Missing taxi guidance arrows in FSX? Enable Progressive Taxi and fix absent menu options, invisible routes and add-on airport scenery conflicts.
In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, taxi guidance arrows appear only after the built-in ATC system issues a Ground taxi clearance and you select Turn on Progressive Taxi. If that option is missing, no valid route exists; if it fails at one add-on airport, conflicting or broken airport scenery is usually responsible.
How do I turn on taxi guidance arrows in FSX?
Request a routed taxi clearance through FSX ATC, then enable Progressive Taxi from the ATC menu. The procedure is the same in boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition.
- Open the ATC window. Before departure, select the airport's Ground frequency. After landing, clear the runway first and contact Ground when instructed.
- Request taxi clearance. Ask to taxi to the active runway for departure or to a parking position after landing.
- Acknowledge the clearance. Once FSX has calculated and issued the route, select Turn on Progressive Taxi from the ATC menu.
- Follow the magenta arrows. They should run from your position to the assigned runway or parking area. The ATC menu can switch them off again.
There is no global display setting that leaves the arrows permanently enabled. They must be requested again for each new taxi clearance. Our step-by-step Progressive Taxi menu sequence covers the departure and arrival procedure in more detail.
What does each Progressive Taxi problem mean?
The point at which the process fails usually reveals whether the problem is ATC, airport scenery or rendering.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| No Turn on Progressive Taxi option | FSX has not issued a valid routed taxi clearance, or the airport has no suitable Ground service | Contact Ground at a controlled airport and request taxi before looking for the option. |
| The menu says Turn off Progressive Taxi, but no arrows are visible | The route is active, but the arrows are not being rendered or are hidden below add-on ground scenery | Test a stock airport, then disable DX10 Preview and graphics modifications temporarily. |
| Arrows work at default airports but not one add-on airport | Broken taxi links, duplicate airport-definition files, elevation trouble or a custom ground polygon | Disable that airport package and retest the default version. |
| Arrows stop at the same junction every time | A taxiway path is disconnected or the assigned destination is not linked correctly | Request another destination; if the failure repeats, treat it as an airport-data fault. |
| The route follows the wrong taxiways | FSX is using an outdated or conflicting airport layout | Check for another scenery or AI package supplying data for the same airport. |
A common mistake is expecting the arrows to appear merely because the ATC window is open. FSX must first calculate a route between connected points in the active airport definition. At an uncontrolled airfield, normal built-in ATC may offer traffic announcements but no routed Ground clearance, so native Progressive Taxi will not be available.
Why are the arrows missing only at one add-on airport?
A failure confined to one airport almost always comes from that airport's active scenery rather than the aircraft or the main FSX installation.
Progressive Taxi reads taxiway paths, junction nodes, runway links and parking connections from the airport-definition BGL, often informally called the AFCAD. A single disconnected link can prevent a complete route. Two packages defining the same airport can also produce a mixed or unintended layout.
- Disable the airport add-on. Use the Scenery Library to deactivate it, restart FSX and test the stock airport at the same ICAO code.
- Compare the result. If the default airport works, do not reset the entire simulator; the fault is inside the add-on or a conflicting package.
- Check for duplicate airport data. Regional scenery, AI traffic packages and older airport versions can all include another definition for the same field. Disable packages one at a time rather than deleting individual BGL files blindly.
- Review scenery priority. The intended airport normally needs to take precedence over broader packages covering the same area. Follow any layering instructions supplied with the add-on.
- Reinstall before editing. A clean copy is safer than modifying taxi links unless you understand airport design and have backed up the scenery.
If ATC accepts the route and the menu changes to Turn off Progressive Taxi, the taxi network may be valid even though no arrows can be seen. Custom ground polygons or an elevation mismatch can place the arrows beneath the visible apron or taxiway surface.
Are missing taxiway signs the same problem?
Physical taxiway signs and Progressive Taxi arrows are separate features. The yellow-and-black direction and location boards are scenery objects; the magenta arrows are generated dynamically from an ATC route.
If the signs are absent but Progressive Taxi still works, use our checks for missing physical taxiway signs and airport BGL conflicts. Display settings, scenery exclusions and an incomplete add-on installation are more relevant there.
What should I check if arrows are missing at every FSX airport?
If Progressive Taxi fails at stock controlled airports as well, separate an ATC-routing failure from a visual rendering fault before repairing FSX.
- Run a clean stock-airport test. Choose a default controlled airport with a Ground frequency, obtain a short taxi clearance and avoid add-on scenery for that location.
- Inspect the ATC menu. If it offers Turn off Progressive Taxi, FSX has activated the route. Concentrate on rendering rather than radio or ATC settings.
- Disable DX10 Preview. Turn the preview renderer off in FSX's display settings, close the simulator completely and start it again. This is a diagnostic step, not a guaranteed fix.
- Remove graphics changes temporarily. Replacement shaders and other rendering modifications can interfere with legacy airport overlays. Retest before changing anything else.
- Rebuild the active configuration. Back up and rename
fsx.cfg, then let FSX create a clean file on the next launch. This resets display, controller and other preferences, so restore the backup if it makes no difference. - Repair the simulator last. Verify FSX: Steam Edition's installed files through its client, or use the boxed edition's repair process. Back up add-ons and modified default files because repair or verification can replace them.
Scenery Complexity, Autogen Density, road traffic and airport vehicle settings do not switch Progressive Taxi on. Changing aircraft is also unlikely to help: the arrows belong to the simulator's airport and ATC systems, not the aircraft panel.
Do FSX taxi arrows follow the flight plan or add-on ATC?
Progressive Taxi follows the ground route calculated by FSX's built-in ATC, not the GPS route or airborne flight plan.
Third-party or human ATC does not automatically trigger the native arrows. If no built-in FSX Ground clearance has been generated, use the taxi guidance supplied by that system or an airport chart instead. Even when the arrows work, treat them as a visual aid rather than a substitute for hold-short instructions and airport signage.