La Môle – Saint-Tropez Airport (LFTZ)

New for MSFS is Aerosoft Airport - St. Tropez, developed by German company Stairport Sceneries who are well known in the X-Plane scenery arena. This is their first foray into the increasingly popular MSFS DLC Market.

The Airport

The very mention of Saint-Tropez and the French Riviera evokes elegance and luxury where spotting the great, the rich, and the famous is easy. One can almost hear the Whicker-esk commentary of a thousand travel commentators walking the beaches conjuring up images of the jet set and wealthy tourists. For those billionaires not visiting by luxury yacht, the small airport of La Môle is well prepared to meet and greet them and service both their needs and those of and their powerful private jets.

Located within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on a beautiful peninsula, the airport is a mere 15 km (8 nm) south west of Saint Tropez, it is at an elevation of 59 ft (18 m) above mean sea level. It has one paved runway designated 06/24 (QFU 062° / 242°) which measures 1,180 by 30m (3,871 ft × 98 ft) with illuminated signs, a parallel taxiway, and it is equipped with a PAPI. The airport buildings comprise a terminal building featuring a bar, a hangar of 1,200 m², a fuel station for Avgas and Jet A1, and a weather station. The terminal can handle up to 40,000 passengers per year and it is open to domestic civilian traffic. It is not equipped to operate at night due to the lack of runway lights.

The Scenery

My initial reaction upon arrival was there was little of interest here, but after a tour of the facilities it became apparent that with the location, nestled at the feet of the hills, it could make for some great flying experiences. It offers great VFR cross country, and IFR commercial operations using the STP VOR, with the traffic pattern for approach and departure deviating considerably from the norm due to mountain formations and trees.

The 3D structures of the buildings are particularly good with detailed PBR textures which makes them look more realistic. From airside, the terminal buildings have good shape modelling with details including light fittings, vents, and interesting signage. Unfortunately, the glass, although given a shiny appearance with reflections, is dark and lifeless, especially in the control tower, it would have been nice to have a perception of depth behind that glass. A nice touch on the passenger terminal is the attempt to replicate the typical Provençal tiled roof which is found throughout the region . A low quality blocky hedge gives way to a security gate and security hut. The apron has a detailed baggage cart, a tractor to pull it, and a ground power unit. Further down near the security gate are a couple of stock cars.

My tour of the airfield continued, stopping briefly at the fuel station, there is quite a lot of detail here with pipes and vents all where they should be. Making my way down the taxiway there is parking on the grass for small GA aircraft and some static jets with liveries relevant to the airfield. The ground textures are well presented, as is the grass and scrub, but some of the trees were not very well drawn or placed and I feel they would benefit from some attention. On the runway there is a noticeable hump around three quarters down - it looks good. The windsock is animated, and I believe a stock item. The PAPI are on the left of Runway 24 and are fully functional - and again, the detail is good. This airfield is located alongside the Riviere La Môle which appears to have flooded the southern edge of the airfield because one building near the PAPI has its foundations well into the water. To finish off airside, on the far side of the Runway 06 markings are five white discs, there are no 'H' signs on them, but this looks to be true to life. In Google Earth you can see a helicopter parked and you can also see lighting poles which sadly are missing from this scenery.

Landside, the airport building is not that pretty considering its location. The main entrance has the same blackened glass as the tower and simply an airport name, there is not much else of interest. There are many static people either looking through the security gate or sitting in the cafe, which gives a nice sociable feel. The cars in the car park are not highly modelled and blocky. I am sure the main airport entrance is on the wrong side of the pole, as are the road signs, they are clear and well represented but need rotating 180 degrees (checked on Google Street View). I wonder if it has been that way since the war to confound invaders!

On the main road leading away from Saint Tropez, there are a couple of villages of Môle and Le Moulin Roux. They have been upgraded with individual autogen and these villages are a real bonus and very immersive with their typically Mediterranean design and terracotta roofs. This scenery benefits with colour corrected orthophoto and certainly from high up it blends seamlessly with its surroundings.

The Conclusion

I have really enjoyed exploring this airfield and its surroundings, I'll be off for another flight straight after publishing this review. Oh, did I mention the price? Not €30, not €20, but only €10 and 3 cents. For me, adding this scenery to my library is a no brainer.