Import ChasePlane camera profiles and presets in MSFS 2020 or 2024, map them to the correct aircraft, and fix missing or shifted views.
To import a ChasePlane camera profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator, load the intended aircraft, open ChasePlane’s preset or profile manager, choose Import, select the supplied preset file, map it to the exact aircraft variant, then apply and save it. Do not place ChasePlane preset files in the MSFS Community folder.
This is a Windows PC workflow. Xbox and PlayStation editions cannot run the external ChasePlane application or import its profile files. The terms profile and preset are often used interchangeably for a saved collection of ChasePlane viewpoints.
How to import a ChasePlane camera preset
Use ChasePlane’s own import function so that it can identify, index and associate the preset with an aircraft. Button names and panel positions can change between ChasePlane builds, but the underlying process is the same.
- Load the target aircraft: Start Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 and enter the cockpit of the aircraft for which the preset was created. Let the aircraft finish loading before opening its ChasePlane profile.
- Confirm the ChasePlane connection: Open ChasePlane and check that it detects both the simulator and the active aircraft. If it does not, follow our correct Windows installation and simulator-integration procedure before attempting the import.
- Protect your existing views: Duplicate or export the active preset if that option is available. At minimum, record which preset is active so that an import does not unexpectedly replace a camera layout you have adjusted.
- Open the aircraft’s preset area: Select the preset, profile or aircraft-view management panel, then choose its Import command.
- Select the supplied file: Choose only a file type accepted by ChasePlane’s file picker. If the download is a compressed archive and the archive cannot be selected, extract it once and choose the actual preset file inside. Do not make an unsupported file appear compatible by renaming its extension.
- Choose the correct aircraft mapping: If ChasePlane asks for a target, select the exact add-on and model variant. A shared ICAO code does not mean that two aircraft have identical cockpit geometry or camera reference points.
- Apply and test the preset: Activate the imported set, check several cockpit and external views, and save any corrections as a local copy. Our guide to setting up and binding ChasePlane camera views covers the controls and viewpoint adjustments that normally follow an import.
Should I merge or replace an existing preset?
Choose merge when preserving your own views matters; choose replace when you want the imported profile exactly as supplied. Some ChasePlane builds import the profile as a separate set instead of displaying this choice.
| Import choice | Use it when | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Merge | You want to retain existing viewpoints and add the imported ones | Duplicate view names or control assignments may need cleaning up |
| Replace | You want a clean copy of the supplied camera layout | Your active viewpoints may be overwritten if they were not backed up |
| Import as new | The option is offered and you want to test safely | You must select the new set manually before its views become active |
Why won’t the ChasePlane profile import correctly?
Most failed imports are caused by an unsupported file, an undetected aircraft or a preset made for different cockpit geometry.
- Import is absent or greyed out: ChasePlane may not be connected to the running simulator, or the active aircraft has not been detected. Resolve the connection before changing files or folders.
- The file is rejected: It may still be nested inside an archive, be damaged, or belong to a different ChasePlane generation. A legacy FSX or Prepar3D profile is not automatically an MSFS preset; use a migration option only when ChasePlane explicitly recognises the file.
- The preset imports under the wrong aircraft: Repeat the import with the intended aircraft already loaded and select its exact variant if manual mapping is offered. Standalone variants can have different identities even when their cockpit names look similar.
- Views appear inside panels or outside the cockpit: The profile was probably made for another aircraft build, model variant or camera origin. Re-centre each affected view and save the corrected layout as a separate local preset.
- The preset appears but buttons do nothing: Imported viewpoints do not necessarily include your personal keyboard, joystick or controller assignments. Bind ChasePlane’s recall actions and remove conflicting native camera assignments.
- A view snaps back or recalls the wrong position: Confirm that the imported set is active and check for two commands assigned to the same button. Native MSFS camera commands can conflict with ChasePlane recall controls.
Can one preset work in MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?
A ChasePlane preset can cross between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 only when ChasePlane recognises the target aircraft and its camera geometry remains compatible. Use a preset made for the same simulator, aircraft add-on and model variant whenever possible; identical display names do not guarantee identical reference points.
Test cross-version imports as a new or duplicated preset rather than replacing a working layout. If ChasePlane does not recognise the target, rebuild the views instead of copying files into private application folders.
ChasePlane profiles also do not belong in Community; that folder is for simulator content packages. They remain separate from Microsoft Flight Simulator’s native custom-camera slots, so importing a ChasePlane preset will not populate those slots. If you need views that work without ChasePlane, use the simulator’s native cockpit-view saving and recall system.