SayIntentions.AI Review: One of the Best Flight Simulator Plugins You Can Buy Right Now
Steve | G-LOC MEDIA
Flight simulation enthusiast and YouTuber
SayIntentions.AI is one of the most transformative plugins available for MSFS 2024, MSFS 2020 and X-Plane 12. It replaces your simulator's broken default ATC with a natural language AI system you actually speak to, and builds an entire living ecosystem around your flights (MSFS Only) - co-pilot, cabin crew, mentor, traffic injection (MSFS Only), and more. It's not perfect yet, but it's close enough that you'll forget you're talking to software. For serious flight simmers it's essential. For casual users the subscription cost needs honest consideration. Free 24-hour trial available, no credit card required.
Pros
- Transforms default ATC from a weakness into a strength
- Natural language - speak how you actually speak
- Works with strong accents reliably
- VFR flying without a flight plan feels genuinely real
- Co-pilot is practically useful, not just a gimmick
- Mentor feature is excellent for learning proper phraseology
- Traffic injection makes MSFS airports feel alive
- Full VR support
- Constant development with meaningful updates
- 24-hour free trial, no credit card
Cons
- Conversation is 80-85% natural, not 100% yet
- Subscription cost is hard to justify for casual simmers
- Traffic injection is MSFS only - X-Plane users miss out on the biggest feature
- Occasional odd responses or unexpected AI behaviour
- Windows only
If you're looking for the best flight simulator plugins for MSFS 2024, MSFS 2020, or X-Plane 12, SayIntentions.AI belongs at the top of that list. I've been using it for over a year and there was a moment early on that I keep coming back to. I was sitting at the hold short line, contacted tower, and somewhere in that exchange I realised I had stopped thinking about the fact that I was talking to an AI. It just worked. Even with a strong Scottish accent. That moment - that small, quiet realisation - is the best way I can describe what SayIntentions.AI actually does. It brings your simulator to life in a way no other flight sim add-on currently does.
Why SayIntentions.AI Is One of the Best MSFS and X-Plane Plugins Available
When people ask what the best Microsoft Flight Simulator plugins are, the conversation usually starts with scenery and aircraft. But the third pillar - the one that genuinely transforms every single flight regardless of what you're flying or where - is ATC. And the default ATC in MSFS and X-Plane has always been the weak link. SayIntentions.AI fixes that completely.SayIntentions.AI is a cloud-based AI ecosystem built specifically for flight simulation. At its core it replaces your simulator's default ATC with a conversational AI you speak to using natural language - you talk, it responds, and it reacts dynamically to what you do and say. But it goes considerably further than just ATC.
The platform includes:
- AI ATC - natural language, unscripted, works VFR and IFR
- AI Co-Pilot - handles radio calls, checklists, situational awareness
- AI Mentor - real feedback on your phraseology and procedures
- AI Cabin Crew - announcements, passenger interactions, onboard scenarios
- AI Tour Guides - contextual commentary on landmarks and regions
- