Change navigation assistance settings in Microsoft Flight Simulator, pick the right aids, save changes, and fix options that reset or stay locked.
To change navigation assistance settings in Microsoft Flight Simulator, open Settings or Options, select Assistance, then expand the Navigation Aids section. Choose a preset or switch individual aids on or off, set the preset to Custom if required, and use Apply & Save before returning to the flight.
Where are the navigation assistance settings?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 both place navigation aids under Assistance, although the menu wording differs slightly.
| Simulator | Menu path |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 | From the main menu, open Options > Assistance Options. During a flight, pause and open Assistance Options. |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | Open Settings > Assistances from the main or pause menu, then locate the navigation-related category. |
Platform and update-specific layouts can move a category, but look for Assistance or Assistances, not Controls. Controls changes key, mouse and controller bindings; Assistance changes what guidance the simulator provides.
- Open Assistance settings. You can do this before starting a flight or from the pause menu.
- Check the overall preset. Choose a complete preset only if you want all of its changes. To customise individual options, select Custom where available, or change a switch and confirm that the preset becomes Custom.
- Expand Navigation Aids. Adjust Route & Waypoints, Taxi Ribbon, Landing Path and any marker options offered by that simulator version.
- Save the configuration. Select Apply & Save or the equivalent confirmation button, then return to the flight.
Which navigation aids should I enable?
The right settings depend on whether you want visual guidance or cockpit-based navigation.
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Route & Waypoints | Displays the planned route or waypoint guidance in the outside view. | Useful while learning route structure; disable it for realistic IFR flying from the instruments. |
| Taxi Ribbon | Draws ground guidance towards the assigned runway, stand or parking position. | Enable it at unfamiliar airports or when signs and taxiways are difficult to identify. |
| Landing Path | Provides visual guidance towards the runway during approach and landing. | Useful for early training; disable it when practising an instrument or visual approach without overlays. |
| Airport, city and POI markers | Labels relevant locations in the outside view where those options are available. | Useful for sightseeing and VFR orientation, but normally unnecessary for instrument flying. |
Our practical setup for realistic IFR flying is to disable the route and landing overlays, use the aircraft's instruments, and leave Taxi Ribbon enabled only if ground navigation is becoming a distraction. Assisted take-off, AI piloting, checklists and radio communications are separate settings in other Assistance categories.
Do navigation assists control the GPS or autopilot?
Navigation assistance settings do not programme the GPS, select the CDI source or make the autopilot follow a route.
For GPS navigation, the flight plan must be loaded or entered, the correct GPS/FMS navigation source selected, and the appropriate autopilot mode armed. Our steps for loading and flying an RNAV approach explain how those cockpit functions work together.
A mistake we see constantly is treating Route & Waypoints as an autopilot switch. It only changes visual guidance. If the aircraft flies an unexpected heading, check the active leg, navigation source, autopilot mode and any AI piloting assistance.
Why are my navigation assistance settings not working?
The usual cause is an overall preset or structured activity overriding an individual setting.
- The option changes back: choose Custom before editing individual aids and save before leaving the menu. Selecting another overall preset afterwards can overwrite the custom choices.
- The setting is locked: training lessons, challenges and some structured activities can enforce their own assistance rules. Test the option in a normal free flight.
- No route markers appear: Route & Waypoints needs a usable flight plan. Enabling the overlay does not create a route.
- The Taxi Ribbon is missing: the simulator usually needs a ground route, often generated after taxi instructions are issued. See how to request and follow ground instructions through the ATC panel.
- GPS or radio controls remain unresponsive: that is an avionics or input problem rather than a visual-assistance setting. Use our checks for unresponsive G1000, FMS and navigation controls.
If an overlay remains visible after being disabled, apply the change, return to the flight and restart that flight if necessary. First confirm the setting in a free-flight session; this separates a genuine configuration problem from an activity-imposed restriction.