Install FlyWithLua scripts in X-Plane correctly, find their controls, reload them safely, and fix Lua stopped, quarantine and folder errors.
To install FlyWithLua scripts in X-Plane, first install a FlyWithLua build compatible with your X-Plane version and operating system, then place each .lua file in X-Plane/Resources/plugins/FlyWithLua/Scripts. Start X-Plane or reload FlyWithLua; scripts load automatically. Their controls may appear as plug-in menu items, keyboard commands, macros or on-screen panels.
FlyWithLua is the host plug-in, while each Lua script is an instruction file loaded by it. Installing only a script in Resources/plugins will not work. If your download is a larger mod package, our X-Plane mod extraction and dependency checklist covers the general folder rules.
Install FlyWithLua and its scripts in the correct folders
- Close X-Plane. Do not replace plug-in files or edit an active script while the simulator is running.
- Install the FlyWithLua plug-in. Extract the complete
FlyWithLuafolder intoX-Plane/Resources/plugins. Use the package intended for your X-Plane generation and operating system; the framework and the individual script must both be compatible. - Check the folder nesting. The required path should be
X-Plane/Resources/plugins/FlyWithLua/Scripts. A common mistake is ending up withFlyWithLua/FlyWithLua/Scriptsbecause the archive's outer wrapper folder was copied as well. - Read the script's included instructions. Some scripts need another plug-in, a particular aircraft or supporting files. Packages from our X-Plane freeware library may include documentation and aircraft-specific assets alongside the Lua file, so do not copy every archive item blindly into
Scripts. - Copy the Lua file. Put the main
.luafile in the location specified by its documentation, normally directly insideFlyWithLua/Scripts. Preserve any supplied relative folder structure for modules, configuration files, images or sounds. - Start X-Plane and verify the plug-in. Once a flight has loaded, FlyWithLua should appear in X-Plane's
Pluginsmenu. If FlyWithLua itself is missing, solve that plug-in installation problem before troubleshooting the script. - Reload after adding or changing scripts. Use FlyWithLua's
Reload all Lua script filescommand from its plug-in menu, or restart X-Plane. An aircraft-specific script may also require the aircraft to be reloaded so its custom datarefs exist.
Add scripts one at a time and reload after each addition. That takes slightly longer, but it immediately identifies the file responsible if the Lua engine stops or frame rate drops.
Where do FlyWithLua script controls appear?
FlyWithLua does not give every script a common control panel; the script author decides how it is operated.
- Automatic scripts run in the background after the aircraft or flight loads. They may change views, controls, weather behaviour or datarefs without presenting a window.
- Commands can be assigned through X-Plane's keyboard or joystick settings. Search for the script name, feature name or command description rather than only the Lua filename.
- Macros and menu actions normally appear in FlyWithLua's menu or macros submenu under
Plugins. - On-screen interfaces may open automatically or through a command or menu item.
- Configuration-based scripts may require documented values to be edited in the Lua file or a separate settings file. Keep a backup before editing and reload the scripts afterwards.
A script that has no visible menu is not necessarily broken. Check what it is supposed to do, whether it only activates in flight, and whether it requires a specific aircraft or switch state.
Why is my FlyWithLua script not working?
Most FlyWithLua failures come from incorrect folder nesting, a missing dependency or a script written for a different X-Plane version.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| FlyWithLua is absent from the Plugins menu | Check for an extra folder layer, the wrong operating-system build or a blocked plug-in. Inspect Log.txt in the X-Plane root folder. If the operating system blocks the plug-in, approve only a package you trust rather than disabling security globally. |
| The script loads but nothing appears | It may run automatically or expose only an assignable command. Check X-Plane's keyboard settings, FlyWithLua's menus and the script documentation. Also load any aircraft on which it depends. |
Lua stopped! appears | Remove or disable the most recently added script, reload FlyWithLua and inspect FlyWithLua_Debug.txt and Log.txt. The first reported syntax, dataref or dependency error is usually more useful than the later cascading messages. |
| The script moves into quarantine | FlyWithLua has isolated a file that failed during loading or execution. Do not simply move it back from Scripts (Quarantine); correct the error or replace it with a compatible edition first. |
| Several scripts fail together | Move all third-party scripts outside Scripts, confirm that FlyWithLua starts cleanly, then restore one script at a time. This separates a framework problem from a single faulty script. |
| Frame rate falls after installation | Disable the latest script and reload. Scripts that execute calculations every frame can be expensive, and isolating them one by one is more reliable than assuming FlyWithLua itself is the cause. |
Can X-Plane 11 FlyWithLua scripts work in X-Plane 12?
Some X-Plane 11 scripts work in X-Plane 12, but compatibility should never be assumed. Scripts using standard commands and public datarefs have the best chance; scripts that alter private art controls, weather, rendering or retired datarefs are much more likely to fail or produce incorrect results.
The FlyWithLua framework and the Lua script have separate compatibility requirements. Installing an X-Plane 12-compatible framework does not make every older script compatible. Do not bypass a script's version check merely to force it to load; use a version explicitly intended for your simulator or leave it disabled. Our guidance on choosing version-appropriate free X-Plane add-ons explains the same compatibility distinction for other plug-ins and utilities.
How do I disable or remove a FlyWithLua script?
Disable a script by moving its .lua file out of FlyWithLua/Scripts, preferably into the supplied Scripts (disabled) folder, and then reload all Lua scripts. Delete it only after confirming that no other script depends on its modules or shared files.
To remove FlyWithLua itself, close X-Plane and remove the complete Resources/plugins/FlyWithLua folder. Every script relying on the framework will stop working, while script-created configuration files elsewhere may remain and can be removed separately if their documentation identifies them.