GPS Air Navigator — Quick Start Guide

Welcome

1. Introduction

GPS Air Navigator is a moving-map application for VFR (Visual Flight Rules) air navigation, built for pilots who need reliable maps, airspace and aeronautical data on their Android device.

Real-time moving map with GPS position, North-Up or Track-Up orientation
Offline maps and aeronautical data, downloadable by country
Route planning with multiple legs and flight profile
Airspace proximity awareness and alerts
GRAMET route weather profile
Position Report and MAYDAY emergency function
Automatic and manual flight Logbook
Aerodromes, heliports, VFR reporting points and radio navaids (VOR / DME / NDB) on the map, each with its own layer
Edit the flight profile by dragging circles on the terrain graph and on the GRAMET
Pilot and aircraft logbook summaries (flights, flight time, distance, landings)
Brazil: updated DECEA WAC and REA charts, now in just six files
Flight simulator mode: use the app with X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator to practise at home
Sacred Six analog instruments (airspeed, attitude, altimeter, turn, heading, vertical speed) plus two stopwatches
VAC charts and documents per waypoint: import an aerodrome chart, align it and see it on the map; photos, files and notes
Airspace zones in the terrain graph and GRAMET, TRA / TSA types and zones classified correctly by name
Squawk field in the Position Report; MAYDAY now always heads for the nearest aerodrome
New offline world map with country names, capitals and main highways

Please read the Disclaimer carefully before using this app for real flight operations.

Get Ready to Fly

2. Downloading Maps & Data

Before your first flight, download the aeronautical data and maps for the country (or countries) where you will fly. Everything is then available offline.

Download of resources menu — Global Aviation Data + Maps & Airspaces

List of countries — Choose your country from the list

Resources available for a country — Pick the charts you need

Available chart types

Mapsforge Vector Chart — free, high-resolution OpenStreetMap-based vector maps (zoom 5–18)
OFM Chart — high-quality free aeronautical charts by OpenFlightMaps
WAC Chart — official World Aeronautical Charts published by national authorities
OpenAIP Airspace — airspace boundaries and classes for the selected country
FLYERMaps Chart — premium high-quality VFR charts (paid)

Brazil: DECEA WAC and REA charts

The official DECEA charts of Brazil have been updated and integrated into just six files, so there are far fewer downloads than before:

3 WAC files — WAC Brasil Norte-Oeste, Norte-Leste and Sul (north-west, north-east and south), together covering the whole country
3 REA files — WAC+REA Brasil Norte-Oeste, Norte-Leste and Sul: the same regional WAC with the REA charts (Rotas Especiais de Aeronaves) overlaid — where a REA exists it is shown, everywhere else you see the WAC
When you download one of the new files, the app automatically removes the old single-sheet WAC/REA charts and switches the map to the new one

Keeping your data up to date

In the Downloads lists, a country — and each group of resources — turns yellow when any installed resource has an update available, and each installed resource shows its installation date. Airport data, airspace data and the free vector / OpenFlightMaps charts are also flagged as due for update after 40 days.

Global Aviation Data (aerodromes, heliports, runways, frequencies and radio navaids) is downloaded once and covers every country. When you download a country's airspace, its VFR reporting points are fetched too (and, for countries covered by OpenFlightMaps, additional aerodromes, runways, frequencies and navaids).

New world map, fresh airspace data

The built-in world map (the one you see when no detailed chart is installed) was redone: coastlines, borders, main motorways, country names, capitals and larger cities. It is replaced automatically the first time you open the app after the update.
The airspace classification was corrected (see Airspace). Countries whose airspace must be downloaded again appear in yellow in the Downloads list — tap them to update.

Unlock the Full App

3. License & Subscription

GPS Air Navigator can be tried for free, then unlocked with an annual subscription or a one-time lifetime license.

