How do I record and replay flights in FS2004 using FS Recorder or Flight Video?

To record and replay a flight in FS2004 (FS9), use the built-in Flight Video for a simple reusable replay, or FS Recorder for formation flying, multiple tracks and planned camera work. Neither creates an editable video file: for footage you can upload or edit, capture the screen while flying or replaying.

Which FS2004 recording method should I use?

Choose FS Recorder for advanced replay work, Flight Video for a straightforward saved replay, Instant Replay for an immediate review, and screen capture when the finished result must be a normal video.

A useful production workflow is to create the aircraft tracks with FS Recorder, arrange the replay and camera views, then screen-capture that replay. This provides repeatable aircraft movement and an ordinary video file for editing or uploading.

FS Recorder for FS2004

FS Recorder is a third-party recorder designed to store simulator movement and flight-state data rather than rendered video frames. Its main advantage over Flight Video is the ability to use saved tracks for formation flying and more involved replay sequences.

The recording primarily reproduces an aircraft's position, attitude and movement. It should not be treated as a complete snapshot of every custom gauge, navigation system, animation, weather effect or external utility running during the original flight.

How do I check whether FS Recorder is compatible with FS2004?

Only install a release whose package description and included documentation explicitly identify Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 or FS9. A version intended only for FSX, Prepar3D or another simulator is not interchangeable with the FS2004 module.

FS2004 installations may be at the original simulator revision or updated to 9.1. Check the simulator's About box, then compare that information with the requirements in the FS Recorder readme. If the package requires a particular FS2004 revision, meet that requirement before installing it; do not assume that every release carrying the FS Recorder name supports both revisions.

How do I install, record and replay with FS Recorder?

1. Close FS2004 and read the package instructions. Some releases use an installer, while others require a module to be placed in a specified FS2004 folder. Use the method and path supplied with that exact release.
2. Start FS2004 and check the menu. Press Alt to reveal the menu bar, then look for the FS Recorder or module entry described in its documentation. If no entry appears, do not begin recording until the installation problem is fixed.
3. Prepare a repeatable starting point. Select the aircraft, airport, weather and time. Saving an ordinary flight first gives you a consistent reset point; our guide to saving and resuming an FS2004 flight explains how that differs from creating a replay track.
4. Check the recording controls. Open FS Recorder's own settings or control dialogue and review its start, stop and playback commands. Add-on shortcuts may be managed inside FS Recorder rather than appearing in FS2004's normal control-assignment list. Reassign any key that conflicts with another add-on.
5. Start recording. Use the recorder's Record command, allow a few seconds before the manoeuvre, and fly the required segment.
6. Stop and save the track. Use FS Recorder's Stop command, followed by its Save command where required. Give the file a descriptive name and note the selected folder; stopping a recording does not necessarily mean that every release has saved it permanently.
7. Load the recording. Open FS Recorder, select its load or open-recording command and choose the saved track. FS Recorder files are separate from stock Flight Video .FSR files and normal FS2004 saved flights.
8. Replay it. Select the loaded track and begin playback. For formation work, use the release's multiple-track or playback-aircraft controls to replay a previously recorded aircraft while you fly another one alongside it.

Can FS Recorder make formation videos?

FS Recorder can supply the repeatable aircraft tracks needed for a formation sequence, but it does not encode the finished video. A common method is to record the leader, replay that track while flying another aircraft, and add further tracks if the installed release supports them.

Once the formation is assembled, choose the required simulator views and use screen capture to produce the final footage. Each extra aircraft track increases the simulator workload, so short sequences are easier to synchronise and usually play more smoothly.

Why is FS Recorder missing or replaying incorrectly?

Most FS Recorder failures come from an incompatible module, an incorrect installation path, unsaved track files or simulator components that the recording does not reproduce.

