🚀 Spotty26 v1.3.1 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is now available!

Spotty26 continues to evolve into a powerful real-time user aircraft and AI aircraft spotting tool with cinematic camera tools for MSFS2024.

✨ New in Version 1.3.1

🎮 NEW Joystick Support
Spotty26 now supports configurable joystick buttons for all camera modes:
• Camera ON/OFF
• Flyby
• Flyby-O (Cinematic Flyby)
• Chase
• World
• Tower /Spotter

🎮 Xbox Controller + Joystick + Keyboard Integration
Spotty26’s Xbox controller support, joystick controls, and keyboard shortcuts work independently from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 controls and do not interfere with your existing MSFS2024 controller, joystick, or keyboard settings.

📡 Adjustable AI Radar Coverage
Added user-configurable radar coverage for AI aircraft detection.
Easily adjust spotting range depending on airport size, traffic density, or performance preferences.

✈️ Improved AI Traffic Handling
Enhanced AI aircraft tracking and Traffic Board integration for smoother updates and better aircraft selection behavior.

🎥 Camera System Improvements
Continued refinements to:
• Flyby camera
• Chase camera
• World camera
• Tower camera
• AI aircraft targeting

🗺️ Traffic Board Improvements
Improved board handling, refresh logic, and visibility toggling for a cleaner spotting workflow.

Spotty26 is designed for aviation enthusiasts, virtual spotters, content creators, and anyone who wants cinematic control of the user aircraft AI live traffic in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

Thank you to everyone testing and supporting Spotty26!

Existing users can update either from the SHOP they ordered the Spotty26 or from Spotty26's Menu/ Check for update

New user can get Spotty26 from www.simmarket.com , www.flightsim.to or www.flightsim4fun.com

#MSFS2024 #MSFS #FlightSimulator #Aviation #VirtualSpotting #Flightsim #MicrosoftFlightSimulator

Edited May 23May 23 by rksoftware

Thanks for the update.

The range seems not working on my setup. From Seattle I can see Vancouver traffic with a radar range set to 35000 (km or ~19nm) where Vancouver Seattle is 110nm. I've re-launched Spotty26 after changing the range. What am I doing wrong?

There should be no need to restart Spotty26 after changing the Radar radius.

Try to reduce to you see Vancouver traffic disapears.

This is a MSFS simconnect API setting I can't do much other than change the value. The AI bobble that MSFS creates is fully controlled it and based on the Radar radius value.

Tips

If joystick buttons has been confiured to use any of the new camera modes or if you use an XBOX controller Spotty26 can live in invisible in the Taskbar and still be working fine for Flyby etc.

If you find bugs or want to suggest other improvements or features report them via the Contact Form here: https://flightsim4fun.com/support

Edited May 23May 23 by rksoftware

I now have Cinematic Flyby by clicking a Joystick button. Nice to have the old FSX / P3D feature ack in todays MSFS.

Tips

If joystick buttons has been confiured to use any of the new camera modes or if you use an XBOX controller Spotty26 can live in invisible in the Taskbar and still be working fine for Flyby etc.

If you find bugs or want to suggest other improvements or features report them via the Contact Form here: https://flightsim4fun.com/support

the joystick setup window does not list my joystick. In fact it fails to recognize a few more peripherals that I have plugged in. The only thing it sees are a set of racing pedals I have connected, but nothing else.

On 5/23/2026 at 5:50 PM, hangar said:

the joystick setup window does not list my joystick. In fact it fails to recognize a few more peripherals that I have plugged in. The only thing it sees are a set of racing pedals I have connected, but nothing else.

This has been fixed in Spotty26 v1.3.2

Thank you, works good now.

It's nice having the ability to setup a tower view at whatever elevation I like simply by clicking on the map and saving it. I tend to fly to alot of the same airports frequently, so having all my different tower views already saved and set means that I can view my replays of landings so easily now from a ground view near all the runways.

It's much easier now. MS should have included this as standard out of the box.

I do think that the flyby view works better by having a controller sitting nearby, since you can only zoom in/out with a controller and not by using your keyboard commands.

4 hours ago, hangar said:

Thank you, works good now.

It's nice having the ability to setup a tower view at whatever elevation I like simply by clicking on the map and saving it. I tend to fly to alot of the same airports frequently, so having all my different tower views already saved and set means that I can view my replays of landings so easily now from a ground view near all the runways.

It's much easier now. MS should have included this as standard out of the box.

I do think that the flyby view works better by having a controller sitting nearby, since you can only zoom in/out with a controller and not by using your keyboard commands.

Did you try CTRL+UP/DOWN arrow?

2 hours ago, Cap737Delta said:

Did you try CTRL+UP/DOWN arrow?

Thank you, I'm sorry...I only meant that it doesn't work with keyboard commands if the spotty window is not on top (in focus). But using a controller or joystick spotty can remain minimized and still work, which is great.

Great app, it's very nice to have fly by views back again after all these years. A few thoughts:

• It would be nice to be able to move the fly by camera closer to the aircraft going by. For smaller aircraft it's pretty far away.

• Similarly with flyby camera it would be nice to be able to set the camera up further ahead of the aircraft to give it more time to fly toward you, or are we supposed to do that on the map?

• Not a comment on the program itself, but I noticed the Blacksquare Duke had no flyby sounds...

Edited May 28May 28 by regis9

3 hours ago, regis9 said:

• It would be nice to be able to move the fly by camera closer to the aircraft going by. For smaller aircraft it's pretty far away.

• Similarly with flyby camera it would be nice to be able to set the camera up further ahead of the aircraft to give it more time to fly toward you, or are we supposed to do that on the map?

You can do these things with a controller. You can then manipulate the flyby view and the tower view to some extent so that you can get it closer. You might be able to do with keyboard but I don't know how.

Thanks, I don’t usually have a controller plugged in but maybe I’ll need to dust off my Xbox controller. Still it would be a nice feature to be able to set some of those distances etc as a new default.

The other thing I forgot to mention ton last night is in the flyby view, if I bank the aircraft, the view would hold the aircraft steady and rotate/bank the world. Is there a way to do the opposite to make it more like real life?

9 hours ago, hangar said:

You might be able to do with keyboard but I don't know how.

Spotty26 needs to be in focus for keyboard shortcuts to be available. Windows 10/11 only allows keyboard clciks to be "seen" by the app in focus. An XBOX controller is therefore my choice to make camera changes.

2 hours ago, regis9 said:

Thanks, I don’t usually have a controller plugged in but maybe I’ll need to dust off my Xbox controller. Still it would be a nice feature to be able to set some of those distances etc as a new default.

The other thing I forgot to mention ton last night is in the flyby view, if I bank the aircraft, the view would hold the aircraft steady and rotate/bank the world. Is there a way to do the opposite to make it more like real life?

Yep, this is the only reason why I now keep my xbox wireless controller handy on flights so I can just grab it quickly. But it's annoying that it always turns itself off after a few minutes of not touching it, arrrr!

Keep in mind that you can only manipulate the views so much...in other words you may not be able to get it anywhere near perfect, but usually close enough to satisfy (im using it with ga aircraft, not jumbo jets). Also keep in mind that for Tower views, you will first need to save a tower view and click on it, while spotty app is in focus, before you can begin switching to it while spotty is in the background.

I can't offer any advice regarding the camera banking issue you're having. I haven't experienced that yet. Sounds like a 6dof head tracking issue, heh.

Edited May 28May 28 by hangar