Flight Simulator 98 (version 6.1) is generally regarded as a "service release", offering minor improvements, with a few notable exceptions: The simulator now also featured a helicopter (the Bell 206B III JetRanger), as well as a generally improved interface for adding additional aircraft, sceneries, and sounds.

Other new "out of the box" aircraft included a revised Cessna 182 with a photorealistic instrument panel and updated flight model.

[8][9] It received a "Gold" award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) in August 1998,[10] for sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

With a few exceptions, gone are the glaring flaws of the previous version; coupled with its technological innovations, the sum of the parts is a unique flight experience of unprecedented realism.".

[4] Denny Atkin for Computer Gaming World summarized: "Overall, though, this is a worthwhile update for FLIGHT SIMULATOR fans who have fast 3D cards.