• No FS Recorder menu appears: confirm that the package is for FS2004, that its files were installed in the exact location named in the readme, and that FS2004 was restarted afterwards. Check whether Windows or security software blocked or quarantined the module. Multiple FS2004 installations can also result in the files being placed under the wrong copy.
• No recording controls appear: look in FS Recorder's own options rather than only in FS2004's assignment screen. Some releases are operated from their menu until shortcuts are assigned. Remove duplicate or conflicting key bindings.
• The simulator revision is unsupported: compare the installed FS2004 revision with the recorder package requirements. Remove a module intended for FSX or another simulator before installing the correct edition; mixing files from different releases can prevent the menu from loading.
• Saved recordings cannot be found: use the folder shown in FS Recorder's save dialogue and confirm that the track was explicitly saved. If FS2004 is installed under a protected Program Files folder, Windows may redirect files to a per-user VirtualStore location. Saving tracks under Documents avoids that confusion.
• The wrong aircraft appears: keep the recorded aircraft and its repaint installed under the same configuration used to make the track. If that aircraft title is missing or has changed, the recorder may substitute another model or fail to reproduce it correctly.
• Gauges or add-on systems disagree with the replay: FS Recorder reproduces the track more reliably than the full internal state of a complex aircraft. Start from the same saved flight and initialise custom systems separately rather than expecting them to rewind with the aircraft.
• Playback is jerky or formation spacing drifts: reduce AI traffic, scenery complexity and the number of simultaneous tracks. Keep the simulator rate at normal speed, use shorter recordings and avoid changing performance-heavy add-ons between recording and playback.

How do I use the built-in FS2004 Flight Video recorder?

Flight Video is the simplest way to save one aircraft's movement for later playback inside FS2004, and it requires no add-on.

1. Prepare the flight. Position the aircraft where the clip should begin and set the required weather, time and aircraft configuration. Save a normal flight if you need to repeat the same starting conditions.
2. Reveal the menu bar. Press Alt if the FS2004 menus are hidden.
3. Open Flight Video. Select Options, followed by Flight Video, and choose the command for recording a new clip.
4. Name the recording. Enter a recognisable file name and confirm. FS2004 commonly stores these clips under My Documents\Flight Simulator Files, shown as Documents\Flight Simulator Files on later Windows installations.
5. Fly the segment. Leave a few seconds before and after the manoeuvre so that camera changes do not cut into the useful part.
6. Stop the recording. Press Esc, then keep or save the clip if FS2004 displays a confirmation prompt.
7. Play the recording. Return to Options and Flight Video, select the saved clip and start playback.

Flight Video recordings use the .FSR extension. If a file is missing, our explanation of FS2004's saved-flight and recording folders covers the usual Documents locations and file-management checks.

Why does a Flight Video recording play incorrectly?

The stock recorder reproduces the aircraft's path more reliably than the complete state of every FS2004 component.

• Complex panels may not rewind: custom gauges, programmed navigation systems and external utilities can retain their live state during playback.
• AI traffic and ATC may change: neither should be relied upon as a synchronised part of a reusable sequence.
• Changed aircraft or scenery can alter an old replay: retain the add-ons used when the clip was recorded.
• Uneven frame rates can cause rough playback: reduce traffic and demanding scenery settings, then record a shorter segment.
• Instant Replay was used instead: Instant Replay shows the recent part of the active session but does not create a reusable .FSR clip.

For more detail on loading clips, Instant Replay and correcting missing or jerky files, see our FS2004 replay controls and troubleshooting steps.

Does FS Recorder or Flight Video create an AVI or MP4?

No. FS Recorder and Flight Video create simulator replay data, not a conventional video containing rendered frames and sound. The files must be replayed through the compatible simulator and recorder.

To upload, edit or watch the result outside FS2004, run a screen recorder while flying or while playing back the saved track. Our guide to capturing flight simulator footage as an ordinary video explains the separate screen-capture workflow.

Can I record an entire FS2004 flight?

Yes, but separate recordings for departure, cruise and arrival are usually more dependable. Long tracks provide more time for AI traffic, complex aircraft systems and frame-rate changes to diverge from the original session.

Save the ordinary flight at useful restart points, then record only the sections you intend to review or film. A saved flight restores a situation; a recorder track preserves movement for playback. They solve different problems and are most useful when used together.