Frequently Asked Questions

X-Plane 12 is fully supported with zero install required. Microsoft Flight Simulator support is currently in beta (see Pre-Release Products below). We can also support P3D-based sims on request — get in touch if you're interested!

FlyShirley works best in Google Chrome on desktop. We also support Firefox and Chromium-based browsers like Edge and Brave.

Organization setup is currently a manual process. Please email us or schedule a call and we'll get you set up right away!

For the best experience, we recommend wired microphones with a physical mute switch:

• USB desktop microphones with a green/red mute indicator — great for classrooms and shared spaces
• Gaming headsets with flip-up mics — the mic mutes when you flip it up, making it clear when Shirley can hear you

Check out our STEM Educator's Guide for specific hardware recommendations.

If X-Plane can't connect to Shirley, you may need to allow local network access in Chrome:

1. Go to the FlyShirley website in Chrome
2. Click the Lock icon or View site information (ⓘ) next to the URL
3. Click Site settings
4. Find Local network access and change the dropdown to Allow

You may also see a prompt when first connecting — click "Allow" when it appears.

Windows sometimes has trouble remembering your audio device selection. To choose the correct microphone:

1. Click the dropdown arrow (▼) next to the Microphone button
2. Select your preferred audio input device from the list

You may need to re-select your device each time you start a session if Windows resets your preference.

The Microphone button serves as a mute/unmute toggle. Click it to mute your microphone input — Shirley won't hear anything with your microphone muted.

The dropdown arrow (▼) next to the button opens the audio source selector, where you can choose which microphone input to use.

There are a few ways to quiet Shirley:

• Mute checkbox: Use the mute checkbox in the Shirley interface to mute Shirley's microphone.
• Voice command: Say "Mute" or "Shirley, sterile cockpit mode" to have Shirley mute themselves.
• Assistant Mode toggle: Enable "Assistant Mode" (also called "Shirley Mode") toggle under the microphone button. When enabled, Shirley only responds when you say "Shirley", then automatically re-mutes after responding.

Compared to muting your microphone, Shirley can still hear everything said while muted or on assistant mode, but won't respond until you say "Shirley."

When running your simulator in fullscreen mode, the FlyShirley browser window is often hidden. Here are some options:

• Windowed simulator mode: Run your simulator in windowed mode so you can see both the sim and FlyShirley's interface
• External monitor: Place FlyShirley on a second display alongside your simulator
• Chrome Live Captions: Enable Chrome's built-in Live Caption feature to see captions overlaid on your screen (see Google's guide)

Our Microsoft Flight Simulator support is currently in beta! To get access, ask in our Discord, or email us directly.

FlyShirley in-flight is currently in alpha testing on iPad and iPhone! The experience replicates what you can see from the Shirley Air Tour— Shirley acts as your copilot during real flights, keeping a transcript, providing helpful information and answering questions.

To get early access, email us or ask in our Discord.