X-Plane and MSFS moving map, on a second screen.

Why it reads VATSIM, not your simulator

Infinite Aeroshow never connects to your simulator. There is no SimConnect link, no X-Plane plugin and no bridge app on the simulator PC. Instead it reads the live VATSIM network: the same positions and flight plans that controllers and other pilots see.

That has practical upsides. There is nothing to install, update or fix after a simulator update. The second screen can be any device with a browser, on your home network or not, because it never talks to your PC. And the same page works whether you fly Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane or Prepar3D. The trade-off is simple: your flight shows only while you are connected to VATSIM.

What the second screen shows

Track my flight follows your callsign and keeps the cabin-screen essentials in view:

• Your route on a 3D globe or a 2D map, with the part flown and the part still to go.
• Time since departure, time to destination and the arrival time in your own time zone.
• Altitude, ground speed and distance to go, from VATSIM's network data.

Economy brings the information pilots use on long flights: weather radar and winds aloft layers, North Atlantic Tracks, airport cards with weather, runways, traffic and ATC, and waypoint ETAs from your filed flight plan. First Class adds the immersive side: cockpit, wing, seat, surround and tower views, a 3D model of your aircraft type, a camera remote, replay and cabin sounds. Switch to Explore at any time to browse the rest of the network and search any callsign, pilot, airport ICAO code or aircraft.

Choosing the second screen

A tablet is the classic choice. On a desk stand or kneeboard mount next to the yoke, it shows where you are without covering your panel, and an iPad in Safari or an Android tablet in Chrome both work without an app.

A laptop or a spare monitor gives you the biggest map. If you can, run it on a separate device rather than in a browser window on the simulator PC, so the 3D map doesn't compete with the simulator for graphics power. A TV connected to a laptop makes a fine cabin screen for anyone watching the flight with you. More tips in the iPad, Android and TV setup guide.

Good to know before you fly

• Only live VATSIM flights appear. Offline or single-player sessions, and flights on other networks, have no data to show.
• Positions come from VATSIM's network data, which refreshes every few seconds rather than every frame. Use the map for the big picture, not as a navigation instrument.
• Departure, destination, route and waypoint times come from the flight plan you file on VATSIM. Without a filed plan the aircraft still appears, but there is no route to draw.
• The 3D model is chosen from your aircraft type. Types without a model, such as some light and military aircraft, keep the flat map icon.
• The free trial and Economy play on one device at a time. First Class plays on two.