Michael "Lotus" Johnson, a relative newcomer to Flight Simulator development, has been an avid flight simmer for over twenty years. A graduate of the Vancouver Film School, he got his iron in game development as a 3D artist, working for Electronic Arts and Namco on various console titles, and ultimately specialized in creating effects and technical art. With his console development experience came a deep appreciation for efficiency in design and code. After leaving that life behind and backpacking around the world for a year he turned his attention first to photography and finally to Flight Simulator development, as a way to bring his love of both 3D art and flight together, and into projects all his own.

Prior to entering the flight sim development world he also created a number of popular story driven FSX films on YouTube, such as "Vectors", "Lament", "Vantage", and "Elyonim", under the name Lotus Films / Ramasurinen.

As a private pilot, developer, and an avid fan of all things that fly (except airliners!), he seeks to create the most immersive and engaging aircraft possible for Flight Simulator X.

The name "Lotus" was his callsign in various air combat simulations as a youngster, where his love of aviation began, and though it is represented here by the delicate and yet resilient flower it is more accurately a reference to the philosophy of the Lotus car company, a group whose zero-compromise focus on performance and agility he has always admired.

Mike is an experience junkie and lives in beautiful (and eternally rainy) Vancouver, Canada. He only flies in multiplayer, and thinks everyone else should too.

The L-39 Albatros, an aircraft 15 months in the making, is his first solo project.


"If your altimeter is reading higher than 50 feet, you're doing it wrong." -lotus