Learn how to use ATC in FlightGear: find frequencies, tune COM radios, request taxi and landing clearance, and fix missing or silent ATC.
To use ATC in FlightGear, choose an airport with an available ATC service, find its frequencies, tune the aircraft’s active COM radio, then use the ATC menu or dialogue to request clearance, taxi, take-off and landing instructions. Coverage varies by airport, and built-in ATC is primarily automated rather than a guaranteed worldwide service.
How do I contact ATC in FlightGear?
Contact FlightGear ATC by tuning the correct facility on an active COM radio and selecting the context-sensitive request shown in the ATC dialogue.
- Choose an airport with ATC. Check the airport information or the simulator’s ATC Services in Range dialogue for listed facilities. You can also use FlightGear’s map to inspect airports and navigation data. An uncontrolled airfield without a tower frequency will not provide tower clearance.
- Power the radios. In a cold-and-dark aircraft, switch on the battery, avionics master and radio equipment as required by that aircraft. A dark radio stack cannot receive ATIS or contact a controller.
- Tune the active COM frequency. Enter the frequency in the standby window, then transfer it to active. The mistake we see most often is leaving the correct frequency in standby. Use COM1 while troubleshooting because some aircraft integrate their second radio differently.
- Listen to ATIS first. Tune the airport’s information frequency, if available, and note the runway, weather and information identifier. ATIS is a broadcast; it does not accept requests.
- Open the ATC dialogue. Its name and location vary between FlightGear interfaces, but it may appear as ATC or ATC Services in Range. Once the station is recognised, select the appropriate request rather than speaking into a microphone. Built-in ATC interaction is menu-driven.
- Follow the clearance. Read the displayed instructions carefully, acknowledge when prompted, set any assigned transponder code and change frequency when told to contact another controller.
- Change controllers as the flight progresses. A typical sequence is ground, tower, departure or approach, tower again, then ground after leaving the runway. Only use the positions actually listed for that airport.
The available requests depend on the aircraft’s position and phase of flight. A taxi request may not appear when starting on the runway, while a landing request may remain unavailable until the aircraft is close enough to the destination. Full IFR clearances, radar vectors and hand-offs are not implemented consistently at every airport.
Which ATC frequency should I use?
Use the frequency matching both your phase of flight and the services published for the airport.
| Facility | When to use it | Typical purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ATIS or airport information | Before departure and arrival | Weather, active runway and airport information |
| Clearance delivery | Before an IFR departure, where available | Route or departure clearance |
| Ground | At parking and after leaving the runway | Start-up and taxi instructions |
| Tower | Near or on the runway | Take-off, landing and runway-crossing clearance |
| Departure or approach | After departure or during arrival, where modelled | Radar instructions, sequencing and hand-offs |
A published frequency does not guarantee that FlightGear models a complete interactive service on it. If the controller names or radio phraseology are unfamiliar, our explanation of ATC roles and common radio terms covers the distinction between ground, tower, approach and other positions.
Why is FlightGear ATC not responding?
FlightGear ATC usually fails to respond because the frequency is not active, the radio is unpowered, the station is out of range or that facility lacks interactive coverage.
- Correct frequency in standby: transfer it to the active side of the radio display.
- Wrong controller: ground will not issue an airborne approach instruction, and tower may not offer taxi options at a parking stand.
- Unpowered avionics: check the battery, avionics master, radio power and audio volume. Aircraft with detailed electrical systems may require an external power source or running engine.
- COM2 compatibility: retune the station on COM1 and make it active. This removes aircraft-specific radio selection as a possible cause.
- Insufficient range: use the nearby-services dialogue and verify that you have not selected another airport using the same frequency.
- No interactive service: try a larger controlled airport with listed ground and tower facilities. Airport frequency data can exist even when the full user interaction sequence is unavailable.
- Aircraft integration problem: repeat the test in a standard bundled aircraft. If that works, the original aircraft’s custom radio or electrical system is the likely cause.
- Disabled simulation features: restore the normal AI and ATC-related launcher settings if they were turned off for performance or through command-line options.
Enabling AI traffic or ambient ATC chatter is not the same as activating a controller for the user aircraft. If text responses work but no speech is heard, the remaining problem is likely an audio, volume or speech-output setting rather than the tuned frequency.
Does FlightGear ATC support voice communication?
FlightGear’s built-in automated ATC should be treated as a text-and-menu system; spoken output depends on the build, aircraft and speech configuration, and it does not provide general free-form speech recognition.
- Built-in ATC is the easiest choice for offline procedural practice, but airport coverage and the depth of instructions vary.
- FlightGear multiplayer ATC can involve a human controller when one is online and using compatible communications, but controller availability is not guaranteed.
- VATSIM provides organised human-controlled ATC with network procedures and additional setup. Our FlightGear VATSIM connection instructions explain what is required.
For a first attempt, use built-in ATC at a controlled airport with separate ground and tower frequencies. Move to human ATC after you are comfortable changing frequencies, reading back clearances and following taxi and runway instructions.