How do I set my aircraft callsign in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Set your aircraft callsign in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, choose the right fields, and fix ATC using the wrong name.
Set your aircraft callsign before loading the flight. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open the aircraft selector on the World Map and choose ATC Options; in MSFS 2024, open the aircraft customisation or identity options in Free Flight. Enter the Call Sign and Flight Number, then apply the changes.
How to set the callsign in MSFS 2020 and 2024
The callsign controls how Microsoft Flight Simulator's built-in ATC addresses your aircraft.
- Open the flight-planning screen. Use the World Map in MSFS 2020 or Free Flight in MSFS 2024.
- Select your aircraft. Open its ATC Options, Customisation or identity panel. The precise label differs between the two simulators and can also vary with interface updates.
- Enter the Tail Number. This is the aircraft registration, such as
N123ABorG-ABCD. - Enter the Call Sign. For an airline flight, use the spoken airline telephony name, such as
Speedbird, rather than an ICAO code such asBAW. - Enter the Flight Number. Use the number alone, such as
123; do not repeat the airline name in this box. - Apply the settings before flying. Close the panel, check that the values remain populated and then load the flight.
If you also want to alter the registration painted on the model, see our explanation of tail-number and aircraft identity settings in MSFS. Some add-on liveries have a registration baked into their textures, so changing the ATC identity may not change the number visible outside.
What should I enter for a GA or airline flight?
Use the tail number for general aviation and a recognised airline callsign plus flight number for airline operations.
| Flight type | Tail Number | Call Sign | Flight Number | Expected ATC identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General aviation | N123AB | Leave blank | Leave blank | Registration spoken phonetically |
| Airline | Aircraft registration | Speedbird | 123 | Speedbird 123 |
| Private or charter flight using registration | Aircraft registration | Leave blank | Leave blank | Registration spoken phonetically |
A callsign is not always the same as an airline name or three-letter code. Our guide to choosing a realistic ATC callsign explains when to use a registration, airline telephony designator or flight number.
If the identity panel offers an option to append Heavy, select it only for an aircraft operated with that wake-turbulence suffix. It changes ATC wording; it does not alter aircraft performance.
Why does ATC use the wrong callsign?
Built-in ATC usually uses the wrong identity because a field is misplaced, the callsign is unsupported or the flight was loaded before the settings changed.
- ICAO code entered instead of the spoken callsign: enter the telephony name the controller would say, not merely a three-letter airline code.
- Registration entered in Call Sign: put the registration in Tail Number and leave the other identity fields blank for a normal GA flight.
- Airline name repeated: enter the airline callsign once and place only the flight number in its separate field.
- Unsupported pronunciation: Microsoft Flight Simulator's speech system does not pronounce every custom operator correctly. If it cannot handle the intended callsign, use the aircraft registration instead.
- Aircraft or livery changed: changing aircraft can restore or replace identity values, so check the ATC fields again.
- Add-on-controlled identity: some detailed aircraft include registration or operator settings in their tablet or cockpit configuration. These may affect the visible aircraft without changing the built-in ATC identity, or vice versa.
Once the identity is correct, our explanation of using MSFS's flight-plan-based ATC covers initial clearance, frequency changes and readbacks.
Can I change the callsign after starting the flight?
Not reliably for built-in ATC; set the callsign before pressing Fly and reload the flight after changing it.
The ATC system can retain the identity assigned when the flight was created. Changing a registration through an aircraft tablet or cockpit control during the flight may alter only the visual model, not what the controller says.
Does the MSFS callsign carry over to multiplayer?
The built-in ATC callsign does not necessarily control the identity displayed by multiplayer or an external online ATC client.
Standard multiplayer may display an account or player name, while an online ATC client normally asks for its own connection callsign. Set that separately and use the same identity in both places if you want consistent labels and radio calls.