What is GSX Pro for MSFS, and how do I install and use it?

GSX Pro by FSDreamTeam is a paid, PC-only ground-handling add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. Install and activate it through the FSDT Universal Installer, confirm the correct simulator and Community folder, then use its in-simulator toolbar to request boarding, baggage, catering, refuelling, marshalling and pushback.

What does FSDreamTeam GSX Pro do in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

GSX Pro, short for Ground Services X Pro, replaces much of Microsoft Flight Simulator's basic ground handling with a configurable aircraft-turnaround system.

When MSFS users refer simply to GSX, they usually mean GSX Pro. The older GSX products made for FSX and Prepar3D are separate products and must not be copied into an MSFS installation.

• Passenger handling: boarding, deboarding, buses, walk-in gates, stairs and animated passengers where supported.
• Ramp services: baggage and cargo loaders, catering, refuelling and service vehicles.
• Parking guidance: marshallers, Follow Me vehicles and visual docking systems at configured stands.
• Jetways: operation of compatible jetways and optional replacement models for suitable default airports.
• Pushback: standard left or right departures, custom routes and ground-crew coordination.
• Aircraft configuration: editable doors, loading points, nosewheel location and vehicle positions.

GSX combines simulator packages with the external Couatl support engine. It reads the aircraft configuration, airport and selected stand, then checks conditions such as the parking brake, doors and engines before dispatching each service.

It does not replace airport scenery, ATC or the aircraft's own loading systems. With a complex airliner, the EFB, FMS or aircraft load manager may remain responsible for the actual fuel, passenger count and weight and balance while GSX supplies the visible activity. Using several payload or fuel systems at once is a common cause of mismatched figures and stalled loading.

Is GSX Pro free, and does it work with MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024?

GSX Pro is payware and supports the Windows PC editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

The console editions cannot run GSX because it relies on Windows companion software and locally installed add-on packages. Downloadable airport or aircraft profiles are not the GSX programme and do not provide a free licence.

MSFS 2020 and 2024 use distinct installation targets. If both are installed, verify which one the installer is configuring rather than assuming a package prepared for 2020 will automatically appear in 2024. Our MSFS 2024 compatibility and simulator-target checks cover the differences in more detail.

How do I install and activate GSX Pro for MSFS?

Install GSX Pro with the FSDT Universal Installer supplied for the product; do not manually copy legacy GSX files or move the managed packages between simulators.

1. Close Microsoft Flight Simulator and Couatl. This prevents locked files and ensures MSFS rebuilds its package information when it next starts.
2. Run the FSDT Universal Installer. Choose GSX Pro and verify that it has detected the intended MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 installation.
3. Check the Community folder. This matters when the simulator content has been moved to another drive or a custom package location. GSX must link to the Community folder that the selected simulator actually reads.
4. Install and activate the product. Use the installer's activation facility and the licence details associated with the purchase.
5. Configure World of Jetways. Enable its replacement jetways where wanted, but exclude third-party airports that already provide their own custom jetway models. Rerun the configuration scan after adding or replacing airport scenery.
6. Apply available GSX updates. The installer should finish without an error before MSFS is opened.
7. Test in Free Flight. Load a defined gate or ramp position. Couatl should start in the background and the GSX entry should appear on the in-simulator toolbar after the airport data has loaded.

The installer manages GSX's package links and updates. Moving its folders by hand can leave a visible package that no longer communicates with Couatl or receives updates correctly. For missing links, activation prompts and licence errors, use our detailed GSX installer and activation procedure.

How do I use GSX Pro in MSFS?

Use GSX from a recognised parking stand, with the aircraft secured, and follow the toolbar messages in the order they appear.

How do I run a departure turnaround?

A reliable departure sequence is positioning, load preparation, servicing, boarding, equipment clearance and then pushback.

