Fix Air Manager not connecting to MSFS 2020 with checks for SimConnect, the connector, Windows permissions, firewalls, remote PCs and blank gauges.
To fix Air Manager not connecting to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, load a flight in the PC edition, select MSFS 2020 in Air Manager, repair its simulator connection components, then restart both applications with matching Windows permissions. If it still fails, test SimConnect and check the firewall or local network.
Does Air Manager connect to MSFS 2020 on Xbox?
No. Air Manager’s normal Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 integration requires the Windows PC edition.
Xbox does not expose the PC-side SimConnect and plug-in environment on which Air Manager relies. Changing router, tablet or firewall settings will not make the Xbox edition connect.
What should I check first?
Most Air Manager connection failures come from an inactive flight, the wrong simulator target, damaged connection components, mismatched privileges or blocked network traffic.
- Load an actual flight. Start MSFS 2020 and wait until you are sitting in the cockpit. Being at the main menu or World Map does not prove that Air Manager can receive aircraft data.
- Select the correct simulator. In Air Manager’s simulator or connection settings, choose the MSFS 2020 or FS2020 target rather than FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane or an MSFS 2024 profile. Remove or disable obsolete duplicate connections if your edition permits that.
- Restart in a clean order. Close Air Manager and MSFS, restart the computer, launch MSFS, load the cockpit and then open Air Manager. Restart any Air Manager bridge or connection service supplied for the simulator PC as well.
- Match Windows permissions. Run MSFS, Air Manager and any connector under the same Windows account and privilege level. Standard user mode is preferable. A mistake we see often is Air Manager being forced to run as administrator while MSFS is not, or the reverse.
- Repair Air Manager’s connection components. Rerun the Air Manager installer and use its repair or reinstall option where offered. If your edition supplies an MSFS plug-in or WASM package, remove duplicate old copies and install one clean copy using Air Manager’s own installer. Do not substitute SimConnect files copied from unrelated FSX-era instructions.
- Check security software. Allow Air Manager and its connection service through Windows Firewall on private networks. Also check whether antivirus software has quarantined an executable or prevented its background process from starting.
- Test SimConnect. MSFS 2020 provides SimConnect during normal operation; Developer Mode and the SDK are not required. If no installed companion application can detect a loaded flight, follow our MSFS SimConnect installation and repair checklist, which covers damaged companion apps, firewall tests and bad
SimConnect.cfgorSimConnect.xmlfiles.
What does the connection symptom tell me?
The difference between no detection, a remote-only failure and blank instruments identifies which part of the connection is broken.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Air Manager never detects MSFS | Wrong simulator target, inactive flight, permissions or SimConnect failure | Load a cockpit, check the target and repair the connection components |
| It works on the simulator PC but not remotely | Firewall, VPN, guest Wi-Fi or router client isolation | Test both devices on the same private LAN |
| It reports connected but every gauge is blank | Aircraft state, instrument mapping or missing variable support | Test a simple instrument with a stock aircraft |
| Only one gauge or control fails | Instrument script or aircraft incompatibility | Check that the panel was designed for that aircraft and avionics package |
| It disconnects after sleep or a network change | Stopped background service or changed local IP address | Restart the connection component and verify the simulator PC’s address |
How do I connect Air Manager from another PC or tablet?
A remote Air Manager device must be able to reach the Windows PC running MSFS 2020 across the local network.
- Connect both devices to the same home network and avoid guest Wi-Fi, which commonly blocks communication between clients.
- Set the simulator PC’s Windows network profile to Private on a trusted home LAN, then permit Air Manager and its companion service through the firewall for private networks.
- Close VPN software temporarily while testing because it may redirect local traffic or disable device discovery.
- If Air Manager requests a host address, use the simulator PC’s local IPv4 address. Do not enter the public internet address,
127.0.0.1orlocalhoston a different device. - Keep any supplied sim-side bridge running and prevent the simulator PC from sleeping during the flight.
- Test Air Manager locally on the simulator PC. If the local test fails, repair Air Manager or SimConnect; if it succeeds, concentrate on the network.
Our background-process, permissions and firewall checklist for simulator companion apps covers the same remote-connection failure points in more detail. Avoid creating custom remote SimConnect configuration files unless your Air Manager edition specifically requires them, because one malformed entry can break an otherwise working local connection.
Why is Air Manager connected but showing blank gauges?
A connected status with blank, frozen or partly working instruments usually means the network is fine and the selected instrument cannot read the required aircraft variables.
- Turn on the aircraft battery, avionics and relevant systems before judging the panel.
- Confirm that the Air Manager instrument matches the exact aircraft and avionics variant. A panel written for standard simulator variables may not understand a heavily customised add-on aircraft.
- Install Air Manager’s supplied WASM component if the instrument requires local
L:variables orH:events. A missing WASM component often affects advanced controls without preventing the initial SimConnect connection. - Test a basic instrument using a stock MSFS aircraft. If that works, the fault lies with the original instrument or aircraft mapping rather than SimConnect.
- Remove duplicate or outdated copies of the same instrument. Aircraft updates can also change internal variable mappings, leaving an older panel partly functional.