I fly multiplayer fairly often with my brother-in-law on both MSFS2024 and MSFS2020 both in flatscreen and VR and - as many folks around here know - it is jaw-dropping.  Flying in formation with other players adds another dimension to flight simming.  I would thoroughly recommend joining one of the group flights that folks such as Mark of the Simhanger Youtube channel organises from time to time - the experience is surreal.

But B-I-L and I have been trying out something else this week: we have taken tentative steps into the world of shared cockpits with the free 'FS Copilot' app.  And, in spite of unrelated system challenges (he's been mainly using MSFS2020 for the past year or so on a relatively 'light' system and still on Windows 10 - so we needed to get him up to SU5 2024 from whatever version and status 2024 was a year or so ago with all of the related challenges of updating settings, etc. ) it has been a remarkable experience. 

Installation of FS Copilot was a breeze and we kicked it off running on one of the base MSFS package models currently included in their impressive list of MS and 3rd Party aircraft models.  In our case, we chose the stock Cessna G1000 with him in pilot position and me in the co-pilot seat.

Wow oh wow!!!

The app is extremely easy to install and boot up - and then there we were, next to each other in the 'same' aircraft.  We took off, gained height, did a bit of flying around - with him at the controls while I sorted the frequencies - and then I took over the controls and we landed at back at the same departure airport. 

What I was particularly impressed with was that he is running in Windows 10, with a mdest RTX3070Ti and modest non-3D AM4 processor set up, I'm running on Windows 11 with a RTX4080 with a meaty x3D AM5 processor - and yet it worked a treat in both flat screen and VR.

It's added a completely new dimension to an already jaw-dropping sim!    👍

Edited May 13May 13 by AJZip2

Nice! 😎

I'd say, as long as you're not looking for 4k or "everything on ULTRA" settings, the RTX3070Ti is a very capable GPU.   I'd personally reserve 'modest' for the RTX XX60 cards, or pre-RTX GPUs.

But I only have a 3080, so that's probably why I'm sticking up for the 3070Ti! 😄

Edited May 13May 13 by JYW

On 5/13/2026 at 1:29 PM, AJZip2 said:

It's added a completely new dimension to an already jaw-dropping sim!    👍

How do you talk to each other , is that function included in the fs copilot app or do you use another method ?

Cheers

2 hours ago, jon b said:

How do you talk to each other , is that function included in the fs copilot app or do you use another method ?

Cheers

I'm away from my desktop so can't check if copilot has its own (and can't remember!) but we use Discord for voice - which is what we also use for the standard MSFS2020 & 2024 VR multi-player flying. It works well.

Edited Wednesday at 03:41 PM4 days by AJZip2

1 hour ago, AJZip2 said:

I'm away from my desktop so can't check if copilot has its own (and can't remember!) but we use Discord for voice - which is what we also use for the standard MSFS2020 & 2024 VR multi-player flying. It works well.

A radio effect flying should be mandatory in Discord, if not ban those people haha till then. Seeking in Google´s chatbot, maybe it is wrong, it says that those radio effects do not exist in Discord still nowadays, they use Voicemod or something so. A normal phone voice break the immersion.

4 hours ago, jon b said:

How do you talk to each other , is that function included in the fs copilot app or do you use another method ?

By looking at the interface of the program https://fscopilot.com/ I don't think that communications between the pilots are managed. They are probably using a software like Teamspeak, Teams, Webex, Zoom and alike.

Thank you.

I’m looking for a solution where I can remotely see what someone else is seeing in the sim and talk to them. I don’t necessarily need to be able to manipulate their aircraft’s controls. Any suggestions as to a good way to achieve that ?

Just now, jon b said:

Thank you.

I’m looking for a solution where I can remotely see what someone else is seeing in the sim and talk to them. I don’t necessarily need to be able to manipulate their aircraft’s controls. Any suggestions as to a good way to achieve that ?

See what someone else is seeing on the sim = FS Copilot
Manipulate their aircraft’s controls = FS Copilot
Talk to them: you will need another software = Teamspeak, Teams, Webex, Zoom and alike (but rest assured, it's easy)
I was not aware of FS Copilot but it looks like a super software, and also great (because simple) interface.
For communications I can understand perfectly that the dev did not integrate that into his software because it is work and also there are other more dedicated solutins.

Happy? Yes? So when the Vector 787-9 is out, you take me for an 1 hour ride 😀

47 minutes ago, jon b said:

Thank you.

I’m looking for a solution where I can remotely see what someone else is seeing in the sim and talk to them. I don’t necessarily need to be able to manipulate their aircraft’s controls. Any suggestions as to a good way to achieve that ?

In the flights my brother in law and I have done, he has chosen the pilot position and I have booted up and moved across to the copilot position. He has generally been taking the throttle and joystick (I see every movement of those controls that he makes) and I look after the navigation, radio frequences, etc Again, he sees the dials and levers move when I move them. Other than it is a passive avatar in the other seat, in all other respects it is as though we are in one and the same aircraft. We are talking to each other via Discord throughout and from time to time I take over control while he sorts out other stuff. Especially in VR, it takes the realism to another level.

I should point out that we are physically 100 miles apart - but in the sim, it feels like he is sat right next to me.

2 hours ago, Simicro said:

Happy? Yes? So when the Vector 787-9 is out, you take me for an 1 hour ride 😀

Ha, sure you can probably teach me how it works 😂 many thanks for the info.

1 hour ago, AJZip2 said:

We are talking to each other via Discord throughout and from time to time I take over control while he sorts out other stuff. Especially in VR, it takes the realism to another level.

Brilliant thanks.

I spoke to Microsoft at FS weekend and they said the shared cockpit is definitely coming as a native feature but they’ve found it a little more difficult that they first anticipated so it’s delayed.

Question for @AJZip2 - you mentioned you have VR as well; Have you tried one player in flat screen and while one is in VR with Copilot?

I'm curious if that's possible, as that would allow you to fly the plane in flat, while another player in VR could sightsee as a passenger. I know you cannot do it with the same rig - two PCs required for sure.

11 hours ago, Kristofski said:

Question for @AJZip2 - you mentioned you have VR as well; Have you tried one player in flat screen and while one is in VR with Copilot?

I'm curious if that's possible, as that would allow you to fly the plane in flat, while another player in VR could sightsee as a passenger. I know you cannot do it with the same rig - two PCs required for sure.

I haven't tried that but can try it next time the two of us get to do multiplayer. It may be a number of days from here but I will let you know the results.

Side Question

I do not have any friends who sim. Is there a Discord for people looking for group flights? OP mentioned being 100 miles apart. Is there latency an issue if you're doing a flight with someone 2500 miles away, is it doable. I'd definitely like to try a complex flight of a few hours with a real co pilot for a more real feel to complex procedural simming.