GPS Variables (Legacy)

GPSVars are variables that third party APIs and add-ons can use to get information about the position in the world of any number of things, like an airport, a waypoint, etc… as well as a number of other pieces of data used when querying or creating flight plans. These variables can be accessed using the Reverse Polish Notation C: variable type, along with the fs9gps module name, for example:

Get: (C:fs9gps:Variable Name , Units)
Set: (>C:fs9gps:Variable Name , Units)

Within the JavaScript API, these are retrieved like SimVars using:

GetSimVarValue(name, unit, dataSource = "")

You can find detailed information about each particular GPS Var on the following pages:

• Airports
• Intersections
• NDB and VOR
• Flightplans
• Miscellaneous

GPS Vars In MSFS 2024#

Due to the threading model of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, it can cause changes in cycle wait times from one variable query to the next, something that was never possible in previous versions of the simulation. Therefor you must take great care to leave enough wait time in the consuming code to account for this possibility.

The flight plan FS9GPS variables do not always fully interact with the rest of the current flight plan related systems in the simulator (eg: ATC, World Map, EFB, Career, etc…). When reading or writing the flight plan using these legacy variables, you may find unexpected data or behavior regarding those systems.

If you have to use these variables for legacy maintenance reasons, do not, under any circumstances, write to the flight plan from JavaScript using these variables, as it is guaranteed to result in eventual data corruption and/or crashes.

It is therefor strongly recommend that you switch to equivalent APIs from one of the modern and current API’s available:

• Facility Data#

  In JavaScript, we strongly recommend the MSFS Avionics Framework Facility Loader(opens in a new tab), or the JS_LISTENER_FACILITY Coherent listener and associated API calls. In WASM, we recommend the SimConnect Facilities API.

• FlightPlan#

  In Javascript, we strongly recommend the MSFS Avionics Framework FlightPlanRouteManager, or the JS_LISTENER_PLANNEDROUTE Coherent listener and associated API calls. In WASM, we recommend the Planned Route API.

• Geographical And Navigational Math#

  In Javascript, we recommend the MSFS Avionics Framework’s geographical mathematics classes (GeoPoint(opens in a new tab), GeoCircle(opens in a new tab), NavMath(opens in a new tab)). In WASM, there are a number of libraries of this type of math available, but we don’t have a specific recommendation amongst them, nor is one included with the SDK.

GPSVar Index#

Below you can find indexed all the SimVars available, presented this way to facilitate finding the required variable at a glance or through the search system:

Airports#

Airport Approaches#

Airport Arrivals#

Airport Departures#

Airport Runways#

Alternate#

Approach#

Departure#

Destination#

Facilities#

General#

Geo Calculations#

ICAO Search Data#

Intersections#

Messages#

Name Search Data#

NDB#

Nearest Airports#

Nearest Airspace#

Nearest Intersections#

Nearest NDB#

Nearest VOR#

New Waypoint#

VOR#

Waypoint#

Waypoint Approach#