Buy license screen — Choose your license option

Trial — limited to 2 saved user waypoints and 20 minutes of use per session
Annual subscription — full access, renews every year
Lifetime license — one single payment, full access forever
Have a discount code? Enter it in the voucher field before purchasing
The purchase window is not shown during your first two launches — from the third launch on it appears at start-up. You can always close it and keep trying the app

Payments are processed securely through the Google Play Store, using the account configured on your device.

Two Layouts

4. The Main Screen

The app adapts automatically to the orientation of your device. In landscape mode, the four main buttons are arranged along the left and right edges; in portrait mode, the same buttons are stacked on the sides of the screen.

Main screen in landscape mode — Landscape — buttons on both side edges

Main screen in portrait mode — Portrait — buttons on left & right rails

Tablet — same screen, with larger buttons

On tablets the main screen is the same, with larger side buttons that are easier to tap.

Tablet, landscape — the four main buttons (Mayday, Report, Fly To, Notes) sit in the top-left corner, above the data fields

In landscape the tablet layout groups the four main buttons in the top-left corner, with the data fields below them.

Tap the round icon at the top-right of the map at any time to reveal the labels of every button and icon on screen — a handy way to learn the interface (see below).

Labelled overlay of the main screen icons — Tap the round icon to label every button

On the Map

5. Map Objects

A few symbols appear consistently over the map:

	Plane — your current position; moves in real time while GPS is available. Color and shape can be changed in Settings.
	Compass — rotating compass ring around the plane; can be toggled in Settings or the Layers panel.
	Aerodrome (blue) — from the built-in database. The bar inside the symbol follows the runway direction; zoom in to see the runways drawn on the map with their numbers.
	Aerodrome without runway data — shown as a disc with a +.
	User Airfield (red-orange, with a U) — an airfield created or edited by you, with its runway.
	User Airfield without runway — same, as a disc with a + and a U.
	Heliport (teal H) — hidden by default; switch it on in the Layers panel.
	User Reference Point (red-orange diamond with a U) — a point of your own, used for navigation or reporting.
	VFR Reporting Point (purple diamond) — optional reporting point.
	Compulsory VFR Reporting Point (red diamond) — pass over it when entering the area.
	VOR (blue hexagon) — VHF omnidirectional radio range.
	VOR/DME (hexagon in a square) — VOR with distance measuring (also used for VORTAC).
	DME / TACAN (blue square) — distance measuring equipment.
	NDB (magenta, dashed ring) — non-directional beacon.
	Route Point (red marker) — a point of your route that is not attached to any aerodrome.

Tapping any waypoint opens its info card with Direct To, + Route, Edit/Suggest and, for user waypoints, Delete.

Aerodromes, heliports and VFR reporting points open the waypoint info card; navaids open a small dialog with identifier, name, type, frequency (MHz for VOR/DME, kHz for NDB) and elevation. Each group of symbols can be switched on or off in the Layers panel.

Aerodromes, heliports, VFR reporting points and navaids over the map

Flight Data at a Glance

6. Flight Data & Buttons

The data panel (bottom of screen in portrait, left side in landscape) shows the six most important numbers for your flight:

Flight data panel — Ground Speed · Current Course · ETE · Altitude · Distance · ETA

GROUND SPEED — current speed over the ground
CURRENT COURSE — the track you are actually flying
DIST — distance to the next waypoint and to the destination
ETE / ETA — tap to switch between Estimated Time Enroute and Estimated Time of Arrival (UTC)
ALT MSL — GPS altitude; tap to switch between MSL and QFE

The six main buttons

MAYDAY REPORT FLY TO NOTES

CENTER

LAYERS

MAYDAY — triggers the flight emergency procedure
REPORT — opens the Position Report window
FLY TO — sets a new destination
NOTES — quick handwritten notes (QNH, frequencies, wind…)
CENTER — toggles whether the plane stays centered on the map (On) or the map stays fixed while the plane moves across it (Off)
LAYERS — opens the Layers panel to toggle Track, Compass, Airspace, Terrain Profile and Route Weather (see Map Layers)

Top-bar icons

Tap the round icon on the top-right corner to reveal the labels: Next WP, North UP, Airspace, Map, Logbook, Settings and Info — each opens the matching screen described further below.

