Use a follow-me car in X-Plane 12: choose the right add-on, request the vehicle, follow it safely and fix cars that appear but do not move.
X-Plane 12 does not provide a universal, pilot-controlled follow-me car at every airport. To use one, install a compatible ground-service or follow-me add-on, load a supported airport, then request the vehicle through the add-on’s menu. A car placed only as scenery is decorative and cannot guide your aircraft.
Does X-Plane 12 include a follow-me car?
X-Plane 12 has no standard follow-me service that works with every aircraft and airport. The function must come from an airport scenery package, a ground-service plugin or an aircraft-specific system.
This distinction matters because X-Plane’s available services vary by aircraft and add-on. Our explanation of how ground-service controls work in X-Plane 12 covers the broader controls without assuming that a follow-me vehicle is included.
| Type | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Static scenery object | Displays a parked car or truck but does not respond to your aircraft. | Visual airport detail only. |
| Animated airport vehicle | Follows a route created by the scenery designer, usually without accepting your destination. | Background traffic at a specific airport. |
| Follow-me or ground-service plugin | Spawns or dispatches a vehicle and may lead the aircraft to a selected stand or departure point. | Interactive taxi guidance. |
If you need an interactive service, choose an add-on that explicitly supports X-Plane 12 and follow-me guidance. Our comparison of compatible ground-service plugins helps narrow the options.
How do I set up and request the vehicle?
The exact control differs between add-ons, but the normal process is to install the controller, load a supported airport and request Follow Me from its interface.
- Identify what you downloaded. A plugin belongs in the location specified by its documentation, commonly under
Resources/plugins; an airport or object-based scenery package normally belongs underCustom Scenery. Do not place a scenery object in the plugins folder. - Confirm X-Plane 12 compatibility. Older objects may still render, but their animation scripts or plugin binaries may not work. This legacy X-Plane 11/10 follow-me truck object illustrates the object-based approach, but its older compatibility label should not be treated as confirmation of X-Plane 12 support.
- Load a supported airport. Some systems work wherever the airport has a usable taxi network; others require specially prepared scenery. Start from a sensible stand and set the parking brake while requesting the service.
- Open the add-on’s controls. Look in its Plugins menu, pop-up panel, aircraft EFB or assigned keyboard commands. There is no universal X-Plane key binding for Follow Me.
- Select the service and destination. Choose Follow Me and, when offered, the required stand, gate or departure point. Some add-ons select the destination automatically.
- Wait for the car, then taxi behind it. Release the parking brake only when the route is clear. Keep enough distance to stop if the vehicle pauses, turns sharply or disappears because its route has ended.
Why does the follow-me car appear but not move?
A visible but stationary vehicle is usually a scenery object without active control logic, or an older controller that X-Plane 12 failed to load.
- No plugin menu: Check for an extra nested folder, a missing dependency or an incompatible plugin build. Inspect
Log.txtin the main X-Plane folder after the failed session and search for the add-on’s name or an error message. - Car remains parked: Verify that the package actually offers interactive follow-me behaviour. A downloadable object must be connected to animation logic, a scenery route or a plugin before it can respond.
- Service works at only some airports: The add-on may require airport-specific routes or a complete taxi network. Try a documented supported airport before treating this as an installation failure.
- Vehicle chooses the wrong route: Duplicate airport scenery or an unsuitable taxi network can confuse route selection. Check that the intended airport package has the correct priority in
scenery_packs.ini. - Older package loads visually but has no controls: The 3D model may remain usable while its script or compiled plugin does not. An X-Plane 12-compatible controller is required; the object alone cannot follow the aircraft.
Does a follow-me car replace ATC taxi instructions?
A follow-me vehicle provides visual guidance, not taxi clearance. Continue to obey ATC instructions, hold-short markings, runway restrictions and other traffic; stop if the car’s route conflicts with a clearance.
It also performs a different job from a marshaller or tug. Our explanation of the operational role of an airport follow-me vehicle clarifies where its guidance begins and ends.
Can I drive the follow-me car myself?
Most follow-me systems control the car automatically while you remain in the aircraft. A scenery object cannot be driven. If a vehicle is supplied as an aircraft-format model or includes a dedicated driving mode, it may be operated separately, but it will not necessarily guide another aircraft at the same time.