How do I use autopilot in FSX?

To use autopilot in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, stabilise and trim the aircraft, set a heading and target altitude, engage AP or CMD, then select one lateral mode such as HDG and one vertical mode such as ALT or VS. Keep controlling power unless the aircraft has autothrottle.

FSX does not have one universal autopilot panel. Its default aircraft share basic simulator commands, but a Bendix/King unit, an airliner mode control panel and a third-party system may use different engagement, arming and capture logic.

How do I engage the FSX autopilot?

The easiest way to learn the FSX autopilot is to test heading and altitude control during stable, level flight.

1. Take off manually. Climb to a safe height and establish a normal airspeed before attempting to engage anything.
2. Stabilise and trim the aircraft. Autopilot is not a recovery system. Correct a stall, steep bank or rapid descent manually before handing over control.
3. Set the heading bug and altitude. HDG follows the heading bug, not necessarily the direction in which the nose is pointing. Enter the target altitude if the panel has an altitude selector.
4. Engage the autopilot master. Press AP, CMD or the equivalent panel control. The default Z assignment toggles the autopilot master in standard installations, although detailed add-ons may ignore generic FSX commands. Our complete FSX autopilot key reference lists the standard mode assignments.
5. Select a lateral mode. Use HDG for the heading bug, NAV for a valid radio or GPS course, or APR for a properly configured approach.
6. Select a vertical mode. ALT holds or captures altitude according to the fitted system. VS commands a climb or descent rate. Merely entering a new altitude does not always make the aircraft climb.
7. Confirm the active modes and manage power. Watch the annunciations and the aircraft’s initial response. A selected mode may be armed rather than active, and most general-aviation autopilots do not operate the throttle.

A lit AP button only confirms that the servos are engaged. It does not guarantee that heading, navigation or altitude guidance has been selected.

What do HDG, NAV, ALT and APR mean?

Each mode controls one part of the flight path, so choose it according to the guidance you want the aircraft to follow.

How do I make FSX autopilot climb or descend?

Set the target altitude, select an appropriate vertical mode and verify that the aircraft moves in the intended direction without approaching a stall or overspeed.

With VS mode, select a positive vertical speed to climb and a negative value to descend. Add power for the climb and reduce it as necessary in descent. If the airspeed falls, reduce the requested climb rate rather than expecting the autopilot to create more performance than the aircraft has.

Altitude capture depends on the panel. Some systems automatically arm the selected altitude while VS is active; others require an ARM or ALT selection at the correct stage. ALT may hold the altitude at which it was pressed rather than fly immediately to the number in the selector window. The mode annunciation is the reliable indication.

How do I make FSX autopilot follow GPS or intercept a VOR or ILS?

FSX autopilot will track navigation guidance only when the correct source is selected, a valid course or active GPS leg exists, and the aircraft approaches it from sensible geometry.

1. Prepare the navigation source. Load or activate the GPS flight plan, or tune the required VOR or ILS frequency.
2. Select GPS or NAV. On aircraft with a NAV/GPS selector, choose GPS for the magenta flight-plan route and NAV for radio guidance.
3. Establish an intercept. Use HDG to approach the desired course at a moderate angle. NAV may not capture cleanly when the aircraft is parallel to the course, beyond the active waypoint or approaching from the wrong side.
4. Engage NAV. Confirm that NAV changes from armed to active and that the aircraft turns towards the intended leg or radio course.
5. Use APR only for an approach. For an ILS, intercept the localiser and approach the glideslope from below. Do not expect every GPS approach in stock FSX to provide ILS-style vertical guidance.

If the aircraft stays in HDG, follows the wrong GPS leg or flies through the course, use our diagnostic checklist for GPS and NAV tracking. A mistake we see constantly is pressing NAV before selecting the correct source or activating a usable flight-plan leg.

What changes with Bendix/King and airliner autopilots?

Bendix/King and airliner systems use the same broad lateral and vertical concepts, but their buttons, default modes and altitude-capture sequences are not interchangeable.

How does a Bendix/King autopilot work in FSX?

A Bendix/King autopilot such as the KAP 140 requires close attention to its display, selected altitude and armed modes rather than just the AP button.

The default Cessna 172 is the most useful aircraft for learning this style of panel. Its altitude selection and capture behaviour can surprise pilots accustomed to a jet MCP, so follow our worked KAP 140 sequence in the default Cessna 172 for the aircraft-specific procedure.

