My 15 year old nephews came out to visit for a couple of weeks over the summer. They had a blast and, in particular, really enjoyed learning to fly FSX. Being a good uncle and wanting to encourage this new found passion, I picked them up a copy of FSX Gold (or Delux, I forget) and a nice Saitek joystick that they could use at home. Early birthday present I guess.I believe I have read that users can fly in the same plane in FSX even if they are located in different physical locations. Is that correct? Could anyone point me to a past posting or an online article about the best way to do this? I don't know enough to start searching on my own yet and I'd greatly appreciate any help. I think it would be great fun to continue to give them pointers on flying even when they are back home in Ohio.....Thanks!

I've not shared an aircraft before but I know that the multiplayer options are easy to use in spite of what users say about Gamespy. Firstly you and your nephews will have to create Gamespy accounts and log in to the multiplayer lobby. From there it is best to follow the directions listed in the Learning Centre which you'll find here: Learning Centre/Index/Multiplayer/Shared Aircraft. Or you can view this file from your desktop by following this path from your FSX root folder: Flight Simulator X\FSWeb\LearningCenter\Multiplayer\MultiplayerSharingAircraft.htmGood luck.

Yes.. you can do this.. and it's a lot of fun.. Most FSX airplanes even have a 'Right Seat' option.. so you can even play co-pilot.. Actual control of the aircraft can be switched back and forth, too.The best way to do it, is to connect directly, and avoid the GameSpy server headaches.One of you must host the session, and the other has to know the host's IP address.The host must enable sharing his aircraft.. and the other person must choose to join that aircraft, rather than start his session in his own aircraft, after connecting.The whole process is screen/menu driven.. but it takes a little while to find your way through it.Also note that firewalls and routers tend to be problematic during direct connect sessions.

Thanks for the quick reply.Where in FSX do I "share" my plane and where do I go to "join" someone else's plane.After I open up FSX, how to I get to the section that allows me to do this?Thank you very much...Oops, my bad. I see HighMike pointed me in the right direction. My browser went right to Brett's reply and I missed the previous post pointing me towards the section I asked about.....

====MULTIPLAYER....thats the keyword I was looking for.....thanks for everyone's help.

There is a multiplayer forum here at Avsim that will answer a lot of your questions, but I will try to explain the basics for you.As already stated, both of you will have to create a Gamespy account to use the online servers. If you are computer literate and are also a very lucky person, you can use the 'direct' option. I have been flying in MP since day 1 and I have yet to get the direct option to work, so I use the Gamespy servers. Once you have started FSX and selected the Mulitplayer option, created your account, and logged in, the fun begins. The first time you login to Gamespy, you will go to the default lobby: Free Flight. To make life easier, do NOT use the default 'Free Flight' lobby. In the upper right corner there is a drop down list, select one of the other lobbies, they are less used and usually you will not have any connection issues or get the infamous' Gamespy message 'You have been disconnected, you may be logged in on another computer'. You may get disconnected when changing lobbies, but once you get connected to one of the other lobbies, the next time you join you will be connected there, not to Free Flight.Now you need to decide who is going to be the Host. Click the 'Host a session' button and on the next screen, give you session a name that your co-pilot will know, and also give the session a password, or you will have to deal with stray and curious pilots joining your session. Not good when trying to learn.The next page is where you setup the basics, just as in single player. Use one of the default planes initially, as these work with shared cockpit, and some addons dont'. It's easier to learn when you know the plane works. The 172 is great for getting used to this. I would also suggest you select clear weather, daytime, and a airport you are familiar with while learning MP/SC. Whether or not you setup a flight plan is up to you, but for learning shared cockpit, flying the pattern is the easiest. At the top of this screen be sure Pilot is selected, not Air Traffic Controller (but thats a lot of fun too :-)On the next screen, check the 'Share my aircraft' box. Be SURE your co-pilot leaves that UNchecked. Regarding the voice option, we use a program called TeamSpeak for comms and leave the ingame voice comms off, it affects performance. TS is free and you can get it at their website. You can also use MSN Messenger voice or any similiar program, if you both have mic's. Under the Advanced Options, check ALL boxes ON, this will give you much more versility ingame. On the next screen is where you actually start the session. Just click FLY NOW and wait for the sim to load. Once you are in and are sure the plane is set the way you want it, have your right seater join the session. All he has to do is click the 'JOIN Session' button, be sure his plane is NOT set to Shared, then click NEXT all the way through then click FLY NOW. He does not need to select the plane, weather, etc since he is joining you. He DOES need to have the same plane as you installed in FSX, which is another reason to use a default plane, since everyone has them.Initially you will have control of the plane, but he will also be able to control some functions, flaps, gear, etc. It will vary depending on what plane you are using. When you want to give him the flight controls, press SHIFT+T to send him the command, then have him press the same to accept the transfer. To get control back just reverse the process. This sounds time consuming and a bit confusing, but it really isn't. Once you have done the whole process a few times it's a no-brainer. If you need help, send me a private message here on Avsim and I will walk you through any problems. Shared cockpit is the best thing FS ever introduced and you will have a ball with it. Experiment and have fun!

Wow! Thank you Jay for taking the time to walk me through the basics. I'll let you know how the first flight with the nephews goes. They left Salt Lake and are on vacation for 2 more weeks (lucky them!). When they get back home, I'll walk them through all of this and let you know how it goes.

Glad to help, I fly out of KSLC all the time (virtualy), beautifull area !