Halo Pelican MSFS 2024: How to Fly Free Until 17 November

The Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 is free to fly from 10 to 17 November 2026, as Microsoft brings the D77-TC dropship to Flight Simulator for Halo’s 25th anniversary. You can find it in the simulator’s Marketplace on supported platforms, with no separate Halo game or redemption code required.

Here’s the catch: free does not mean yours to keep. Microsoft says anyone who wants to continue flying the Pelican from 18 November must buy it for $9.99 USD. It is worth trying while it costs nothing, but don’t mistake this promotion for a permanent giveaway.

How to get the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 free trial

Start Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on the platform you normally use and open its Marketplace. You need access to the simulator itself, but there is no separate Halo purchase involved in trying the aircraft.

1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and open its in-game Marketplace.
2. Search for D77-TC Pelican or Pelican, and check that the listing is the official Microsoft aircraft.
3. While the promotion is active, choose the available free download option.
4. After installation, return to the aircraft selection area and choose the Pelican for a flight.

Can’t find the free download? Check that you’re using the 2024 simulator and looking at the official D77-TC listing, rather than the older version from 2020. Microsoft gives 17 November as the final free day but doesn’t specify a cut-off time, so don’t leave it until the last evening.

Is the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 free forever?

No. Microsoft’s announcement says the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 aircraft is free to fly until 17 November, but continuing from 18 November 2026 requires a $9.99 USD Marketplace purchase. Microsoft did not give a confirmed UK price in the announcement, so check the amount displayed in your own store.

Some sites describe the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 promotion as a free claim. That sounds like permanent ownership, but it’s not what Microsoft says. Download it now to try it; budget for the purchase if you want to carry on flying after the free week.

Where can you fly the Pelican?

Microsoft says the free download is available on all platforms where Flight Simulator 2024 is supported. Its announcement lists Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam and PS5, as well as PS VR2 and compatible devices playing through Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Pelican is an add-on: it doesn’t include the base simulator, and any Game Pass or cloud access still depends on your account’s eligibility.

Look for the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 listing inside the Marketplace on your own platform. Don’t assume a download from one storefront automatically gives you the same entitlement on another. If you play through Game Pass, first check that your subscription lets you launch Flight Simulator 2024.

What does the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 include?

The D77-TC is more than a conventional plane with a Halo paint job. You can switch between drone and jet propulsion, and Microsoft has included Halo-inspired avionics, a fully modelled interior with the cargo bay, and 12 liveries.

In Halo, the Pelican ferries UNSC troops and equipment into battle. Here, you get to fly it around Flight Simulator’s version of Earth. The Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 release is an aircraft add-on, not a Halo combat campaign; Microsoft hasn’t announced any playable shooting missions for it.

Is this the same Pelican from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?

There was already a Halo Pelican collaboration for the 2020 simulator, originally introduced in 2022. The Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 promotion is a new, time-limited offer for the newer game. Do not use an old Flight Simulator 2020 download guide as evidence of today’s price or terms: the 2026 announcement specifically sets a deadline and an ongoing purchase requirement.

If you owned the Pelican in the older simulator, check your account’s Flight Simulator 2024 Marketplace library before paying for anything. The November 2026 offer has its own terms, and an old download doesn’t prove you have a free licence for this release.

Should you download it before the deadline?

If you’ve ever wanted to take Halo’s dropship for a spin somewhere other than a battlefield, the Halo Pelican MSFS 2024 trial is your chance. Try it by 17 November 2026; from the 18th, Microsoft says you will need to pay to keep flying it.

Official source: Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Halo Pelican announcement.