1. Start at a gate or ramp. A runway start or unmarked apron may not provide normal services. If the aircraft is outside the stand's expected position, use the GSX reposition function before programming the cockpit because repositioning can disturb an aircraft that is already initialised.
2. Secure the aircraft. Set the parking brake, shut down engines when required and apply chocks if the aircraft models them. Remove any default MSFS tug already connected.
3. Prepare the planned load. For a complex aircraft, enter passengers, cargo and fuel through its EFB, FMS or loading panel. Treat that aircraft system as authoritative unless its documentation says GSX controls the load directly.
4. Open the GSX toolbar menu. Allow the airport and aircraft data to finish loading, then select a ground handler or catering operator if requested.
5. Request the services you need. Catering and refuelling may run alongside other tasks, depending on the aircraft and settings. For an arriving aircraft being turned around, complete deboarding before boarding the next flight.
6. Follow door and status prompts. Automatic door control depends on aircraft integration. If GSX asks for a particular door, open it through the cockpit or EFB. A vehicle waiting beside the aircraft is often paused for a door, brake or loading-system response rather than broken.
7. Finish boarding before pushback. Wait for GSX and the aircraft load manager to report completion, close the doors and confirm all equipment is clear. Do not request a second tug through default MSFS ground services.
8. Follow the pushback crew. Choose the appropriate direction or profile-defined route, release the parking brake only when instructed and start engines according to the ground crew's prompts. Wait for tug disconnection and the final clear signal before taxiing.

Default ATC and GSX are separate. ATC can provide a clearance, but GSX should be the only system physically controlling the tug during a GSX pushback. The direction normally describes the aircraft's final nose direction; custom airport profiles may instead present named or stand-specific routes.

For a fuller explanation of each menu operation, see our practical GSX boarding, fuelling, catering and pushback workflow.

How do I use GSX after landing?

After clearing the runway, select the intended arrival stand in GSX when it is safe to use the toolbar.

Request a Follow Me vehicle if available, then park using the assigned marshaller or visual docking system. Not every stand has guidance configured, so the absence of a marshaller or docking display does not by itself indicate a fault.

Once stopped, set the brake and shut down as required. Connect the offered jetway or stairs, then request deboarding, baggage unloading and any services needed for the next sector.

Do I need a GSX profile for every aircraft and airport?

No. Start with GSX's supplied data and add a custom profile only when the stand, pushback route, doors or service vehicles are wrong.

An airport profile must match the exact scenery package and version, not just the ICAO code. A profile made for the default airport or another developer's rendition can place vehicles inside buildings or send the tug along the wrong taxiway. Aircraft variants matter as well: a profile for one fuselage length may not fit another.

Downloaded airport profiles are commonly placed under %APPDATA%\Virtuali\GSX\MSFS, although the profile author's supplied folder instructions should take precedence. Our GSX profile installation and scenery-matching guide explains the correct checks before a profile is enabled.

The mistake we see most often is leaving an old custom profile active after changing or updating the airport. Because custom data overrides corrected default positions, a stale profile can produce underground vehicles, misplaced stairs and obsolete pushback routes. Remove the mismatched profile before spending time editing every stand.

Why is GSX Pro not working correctly?

Most GSX Pro faults come from a stopped Couatl process, an incorrect simulator package link, an unmet service condition, a mismatched profile or another ground-service add-on issuing competing commands.

Resetting GSX can clear a genuinely stalled service, but it also removes the active vehicles and cancels the operation. It will not correct an incompatible airport profile, aircraft geometry or broken Community-folder link.

Is GSX Pro worth using?

GSX Pro is best suited to PC simmers who regularly fly airliners and want boarding, baggage, stand guidance and pushback managed as one configurable turnaround.

It offers less value for runway starts, light general aviation or anyone wanting only a basic pushback tug. It also requires occasional profile and jetway-exclusion maintenance when aircraft or airport scenery changes, so it is not a completely maintenance-free replacement for the simulator's basic ground services.