Getting Started
Getting Started with FSFO v6
This guide walks you through the modern FSFO v6 setup flow and the minimum steps required to start a flight.
Before starting: Make sure Microsoft Flight Simulator is installed and that you have your FSFO license key and purchase email available.
First-Time Setup
The easiest way to complete initial setup is to open the Get Started page inside FSFO and work through the checklist there. The current v6 setup flow is built around Pilot Portal access, FSUIPC7, your SimBrief ID, your audio and speech settings, and aircraft activation.
| Step | Setup item | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create your Pilot Portal account | Click Create Portal Account, create your account in the Pilot Portal, and verify your email address before returning to FSFO. If you already have a Pilot Portal account, you can skip account creation and go straight to Portal sign-in. |
| 2 | Install or update FSUIPC7 | Click the FSUIPC7 button and install or update FSUIPC7 if needed. FSFO uses FSUIPC7 to connect to Microsoft Flight Simulator. |
| 3 | Run Make Runways | Click Make Runways to update FSFO's airport and runway reference data. This is especially important after simulator updates or scenery changes. |
| 4 | Sign in to Pilot Portal from FSFO | Click Portal Sign-In and sign in with your Pilot ID, email, or username and your Portal password. Some aircraft activations and online features depend on a valid Portal sign-in. |
| 5 | Enter your SimBrief ID | Enter your numeric SimBrief ID at the top of the Get Started page. Use your numeric SimBrief user ID, not your username. |
| 6 | Configure basic settings | Open Settings from the gear icon in the top toolbar. Review pilot audio, cabin audio, region, speech engine, microphone input, Open Mic, and Start Speech On Start. If you plan to use voice control, run TRAIN SPEECH and test pilot and crew outputs. |
| 7 | Activate your aircraft profiles | Open the Licenses page, select the product, enter your purchase email, enter the 16-character FSFO key, and click Activate. Activations are tied to the current device after validation succeeds. |
Tip: Complete the Get Started page before trying your first flight. It prevents most common setup problems before they happen.
Minimum Steps for Every Flight
Once the one-time setup above is finished, use the following sequence each time you fly.
| Step | Flight step | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start Microsoft Flight Simulator | Launch MSFS and load into your aircraft as usual. |
| 2 | Start FSUIPC7 | FSUIPC7 must be running before FSFO can link to the simulator. You can configure FSUIPC7 to launch automatically with MSFS if preferred. |
| 3 | Start FSFO | Wait until MSFS is fully loaded and ready, then start FSFO. |
| 4 | Link FSFO to the simulator | Use the Wi-Fi icon in the top toolbar. Red means not linked. Green means linked to the simulator. Do not continue until the Wi-Fi icon shows a successful connection. |
| 5 | Enable voice control if desired | Click the microphone icon in the top toolbar. Red means speech recognition is off. Green means speech recognition is on. |
| 6 | Open Flight Planning | Use the Flight Planning page to build or import the current flight. The page is organized into Flight Setup, Routing, Load / Perf, Ops Status, and Actions. |
| 7 | Complete Flight Setup | Confirm the aircraft profile, checklist, aircraft type, cargo flight, turnaround state, and flight type. Current flight types are FREE FLIGHT, CAREER, and COMPANY. Set Training Flight to YES only when intentionally capturing copilot handling telemetry. |
| 8 | Load or enter the route | Enter or confirm flight number, departure and arrival ICAOs, runways, initial altitude, planned altitude, and transition altitudes. If using SimBrief, click SimBrief in the Actions area and import your route and planning data. |
| 9 | Complete load and performance inputs | Review or enter payload, fuel, passengers, and distance. Optional support tools include EFB, Pilot Brief, OPS Center, and Live Wx. |
| 10 | Click Start Flight | Click Start Flight before running flows or checklists for the flight. |
| 11 | Open Checklist / EFB | Go to the Checklist / EFB page and start the appropriate phase. The page includes a phase selector, START FLOW, checklist view, EFB view, PERF INPUTS, and the current AUTOFLOW POLICY. |
Important: You must click Start Flight before running flows or checklists for the flight.
Understanding Flows and Checklists
Flows and checklists are still the core of FSFO, but the surrounding workflow is more integrated in v6.
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Flow | A series of actions the copilot performs automatically. |
| Checklist | The challenge-and-response verification that follows the flow or phase setup. |
| Typical use | FSFO runs the flow first and then progresses through the checklist logic for that phase. |
Voice Enabled vs Voice Disabled
| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| Voice Enabled | If speech recognition is enabled, you can respond verbally to checklist prompts and use spoken commands throughout the flight. See: Voice Commands. |
| Voice Disabled | If speech recognition is disabled, FSFO can still continue when the aircraft is configured correctly or when you manually advance or bypass a hold. |
Manual bypass: To bypass a wait or prompt, hold Ctrl+Alt.
AutoFlow Policy
FSFO can run phases manually or automatically depending on your AutoFlow configuration.
| Policy | What it means |
|---|---|
| SMART | FSFO uses its more complete automatic logic based on aircraft state and phase of flight. |
| LIGHTS | FSFO uses lighting and related aircraft state cues as the main automation trigger. |
| USER | Lets you define your own event logic phase by phase. |
| NONE | Turns off automatic flow starts so you can trigger phases manually. |
If you want full control, use a manual-friendly setup and start phases yourself. If you want more automation, review the Flow Options section in Settings.
Recommended First Flights
For your first few flights with FSFO v6, keep the setup simple and easy to supervise.
| Recommendation | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Use a familiar aircraft | It is easier to understand what FSFO is doing when you already know the aircraft. |
| Start with a short route | A shorter flight lets you test setup, takeoff, climb, descent, approach, and landing without committing to a long session. |
| Import from SimBrief if possible | This reduces manual entry and improves consistency between your plan and FSFO. |
| Test voice before relying on it | Keep voice enabled only after your microphone and output tests are working. |
| Supervise the first few flows | This makes it easier to learn FSFO behavior before using deeper automation. |
If something does not work as expected: Check your Pilot Portal sign-in, FSUIPC7 status, simulator connection, speech settings, and aircraft activation status first. After that, see Troubleshooting.
