Install and use Toolbar Pushback in MSFS on PC, locate the correct Community folder, operate the tug and fix a missing icon or failed pushback.
On PC, install Toolbar Pushback by extracting its package folder into Microsoft Flight Simulator’s active Community folder, then restart the simulator and open its icon from the in-game toolbar. Park with the brake set, connect the tug, plan or steer the pushback, release the brake when prompted, then stop, reapply it and disconnect.
Which Toolbar Pushback version should you install?
First identify whether you have the original community Toolbar Pushback or Aerosoft Toolbar Pushback Pro, because they are separate products with different installers and compatibility requirements. Do not merge their folders or leave duplicate versions active.
For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, use a release explicitly marked as compatible with MSFS 2024. A toolbar package designed for MSFS 2020 may work partially, fail to display or interfere with other ground-service systems.
How to install Toolbar Pushback in MSFS
A ZIP-based PC add-on belongs in the active Community folder; a Marketplace or installer-delivered edition should be installed through the system that supplied it. Do not copy a Marketplace download or an unextracted ZIP into Community.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. The simulator scans packages during startup, so installing while it is running may leave the panel unavailable until a full restart.
- Locate the active Community folder. If MSFS was installed in a custom location, find the
InstalledPackagesPathentry inUserCfg.opt; the relevant Community folder sits under that packages location. - Extract the downloaded archive. If it contains documentation and a separate package directory, copy only the actual add-on package into Community.
- Check the folder depth. Files such as
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonshould be directly inside the package folder. A path resemblingCommunity/package/package/manifest.jsonis one level too deep and is a common reason the icon never appears. - Restart MSFS and load a flight. Move the pointer to the top of the screen, open the toolbar and select the pushback panel. Our explanation of how to show, pin and manage MSFS toolbar panels covers hidden or disabled icons.
How do you use Toolbar Pushback?
Use Toolbar Pushback from a stationary parking stand, with the aircraft prepared for movement and only one tug system controlling it.
- Prepare the aircraft. Close the doors, retract the jetway and remove chocks or other ground equipment through the aircraft’s EFB if applicable. Set the parking brake.
- Open the pushback panel. Select its icon from the in-game toolbar. If the panel offers route planning, create the path before requesting the tug.
- Request or connect the tug. Wait until the panel or ground crew indicates that it is attached. Do not activate the simulator’s built-in tug at the same time.
- Release the parking brake when instructed. Check that toe brakes are not being held by noisy pedals and that an aircraft-specific chock system is not still active.
- Start the pushback. Follow the planned route or use small manual steering inputs. Depending on the edition, left and right may refer to the aircraft’s nose, its tail or the tug’s direction, so confirm the response before committing to a tight turn.
- Stop in the required position. Command the tug to stop, wait until the aircraft is stationary, set the parking brake and then disconnect or end pushback.
An ATC pushback clearance and a tug command are not the same thing. If an ATC menu option starts the native MSFS tug, do not also start Toolbar Pushback; use one controlling system for the whole manoeuvre.
Should you use planned or manual pushback?
| Mode | Best used when | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Planned route | The stand is tight, the exit path has several turns or you want a repeatable result. | Sharp corners, sloping aprons and inaccurate add-on scenery can produce poor tug paths. |
| Manual control | You need a simple straight push and turn, or the planned route does not follow the apron correctly. | Large steering inputs cause overcorrection, especially from an external camera. |
Why is Toolbar Pushback not showing or moving the aircraft?
Most Toolbar Pushback failures come from an incorrect package location, an incompatible build, held brakes or two pushback systems issuing commands together.
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| No toolbar icon | Confirm that the archive was extracted, the package is in the active Community folder and its manifest is not buried inside a second folder. Community add-ons are also disabled when MSFS is launched in Safe Mode. |
| Panel is blank or will not open | Remove duplicate or older editions, restart the simulator and install a build intended for your MSFS generation. |
| Tug connects but the aircraft does not move | Release the parking brake only when prompted, centre the toe brakes, remove EFB-controlled chocks and test at another stand in case scenery geometry is blocking the tug. |
| Pushback starts, stops or changes direction unexpectedly | Disable other pushback add-ons and check for a controller button assigned to the native Toggle Pushback command. Our MSFS keyboard and control-binding reference helps identify the default command. |
| Planned route cuts corners | Redraw it with wider turns or switch to manual mode. Airliner nose gear and main gear follow different arcs, so a route that looks clear at the nose can still place the main wheels badly. |
If the affected product is specifically Aerosoft Toolbar Pushback Pro, use our checks for Pro installation, duplicate packages and missing toolbar icons.
Does Toolbar Pushback work in MSFS 2024 or on console?
Community-folder installation is available only on PC, and MSFS 2024 compatibility depends on the exact Toolbar Pushback release. Install a version whose developer identifies MSFS 2024 support rather than assuming an MSFS 2020 package is interchangeable.
Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 users cannot copy a PC ZIP into a Community folder. A toolbar add-on can be used there only if the exact product is distributed and supported through the simulator’s console system; our guide to the restrictions on installing external MSFS mods on Xbox explains that limitation. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has no PlayStation version.