How do I use Volanta with a flight simulator?

Install the Volanta desktop app on the computer running your simulator, create or sign in to an account, then install the integration it offers for Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane or Prepar3D. Start Volanta and the simulator, load an aircraft, and confirm your moving aircraft appears on the Volanta map.

What does Volanta do in a flight sim?

Volanta is an external flight-tracking utility that records simulator telemetry and displays your aircraft, route and flight history on a map.

It does not fly the aircraft, operate the autopilot, provide ATC or inject a route into the flight-management system. The small simulator connector is only a bridge between the simulator and Volanta. Our explanation of how simulator add-ons differ from external utilities and connectors helps clarify where it fits.

Basic flight tracking is available with a free account, while some additional features may belong to a paid tier. The desktop app is the essential part: opening an account or map in a browser does not connect it to a locally running simulator.

Volanta sign up and first-time setup

A Volanta sign-up gives you the account used to synchronise flights and access your history across supported Volanta interfaces.

1. Create an account: Use the sign-up option in Volanta’s official app or account interface. Verify the email address if requested, then use that same account in the desktop client.
2. Install the desktop app: Put Volanta on the computer that runs the simulator. A second device can display account information, but it does not automatically receive telemetry from the simulator computer.
3. Close the simulator: Install the connector while the simulator is not running. This avoids locked files and allows an X-Plane or Prepar3D plugin to load cleanly at the next start.
4. Select your simulator: Open Volanta’s simulator or integrations area and choose the installation you actually use. If automatic detection fails, browse to the simulator’s root folder rather than an aircraft, scenery or Community folder.
5. Start a flight: Run Volanta, launch the simulator and load an aircraft. Starting Volanta before departure makes it easier to confirm that recording has begun, although the exact launch order is less important once the connector is working.
6. Check the map: Look for your own aircraft marker and confirm that its position, heading, altitude or speed changes with the simulator. A static route line by itself is not proof of a live connection.
7. Finish and save: Leave Volanta running through landing and parking. Confirm that the flight has completed or appeared in your history before closing the app.

How do I install the Volanta plugin for MSFS?

For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 on Windows, install or repair the MSFS integration from inside the Volanta desktop client while the simulator is closed.

The phrase “Volanta plugin for MSFS” usually refers to this managed connector. Do not copy the Volanta desktop application or an unverified DLL into the MSFS Community folder. If the installed Volanta release supplies a simulator-side component, allow its own installer to place that component in the expected location.

Once MSFS has loaded into an aircraft, Volanta should change from disconnected to connected and place the aircraft on the map. The connector reads simulator telemetry; it does not need a special livery, aircraft profile or flight plan. Volanta is one of several external tools described in our comparison of useful PC companion utilities for MSFS.

Which other flight simulators can Volanta connect to?

Use only the simulator versions and integrations shown inside the installed Volanta client, because support can change separately from the map and account service.

Each separate X-Plane or Prepar3D installation may need its own integration. Installing the plugin into an older copy will not connect a newer installation, even when both use the same aircraft and scenery libraries.

How do I read the Volanta map?

The Volanta map shows the reported position of your aircraft, its flown track and any route or data layers enabled in the app.

• Aircraft marker: This should move and turn with your simulator aircraft. It is the clearest connection check.
• Flown track: This is the path recorded from telemetry and may differ from the planned route after vectors, diversions or manual flying.
• Planned route: This appears when Volanta has been given a flight plan. Its presence does not mean live tracking is working.
• Other aircraft or overlays: These depend on the enabled map layers and their data sources. Do not assume the map contains every real aircraft, multiplayer user or AI flight in your simulator.

Volanta is a tracker rather than a real-world traffic-control system. For the wider distinction between simulator telemetry, live aviation data and route recreation, see our guide to tracking and recreating real flights in a simulator.

Do I need a flight plan in Volanta?

No; Volanta can record position, altitude, speed and the path flown without a flight plan.

A route entered only in an aircraft’s custom FMS may not appear automatically. Complex add-on aircraft often keep parts of their route inside custom avionics instead of publishing them through the simulator interface. Import or enter the route separately in Volanta if you want to compare the planned and flown tracks.

Incorrect aircraft types or callsigns usually come from incomplete simulator or add-on metadata, not a broken connector. Correct the assignment inside Volanta when that option is available; reinstalling the plugin will not fix metadata that the aircraft never reports.

Why is Volanta not connecting to my simulator?

A disconnected Volanta client normally points to the wrong simulator installation, a connector that did not load, mismatched permissions or security software blocking communication.

1. Load into an aircraft: Volanta cannot receive useful flight telemetry while the simulator is still at its main menu. Load a flight, unpause it and wait briefly for the connection state to change.
2. Check the selected installation: Confirm that Volanta is monitoring the same MSFS, X-Plane or Prepar3D copy that is running. Multiple X-Plane folders are a frequent source of confusion.
3. Repair the integration: Close both programs, use Volanta’s install or repair control, then restart the desktop app and simulator.
4. Inspect the X-Plane plugin: Confirm that it is inside the active Resources/plugins directory and enabled in X-Plane’s plugin manager. Remove obsolete duplicate copies rather than leaving several versions to load together.
5. Match permission levels: Run Volanta and the simulator with the same Windows privilege level. Communication can fail when one runs as administrator and the other does not.
6. Check security software: Allow Volanta and its connector through the firewall or security prompt. Do not disable the firewall or antivirus package entirely.
7. Restart after updates: A simulator or Volanta update may require the connector to be repaired or reloaded. Fully exit both applications rather than leaving either one running in the notification area.

Why is my flight missing or split in Volanta history?

A flight usually goes missing when Volanta closes before the record is saved, the connection drops, or the simulator session changes part-way through the flight.

Keep one Volanta session running from departure through parking and check the history before exiting. Slewing, teleporting, reloading the aircraft, returning to the main menu or switching simulator sessions can divide one flight into several records or create implausible distance and speed figures.

Loss of internet access can also delay map loading and account synchronisation. Leave the client running if the connection returns, but do not assume every unsynchronised flight can be recovered after the app has been closed.

Can Volanta track MSFS on Xbox or PlayStation?

No; direct Volanta tracking requires a desktop connector with access to local simulator telemetry, which the console editions do not provide.

This applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on Xbox and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. MSFS 2020 was never released on PlayStation. Running Volanta on a nearby computer or opening the Volanta map in a console browser does not create the missing telemetry connection.

Volanta should also be treated as an internet-dependent account service. The simulator may continue operating during an outage, but sign-in, map data and reliable flight-history synchronisation require connectivity.