What is FS Recorder, and how do I use it in FSX?

FS Recorder is a freeware add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator X that records aircraft movement and simulator data, then replays the flight inside FSX. Install its module, start a flight, choose Record from the FS Recorder menu, fly, stop the recording, then load that file for playback or use it as traffic.

What does FS Recorder actually record?

FS Recorder creates an in-simulator data recording rather than a video. Its files, commonly using the .frc extension, reproduce the aircraft’s route, attitude and visible movement so that you can review a flight, change camera angles or fly alongside the recording.

A saved FSX flight and an FS Recorder file are not interchangeable. The FSX flight restores a scenario, while the recorder file supplies playback data. It does not create an MP4, capture commentary or preserve every internal variable used by a complex third-party aircraft.

The same basic workflow applies to boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition. Steam Edition installations can require extra care because older add-on installers may select the wrong FSX folder or register the module in a configuration file belonging to another installation.

How do I install FS Recorder in FSX?

Install FS Recorder with FSX closed, making sure the module is registered against the copy of FSX you actually launch.

1. Download and extract the package. Our FS Recorder package, compatibility notes and included manual cover both the supplied installer and manual installation. Do not run the setup directly from inside the compressed archive.
2. Choose the correct FSX directory. If the installer asks, select the main folder containing fsx.exe, not Addon Scenery or your saved-flight folder.
3. Use the automatic installer where possible. A manual installation usually involves copying the module and registering it in FSX’s dll.xml. Follow the package’s exact example rather than copying an entry intended for a different release.
4. Start FSX and approve the module. FSX may display security and trust dialogues the first time it loads. Approve them only when the module came from the expected package.
5. Check the Add-ons menu. Once a flight has loaded, an FS Recorder entry should appear there.

If boxed FSX and Steam Edition have both existed on the computer, confirm which configuration folder the active installation is reading. Depending on that installation history, Steam Edition may use an FSX-specific or FSX-SE-specific configuration location.

How do I record and replay a flight?

Start recording immediately before the part of the flight you want to preserve, stop it afterwards, and then open the saved recorder file through the same FS Recorder menu.

1. Prepare the flight. Select the aircraft, airport, weather and starting position, then let the aircraft settle before recording.
2. Start FS Recorder. Open Add-ons, select FS Recorder and choose its recording command. Command wording can vary slightly between package revisions.
3. Name the recording. Save it somewhere writable, such as a folder under Documents, rather than inside a protected FSX installation directory.
4. Fly the required segment. For predictable playback, keep normal simulator rate and avoid switching aircraft, reloading scenery or using Slew mode during the recording.
5. Stop the recording. Use the recorder menu rather than closing FSX, which could leave the file incomplete.
6. Load the file for playback. Use normal playback to review the recorded aircraft, or the traffic option when you want the recording to appear as another aircraft while you continue flying.

Restoring the same aircraft, scenery, weather and starting conditions gives the most convincing result. FS Recorder can reproduce movement, but it is not a complete snapshot of every gauge, custom system and environmental variable.

Which FSX replay method should I use?

Choose FS Recorder for reusable in-simulator playback, Instant Replay for a quick look back, and screen capture when the final result must be a shareable video file.

Can FS Recorder create formation flights?

FS Recorder can replay an earlier flight as traffic while you fly and record another aircraft alongside it.

Record the lead aircraft first, return to a common starting point, and load that recording using the traffic playback option. You can then fly the wingman while the lead recording plays. Repeating the process adds more aircraft, although every additional detailed model increases the processing load.

This is replay traffic, not ordinary FSX AI following an airport-to-airport plan. Keep simulator rate unchanged, use the same time reference for each pass and consider disabling crash detection during very close formation work.

Why is FS Recorder missing or replaying incorrectly?

Most FS Recorder problems come from an incorrectly registered module, a boxed-versus-Steam path mismatch, or differences between the recording and playback environments.

Why is FS Recorder missing from the Add-ons menu?

A missing menu means FSX has not loaded the recorder module.

• Confirm that the installer targeted the folder containing the active fsx.exe.
• Check that the recorder’s module entry exists in the dll.xml used by that FSX installation.
• If FSX previously rejected the module at a trust prompt, follow the included manual’s recovery procedure rather than deleting the entire FSX configuration.
• Check whether security software quarantined the module or prevented the installer from writing to a protected directory.
• Use the FSX-compatible module and satisfy any legacy FSX or SimConnect prerequisite named in the package documentation.

Why does the replay look different from the original flight?

FS Recorder replays recorded movement but cannot guarantee an identical simulation state around it.

• Wrong aircraft or animations: install and select the same aircraft model used for recording. Custom gauges and external aircraft systems may not restore their original state.
• Aircraft above or below the runway: use the same scenery and mesh, because changed airport elevations alter the ground beneath the recorded path.
• Jerky playback: return to normal simulator rate and reduce demanding scenery or traffic settings so FSX can maintain steadier frame delivery.
• Different surrounding traffic: ordinary AI traffic and live environmental changes are not necessarily part of the recorder file.
• Recording will not open: copy it to a writable local folder and confirm that recording was stopped normally before FSX closed.