Enable Progressive Taxi in FSX and Steam Edition, follow its magenta route, and fix a missing command or invisible taxi arrows.
In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, open the ATC window, obtain a taxi clearance from Ground or the available controller, and acknowledge it. Open ATC again and select Turn on Progressive Taxi. Magenta arrows then mark FSX's calculated route to the assigned runway, gate or parking area.
What is Progressive Taxi in FSX?
Progressive Taxi is Microsoft Flight Simulator X's built-in visual aid for following an ATC-assigned ground route. It places pink or magenta arrows over the airport surface, pointing along the taxiways and through each turn.
FSX calculates the route from the airport scenery's connected taxiways, runway entry points and parking nodes. It is a contextual ATC feature, not a permanent assistance checkbox, and the same basic procedure applies to boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition.
What does progressive taxi mean in aviation?
In real-world aviation, progressive taxi instructions are step-by-step directions issued by a controller, commonly when a pilot requests help because the route is unclear or the airport is unfamiliar. FSX borrows the term but supplements its normal spoken taxi clearance with visible arrows.
The arrows are guidance, not clearance. Hold-short instructions, runway-crossing restrictions and subsequent ATC calls always take priority over the displayed route.
How do I turn on Progressive Taxi in FSX?
You enable Progressive Taxi after FSX has issued and received your acknowledgement of a taxi clearance.
- Finish pushback or repositioning: Place the aircraft where you intend to begin taxiing and stop. If a gate departure requires pushback, complete it before requesting the route; slewing or relocating afterwards can invalidate the guidance.
- Open the ATC window: Press
`, the default ATC-window key on a standard PC keyboard layout. Use your assigned control instead if the command has been remapped. - Contact the available ground controller: Select Ground at airports with a Ground frequency, or use the controller FSX offers for ground movements. Our guide to opening FSX ATC and requesting taxi clearance covers the radio and menu sequence.
- Request taxi: Choose the departure taxi option before take-off. After landing, request taxi to a gate or parking area using the options shown for that airport.
- Acknowledge the clearance: Select the readback response in the ATC menu. Simply hearing the clearance is not enough; FSX must register the menu acknowledgement.
- Enable the route: Open or return to the ATC window and select Turn on Progressive Taxi.
- Follow the arrows: Taxi along the marked route at a controllable speed. Stop at the assigned hold-short position and wait for further clearance before entering or crossing a runway.
To remove the arrows, reopen ATC and select Turn off Progressive Taxi. A mistake we see constantly is searching FSX's display or realism settings for this switch; the command belongs to the active ATC interaction.
Why is the Progressive Taxi option missing?
The command is normally missing because FSX does not have an active, acknowledged taxi route for the aircraft's present position.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No Turn on Progressive Taxi command | No taxi clearance has been registered | Request taxi, acknowledge the readback and reopen ATC. |
| Only self-announced traffic calls appear | The airport has no suitable controlled ground service in FSX | Use the airport signs or map; stock Progressive Taxi may not be available there. |
| The command disappeared after slewing or relocating | The aircraft no longer matches the calculated route | Turn the feature off if necessary and obtain a fresh clearance from the new position. |
| The menu says Turn off Progressive Taxi | The feature is already enabled | Treat this as an arrow-display or airport-route problem rather than a missing command. |
Why are there no magenta arrows after enabling it?
If the ATC menu says Turn off Progressive Taxi, FSX believes the guidance is active even when no arrows are visible. Check an external view, confirm that the aircraft remains at the cleared airport and request a new route if you have slewed, changed stands or reloaded the flight.
FSX can only draw a usable route across connected taxiway links in the airport scenery. If Progressive Taxi works at a stock airport but fails consistently at one add-on airport, suspect that airport's taxiway or parking-node data rather than the aircraft. Our focused guide to diagnosing missing Progressive Taxi arrows covers the relevant display and scenery checks.
Does Progressive Taxi steer the aircraft?
No. Progressive Taxi only displays the route; it does not operate the rudder, nosewheel, tiller, brakes or throttle.
If the arrows are correct but the aircraft continues straight despite your steering input, treat that as a control-configuration problem. Use our guidance for setting up nosewheel and rudder steering in FSX, then follow the arrows with small inputs and an aircraft-appropriate taxi speed.
Can I use Progressive Taxi after landing?
Yes. Vacate the runway completely, contact Ground when instructed or available, request taxi to a gate or parking position, acknowledge the clearance and select Turn on Progressive Taxi.
Do not treat an arrow towards a runway crossing as permission to enter it. The spoken clearance and any hold-short instruction remain controlling, even when FSX's calculated route continues beyond that point.
Is FSX Progressive Taxi the same as taxi guidance in MSFS 2020?
No. FSX provides Progressive Taxi through its ATC menu after a ground clearance, while Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 uses a separately configured taxi-ribbon assistance system. If your simulator shows assistance settings rather than the FSX command, follow the MSFS 2020 taxi-guidance procedure instead.