Terrain / GRAMET summary strip

Planned altitude (pink), wind and terrain along the route

A summarized terrain and weather profile is always shown at the bottom of the map, along the current route, so you can compare your planned altitude with the terrain and wind ahead at a glance. Tap this strip to open the full, detailed GRAMET view — see GRAMET Weather Profile.

Drag the circles to edit the flight profile

The pink line is the planned flight profile, with a white circle at the top of climb (TOC) and another at the top of descent (TOD). Drag the TOC circle left or right to change the climb rate, the TOD circle to change the descent rate, and press and drag the line between them up or down to change the cruise altitude. While you drag, a large readout shows the value (CRZ, TOC ▲, TOD ▼), and the change is saved with the route. Short routes with no cruise phase show a single circle.

Terrain strip with the TOC and TOD circles

A single tap on the strip still opens the full GRAMET, and a long-press opens the Flight Profile dialog. With Route Weather on, the vertical scale no longer jumps to very high flight levels, so the terrain stays readable.

Analog instruments (Sacred Six)

A panel with the six classic flight instruments, drawn on screen and fed by the GPS and by your device's sensors: airspeed (ground speed, GS), attitude indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, heading indicator (track, with a magenta bug pointing to the next waypoint) and vertical speed. Two stopwatches complete the panel.

Open it with the round dial button at the edge of the map (it turns into a red ✕ while the panel is open). On large tablets the panel docks beside the map (landscape) or at the bottom of the screen (portrait); on phones it floats over the map.
The altimeter follows the Altitude panel (MSL or QFE) and your units; speed and vertical speed use the units chosen in Settings.
The attitude indicator uses the device's motion sensors. Tap it to calibrate with the aircraft level (the device can be flat, upright or tilted in a holder); long-press to reset. Without sensors it is estimated from the GPS and labelled GPS.
Stopwatches: tap to start / stop, long-press to reset. They keep running with the panel closed and between sessions. Without the panel open, tap the clock on the top bar to show the two stopwatches floating over the map.

The instruments are derived from the GPS and the device sensors: they do not replace the real aircraft instruments (ground speed is not IAS, track is not heading, GPS altitude and vertical speed lag and are noisy).

Flight profile on short routes

On short routes the TOC and TOD circles are now always visible and the cruise line can always be dragged (the cruise stage is never shorter than 20 % of the route). If the requested altitude cannot be reached with your climb and descent rates, the profile is drawn at the highest reachable altitude — and that is the value saved when you edit it.

Where To

7. Waypoints & Fly To

There are two ways to reach a waypoint: tap it directly on the map, or search for it with FLY TO → Waypoints. Either way opens the same waypoint info card.

Fastest way to start flying: tap any waypoint on the map and press DIRECT TO. This instantly creates a new route from your current position straight to that waypoint. From there, keep tapping further waypoints on the map and pressing + ROUTE on each to extend your route leg by leg.

Waypoints list — Or search via FLY TO → Waypoints

Waypoint info: elevation, runways, frequencies

Waypoint weather — METAR, TAF and NOTAMs for the aerodrome

From the waypoint info card, tap DIRECT TO to start a new route straight to it, or + ROUTE to add it as the next leg of the current route
Tap DEPART to start a new route with that waypoint as the starting point, without including your current position (unlike DIRECT TO) — also available in the waypoints list, the route legs list, and the Fly To by coordinates and by bearing/distance dialogs
Tap EDIT/SUGGEST to correct the waypoint's data
Editing a System Waypoint turns it into a User Waypoint (the original stays available)

Editing a waypoint — Edit a waypoint's data

Suggest waypoint update — Share corrections with the developer

Long-pressing a row in the waypoints list (FLY TO → Waypoints) opens a quick menu with the same actions — Show Info, Direct To, Depart, + Route and Copy to Fly To Bearing — without opening the full card.

Long-pressing an empty spot on the map automatically opens the New User Waypoint window. If you don't actually want to save it as a User Waypoint and only need it as a route point, just tap DIRECT TO or + ROUTE there, without saving.

