Learn how to use Volanta with a flight simulator: connect MSFS, X-Plane or Prepar3D, record flights, add routes and fix connection errors.
Install the Volanta desktop client, sign in, and let it detect Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane or Prepar3D on your PC. Enable the offered connector, open Volanta before loading the aircraft, and confirm that live position data appears. Fly normally; Volanta tracks the flight and saves it to your history.
How to connect Volanta to your simulator
The most reliable setup is to install the integration while the simulator is closed, then run Volanta before beginning the flight.
- Install and sign in: Use the Volanta desktop application rather than relying on its browser or mobile interface. The desktop client receives telemetry from the simulator.
- Add the simulator integration: Open Volanta’s simulator or integrations area and allow it to detect your installed simulator. If detection fails, select the simulator’s main installation folder manually.
- Install or enable the connector: Microsoft Flight Simulator and Prepar3D normally communicate through an external connector. X-Plane uses an in-simulator plugin, which must belong to the active X-Plane installation.
- Start Volanta before the flight: Load the aircraft at a gate or parking stand, then check Volanta’s map. A moving aircraft marker with changing speed, altitude or heading confirms that telemetry is reaching the tracker. A route line by itself does not prove a connection. If the flying side is not yet configured, use our beginner’s flight-simulator setup checklist first.
- Add a route if wanted: Tracking does not require a flight plan. You can import or enter one using the controls available in your Volanta version if you want the planned route shown beside the flown track.
- Complete the flight: Leave Volanta running through landing and parking. Wait for the flight to appear as completed or use the finish control presented by the application before closing it.
Volanta records what the simulator reports; it does not fly the aircraft, provide ATC or operate the autopilot. Autopilot modes still need to be managed in the cockpit, as explained in our guide to using simulator autopilot correctly.
Which flight simulators work with Volanta?
Volanta is primarily intended for supported PC installations of Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane and Prepar3D.
| Simulator | Connection method | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 on PC | External desktop integration | Use the connector offered by Volanta; do not place the desktop application in the simulator’s Community folder. |
| X-Plane | In-simulator plugin | The selected root folder should contain the X-Plane executable and Resources directory. Each separate X-Plane installation needs its own plugin. |
| Prepar3D | External simulator integration | Make sure Volanta is connected to the Prepar3D installation you actually launch. |
| FSX or another simulator | Only when listed by the installed Volanta client | Do not assume that instructions for Prepar3D or MSFS also apply to an older or unrelated simulator. |
The integrations displayed inside the installed Volanta client are the safest authority because simulator support can change independently of the tracking interface.
Do I need to load a flight plan into Volanta?
No; Volanta can record the aircraft’s position, altitude, speed and flown path without a flight plan.
A route loaded only into a complex aircraft’s FMS may not appear automatically. Some third-party aircraft keep their route inside custom avionics rather than exposing it through the simulator interface. Import the plan separately into Volanta if you need the planned route displayed, but do not mistake a missing route for failed tracking.
Aircraft type and callsign data can also be wrong when an add-on publishes incomplete metadata. Correct the aircraft assignment or callsign in Volanta when the application provides that option; reinstalling the connector will not repair bad aircraft metadata.
Why does Volanta say the simulator is not connected?
A not-connected message usually means Volanta is monitoring the wrong installation, the connector has not loaded, or another application is blocking communication.
- Wrong simulator folder: Recheck the selected path, especially if you keep several X-Plane or Prepar3D installations.
- Connector installed while the simulator was open: Close both applications, repair or reinstall the integration, then restart Volanta and the simulator.
- X-Plane plugin missing: Confirm that the plugin is inside the active installation’s
Resources/pluginsarea and appears in X-Plane’s plugin manager. - Security software blocking traffic: Permit Volanta and its connector through the firewall rather than disabling protection entirely.
- Mismatched Windows permissions: Run Volanta and the simulator at the same privilege level. Communication can fail when one is elevated and the other is not.
- Flight recorded incorrectly: Slewing, teleporting, reloading the aircraft or switching simulator sessions can split a flight or produce implausible statistics. Keep one Volanta session open from departure to parking.
Can I use Volanta offline or on a console?
Volanta should be treated as internet-dependent for signing in, loading map data and synchronising flight history, even when the simulator itself can operate without a connection.
During a brief network interruption, leave the desktop client running and check that the completed flight reaches your history afterwards. Do not assume an unsynchronised record will always be recovered. Our explanation of what still works when a flight simulator is offline covers the distinction between simulator operation and connected companion services.
Direct Volanta tracking also requires access to simulator telemetry. Xbox and PlayStation editions cannot accept the PC connector or X-Plane-style plugin, so running Volanta on a nearby computer does not make a console flight trackable. A browser or mobile companion can display account information, but it does not replace the desktop simulator connection.