Orbx has recently released their rendition of Sulphur Creek Ranch (ID74) for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This private lodge has a rich history – from catering to Hollywood stars in the past to being regularly served by a DC-3 – it now focuses on hunting trips, horseback riding, and wholeheartedly embracing general aviation.
The ranch’s project started in 1946 when Doctor Ben Morgan booked a guided trip through the Sawtooth Mountain Range in Idaho, where he mentioned missing the cowboy lifestyle from his childhood, which prompted Pearl Hornback, the guide, to mention a homestead that recently came up for sale, called “Parker Ranch.” They soon flew over the ranch, and Dr. Morgan didn’t hesitate to buy it before landing at it in person.
He intended to transform it into a destination resort for the Hollywood elite, exposing them to a premium Wild West experience, with hunting and fishing trips at a premium. While that was the original intent, most of the visitors preferred to ride horses, mimicking what they’d seen – or acted – in movies.
The infrastructure built to appeal to Hollywood folk involved the construction of nine modern (for the time) lodges with running water, electricity, electric stoves, and freezers. The hydroelectric system built on Blue Moon Creek made that possible.
Sulphur Creek Ranch eventually expanded by purchasing another homestead beside it, becoming the “Lower Sulphur Creek.” A Johnson’s Flying Service Douglas DC-3 transported the materials required for its construction out of the nearby McCall Municipal Airport.
According to Orbx, the scenery features an accurate rendition of the ranch, with PBR textures, custom vegetation and terraforming, over 100 custom assets, multiple time-triggered occurrences, custom static aircraft, and fire barrels for evening operations.
It’s available on OrbxDirect for roughly $12.25, requiring at least 1.86 GB of free hard disk space to install.
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