Aerodromes, heliports and VFR reporting points

The info card adapts to the type of place and shows its data source (OurAirports, OpenAIP or OpenFlightMaps), sunrise and sunset and, for aerodromes, runways (length and surface) and frequencies.

Zoom in on an aerodrome to see its runways and numbers

Heliports are hidden by default — turn them on in Layers
VFR reporting points are purple diamonds; compulsory ones are red, and the card says so under Type
Every card offers DIRECT TO, DEPART and + ROUTE

Your own waypoints: Airfield or Reference point

User waypoints come in two types, chosen with the two buttons at the top of the waypoint edit window (a long-press on an empty area of the map opens it):

Reference point (default for new waypoints) — a place you use for navigation or reporting: a village, a dam, a landmark. It has no runways or frequencies, and is drawn on the map as a red-orange diamond with a U.
Airfield — your own airfield or landing strip, with its runways (QFU and length) and radio frequencies. It is drawn as a red-orange runway symbol (a disc with + and U if no runway is defined).

The info card shows Type: Airfield or Reference point and Source: User. Waypoints created in earlier versions without runways were converted to reference points automatically; the type is also kept when you export and import waypoints.

Fly To menu

FLY TO opens a menu with …Waypoint, …Lat/Long, …Bearing and Distance, Manage Routes and Reverse Current Route.

Docs: VAC charts, photos, files and notes

The waypoint card has a third tab, Docs (next to Info and Weather), where you keep everything about that aerodrome or point:

Docs tab: charts, photos, files and notes

VAC charts — add as many as you need per aerodrome (+ Add chart). Get VAC online opens the official publication of the country; download the PDF there and import it with Import PDF / image. The app does not bundle charts, because most national AIPs do not allow redistribution.
Photos — from the camera or gallery, with zoom, share and delete. Files — any file type (up to 100 MB). Notes — free text, saved automatically.

Align a chart on the map

Tap Manage on a chart, then Import PDF / image; enter the source and the edition (AIRAC) date. The viewer always shows the source and how old the chart is.
Tap Align on map: touch a recognisable point on the chart (a runway threshold, the aerodrome reference point…) and say which point it is — or type its coordinates. Two points give an exact fit; three or more give a best fit with the mean error shown (amber above 60 m).
Tap Show on map: the chart is drawn under the other layers with adjustable opacity, and your aircraft moves over it. The VAC layer can be switched off in More.
Charts can be exported and imported as a package (More) — share them only if the source licence allows it.

A chart is a navigation aid only. Always check the edition in force in the official AIP; alignment is approximate.

Plan Ahead

8. Routes & Flight Profile

Build a route with as many legs as you need, and let the app calculate ETE, distance and a full flight profile.

Route detail with legs — Reorder, edit or delete legs

Open FLY TO → Manage Routes and tap NEW, or add legs directly from any waypoint with + ROUTE
Long-press a leg for Show Info, Direct To, Depart, Move Up, Move Down or Delete Leg
Use REVERSE to fly the route backwards, or CLEAR to empty it

Set cruise altitude and climb/descent rate

Define the route's speed, cruise altitude and climb/descent rate to get an accurate ETE and a realistic flight profile over the terrain.

Creating and moving route points directly on the map

Long-press a segment of the route line (between two waypoints) and drag to create a new route point there — the route follows your finger in real time; lift to confirm
These "loose" route points (with no aerodrome attached) are marked on the map with a red icon
Long-press the red icon of an existing route point to drag it to another location, taking the route with it — drop it near a known waypoint/aerodrome to snap onto it automatically

A single tap on a route point shows the matching waypoint's info card, when one exists; to move it, always use long-press and drag.

Climb and descent rates

The route details now have separate fields for the climb rate and the descent rate (ft/min), next to the speed and cruise altitude; the C/D line in the summary shows both. The same values — cruise altitude, climb and descent — are in the Flight Profile dialog (long-press the terrain graph). By default both rates are the same.

