Learn how aerial refuelling works in FSX, which add-ons transfer fuel, the correct contact procedure, and how to fix failed refuelling.
FSX and FSX: Steam Edition do not provide universal, native aerial-refuelling logic. To transfer fuel, use a compatible receiver aircraft or gauge plus the tanker or mission it supports; then rendezvous, hold the specified contact position, and let the add-on increase the fuel load. Stock formation flying alone will not refuel the aircraft.
Which FSX aerial-refuelling setup should I use?
Choose a receiver add-on with its own fuel-transfer logic; installing or flying beside a tanker model is not enough.
| Method | Does fuel transfer? | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Unmodified aircraft beside a tanker | No | Rendezvous and formation practice |
| Scripted refuelling mission | Only through that mission's scripts | Guided practice with designated aircraft |
| Compatible receiver gauge or aircraft modification | Yes, when its contact conditions are met | Repeatable free-flight practice |
| Fuel and Payload menu | Fuel is added manually | Emergency workaround, not aerial refuelling |
Many Hornet modifications depend on the F/A-18 supplied with FSX Acceleration. Boxed FSX users may therefore need Acceleration, while FSX: Steam Edition includes Acceleration-era content; our explanation of what Acceleration adds and when it is required covers that distinction.
Two practical receiver options are the F/A-18 modification with an in-flight-refuelling gauge and the Sludge Hornet package with probe controls and HUD refuelling cues. Follow the selected archive's installation instructions because its gauge, tanker requirements and control assignments may differ.
How do you make contact with the tanker?
Successful contact comes from stabilising behind the tanker first, then moving into the add-on's refuelling zone with very small corrections.
- Confirm compatibility. Check that the receiver, refuelling gauge and tanker or mission are intended to work together. A repaint, animated probe or visible basket does not prove that fuel-transfer code is present.
- Leave room in the tanks. Start below full fuel and disable unlimited fuel while testing. Otherwise, a working transfer may be impossible to detect.
- Rendezvous behind the tanker. Match its heading, altitude and speed before approaching the hose or boom. Use the tanker's stable route rather than trying to intercept from the side.
- Settle in pre-contact. Trim the receiver and hold position slightly below and behind the contact point. Disconnect the receiver's autopilot before close formation unless the aircraft documentation explicitly supports its use there.
- Arm the refuelling system. Extend the probe or open the receptacle, and switch on the supplied refuelling gauge if required. Use the package's assigned controls rather than assuming a standard FSX key exists.
- Move forward at walking pace. With probe-and-drogue equipment, align the probe with the basket and avoid chasing every hose movement. With a boom system, hold the receiver inside the indicated envelope and allow the simulated boom logic to establish contact. Our KC-135 formation and contact guidance explains the practical difference between boom and drogue procedures.
- Monitor the transfer cue. Watch the add-on gauge, HUD indication and total fuel quantity. Many FSX systems use an invisible position box rather than physical hose or boom contact, so the indicated contact point may not exactly match the visible model.
- Disconnect cleanly. Reduce power slightly, move aft and down, then retract the probe or close the refuelling door. Do not turn away while still beside the tanker.
Why is the fuel not increasing?
Failed fuel transfer usually means the receiver gauge is absent, inactive or outside the position limits expected by the add-on.
- No transfer system: The tanker and receiver may be visual models only. In ordinary FSX multiplayer, flying beside another player's tanker does not automatically exchange fuel.
- Wrong tanker model: Some gauges calculate contact from a specific model's reference point. Another tanker may look correct but place the invisible transfer zone elsewhere.
- Gauge not loaded: Recheck the package's panel installation and any FSX security prompt for supplied gauge code. A visible aircraft does not mean every panel component loaded successfully.
- System not armed: Confirm that the probe, door or refuelling switch is in the state required by that aircraft.
- Position slightly wrong: Use the gauge or HUD contact indication instead of judging only by the basket animation. Datum and model offsets are common in older FSX aircraft.
- Collision before contact: FSX collision boxes can trigger a crash before the visible probe reaches the basket. Use the tanker's designated non-collision model, or disable crash detection only when the add-on instructions require it.
- Unstable simulation: Return to normal simulation rate and avoid pause or slew during contact. Position-based gauges can lose the contact state when relative movement jumps between frames.
- Tanks already full: Check total fuel rather than one cockpit gauge; some modifications fill particular tanks first or stop at a configured limit.
Can I refuel in FSX without an add-on?
You can add fuel in flight through FSX's Fuel and Payload menu, but this is a manual refill rather than simulated tanker contact.
In free flight, display the menu bar if necessary, open Aircraft, choose Fuel and Payload, and raise the tank quantities. A mission may restrict this menu, and changing the fuel load abruptly can alter balance and handling. Use this method when you only need to continue the flight; use a compatible gauge or scripted mission when practising aerial refuelling procedures.