Set up Air Manager with MSFS 2024 on PC, connect through SimConnect, configure a touchscreen or remote display, and fix frozen instruments.
To set up Air Manager with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, run the simulator on a Windows PC, install the latest Air Manager build and any connector it supplies, load a flight, then select the Microsoft Flight Simulator connection and add a panel matched to your aircraft. Communication uses SimConnect; console editions are not supported.
What do you need before connecting Air Manager?
MSFS 2024 must complete a normal flight on the PC before you add Air Manager. If the simulator itself is not fully installed or cannot load an aircraft, work through our MSFS 2024 PC installation and first-flight checks first.
- A compatible Air Manager release: use a build that explicitly supports MSFS 2024. Update the host and any remote player or tablet app together.
- The correct panel: match the instrument panel to the exact aircraft and avionics package. A panel made for another version of an add-on may connect but send the wrong events.
- A working local network: remote displays must share the simulator PC's private network. Guest Wi-Fi, VPNs and wireless client isolation commonly block discovery.
- An extended desktop: for a second monitor or touchscreen on the same PC, configure Windows to extend rather than duplicate the displays.
Air Manager does not automatically mirror the MSFS cockpit. It draws Air Manager instruments, so you must install or assemble an appropriate panel. Some aircraft-specific instruments also need the bridge or WASM component supplied by Air Manager; install it only when the matching Air Manager build requests it.
How do I connect Air Manager to MSFS 2024?
- Confirm MSFS 2024 works. Load a stock aircraft at an airport and enter the cockpit. Testing from the main menu can leave external applications waiting for aircraft data.
- Install matching Air Manager components. Install Air Manager on the simulator PC, or install its supported host and player components for a remote display. If its installer offers an MSFS bridge, let the installer place it rather than copying files from an older setup.
- Allow private-network access. When Windows Firewall asks, permit Air Manager and its connector on private networks. Public-network access is unnecessary for a normal home setup.
- Select the Microsoft Flight Simulator connection. On the same PC, use automatic discovery or
127.0.0.1if an address is requested. On another device, enter the simulator PC's local IPv4 address, which can be found withipconfig. - Check the profile label. Some compatible builds may retain an MSFS 2020 label for their SimConnect profile. Use that profile with MSFS 2024 only when the Air Manager release identifies it as compatible; do not substitute an FSX or Prepar3D connection.
- Add a simple test instrument. Start with a generic gauge and a stock aircraft rather than a complex third-party airliner. Confirm that values such as altitude or heading change in Air Manager.
- Test commands in both directions. Turn a heading or course control in Air Manager and watch the cockpit. Data moving from MSFS to the panel proves only the read side; a complete test must also send an event back to the aircraft.
- Build and save the final layout. Add the aircraft-specific instruments, move the panel to its intended display, set its size and save the arrangement.
Air Manager normally uses SimConnect directly, so FSUIPC is not required for a basic connection. MSFS 2024 supplies the simulator side of SimConnect; if Air Manager reports a missing client component or every SimConnect application fails, use our SimConnect installation and repair checks instead of installing random legacy packages.
Should Air Manager run on the same PC or another device?
The same PC is the simplest arrangement, while a remote computer or tablet is useful when the instrument display is physically separate.
| Arrangement | When to choose it | Main setup point |
|---|---|---|
| Same PC and second monitor | Best for the simplest connection and troubleshooting | Use automatic discovery or localhost, then extend the Windows desktop |
| Separate Windows computer | Useful for a dedicated cockpit display | Run the matching Air Manager player or app and connect to the simulator PC's local IPv4 address |
| Tablet | Suitable for a compact touchscreen panel | Use the compatible Air Manager tablet product and keep both devices on the same private network |
| Xbox or PlayStation | Not suitable for this setup | Console editions do not provide the supported PC SimConnect and external-application arrangement Air Manager needs |
For a Windows touchscreen, map touch input to the correct display after arranging the monitors. Otherwise, touching the panel may move the pointer on the main simulator screen. Once basic touch and instrument data work, our Air Manager and Knobster configuration notes cover rotary controls and button assignments.
Why does Air Manager connect but the instruments not work?
A connected status only proves that the host can see the simulator; it does not prove that a particular aircraft exposes the variables and events expected by the panel.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No simulator connection | Flight not loaded, incompatible Air Manager build, wrong IP address or firewall block | Load into the cockpit, verify MSFS 2024 support, then test on the same PC with private-network access allowed |
| All gauges are frozen | SimConnect or the supplied bridge has not started correctly | Close Air Manager, load the flight, restart the connector and then reopen Air Manager |
| Generic gauges work but one aircraft panel fails | The panel expects different local variables, events or avionics | Use a panel made for that exact aircraft and version; an MSFS 2020 panel is not automatically compatible with its MSFS 2024 counterpart |
| Gauge values move but buttons do nothing | The instrument is read-only, sends the wrong event or depends on an aircraft-specific bridge | Test a known two-way instrument, install the matching supplied bridge if required and check the panel's aircraft compatibility |
| Remote display cannot find the PC | Wrong address, VPN, guest Wi-Fi or network isolation | Use the simulator PC's local IPv4 address and place both devices on the same private subnet |
| Avionics remain black | The aircraft electrical buses are off, or the selected instrument does not recreate that display | Power the aircraft and confirm that the panel contains an Air Manager instrument rather than expecting an MSFS pop-out window |
A mistake we see constantly is testing a sophisticated aircraft-specific panel first. Prove the connection with one stock aircraft and one generic gauge, then add the complex panel. If a switch operates twice or immediately returns to its old position, remove duplicate joystick, keyboard or hardware assignments before changing the network setup.