Weather Ahead

9. GRAMET Weather Profile

GRAMET shows the forecast weather along your entire route as a vertical profile, aligned with the terrain and your planned altitude.

Wind, clouds and terrain along the route, with ETE/ETA per leg

Tap the summarized terrain/weather strip at the bottom of the main screen (see Flight Data & Buttons) to open this detailed, full-screen GRAMET view. It is a great way to spot climbs, descents and possible weather hazards before departure.

Adjust the flight profile on the GRAMET

The full-screen GRAMET has the same circles and cruise line — drag them just like on the small graph, with the same readout (the cruise line is labelled with the distance and the altitude, e.g. 18nm :: 4500ft)
The graph now extends to the edges of the screen, with the title and the close button floating over it
Press the sky area and move up (landscape) or to the right (portrait) to raise the ceiling of the chart; move down or left to lower it. A CEIL readout is shown while you drag
By default the ceiling is now lower, so the terrain and the route use more of the chart

Stay Clear

10. Airspace

Airspace information is shown directly over the map once you have downloaded it for your country.

Airspace classes and warnings — Choose which classes to show and warn about

Airspace zone info — Tap a zone to see its limits

Open the Airspace icon on the top bar
Tick Show to display a class/area over the map, and Warn to be alerted when approaching it
Set the Proximity alert distance (in nm) that triggers the warning
Tap any airspace zone on the map to see its upper/lower limits and country

Custom KML airspace files (from Google Earth) can be placed in /sdcard/GPSAirNavigator/AirSpaces/Custom and selected as "Custom". Keep files under 1 MB to avoid slowing down the app.

Airspace labels (class, upper and lower limit) are now drawn entirely inside the zone, so they no longer cover its outline; in round zones such as circular CTRs the label is curved and follows the contour. Tap the label to open the zone details.

Airspace: types, names and the vertical profile

New types: TRA (purple) and TSA (magenta) are shown dashed, and DANGER, TRA and TSA have their own Show / Warn rows. ATZ and RMZ have new colours and ATZ is dashed.
Classification by name: zones whose name contains RMZ, ATZ or TMZ, or that start with TMA, TRA, TSA, CTR or CTA, are shown with that type even when the source data says class G or D. Touching a label always opens the zone on top.
Where to show it: the Airspace window has a Map / Profile / Both selector. In Profile or Both, the zones the route crosses are drawn on the terrain graph and on the GRAMET, with their real lower and upper limits (only classes with Show ticked).
The zone details show the published activation hours (UTC) and remarks. Real-time activation of TRA / TSA is not available: always check NOTAMs and the AUP.

Airspace window: show on Map, Profile or Both

Zones on the map and in the terrain graph

Zones crossed by the route on the GRAMET

Map Overlays

11. Map Layers

Tap the LAYERS button on the main screen to quickly toggle everything drawn over the map.

Nine switches: Track, Compass, Airspace, Terrain Profile, Route Weather, Airfields, Heliports, VFR Reporting Points, Navaids

Select map chart — Choose the active chart per region

Track, Compass, Airspace, Terrain Profile, Route Weather — as before
Airfields (on by default) — aerodromes and their runways
Heliports (off by default) — heliports and helipads
VFR Reporting Points (on) — purple and red diamonds
Navaids (VOR/NDB) (on) — shown from a medium zoom level; identifier and frequency appear when you zoom in further
Flight simulator — visible only if enabled in Onboarding or Settings; see Flight Simulator Mode

Use Map on the top bar to choose which downloaded chart is shown at any given time and location.

Talk to ATC

12. Position Report

The REPORT button opens a clear summary of your current situation — perfect for reporting to ATC or a flight-following contact.

Position report window — Position, altitude, track and ETE/ETA to next WP and destination

The Position Report was redesigned to be readable in bright sunlight: the position phrase (e.g. 12 nm SW of LEBI) is in black on an amber box, and altitude, ground speed, track and bearing are larger, each with a coloured bar. Next WP and DEST now share a line with the waypoint name, so the whole report fits on one screen without scrolling.

