2025 at 8:17 AM Moved the thread from forum General Discussions to forum User content. -
Flight-Sim.org was for me a nice platform from us users for us users. I downloaded a lot of content there and in return also uploaded a lot of content and from time to time also financially involved.
For some time now, I have also been involved as a co-admin and therefore also have deeper insights. In my opinion, there are three main reasons that lead to the closure of the platform:
(1) On the one hand, operating a server costs money. And unfortunately far too little money came from the group of users.
(2) On the other hand, operating a platform costs time. And in recent months, the time required has become more and more expensive, because the general handling of only a few, but still too many users is becoming more and more complex.
(3) This brings me to the point that is very important to me: our interaction with each other is becoming more and more exhausting from my point of view.
And from my point of view, this applies not only to Flight-Sim.org, but also to this forum. Although there are always very few who dance out of line, these few very quickly dominate the majority too strongly - in my opinion.
I'm still sad to lose Flught-Sim.org as an exchange platform, but I'm happy to be able to hand over the responsibility as co-admin - and that in turn makes me sad.
-
I've commented on this a few times already, but now that we've reached the end of flight-sim.org, maybe we can think constructively about what comes next. Reading comments from admins, users, and reflecting on my own experience, I have some thoughts to share.
In hindsight:
The content distribution model was fundamentally flawed. "Upload or donate to download" seemed fair in theory, but in practice:
- Users who already had access shared files externally with questionable methods
- New users found downloads locked and created low-quality uploads to gain access
- This created more moderation work, not less
- The small admin team burned out trying to police it
- let’s not get into the “mosquitoes”…
I'm not throwing shade at flight-sim.org's admins - you did what you could with the tools available. The burnout in Higgy's posts and the latest comments in this thread was palpable.
As ApfelFlieger said: it started as "from us users for us users" but became "from a few creators to a lot of consumers."
The Mobile Era:
Traditional flight simming required:
- Powerful PC (significant investment)
- Stable internet (ongoing cost)
- Time and dedication (serious hobby commitment)
- Community mindset: "I made this, I donate it because I got so much from the community"
People who made those investments understood that quality tools cost money. Heck, look at addon prices on other platforms - some aircraft cost MORE than Aerofly FS4 + the entire addon pack!
The mobile equation is different:
- €3.99 for Aerofly on your phone
- Free Discord servers (created by other users)
- Expectation that everything else should be free too
Not worse, just different economics. And don't be fooled - Discord communities still nag you for boosts, nitros, and donations. Everyone's trying to monetize somehow.
Economy of scale were off from the start:
Flight-sim.org had to compete with platforms like GitHub and Discord that distribute costs across thousands of servers and millions of users. A small, volunteer-run site serving one community can't match that economy of scale.
I'm not saying monetization was the only answer. But the romantic idea of keeping a platform "essentially free" doesn't work in the current era.
The numbers don't add up. The cash inflow needed to be systematic and predictable, even for a volunteer project.
Before anyone says I'm wrong: Look at this forum and count the ratio of mobile posts to PC posts. "When on mobile?" is becoming a running gag. The community has shifted, and the infrastructure didn't shift with it.
I've been working on projects in this space, and flight-sim.org's evolution has absolutely influenced my design choices. Sustainability can't be an afterthought - it needs to be built in from the start.
Thanks to everyone who made flight-sim.org what it was. On to whatever comes next.
-
SageMage , thanks for this last message where everything has been said and couldn't be clearer.
That said, nowadays we live in a world where, for some, everything seems to be their due; it's sad, but unfortunately very real.
Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone, and your families!
-
SageMage , thanks for this last message where everything has been said and couldn't be clearer.
That said, nowadays we live in a world where, for some, everything seems to be their due; it's sad, but unfortunately very real.
Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone, and your families!
This is the "I want it" generation, unwilling to contribute but demanding. The last generation of normal people. Thank God I've saved up my money and don't need anything from anyone. 👌
-
SilentObserver OnlyEmojis , You're partly right, but I don't think it's just about money; it's primarily about human values and education.
It's perfectly understandable that everyone has different financial means and uses their own resources, but a simple like or thank you can already add value for developers, even if it's free.
Let's take another small example: When you go to Flight-Sim.org and see certain add-ons with over 200 downloads, and below them you see only 3 or 4 likes, doesn't that raise some questions?
