Learn what AviTab does, how to install and use it in X-Plane 11 or 12, add charts and flight plans, and fix missing or blank tablets.
AviTab is a free electronic flight bag plugin for X-Plane 11 and 12. It provides a pop-out tablet for maps, airport information, routes, charts, PDFs and notes, and can appear inside compatible aircraft cockpits. Install the extracted AviTab folder under X-Plane/Resources/plugins, restart X-Plane and open it from the Plugins menu.
What does AviTab do in X-Plane?
AviTab gives X-Plane a general-purpose electronic flight bag without replacing the aircraft’s avionics or flight management system. Its moving map can show your position and route, while its other pages provide access to airport information, charts, documents and notes.
- Moving maps: Follow the aircraft, inspect the planned route and switch between available map layers.
- Airport information: Review runways, frequencies, weather and other available airport data.
- Charts and documents: Display supported local charts, PDF manuals, checklists and reference material.
- Routes: View compatible saved flight plans and overlay them on the map.
- Cockpit integration: Use AviTab on a modelled tablet in aircraft that explicitly support it.
AviTab does not add a physical tablet to every cockpit, supply licensed charts automatically or change X-Plane’s ground scenery. Some online maps require an internet connection, and account-based chart services have their own access requirements.
How do I install AviTab in X-Plane 11 or 12?
Install AviTab as a global plugin in the X-Plane installation folder, not as scenery and not inside an aircraft folder. Our X-Plane plugin installation and folder-nesting guide covers the same directory rules in more detail.
- Close X-Plane. Plugins should not be replaced while the simulator is running.
- Obtain the correct release. Use the developer-provided AviTab archive that supports your X-Plane version and operating system. An old X-Plane 11 build may not load correctly in X-Plane 12.
- Extract the archive. Do not place the ZIP or other compressed archive directly in the plugins folder.
- Copy the AviTab folder. Place it at
X-Plane 11/Resources/plugins/AviTaborX-Plane 12/Resources/plugins/AviTab. Steam installations use the same relative path inside the installation folder containing X-Plane and itsResourcesdirectory. - Check for an extra folder level. AviTab’s plugin files and supplied subfolders should sit directly inside
Resources/plugins/AviTab. A path such asResources/plugins/AviTab/AviTabusually means the wrong folder was copied. - Start X-Plane and verify the plugin. Look for AviTab under the Plugins menu or in X-Plane’s Plugin Admin window. If it is absent, check
Log.txtin the main X-Plane folder for lines containingAviTab.
Keep only one global AviTab installation unless an aircraft’s documentation explicitly requires something different. Multiple old copies can cause confusing load errors or make an integrated tablet use the wrong build.
How do I open and use AviTab?
Open the standalone tablet from AviTab’s show or toggle command under X-Plane’s Plugins menu. The exact label can vary by release, but it normally includes AviTab and a command to show, hide or toggle the tablet.
- Open the tablet. Move and resize the plugin window to suit the cockpit view. In VR, use the AviTab window or an aircraft’s integrated display where supported.
- Select a page. Choose the map, airports, routes, charts, aircraft documents or notes section from AviTab’s interface.
- Configure the map. Select an available map layer, centre it on the aircraft and choose the required zoom level. Do not assume every online layer will work without internet access.
- Load a route if required. AviTab can display supported saved flight plans, commonly stored in X-Plane’s
Output/FMS plansdirectory. Loading a route into AviTab is mainly for display; it does not reliably programme every aircraft’s FMS. - Use the cockpit tablet. In a compatible aircraft, click its tablet, screen or assigned hotspot. Some aircraft also have an option for enabling AviTab integration.
Can I use AviTab with any aircraft?
The standalone AviTab window works independently of the selected aircraft, but an in-cockpit tablet requires aircraft-specific integration. If the pop-out window works and the cockpit screen does not, AviTab has loaded correctly; the aircraft integration is disabled, outdated or incompatible.
How do I add charts, PDFs and flight plans?
AviTab can display supported local files through its chart and document browsers, while compatible flight plans can be selected from X-Plane’s flight-plan directory. Preserve the folders supplied with AviTab, use simple file names and avoid moving required plugin data into an unrelated aircraft or scenery directory.
Licensed chart content is not bundled with AviTab. If you use an account-based chart service, complete its authorisation inside the supported integration and confirm that your access includes charts; our X-Plane 12 Navigraph set-up guide explains the wider navigation-data and chart workflow. Local PDFs remain the simpler choice for manuals and checklists that you already hold.
Why is AviTab not showing or loading?
A missing AviTab menu entry usually means X-Plane could not discover or load the plugin, while a working pop-out window with a blank cockpit tablet points to the aircraft integration instead.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| No AviTab entry under Plugins | Confirm that the archive was extracted and that AviTab is directly under Resources/plugins. Then inspect Log.txt for an incompatible or missing plugin binary. |
Folder path contains AviTab/AviTab | Move the inner plugin folder up one level. Extra nesting is one of the installation mistakes we see most often. |
| macOS blocks the plugin | Review the macOS Privacy & Security prompt and approve the developer’s blocked plugin files where appropriate. Do not disable system-wide security protections. |
| Linux reports a load error | Check filename case, file permissions and any missing library named in Log.txt. Linux paths are case-sensitive. |
| Standalone window works, cockpit tablet does not | Enable the aircraft’s AviTab option if it has one, then update the aircraft integration. Reinstalling the global plugin alone may not repair an incompatible cockpit display. |
| Tablet opens but maps or charts are empty | Check the internet connection, selected map source, local document location and any chart-account authorisation. This is normally a content problem rather than a failed plugin installation. |
How should I update AviTab?
Close X-Plane, back up any local documents or configuration you want to retain, and replace the old plugin with the supported release. Replacing the program files is safer than merging two versions, which can leave obsolete binaries behind; restore only your user content and settings, then verify the new load in Log.txt.