Squawk

The header of the Position Report has a SQUAWK field where you can type the transponder code the controller gives you (four digits, 0–7). It is cleared when you close the app and kept when you rotate the screen.

Emergency

13. MAYDAY

The MAYDAY button should be used only in a genuine flight emergency. Pressing it performs two actions after confirmation:

Automatically sends an SMS with your current position to up to two mobile numbers set in Settings (requires mobile signal and an SMS-capable device)
Activates a direct route to the nearest waypoint

MAYDAY confirmation — Confirm before activating Emergency mode

If no phone numbers are configured, no SMS is sent — the button only activates the direct route to the nearest waypoint.

Nearest aerodrome and emergency numbers

MAYDAY now always chooses the nearest aerodrome — heliports, reporting points and your own reference points are ignored — regardless of the filters and layers you have on screen.
The MAYDAY screen has a button to define the emergency phone numbers (one or two) right there; with numbers defined it becomes a small Edit / add button. The same numbers are in Settings.

Jot It Down

14. Notes

The NOTES button opens a simple black canvas where you can hand-write anything you need mid-flight — QNH, wind, frequencies, clearances.

Notes canvas — Freehand notes — CLEAR, UNDO, CLOSE

Your Flight History

15. Logbook

Every flight can be recorded automatically or started manually, then reviewed later with full statistics.

Start flight recording confirmation — Confirm before starting a manual recording

Logbook list — Search recorded flights by date, aircraft, pilot or route

Flight detail form — Edit description, aircraft, pilot and notes

Flight track and statistics — Track, altitude and speed profile, ready to share

Tap CALCULATE STATISTICS to get distance, flight time, max altitude and average speed
Tap the share icon to export the flight as an image or send it by email / social media
Manage Aircraft and Pilots from the Logbook screen buttons
When you close the app after a flight, it offers to show the flight statistics — they open in the Logbook, where all your recorded flights are listed

Landings and editable statistics

The flight detail has a Landings box. It is counted automatically from the track (touch-and-go landings included) when you tap CALCULATE STATISTICS; type your own number to override it — a number you type is never overwritten, and clearing the box goes back to automatic. Flights recorded in older versions are counted the first time you open a summary
Distance, flight time, max altitude and average speed can be edited by hand — handy for imported GPX files without time data (the duration accepts h:mm or just minutes)
The shared image uses the times and values of the flight detail

Logbook summary by pilot and by aircraft

Totals for any period, at a glance:

Open a pilot and tap PILOT LOGBOOK SUMMARY: choose the pilot and the period (FROM / TO, or ALL) and see, per aircraft, the number of flights, flight time, distance and landings, plus the totals
Open an aircraft and tap AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK SUMMARY: the same table, grouped by pilot
Both summaries are also one tap away from the Pilots and Aircraft lists, next to the NEW button

Make It Yours

16. Settings

Fine-tune the app to your preferences and your aircraft.

Settings screen — Mayday, units, map, GPS and display preferences

MAYDAY phone numbers and button visibility
Language, screen orientation, coordinate system and time zone
Compass, flight tracking and GPS accuracy
Plane color/type, terrain warning and units for every measurement
Route weather ceiling margin and waypoint-arrival distance
Flight simulator mode (shows the simulator button in the Layers panel)

Power Features

17. Advanced Features

Import / Export Waypoints

Import and export waypoints — Move your User Waypoints between devices

Export saves all your User Waypoints to a text file you choose where to store
Import reads a semicolon-separated text file back into the app
Format: shortname;name;icao;country;latitude;longitude;elevation(m);frequency;runway;runway_length(m);kind
An optional 11th field, kind (0 = Airfield, 1 = Reference point), is also exported. Older files without it are imported as Airfield when they have a runway, and as Reference point otherwise.

Navigation with True or Magnetic North

Tap the Current Course value to switch between True (T) and Magnetic (M) North at any time; the default can also be set in Settings. Magnetic declination is calculated automatically from your position.

