Learn how to use ChasePlane in Microsoft Flight Simulator VR, save cockpit positions, stop double movement, and fix recentring or connection problems.
To use ChasePlane in Microsoft Flight Simulator VR, run ChasePlane on the same PC, load an aircraft profile, create a cockpit view for your normal seated position, then enter VR and recall that view. Let the headset control where you look; use ChasePlane to position the camera origin and switch saved viewpoints.
How to set up ChasePlane for MSFS VR
ChasePlane must be connected to the simulator before its camera commands will work in VR. It is a Windows companion application for the PC versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024; it cannot run alongside the Xbox or PlayStation editions.
- Install and test ChasePlane in normal screen mode. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator, load a flight and confirm that ChasePlane detects the simulator and aircraft. Our Windows installation and SimConnect connection steps cover the initial setup.
- Load the correct aircraft profile. Cockpit geometry differs between aircraft and sometimes between variants, so do not assume one pilot-eye position will suit every model.
- Create a dedicated VR cockpit view. Place the camera near the pilot's natural eye point while sitting in your usual neutral posture. Save it separately from monitor-oriented views; the detailed method for creating and saving ChasePlane viewpoints explains the profile and recall process.
- Assign physical controls. Bind your main cockpit views, next and previous view commands, and any camera translation controls you need to a joystick, yoke or keyboard. Also keep the simulator's VR reset command within reach.
- Remove conflicting camera bindings. A button used to recall a ChasePlane view should not also activate an MSFS custom, cockpit or external camera. Duplicate assignments are a common cause of snapping and apparently ignored views.
- Enter VR and establish the tracking centre. Sit normally, switch Microsoft Flight Simulator into VR and use its VR reset or recentre command. Recall the ChasePlane cockpit view, then make small position corrections if the seat height or panel distance is wrong.
- Save the corrected aircraft view. Test it while looking forward, towards both side windows and down at the pedestal. If your head intersects the seat, roof or windscreen frame, move the camera origin rather than trying to correct the problem with zoom.
Treat the ChasePlane control window as a desktop tool rather than an MSFS VR toolbar panel. Configure the profile before putting on the headset, then operate the views through assigned hardware controls; remove the headset briefly when a setting needs editing.
Which ChasePlane settings work best in VR?
VR works best when ChasePlane manages saved positions while the headset remains the only continuous look controller.
| Function | Recommended VR setup | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Head rotation | VR headset only | Two tracking sources produce doubled or unstable movement. |
| Saved cockpit positions | Use ChasePlane profiles | This provides repeatable pilot, co-pilot or instrument-panel eye points. |
| View transitions | Instant or very short | Long camera movements can be uncomfortable in a headset. |
| Camera motion effects | Off or low for initial setup | Shake and inertia compound the natural movement supplied by the headset. |
| Zoom | Avoid for seat adjustment | Translate the camera origin instead of altering apparent image scale. |
| External cameras | Optional, with limited movement | Rapid automated motion is more likely to cause discomfort in VR. |
Can I use ChasePlane head tracking with a VR headset?
Do not run a separate ChasePlane or TrackIR-style head-tracking source alongside VR head tracking. The headset already supplies six-degree-of-freedom movement, so an additional tracker can double rotations, add drift or make the cockpit move when your head is still.
A hat switch remains useful for recalling presets or making deliberate camera translations, but it should not also control continuous cockpit look. Our guide to separating head tracking and hat-switch inputs shows how to prevent those controls from fighting each other.
Why does ChasePlane move, snap or sit incorrectly in VR?
Most ChasePlane VR problems come from duplicate inputs, an incorrect aircraft profile or a tracking origin established from the wrong seating posture.
- Double movement or jitter: disable every non-VR head tracker and temporarily turn off camera-motion effects.
- The view snaps back: clear overlapping MSFS and ChasePlane bindings, then test with only one saved-view command assigned.
- The eye point changes between sessions: sit in the same physical position, recenter the headset once and confirm that ChasePlane loaded the intended aircraft variant.
- The viewpoint clips through the cockpit: move the saved camera origin slightly away from the nearby panel, roof or seat. Do not compensate with zoom.
- Commands work on the monitor but not in VR: verify that ChasePlane remains connected after the flight loads. VR does not repair a failed SimConnect or simulator-detection connection.
If ChasePlane has not detected the simulator, resolve that before changing VR settings. The relevant connection and activation checks cover launch order, permissions and integration failures.
Should I use ChasePlane or native MSFS views in VR?
Choose ChasePlane when you want aircraft-specific profiles, several repeatable crew positions or view recall from dedicated hardware buttons. Native Microsoft Flight Simulator custom views are simpler when you need only one or two cockpit positions and do not want a companion application running.
Avoid operating both systems from the same controls. Whichever view system you choose should set the cockpit origin, while the VR headset handles normal head movement.