How do I install and use a GTN 750 add-on in MSFS?
To install a GTN 750 add-on in Microsoft Flight Simulator, install the required base gauge or companion software and any aircraft-specific integration, then select the GTN-equipped panel. In the cockpit, power the avionics, select GPS as the CDI source, enter a flight plan and, when coupling the autopilot, use NAV or APR mode as required.
Which GTN 750 package does my aircraft need?
The aircraft’s panel integration determines which GTN 750 implementation you must install. A GTN-shaped bezel does not necessarily include the working navigator behind it.
Common implementations include the PMS50 GTN 750 and TDS GTNXi. They use different software and aircraft hooks, so they are not interchangeable unless the aircraft explicitly provides separate panel options for both. Check whether the aircraft includes the navigator, requires a named base package or supports only selected functions.
| Delivery type | What gets installed | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Community package | A base gauge plus any aircraft integration packages | Nested folders and duplicate old versions commonly stop it loading |
| Installer or companion software | A desktop component and, where supplied, a bridge or panel integration | The companion component may need to be running and may use separate navigation data |
| Marketplace package | Installed through the simulator’s library or content manager | It works only with aircraft and platforms specifically supported by the product |
Aircraft descriptions also differ in what “GTN support” means. The Tecnam P92 configuration with an optional GTN 750 is an example of a selectable panel, while the RV-7/RV-7A package’s partial GTN integration shows why a GTN label does not promise every page, button or autopilot function.
How do I install a GTN 750 on PC?
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Installing or replacing an avionics package while the simulator is running can leave the old version loaded.
- Confirm compatibility. Match the named GTN implementation, aircraft release and simulator generation. An MSFS 2020 package should not be assumed to support MSFS 2024 unless its documentation says so.
- Choose the correct installation route. Marketplace purchases belong in the simulator’s own library; our comparison of Marketplace and manual installation explains why the two methods should not be mixed. For an installer-based GTN, use its supplied installer rather than moving generated files manually.
- Extract manual packages into the Community folder. The actual package folder should normally contain
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonat its top level. If the download contains several package folders, copy each required package rather than the outer archive folder. Our manual add-on installation walkthrough covers Community-folder locations and the nested-folder mistake. - Install the aircraft integration. Keep it as a separate Community package unless its supplied installer handles the files. Do not paste gauge files directly into an Official or streamed aircraft directory.
- Remove superseded copies. Two versions of the same gauge or integration can override one another unpredictably.
- Select the GTN panel. Some aircraft use a separate variant; others expose the option through an EFB, cockpit control or configurator. Restart the simulator after changing packages.
Console installation limits
Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles do not expose a Community folder. A GTN 750 can therefore be installed only when a Marketplace product explicitly supports that console and the chosen aircraft. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released on PlayStation; PlayStation support applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 only.
How do I use the GTN 750 and autopilot?
The GTN supplies navigation guidance, but the aircraft’s CDI and autopilot must be configured to follow it.
- Power the unit. Turn on the battery, alternator or generators and the relevant avionics master. Allow the GTN to initialise, acknowledge its start-up page and check screen brightness.
- Create or import the route. Use the unit’s flight-plan, Direct-To and procedure controls, or import the World Map route if that integration supports it. Some GTN implementations synchronise only part of a simulator flight plan, so edit the route in one place rather than changing both copies.
- Select GPS as the CDI source. Confirm the HSI or CDI shows GPS guidance, usually as a magenta course. The selector may be on the GTN, PFD or another cockpit control.
- Check the active leg. The desired leg should be magenta and sequencing towards the correct waypoint. Loading an approach does not always activate the intended approach leg.
- Couple the autopilot. Intercept the course and select NAV. Heading mode will continue following the selected heading even when a valid GTN route is displayed.
- Use approach mode when appropriate. For a supported RNAV approach, keep GPS selected and arm APR when established for the procedure. Confirm that lateral and vertical guidance are displayed before relying on the autopilot.
For an ILS or localiser approach, verify the frequency and change from GPS to VLOC or LOC guidance when required. Some installations tune or switch automatically, but the cockpit indication is the authority: magenta normally denotes GPS guidance, while green denotes radio-navigation guidance.
Why is the GTN 750 black or not following the route?
Most GTN failures come from missing electrical power, the wrong base package, a duplicated installation or an incorrect CDI source.
| Symptom | Checks and fixes |
|---|---|
| Completely black screen | Check the avionics bus, battery, generators, avionics master and brightness. Start any companion component required by that GTN implementation. |
| Bezel appears but display does not work | Install the exact base gauge named by the aircraft. A panel integration alone may supply only the bezel and click areas. |
| No GTN panel option | Select the correct aircraft variant and confirm that the integration supports the installed aircraft version. |
| Autopilot ignores the route | Select GPS as the CDI source, activate the correct leg, intercept the course and arm NAV. Confirm that HDG mode has not remained active. |
| Approach has no vertical guidance | Confirm the procedure provides supported vertical guidance and that the aircraft’s autopilot can capture it. Not every RNAV approach or panel integration supports a glidepath. |
| Waypoints or procedures differ | The simulator and an external GTN component may use different navigation-data cycles. Use matching supported data where possible and verify the procedure against the cockpit display. |
| Route duplicates or changes unexpectedly | A World Map plan and the GTN may be synchronising imperfectly. Load the route once, then make subsequent edits in the GTN only. |
If the problem appeared after updating the simulator, aircraft or GTN, test with only the base GTN package and one aircraft integration in the Community folder. Restore unrelated packages one at a time; this exposes conflicts far faster than repeatedly reinstalling the same gauge.