Practise at Home

18. Flight Simulator Mode

Use GPS Air Navigator with X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator running on your PC. The aircraft position, track, speed and altitude come from the simulator instead of your device's GPS, so you can practise routes, learn the app and rehearse a flight before flying it for real.

Flight simulator mode window with the UDP and TCP options — Choose how the simulator connects, then tap START

Simulator mode is not for real navigation. While it is active, a red banner on the map reminds you that the position is coming from the simulator.

Compatible simulators

X-Plane 11 and 12 — connects directly, no extra software needed
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 — through a small free program running on the PC (fs2ff or FS2020 to NMEA)
The PC and your phone or tablet must be on the same Wi-Fi network

Turn it on

On the first start, the Onboarding screen offers a Flight simulator mode switch. Turn it on if you want to use the app with a simulator.
You can change this at any time in Settings › App Settings › Flight simulator mode.
When it is on, a Flight simulator button appears at the end of the LAYERS panel. When it is off, the button is hidden.

Connect X-Plane (11 and 12)

In the app, open LAYERS › Flight simulator and choose UDP. The window shows your device's IP address — note it — then tap START. The app now waits for the simulator.
X-Plane 12: go to Settings › Network, expand iPhone, iPad, and external apps and tick Broadcast to all mapping apps on the network. Alternatively, tick Transmit to a single mapping app and type your device's IP address. The Add Connection to Xavion or other EFB button is not needed.
X-Plane 11: go to Settings › Network, open iPhone & iPad and either tick the broadcast option or enter your device's IP address (port 49002).
Load a flight. X-Plane only starts sending data once a flight is running; the aircraft then appears on the map within a few seconds.

X-Plane 12, Settings › Network: broadcast to all mapping apps — X-Plane 12: tick the broadcast option under iPhone, iPad, and external apps

Connect Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 and 2024)

The recommended way uses fs2ff (Flight Simulator to ForeFlight), a free community program for Windows that sends the position over UDP — the same option used for X-Plane.

On the PC, download fs2ff (search for fs2ff on GitHub) and run it. If Windows asks, allow it through the firewall.
In the app, open LAYERS › Flight simulator, choose UDP, note the device's IP address and tap START.
Start MSFS and load a flight. In fs2ff, turn Auto Detect off, type your device's IP address and click Connect.

fs2ff window showing Connected — fs2ff connected (MSFS at the main menu)

Alternative for MSFS: TCP NMEA

On the PC, run FS2020 to NMEA (free, available on flightsim.to) before starting a flight — ideally while MSFS is at the main menu. Allow it through the Windows firewall; it shows the PC's IP address.
In the app, choose TCP NMEA, type the PC's IP address (the port is 10110) and tap START.
This program was made for MSFS 2020 and accepts a single connection: if it is lost, restart the program and the flight. If it does not work with MSFS 2024, use fs2ff instead.

While it is running

Message: waiting for the simulator — After START: the app waits for the simulator

Message: simulator connected, with the red banner at the top left — Connected: the position now comes from the simulator

While running, the same window offers STOP

A red banner at the top left of the map shows that simulator mode is active, and the button in the LAYERS panel reads Flight simulator (ACTIVE)
Everything works as in real flight — routes, DIRECT TO, airspace alerts, terrain profile
To stop, open LAYERS › Flight simulator and tap STOP: the app returns to the device's GPS. Turning the option off in Settings also stops it.
In the Flight simulator window you can tick Hide the red banner (this session only); the banner comes back on the next simulator session. The same window has a link that opens this section of the manual.

Nothing happens? Check that the PC and the device are on the same network (guest Wi-Fi networks often stop devices from talking to each other), that the firewall allows UDP port 49002 (or TCP port 10110), that the IP address is correct and that a flight is actually running in the simulator. Menu names can differ slightly between simulator versions.

Instruments in simulator mode

The analog instruments also work with the simulator. With X-Plane the attitude indicator uses the simulator's own pitch and roll (labelled SIM); with MSFS it is estimated from the position data (GPS).