Learn how to install GSX in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, activate Couatl, request ground services, configure aircraft and fix missing menus.
To install GSX in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, use an installer explicitly supporting the original FSX-compatible GSX, not GSX Pro. Confirm that it targets the active folder containing fsx.exe, install its Addon Manager and Couatl components, activate the licence, then open GSX at a parking stand and request each service from its menu.
Which GSX version works with FSX?
FSX requires the original GSX product; GSX Pro is for Microsoft Flight Simulator and cannot be installed in FSX. If using the optional GSX Level 2 expansion, install or activate the base FSX version first and then enable the expansion through the installer or licence manager supplied with it.
Boxed FSX should have Service Pack 2 or Acceleration installed before GSX. FSX: Steam Edition does not use the separate boxed service-pack installers, but it must still have working SimConnect components.
How do I install GSX in FSX or Steam Edition?
The reliable method is to let the GSX installer place and register every component rather than copying folders into Addon Scenery or SimObjects manually.
- Prepare FSX: Run the simulator once, close it completely and check that the boxed edition is fully patched.
- Find the active installation: Identify the folder containing the copy of
fsx.exethat you actually launch. This matters when boxed FSX and Steam Edition have both been installed, or when Steam uses a library on another drive. Our guide to identifying the active Steam FSX folder and its add-on files explains where to look. - Run the correct installer: Select FSX or FSX: Steam Edition when offered, and verify the detected path. If Windows denies access because FSX is under
Program Files, close the installer and run it once with administrator privileges. - Install all supporting components: Allow the installer to add Couatl, the Addon Manager and the required vehicle or scenery data. Do not move individual GSX folders afterwards.
- Accept FSX security prompts: On the next launch, permit the trusted GSX-related modules to run. Rejecting one of these prompts can leave FSX working while the GSX menu remains absent.
- Activate the licence: Use the licence manager or Addon Manager entry supplied with the product. Activation must apply to the same Windows account and FSX installation being used.
- Verify the installation: Start a flight and inspect FSX's Add-ons menu. Couatl- and GSX-related entries should appear; the first run may also build an airport cache.
How do I start GSX and request ground services?
Park at a recognised airport stand, set the parking brake and open the GSX menu with its assigned key combination—commonly Ctrl+F12 unless it has been changed or claimed by another add-on.
- Start at a gate or parking position: Select a proper stand from the FSX airport menu rather than starting on a runway or moving there with slew mode.
- Set the aircraft state: Stop at the stand, apply the parking brake and shut down engines when the requested service requires it.
- Choose a service: Request deboarding after arrival, or catering, refuelling and boarding before departure. GSX will display any doors or aircraft conditions that need attention.
- Follow the door prompts: Open passenger and cargo doors with the aircraft's own controls. Unsupported aircraft may need a custom GSX aircraft configuration so vehicles approach the correct locations.
- Request pushback: Select the offered direction and release the parking brake only when instructed. Start engines according to the aircraft procedure and GSX prompts.
A fuller breakdown of the GSX service menu and turnaround sequence covers boarding, ground equipment, aircraft profiles and pushback choices in more detail.
Complex aircraft often manage fuel and payload through their own control panel. If GSX tells you to use the aircraft's refuelling system, do that rather than repeatedly requesting the fuel truck. Boarding and baggage animations also do not guarantee that an add-on aircraft's passenger count or loaded weight has changed.
Does GSX control FSX jetways and pushback?
GSX ground services and FSX jetway operation are related but not identical. A stock FSX jetway normally uses Ctrl+J, while supported replacement or third-party jetways may be operated through GSX or their associated control system.
Do not issue stock FSX pushback commands while a GSX tug is connected. Our comparison of GSX with FSX's built-in pushback and ground-service controls shows which system should handle each action.
Why is GSX not appearing or working in FSX?
A missing GSX menu almost always means the installer targeted the wrong FSX copy, Couatl did not start, SimConnect is unavailable or security software blocked a component.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No GSX or Couatl entry under Add-ons | Wrong FSX path, rejected module prompt, missing SimConnect or blocked files | Run the GSX repair or installer against the active fsx.exe, accept trusted-module prompts and check the Steam Edition add-on activation and SimConnect steps. |
Ctrl+F12 does nothing | Keyboard conflict or stopped Couatl process | Use the Add-ons menu to restart Couatl or show the GSX menu, then assign a different shortcut if necessary. |
| GSX cannot find the parking stand | Outdated airport cache, an unrecognised stand or conflicting airport files | Let GSX rebuild its airport data after scenery changes and remove duplicate airport layout files. |
| Vehicles stop in the wrong place | Incorrect aircraft door or handling-point data | Open the GSX aircraft configuration tool and set the passenger, cargo and service positions for that aircraft variant. |
| A service is greyed out or cancelled | Parking brake, engine, door or stand conditions are not satisfied | Read the on-screen reason, correct that aircraft state and request the service again. |
If security software has quarantined Couatl or an Addon Manager component, restore the file only after confirming it belongs to the legitimate GSX installation, add an appropriate exception and run the repair installer. Avoid mixing files from different GSX editions; a clean repair is safer than manually copying modules between FSX installations.