How do I use PMDG Operations Center in MSFS?
PMDG Operations Center is PMDG’s own management app for Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft. You use it to sign in to your PMDG account, detect the correct MSFS packages location, install product components, apply updates, add liveries and repair files. The usual mistake is pointing it at the wrong Community folder.
What PMDG Operations Center actually does
In MSFS, Operations Center is the control panel for PMDG products bought direct from PMDG. It keeps the aircraft, option packages and liveries on matching versions, which is why we recommend using it for maintenance instead of copying files in by hand.
If your PMDG aircraft came from the in-sim Marketplace, the update path is different. Those copies are managed by Microsoft Flight Simulator itself, not by the normal direct-install PMDG workflow.
| Where the aircraft came from | How you install it | How you update it |
|---|---|---|
| Direct from PMDG | PMDG’s base installer, then Operations Center | Operations Center |
| MSFS Marketplace | MSFS | MSFS Content Manager or Marketplace update flow |
Do not mix the two methods. A Marketplace copy and a direct PMDG copy may carry the same aircraft name, but they are not maintained the same way.
How to install and update a PMDG aircraft with Operations Center
For a direct-purchase PMDG aircraft, install the base package first, then use Operations Center for updates and extras.
- Close MSFS. Do not update while the simulator is running.
- Run the base installer if this is your first install. Operations Center is not always the first download step. If you need a refresher on where MSFS add-ons live, our guide to installing add-on aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator covers the folder basics.
- Open Operations Center and sign in with the same PMDG account that owns the aircraft. If the product does not appear, this is the first thing to check.
- Verify the packages path. Make sure the utility is pointing at the active MSFS
Packageslocation and itsCommunityfolder. A wrong path is the most common reason an install or update looks successful but nothing shows in the aircraft list. - Select the aircraft and let Operations Center scan its installed components.
- Install updates, liveries or optional items from inside the product entry. Use its own update or repair options rather than dragging folders into
Communityyourself. - Restart MSFS and check the aircraft. If the update completed but the aeroplane is still missing, use our troubleshooting guide for add-on aircraft that do not show up after installation.
Do you need Operations Center for the first installation?
Usually you need it for upkeep, but the very first install often starts with PMDG’s standalone installer.
- Direct from PMDG: use PMDG’s installer for the base aircraft, then Operations Center for updates, liveries and repair.
- MSFS Marketplace: install and update through MSFS, not through Operations Center.
- Manual file copying: avoid it unless PMDG specifically instructs you to do it, because duplicate or half-updated packages are hard to untangle.
Why is PMDG Operations Center not seeing my aircraft?
When Operations Center cannot see a PMDG aircraft, the cause is usually the account, the path or the source of the purchase.
- Wrong PMDG account: sign out and back into the account that owns the product.
- Wrong MSFS packages location: repoint the utility if you moved the simulator or use a custom add-on path.
- Marketplace copy: Operations Center may not manage that installation at all.
- Base installer not run: some products will not appear properly until their main installer has completed.
- Out-of-date Operations Center: update the utility itself before assuming the aircraft is broken.
- Permissions or antivirus problems: if files cannot be written to the add-on folder, repair or reinstall the aircraft, then rescan.
If the aircraft shows in Operations Center but not in the simulator, that is a different problem. The usual culprits are a wrong Community folder, a blocked file or a leftover duplicate package.
Can you update PMDG aircraft from inside MSFS?
For direct PMDG installs, no: use Operations Center so the aircraft core files and any liveries or option packs stay in step.
Using the wrong update channel can leave you with mismatched files. If a livery disappears or the aircraft behaves oddly after an update, remove and reinstall that item through Operations Center before you start deleting folders by hand.