Learn how to activate and follow GSX Pro VDGS in Microsoft Flight Simulator, fix blank displays, and correct early, late or misaligned stops.
To use GSX Pro VDGS in Microsoft Flight Simulator, select a compatible arrival stand in the GSX menu before taxiing onto it, then follow the display’s centreline and distance cues until it shows STOP. The stand must have a GSX-enabled docking unit and a correct airport profile; VDGS is not available at every gate.
GSX menus and profiles may call the feature VGDS rather than VDGS. Within GSX, both terms usually refer to the visual docking display that guides an arriving aircraft to its stopping point.
How do I activate GSX VDGS?
Selecting the destination parking position normally arms a correctly configured GSX docking unit; there is generally no separate VDGS start command.
- Confirm that the stand supports GSX VDGS. A display model visible in the scenery is not enough—it must be controlled by GSX and configured for that parking position.
- Open GSX from the in-sim toolbar. Before entering the stand, use its parking-selection screen to choose the exact gate or parking position. Watch for similarly named stands with different letters or suffixes.
- Use Follow Me only if needed. A Follow Me vehicle can lead you across the airport, but selecting the correct destination stand is what matters for the docking system.
- Wait for the display to acquire the aircraft. Approach on the painted centreline at low taxi speed. If the unit remains blank, stop outside the stand rather than assuming it will activate at the last moment.
- Follow the steering and distance indications. Make small corrections and slow progressively as the distance closes.
- Stop immediately at STOP. Set the parking brake and do not creep forward looking for a better position; moving after the stop command can produce an overshoot indication.
VDGS is an arrival aid. If you spawn cold and dark at a gate, the display may remain blank because GSX has not handled an arrival to that stand. Once parked, continue with the complete GSX arrival and ground-service workflow.
What do the GSX VDGS indications mean?
The exact graphics vary between docking-system models, but their basic instructions are consistent.
| Display indication | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft type or identifier | The unit has acquired a target and selected an aircraft profile | Check that the displayed type is plausible for your aircraft |
| Left or right arrow/bar | The aircraft is displaced from the stand centreline | Steer gently in the indicated direction |
| Distance figures or closing bars | Remaining distance to the calculated stop point | Reduce speed progressively and avoid abrupt steering |
| SLOW | The closing speed is too high | Brake and continue more slowly |
| STOP | The aircraft has reached its stop point | Stop and set the parking brake |
| OK or an equivalent confirmation | The aircraft stopped within the accepted area | Begin the turnaround |
| TOO FAR or overshoot warning | The aircraft passed the stop point | Reset or reposition safely rather than reversing blindly |
Does GSX VDGS work at every airport and gate?
No. GSX VDGS requires a docking unit placed and configured for the specific stand, normally through a compatible airport profile.
- The airport profile must match the installed scenery. A profile made for a default airport or a different developer’s version can place the unit incorrectly or target the wrong parking data.
- The selected stand needs VDGS configuration. One terminal may support it while remote stands or another concourse use marshallers.
- The aircraft profile needs correct geometry. GSX uses aircraft-specific reference data to calculate where each type should stop.
- Only one docking controller should be active. A scenery-native display, GSX unit and separate VDGS add-on can otherwise issue conflicting instructions.
- GSX Pro is a PC add-on. Its VDGS cannot run on the Xbox or PlayStation editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The operating sequence is broadly the same in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. Simulator-specific installation, toolbar and compatibility points are covered in our GSX Pro guidance for MSFS 2024.
Why is the GSX VDGS display blank?
A blank display usually means the stand was not selected, the scenery lacks GSX VDGS support, or the wrong airport profile is active.
- Recheck the selected stand. Confirm that the parking position chosen in GSX is the one physically ahead of you, not an adjacent gate with a similar number.
- Check that GSX is running. If its toolbar menu is unresponsive or stale, restart GSX/Couatl using its in-sim controls before approaching again.
- Verify the airport profile. Make sure it was created for the exact scenery you have installed. Remove duplicate airport packages and allow GSX to update its airport cache after scenery changes.
- Look for another VDGS system. If the airport uses a scenery-controlled or separate docking product, disable one system rather than stacking both at the same stand.
- Approach from the correct direction. Some units do not acquire an aircraft until it is nearby, aligned with the stand and moving towards the stop position.
A mistake we see constantly is treating every modelled terminal display as a working GSX unit. Some are decorative, while others belong to the airport scenery’s own controller and cannot be activated through GSX.
Why does GSX VDGS stop the aircraft too early or too late?
Consistently incorrect stopping points usually indicate a mismatched airport profile, bad stand geometry or inaccurate aircraft reference data.
- If every aircraft stops incorrectly at the same stand, correct the stand’s stop position in the airport profile or install the profile intended for that scenery.
- If only one aircraft or variant is wrong, check its GSX aircraft profile and dimensions. Closely related variants can have different nose and gear geometry.
- If the aircraft stops correctly relative to the display but misses the painted ground marking, the scenery’s markings and parking data are misaligned.
- If the aircraft finishes left or right of centre, check the stand heading, centreline and VDGS placement rather than altering the longitudinal stop point.
- If results vary from one attempt to another, approach more slowly. Entering too fast leaves little time to react to the final distance indications.
Should I use GSX VDGS or the airport’s docking system?
Use the system with an accurate profile for your installed airport, and disable any overlapping alternative at that stand.
GSX VDGS is the natural choice when you already use GSX for parking selection and the turnaround. A scenery-native system may be better when the airport developer built and calibrated it specifically for that terminal. If the airport also supports Aerosoft’s product, our practical comparison of GSX and Aerosoft VDGS explains the profile, activation and conflict differences.