Learn how to use FSX Free Flight ATC with an IFR plan, clearances, frequency hand-offs and vectors, plus what mission-style guidance cannot carry over.
To use ATC in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition Free Flight, create and load an IFR flight plan, start at a controlled airport, open the ATC window, obtain clearance, and follow each frequency hand-off. This reproduces normal clearances and vectors, but not a mission’s scripted narration, gates, prompts, or objectives.
Why does Free Flight ATC feel different from a mission?
Free Flight ATC follows the simulator’s standard air-traffic rules, while Missions can trigger custom instructions at particular positions, altitudes or objectives. A voice telling you to turn, lower the landing gear or fly through a marker may be part of the mission script rather than the ATC system.
That distinction is covered in our explanation of how scripted Missions differ from open-ended Free Flight. Free Flight has no mission triggers, scoring or objective markers, even when ATC is active.
How do I set up full ATC guidance in FSX Free Flight?
The reliable way to receive clearances, hand-offs and approach vectors is to load an IFR flight plan before departure.
- Create and load an IFR flight plan. In the built-in Flight Planner, choose departure and destination airports, select IFR, calculate the route and confirm that it is loaded into the active flight. Our step-by-step FSX Flight Planner instructions explain the routing choices and loading process.
- Start from parking at a controlled airport. Select a gate or parking position if you want the complete clearance, taxi and take-off sequence. Starting on the runway skips some ground procedures, while an uncontrolled airfield has no local clearance, ground or tower service.
- Open the ATC window. The default command is the grave-accent or backtick key,
`, although keyboard layouts and custom control assignments can change it. Select responses with the displayed number keys. Stock FSX ATC is menu-driven and does not recognise speech through a microphone. - Request your IFR clearance. Tune Clearance Delivery using the ATC menu and select the IFR clearance option. At airports without a separate delivery frequency, the appropriate ground or tower controller may handle it instead.
- Follow each frequency hand-off. A typical sequence is clearance, ground, tower, departure, en-route controller, approach, tower and ground. Not every airport has every position. After acknowledging a hand-off, select the option to contact the next controller; acknowledging alone does not change frequency.
- Fly the assigned clearance. Follow headings and altitudes exactly until ATC clears you to resume your own navigation. Selecting an ATC response acknowledges the instruction, but it does not change the autopilot, heading selector or altitude setting for you.
- Complete the arrival. Approach will normally assign a runway and provide vectors or an approach clearance. After landing, clear the runway, contact ground when instructed and request taxi to parking.
What guidance will FSX ATC provide?
An IFR flight plan is the closest Free Flight equivalent to the structured ATC found in guided missions.
| Flight type | Guidance provided |
|---|---|
| Free Flight with IFR plan | IFR clearance, assigned altitudes and headings, controller hand-offs, traffic calls, approach handling and landing clearance. |
| Free Flight with VFR flight following | Controller contact and traffic advisories where available, but not continuous route, altitude or approach guidance. |
| Free Flight without a filed plan | Local taxi, take-off and landing services at controlled airports, plus available nearby-controller options. |
| Guided Mission | Any standard ATC used by the mission, plus scripted narration, triggers, checkpoints, objectives and failure conditions. |
IFR does not mean ATC will issue a heading every minute. During the en-route phase, a controller may tell you to resume your own navigation and remain silent until a traffic call, altitude change or hand-off. You must then follow the loaded GPS or radio-navigation route yourself.
Why is FSX ATC silent or not guiding me?
FSX ATC usually becomes limited because the plan was not filed as IFR, the correct controller was never contacted or a frequency hand-off was missed.
- The route exists only in an add-on FMC or GPS. Stock ATC cannot see a route entered solely into an aircraft’s separate flight-management system. Load the route through the FSX Flight Planner as an IFR plan.
- The plan was filed as VFR. A VFR plan does not generate IFR clearances, assigned cruise altitudes or full approach vectors.
- You acknowledged a hand-off but did not contact the next controller. Reopen the ATC window and select the displayed contact option.
- You started at an uncontrolled airport. Depart under local procedures, then contact an available approach or en-route controller. The options depend on radio range and local ATC coverage.
- ATC is quiet while you fly the route. Silence between instructions is normal after being cleared to resume your own navigation.
- The voice is missing or the menu offers no useful choices. Check radio tuning, ATC voice volume, the selected airport and whether the plan is active. Our FSX ATC radio and audio troubleshooting checks cover these faults in detail.
Can FSX ATC coach me through the flight like a mission?
No—standard Free Flight ATC controls traffic and clearances, but it is not a flying instructor or mission narrator.
It will not reliably tell you when to retract flaps, change power, lower the landing gear or complete a scripted objective. For the closest approximation, use an IFR flight plan, begin at a controlled gate, keep ATC text enabled and follow the complete controller sequence; replay the Mission itself when you need its custom prompts and checkpoints.