Enable aircraft ground shadows in MSFS, FSX, Prepar3D, X-Plane and DCS, with the right settings and fixes for missing or broken shadows.
Across flight simulators, enable aircraft ground shadows in the graphics or display settings. Select Aircraft Shadows, Shadow Maps or the equivalent, then apply the change. In FSX, tick Aircraft Casts Shadows on the Ground; in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, adjust Shadow Maps. Terrain Shadows is not the main aircraft-shadow control.
Where is the aircraft ground-shadow setting?
The correct control depends on the simulator and, on consoles, may not be exposed separately.
| Simulator | Setting to use | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 | Shadow Maps | On PC, open the graphics options and raise Shadow Maps if the aircraft shadow is missing or poorly defined. Contact Shadows adds fine detail close to surfaces; Terrain Shadows controls the terrain itself. Console editions may manage these through fixed presets rather than separate controls. Our MSFS graphics and shadow settings provide sensible starting values. |
| FSX | Aircraft casts shadows on the ground | Open Display settings, select the Aircraft tab and tick this option. Aircraft self-shadowing is a separate setting. See our explanation of the FSX shadow option and its performance trade-off. |
| Prepar3D | Simulation Object or vehicle shadow casting | In the graphics or lighting options, allow simulation objects or vehicles to cast shadows. Names and layout differ between Prepar3D generations, so check both casting and receiving controls. |
| X-Plane | Shadow Quality or Shadows on Scenery | Raise Shadow Quality or enable scenery shadows, depending on the X-Plane release. Test from an external view because cockpit shadows and scenery shadows are not always governed identically. |
| DCS World | Shadows | Choose a level above Off; use a flat-shadow mode where offered if performance is limited. Terrain Object Shadows mainly affects scenery objects. Our DCS graphics controls guide explains the related settings. |
| FlightGear | Shadows in rendering options | Enable shadow rendering, then reload the aircraft if necessary. Availability and quality can depend on the selected renderer and aircraft model. |
We recommend testing the change methodically:
- Build a visible test. Load a default aircraft at a default airport in clear daylight, use an external view and choose a low-to-mid sun angle. A midday shadow can sit almost entirely beneath the aircraft.
- Change the main casting control. Enable Aircraft Shadows or raise Shadow Maps by one level. Do not start with Terrain Shadows or cloud shadows.
- Apply and reload. Some simulators update immediately; others require the aircraft, flight or simulator to be reloaded.
- Compare another aircraft and airport. This separates a global graphics problem from an add-on model or scenery fault.
Why are aircraft ground shadows still missing?
Missing shadows usually come from the wrong control, an add-on model, a scenery conflict or a graphics change that has not been reloaded.
- The wrong shadow option is enabled: terrain, building, cockpit and cloud shadows are separate from an aircraft casting a shadow onto the ground.
- The shadow is difficult to see: move the sun away from directly overhead, select clear weather and inspect the aircraft from outside while parked.
- Only one add-on aircraft is affected: the model or its materials may not support shadow casting correctly. A global setting cannot repair an aircraft exported without the necessary support.
- Only one airport is affected: test at a default airport. Custom ground polygons, vegetation or transparent textures can interfere with shadow rendering.
- Only AI or multiplayer aircraft are affected: traffic objects may use separate quality limits or stop casting shadows beyond a set distance.
- The setting reverts: apply the graphics preset, leave the options screen normally and check that a configuration file or optimisation utility is not restoring an older value.
How can I keep aircraft shadows without losing FPS?
Keep the main aircraft shadow at a low or medium setting, then reduce contact, terrain and shadow-distance settings first.
Shadow-map resolution affects edge quality and GPU load, while shadow distance and the number of shadow-casting objects determine how much of the scene must be rendered again. Busy airports with AI traffic are therefore harder to run than an isolated parked aircraft.
- Disable or lower Contact Shadows before removing the main aircraft shadow.
- Reduce shadow-map quality one step rather than switching shadows off.
- Lower terrain-object and building shadows if the simulator provides separate controls.
- Reduce AI traffic if frame rate falls mainly at busy airports.
Why do aircraft shadows appear as black blocks?
Solid black rectangles usually indicate an old scenery or alpha-texture compatibility fault, not insufficient shadow quality.
This is particularly common in FSX and related scenery formats when a projected aircraft shadow interacts badly with vegetation or transparent ground objects. The notes for an FSX scenery example with vegetation-related black blocks document this exact failure mode.
Test the same aircraft at a default airport. If the blocks disappear, disable aircraft ground shadows while using that scenery or remove the conflicting scenery package. If every airport shows the fault, restore the simulator’s default graphics preset and retest before changing aircraft files.