There’s a new ATC tool for simmers to consider, and this one isn’t trying to replace VATSIM or out-AI the competition. SimsATC is doing something a little different: instead of simulating ATC with artificial voices or live humans, it uses real-world ATC recordings, synchronized with specific airline flights you can fly yourself in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
SimsATC is a free add-on that integrates with MSFS 2020/2024, allowing users to purchase individual “flights” (each sold for $2.99) that pair real ATC audio with the exact procedures flown by a real-world airline flight. That includes headings, vectors, altitudes, taxi instructions, frequencies — all matched to a specific flight that actually occurred.
In practice, it promises to be like stepping into the flight deck and recreating that day’s flight as if you were the captain. The goal isn’t dynamic interaction, but rather authenticity — the chance to follow a fully scripted flight using the same comms, same flight path, and same operational flow that real pilots experience. From clearance delivery to gate arrival, the entire experience is structured around actual radio communications from real-world ATC controllers.
Not another ATC tool (in the usual sense)
This isn’t live ATC like VATSIM, nor is it a voice-recognition-driven AI solution like BeyondATC or SayIntentions.AI. SimsATC doesn’t respond to your mistakes, delays, or deviations — it expects you to follow along. It seems to be more like a performance you’re invited to join.
The developers describe it as a “synchronized flight experience”, and it’s built with the help of real-world airline pilots, who test each flight to ensure the procedures are accurate and flyable. Each scenario is tightly coordinated — if ATC gave a “line up and wait” clearance in the real world, that’s what you’ll hear in the sim. If a flight was assigned a STAR and a specific runway, that’s what you’ll fly too.
A few key details
- The SimsATC app is free but requires the purchase of flights to use.
- Flights are priced at $2.99 USD each.
- Each flight includes gate-to-gate real-world ATC audio, matched to the appropriate phase of flight.
- There are different flight modes, including:
- Default (copilot handles radios, like a real-world line training flight),
- RADIOS (you act as the copilot and handle all communications),
- CPNF (Captain as Pilot Not Flying — you manage radios while the copilot flies).
The ATC recordings themselves are publicly sourced (as allowed in countries like the U.S.), and the real work comes from the effort required to synchronize everything (audio, routing, SOPs, and sim procedures) into a single, flyable experience.
SimsATC isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for dynamic, AI-driven ATC that adjusts to your every move or lets you file whatever route you want, this isn’t it. But if you’re the type of simmer who loads up FlightAware, picks a real-world route, and wants to replicate that flight exactly, SimsATC might be a compelling tool to explore!
You can check out SimsATC and explore the available flights at simsatc.com.
