How does shared cockpit work?
Here we explain how you can share a cockpit together and both fly on FlightDeck!
Flying together means twice the fun
Shared cockpit allows two (or more) pilots to control the same aircraft at the same time in Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, or Prepar3D.
This setup is perfect for:
Multi-crew aircraft operations
Training and mentoring new pilots
Flying with friends for a more immersive experience
In FlightDeck, shared cockpit flights can be logged for both pilots if the session meets the requirements.
How it works
The shared cockpit feature is handled by your simulator or third-party add-ons (e.g., YourControls, SmartCopilot, or built-in aircraft shared cockpit functions).
Both pilots must be connected to VATSIM or IVAO with their own accounts.
Each pilot’s FlightDeck account will detect the flight based on their individual network data.
Flight statistics (XP, block time, routes) are logged separately but linked to the same shared cockpit session internally.
Requirements for flight logging
To ensure both pilots get credit for the flight in FlightDeck:
Both pilots must be connected to the same network (VATSIM/IVAO).
The same aircraft type and route must be used.
Departure and arrival times should match closely.
Please note that only one pilot can and should prefile their flight to the network. The co-pilot should log in to the network by the method described by VATSIM (learn more here).