How do I connect MSFS to VATSIM or IVAO?

On PC, connect Microsoft Flight Simulator to VATSIM with vPilot or to IVAO with Altitude. Create the matching network account, install its pilot client, load at a parking stand, configure traffic models, audio and push-to-talk, file a flight plan, then connect using the same callsign.

VATSIM or IVAO: which pilot client do you need?

VATSIM requires vPilot for Microsoft Flight Simulator, while IVAO uses Altitude. Their accounts, credentials, flight-plan systems and traffic libraries are separate.

Both provide human air traffic control and visible network traffic. Check typical coverage in your region before committing, and never run both network clients during the same flight. For the VATSIM-specific screens and settings, use our complete MSFS and vPilot setup walkthrough.

How do you connect Microsoft Flight Simulator step by step?

1. Create a network account. Register separately with VATSIM or IVAO, complete any required introduction or account activation, and read that network’s operating rules.
2. Install the correct client. Use vPilot for VATSIM or Altitude for IVAO. The usual arrangement is to run the client on the same Windows PC as Microsoft Flight Simulator.
3. Configure traffic models. Install the network’s compatible model library and select it in the client. Without model matching, other pilots may appear as generic aircraft, the wrong type or not at all.
4. Prepare MSFS. Load fully into the cockpit at an unoccupied gate, stand or general-aviation parking spot. Do not connect on a runway or active taxiway.
5. Set up audio. Select the correct microphone and headset in the client, assign a push-to-talk button and test it. Avoid a button already used for brakes, trim or another flight control.
6. File the flight plan. Enter the correct aircraft ICAO type, departure, destination, route and cruising level through the chosen network’s flight-plan facility.
7. Connect with the same callsign. The client callsign must exactly match the filed plan. Once connected, tune the appropriate frequency and set the transponder as directed.

The connection procedure is broadly the same in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Windows. Use a pilot-client release that explicitly supports the installed simulator version.

Which MSFS traffic and ATC settings should be disabled?

Disable Microsoft Flight Simulator’s own multiplayer aircraft, AI traffic and live real-world air traffic while using VATSIM or IVAO. The pilot client injects network aircraft itself; leaving other traffic enabled causes duplicate aircraft, occupied stands and misleading TCAS targets.

• Turn off MSFS multiplayer traffic.
• Turn off AI and live real-world air traffic.
• Reduce static or ground-aircraft density if parked models block stands.
• Disable or ignore the built-in ATC and any AI radio assistance that changes frequencies automatically.
• Keep normal online scenery streaming and live weather enabled if desired; they are separate from multiplayer traffic.

Use normal simulation speed and avoid pausing while connected unless the network’s rules and the controller permit it. Sudden position jumps and time acceleration make separation difficult for both controllers and nearby pilots.

Why is vPilot or Altitude not connecting to MSFS?

A client that cannot detect the simulator usually needs MSFS to be fully loaded into a flight before the client is restarted. If that does not work, check the following common failure points:

• Simulator not detected: close and reopen the pilot client after the cockpit has loaded, allow it through the Windows firewall and avoid unnecessary compatibility modes or mixed administrator settings.
• Network login rejected: confirm that the account is active and that you are using the credentials for the selected network. VATSIM and IVAO credentials are not interchangeable.
• No incoming or outgoing voice: check Windows microphone permission, the client’s input and output devices, push-to-talk assignment, active COM radio and radio volume.
• No other aircraft visible: verify that the traffic-model package is installed and that the client’s model-matching path or rules point to it.
• ATC cannot see your altitude: check that the transponder is operating in altitude-reporting mode and that its state is synchronised with the client.
• Wrong aircraft shown: correct the ICAO aircraft type in the flight plan. A generic model on your own screen usually indicates a local model-matching problem instead.

Can Xbox or PlayStation connect to VATSIM or IVAO?

Xbox and PlayStation versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator cannot connect directly to VATSIM or IVAO. Their pilot clients are external desktop applications and require access to simulator position, radio and transponder data that the console versions do not expose for this purpose.

This restriction applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on Xbox and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. Merely viewing a network map on another device does not connect the console flight to the network.

What should you know before your first online flight?

Use an aircraft you can control without relying on pauses, assistance prompts or repeated restarts. Start with a familiar airport and a short route, have the chart or airport diagram ready, and know how to tune COM1, change the transponder code, maintain an assigned altitude and fly a heading.

A mistake we see constantly is treating online ATC as flight training. Controllers can clarify an instruction, but they cannot teach the aircraft while handling other traffic. If basic handling still needs work, practise it first with Microsoft Flight Simulator’s built-in training lessons.

If you do not understand a clearance, ask the controller to repeat it or request simpler instructions. Do not guess, and disconnect promptly if the aircraft becomes uncontrollable or you cannot comply safely.