Can autopilot fly a complete flight in FSX? Learn what it controls, how to follow a GPS route, and why take-off and landing still need you.
No. In Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and FSX: Steam Edition, autopilot can fly much of the airborne route, hold altitude and track an ILS in a suitably equipped aircraft. It cannot normally taxi, take off, manage the descent, flare, brake or taxi to the gate, so a complete gate-to-gate flight still requires the pilot.
What parts of a flight can FSX autopilot fly?
FSX autopilot can control selected lateral and vertical modes through most airborne phases, but the pilot must select, configure and monitor every mode.
| Flight phase | What autopilot can do | What the pilot must do |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi | No useful stock ground control | Steer, control speed and brake |
| Take-off | No standard automatic take-off | Set power, rotate, retract the gear and flaps, and establish a safe climb |
| Climb | Hold a heading, follow radio or GPS navigation, and climb towards a selected altitude | Select the modes and altitude, manage thrust and prevent an airspeed loss |
| Cruise | Follow the active route and hold altitude | Monitor route sequencing, fuel, weather, airspeed and ATC instructions |
| Descent | Descend using a selected vertical-speed or aircraft-specific pitch mode | Choose the descent point, set each altitude and manage speed |
| Approach | Capture and track an ILS localiser and glideslope when correctly set up | Tune the ILS, establish the intercept, lower the gear and flaps, and control approach speed |
| Landing and taxi-in | Usually nothing in default aircraft; some advanced add-ons model autoland | Disconnect, flare, land, brake and taxi unless the aircraft explicitly supports those functions |
The autopilot master, flight director and autothrottle are different systems. Autopilot moves the flight controls, the flight director only displays command bars, and autothrottle controls thrust in aircraft fitted with it. Switching on the flight director alone will not make the aircraft fly itself.
Mode behaviour varies between panels, so use the indications shown on the panel rather than assuming that illuminating the master switch has activated everything. Our guide to setting HDG, NAV, ALT and VS on common FSX panels covers the basic controls.
How do I make FSX autopilot fly most of the route?
The practical method is to fly the take-off manually, engage autopilot after establishing a stable climb, use it for the route and descent, then take control again for landing.
- Create and load the route. Confirm that the expected waypoints appear in the stock GPS. A route is only navigation data; it does not engage the autopilot or choose its modes. See our instructions for creating and loading a route with the stock FSX Flight Planner.
- Prepare the initial settings. Set the heading bug, first cleared altitude and required navigation frequencies before departure. Keep the autopilot disengaged for take-off.
- Fly the departure manually. Establish a positive climb, retract the gear and flaps as appropriate, accelerate and trim the aircraft. Do not use autopilot to rescue an unstable or near-stall climb.
- Select the lateral mode. Use HDG mode for runway headings and ATC vectors. To follow the GPS route, select GPS as the panel's navigation or CDI source, verify the active leg and arm NAV. For VOR navigation, select the radio receiver, tune the frequency and set the required course.
- Command the climb. Set the target altitude and select a suitable vertical-speed or aircraft-specific climb mode. On many FSX panels, turning the altitude selector alone does not begin a climb or descent. Manage thrust and reduce the commanded climb rate if airspeed starts falling.
- Monitor the cruise. Check that each waypoint sequences correctly and that the expected lateral and altitude modes remain active. FSX ATC can issue headings and altitudes, but it never operates the autopilot for you.
- Plan the descent yourself. The stock FSX GPS does not provide a complete vertical-navigation profile to the autopilot. Choose the descent point, set the lower altitude, command a sensible descent rate and control speed with thrust and aircraft configuration.
- Configure the approach and landing. For an ILS, switch to the correct radio-navigation source, tune the frequency, establish a sensible localiser intercept and arm approach mode while below the glideslope. Unless the aircraft documentation explicitly provides autoland, disconnect early enough to stabilise and land manually.
Why won't FSX autopilot follow the loaded flight plan?
A loaded flight plan does not automatically select the GPS source, activate the correct leg or engage NAV mode.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The aircraft follows the heading bug | HDG is active and NAV has not captured | Use HDG to establish an intercept, arm NAV and watch the mode indication |
| The route is visible but the aircraft turns elsewhere | The panel is using a NAV radio, or the wrong GPS leg is active | Select GPS as the navigation source and activate the intended leg |
| NAV is armed but never captures | The aircraft is too far from the course or approaching at a poor angle | Intercept the active course at a shallow angle before arming NAV |
| A lower altitude is selected but the aircraft stays level | Altitude selection has not commanded a descent | Select an appropriate vertical-speed or descent mode and monitor airspeed |
| The localiser captures but the aircraft does not descend | The glideslope was not captured, often because the aircraft approached from above it | Verify the ILS frequency and approach mode, then intercept the glideslope from below |
| The aircraft oscillates or porpoises | Excessive simulation rate, an aggressive vertical-speed setting or an unstable engagement | Return to normal simulation rate, disengage, stabilise and trim before trying again |
A mistake we repeatedly see in the FSX community is treating the magenta route line as proof that the autopilot is receiving GPS guidance. Check the navigation source, active leg and mode annunciation first; our source, active-leg and intercept troubleshooting checklist covers the remaining faults.
Can FSX autopilot land the aircraft automatically?
Usually not: tracking an ILS in approach mode is not the same as performing an automatic landing.
Approach mode can keep a suitably equipped aircraft on the localiser and glideslope, but a true autoland must also control the flare, touchdown and, where modelled, runway rollout. Most default FSX aircraft do not provide that complete sequence and should be landed manually.
Some advanced add-on aircraft model autoland, but only when the aircraft, runway equipment and approach configuration meet that add-on's requirements. If its documentation does not explicitly describe an autoland procedure, assume that it cannot perform one. Our explanation of what autopilot and autoland can actually do on final gives the relevant limitations.
Even a correctly modelled autoland does not produce a fully automatic flight. The pilot still prepares the aircraft, takes off, programmes and monitors the systems, configures the approach, brakes where required and taxis from the runway.
Does this apply to MSFS X and FSX: Steam Edition?
Yes, if by MSFS X you mean Microsoft Flight Simulator X, whose standard abbreviation is FSX. The same broad limitations apply to the boxed release and FSX: Steam Edition; Steam Edition does not add an automatic gate-to-gate pilot.
The exact capability comes from the selected aircraft and its panel gauges. An add-on may introduce an FMC, vertical navigation or autoland that the default aircraft lacks. This answer does not describe Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which are separate simulators with different aircraft systems and assistance features.