Learn how to enable ATC in Prepar3D, tune COM1, request VFR or IFR clearance, follow hand-offs, and fix missing voices or radio contact.
Prepar3D’s built-in ATC is available without an add-on: load a flight, switch on the aircraft’s electrical and avionics systems, open the ATC window, tune COM1 to the required facility, and choose the numbered responses. For IFR clearances, create or load an IFR flight plan before contacting clearance delivery.
This is an offline, menu-driven controller rather than a live person. Our explanation of controller roles, frequencies and hand-offs covers the terminology used by Prepar3D’s ATC system.
How do I turn on ATC in Prepar3D?
Prepar3D has no separate master switch for built-in ATC; you open its communications window and establish radio contact.
- Load at a suitable airport. A controlled airport provides Clearance, Ground and Tower services where those facilities exist. At an uncontrolled aerodrome, expect traffic-advisory options rather than a tower controller.
- Power the radios. In a cold-and-dark aircraft, turn on the battery, the necessary electrical source and the avionics master. Make sure COM1 is operational and its volume is raised.
- Open the ATC window. Use the control assigned to ATC Window in Prepar3D’s control settings. Standard profiles often use the grave-accent or backtick key,
`, but imported profiles and non-US keyboards may have a different assignment. - Select an airport or facility. Choose an available airport from the ATC menu, then select ATIS, Clearance, Ground, Tower, Approach or Centre as appropriate. Prepar3D can usually tune the selected frequency for a default aircraft.
- Choose the numbered response. Press the number shown beside the desired request or acknowledgement. The available choices change after each controller transmission.
- Follow each hand-off. When instructed to contact another controller, select that option and verify that the new frequency has become active on COM1.
If automatic tuning does not work in a complex add-on aircraft, enter the frequency in the COM1 standby position and swap it to active manually. Some custom radio systems do not synchronise fully with Prepar3D’s ATC window.
What is the normal Prepar3D ATC sequence?
The usual sequence is information, clearance if required, taxi, take-off, en-route hand-offs and arrival control.
| Stage | VFR flight | IFR flight |
|---|---|---|
| Before taxi | Listen to ATIS where available, then contact Ground | Listen to ATIS, request IFR clearance, then contact Ground |
| Departure | Request taxi and take-off from Ground and Tower | Follow the cleared route, altitude and departure hand-off |
| En route | Request flight following where offered, or contact destination facilities later | Acknowledge frequency, heading and altitude changes from successive controllers |
| Arrival | Contact the destination and request the intended landing type | Follow Approach vectors or routing, then contact Tower and Ground |
Smaller airports may combine jobs: Ground might issue the IFR clearance, and an uncontrolled airport will not offer Ground or Tower service. The exact menu choices therefore depend on your position, radio range and the facilities defined for that airport.
How do I use Prepar3D ATC for an IFR flight?
The reliable way to obtain an IFR clearance is to load an IFR plan into Prepar3D’s own flight-planning system before departure.
- Create or load the route. Set the correct departure, destination and IFR routing in the simulator’s Flight Planner.
- Place the aircraft at the filed departure. Starting somewhere other than the plan’s departure airport can prevent the expected clearance option from appearing.
- Contact the appropriate controller. Use Clearance Delivery where provided; otherwise try Ground.
- Read back and follow the clearance. Select the acknowledgement, copy the assigned altitude and squawk code, then request taxi.
Prepar3D retains the familiar ESP-era planning system, so our walkthrough of the shared FSX and Prepar3D flight-planner workflow explains the basic route-loading process. For the full radio and approach sequence, see our practical IFR flight-simulator procedure.
Does a route entered in a third-party FMC count as filed?
No, not by itself. Default Prepar3D ATC normally reads the active simulator flight plan, not a route stored only in an aircraft’s CDU or FMC.
Load a matching simulator flight-plan file as well as programming the FMC. A mismatch between the two routes—or between their navigation databases—causes a common problem: ATC clears one set of waypoints while the autopilot follows another.
Why is Prepar3D ATC not working?
Most Prepar3D ATC problems come from a missing control assignment, an unpowered radio, the wrong active frequency or an absent IFR plan.
- The ATC window will not open: search the control settings for ATC Window and assign an unused key. Click back into the simulator first if an FMC or add-on window has captured keyboard input.
- The window opens but shows no useful facility: select the airport or facility list, confirm that you are within radio range and check whether the airport actually has controlled services.
- You cannot transmit: verify that COM1—not just its standby field—contains the frequency. Check the avionics master, electrical power and radio volume knobs.
- Text appears but there is no voice: raise the voice or speech volume in Prepar3D’s audio settings and confirm that voice audio is using the intended output device.
- There is no IFR-clearance option: load the route as an IFR plan, check its departure airport and contact Clearance or Ground. A route entered only in an add-on FMC is insufficient.
- Automatic tuning fails: tune and swap COM1 manually. Testing the same flight with a default aircraft will reveal whether a third-party radio system is the cause.
- ATC takes a long time to answer: heavy AI traffic can create genuine queues for taxi and take-off. AI traffic is not required for ATC, so reduce its density while diagnosing the problem.
Built-in Prepar3D ATC limitations
Prepar3D’s default ATC handles basic clearances, traffic sequencing, vectors and hand-offs, but it is a simplified menu-driven system. It does not understand free-form microphone speech and may not interpret detailed SIDs, STARs or performance-managed paths from advanced aircraft correctly.
If its vectors conflict with an unmatched FMC route, choose one method rather than trying to satisfy both. Either fly the ATC-assigned headings and altitudes, load a simulator plan matching the FMC, or cancel the built-in IFR service and continue with your own navigation.