How is an airliner autopilot different in FSX?

An FSX airliner separates the flight director, autopilot servos and autothrottle into related but distinct systems.

• FD or flight director displays steering commands but does not by itself move the controls.
• CMD engages an autopilot channel that follows the selected or armed modes.
• A/T arms the autothrottle; AP or CMD alone does not control thrust.
• The mode control panel contains the heading, altitude, vertical-speed and selected-speed targets.

For the stock jumbo jet, our default Boeing 747 MCP procedure explains the correct relationship between FD, autothrottle, CMD and altitude capture.

How do speed and Mach modes work in FSX: Steam Edition?

FSX: Steam Edition uses the same basic default-aircraft autopilot logic as the corresponding boxed FSX installation; there is no separate Steam-only Mach or course-intercept procedure.

In a default airliner, SPD or MACH normally belongs to the autothrottle system, while HDG, NAV or approach modes handle the lateral intercept. At higher altitude, the selected-speed display may be switched between indicated airspeed and Mach where the aircraft supports it. Changing those units does not alter the navigation source or make NAV capture a course.

Monitor pitch and thrust even with autothrottle engaged. A demanding VS climb can reduce speed despite high thrust, while a steep descent may require speedbrake or a lower descent rate.

Why is my FSX autopilot not working?

Most FSX autopilot faults are caused by missing electrical power, the wrong active mode or navigation source, poor intercept geometry, conflicting controls or unrealistic speed and vertical-speed demands.

• It will not engage: check electrical and avionics power, aircraft failures and the panel’s own engagement requirements. Some add-ons use custom logic and do not respond to Z or other generic events.
• AP is on but nothing happens: select a lateral and vertical mode. The master switch can be engaged without HDG, NAV or altitude guidance doing what you expected.
• HDG turns the wrong way: inspect the heading bug. HDG follows that marker, not the current nose direction or GPS track.
• NAV will not capture: verify the NAV/GPS switch, active GPS leg, radio frequency and course. Reposition with HDG for a cleaner intercept.
• The aircraft climbs or descends towards the wrong altitude: check the sign of the selected vertical speed and whether altitude capture is armed. Changing the altitude selector alone may not start vertical movement.
• Airspeed collapses: reduce the climb rate, add power and recover manually if near a stall. VS controls pitch, not engine performance.
• The aircraft oscillates: return to normal simulation rate, stabilise speed and trim, and reduce extreme weather or control inputs before re-engaging.
• It disconnects or fights the controls: release control pressure and inspect joystick axes, duplicate assignments and mapped disconnect buttons. Noisy hardware can continually oppose the servos.

What should I test if the autopilot still does not work?

A controlled test in an unmodified default aircraft separates an FSX-wide control problem from aircraft-specific autopilot logic.

1. Load the default Cessna 172 with electrical and avionics power available, normal simulation rate and no deliberate system failure.
2. Establish level flight in calm conditions, then trim and maintain a safe airspeed.
3. Move the heading bug about 20 degrees from the present heading, engage AP and HDG, and watch for a controlled turn. Test altitude hold only after the turn is stable.
4. Interpret the result. If the default aircraft works, the original aircraft probably uses different panel logic or custom commands. If neither works, inspect assignments, controller inputs, electrical state and failure settings.

If the cockpit button works but the keyboard shortcut does not, the assignment is the likely fault. If the shortcut works but an add-on panel does not, check that aircraft’s required power, flight-director state and custom engagement sequence.

Does FSX autopilot control the throttle or land the plane?

FSX autopilot controls neither throttle nor the complete landing unless the selected aircraft has separate, functional autothrottle and autoland systems.

Most general-aviation aircraft require manual throttle control throughout. Airliners may provide autothrottle, but it must be armed and placed in the appropriate speed or thrust mode; engaging CMD is not enough.

APR can track an ILS localiser and glideslope when the frequency, navigation source, course and intercept are correct. That does not guarantee automatic flare, touchdown, braking or runway tracking. Unless the aircraft explicitly supports autoland and is configured for it, disconnect the autopilot once established and complete the landing manually.

Take control smoothly when disconnecting. The autopilot may have applied substantial pitch trim during a climb or descent, so be ready for the existing control forces and retrim promptly. FSX has no universal autopilot-disconnect height; use the procedure appropriate to the aircraft and approach.