Can two people fly as captain and co-pilot in FSX?

Yes. Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and FSX: Steam Edition let two people fly the same aircraft through shared-cockpit multiplayer: one acts as captain and the other as co-pilot. Each person needs a separate PC, compatible FSX edition and licence, matching aircraft files and a network connection; it is not split-screen.

What do you need for an FSX shared cockpit?

An FSX shared cockpit needs two networked computers, two legitimate simulator installations and an aircraft that both installations can load correctly.

• Separate PCs and licences: one copy running twice on the same computer will not provide captain and co-pilot positions.
• Compatible FSX editions: Steam Edition normally connects to Steam Edition, while boxed FSX uses its own local-network multiplayer system.
• Matching simulator updates: boxed users should match their service-pack or Acceleration installation level wherever possible.
• The same aircraft: both PCs need the identical model, panel, variation and add-on release. Each person must also hold any licence required by a commercial add-on.
• Aircraft sharing enabled: the multiplayer session must permit shared aircraft, and one player must offer the aircraft for sharing.

Start with a stock FSX aircraft at a default airport. The mistake we see most often is adding a complex aircraft or custom scenery before confirming that the basic multiplayer connection and control transfer work.

Does FSX shared cockpit work on Steam and boxed versions?

FSX: Steam Edition supports shared cockpit through Steam multiplayer, while boxed FSX can use compatible boxed installations over a local network.

The original GameSpy Internet lobby used by boxed FSX has been discontinued. That does not remove local-network multiplayer, but it means old instructions that depend on the GameSpy browser no longer work.

Is FSX an online game, and can shared cockpit work offline?

FSX can be flown offline by one person, but shared cockpit always requires two computers connected to each other.

Steam Edition normally uses an online Steam multiplayer session. Boxed FSX can operate over a local network without a public Internet connection, although the two PCs still need network communication. Our guide to online, LAN and offline FSX multiplayer explains that distinction in more detail.

How do you fly with a friend as captain and co-pilot?

One player creates or joins the multiplayer session, shares an aircraft and lets the second player occupy its co-pilot slot.

1. Match both installations. Confirm the FSX edition, update level and aircraft package on both PCs. Do not attempt to mix Steam Edition with boxed FSX.
2. Select a stock aircraft first. Use the same stock variation and a default airport until the connection has been proved.
3. Create the multiplayer session. In Steam Edition, use the Steam multiplayer lobby and invitation system. With boxed FSX, use the appropriate local-network option. Our FSX hosting instructions for Steam and boxed editions cover the different connection methods.
4. Permit aircraft sharing. The host must enable shared aircraft in the session settings. Hosting the session and acting as captain are separate roles; the host does not always need to fly the shared aircraft.
5. Offer the aircraft. The first pilot selects the aircraft and marks it for sharing before entering the flight.
6. Join the shared slot. The second player must choose the offered aircraft or co-pilot position in the lobby. Selecting an ordinary aircraft creates a separate aeroplane instead.
7. Test control transfer while parked. Use FSX's Transfer/accept control command, assigned to Shift+T by default, and follow the on-screen request. Confirm the throttle, yoke, rudder, radios and autopilot response before taxiing.

If the lobby choices are unclear, follow our screen-by-screen shared-cockpit setup procedure.

Can both pilots control the aircraft at once?

No, not for the primary flight controls. FSX gives flight-control authority to one pilot at a time, so the captain and co-pilot transfer control rather than applying simultaneous yoke, pedal and throttle inputs.

The pilot without primary control can handle radios, navigation settings and cockpit switches that the selected aircraft synchronises. Stock aircraft generally provide the best results; custom systems may respond only on the computer where they were operated.

Before a handover, both pilots should centre their controls and match the physical throttle, propeller and mixture levers to the positions shown in the simulator. Otherwise, the aircraft may pitch, yaw or change power abruptly when the receiving pilot's hardware becomes active.

Do add-on aircraft work in FSX shared cockpit?

Some add-on aircraft work, but complex panels and systems are not guaranteed to remain synchronised between the two computers.

Both pilots need the same add-on release, configuration and livery. FSX identifies an aircraft variation through its internal title= entry in aircraft.cfg; if that variation is missing on the other PC, the simulator may substitute a different aircraft.

Flight-management computers, custom autopilots and gauges that store their state in local variables can show different information in each cockpit. If the aircraft position and basic controls remain connected while switches or displays disagree, that usually points to an add-on limitation rather than a failed multiplayer session.

Why is FSX shared cockpit not working?

Most shared-cockpit failures come from an edition mismatch, a session that does not allow sharing or aircraft files that differ between the two PCs.

• No shared-aircraft option appears: confirm that the session permits aircraft sharing and that the sharing player has an edition with that capability. Boxed Standard cannot offer an aircraft in the same way as Deluxe or Gold.
• The multiplayer session is not visible: check that both players use the same FSX edition. For Steam Edition, verify the invitation, lobby visibility and firewall permissions. For boxed FSX, do not rely on the discontinued GameSpy browser.
• The co-pilot spawns in another aircraft: the second player selected a normal aircraft slot instead of joining the aircraft marked for sharing. Return to the lobby and choose the shared position.
• The wrong aircraft appears: install the same model and variation on both PCs. A missing or different title= variation commonly causes substitution.
• Shift+T does nothing: check the Controls settings on both computers for the Transfer/accept control assignment. The command may have been removed or reassigned.
• The cockpit displays disagree: repeat the flight with a stock aircraft. If the stock panel stays synchronised, custom gauges or external add-on systems are the cause.
• The aircraft jumps after handover: calibrate both controllers and match all physical axis positions before transferring control.
• The connection drops: match the simulator update levels and allow FSX, Steam where applicable, and multiplayer traffic through each PC's firewall.

Is MSFS X the same as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?

No. The shorthand “MSFS X” usually refers to Microsoft Flight Simulator X, better known as FSX; it is not Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has ordinary multiplayer in which players fly separate aircraft, but its built-in multiplayer does not provide the native FSX-style captain and co-pilot mode described here. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is another separate simulator with its own same-aircraft shared-cockpit support status.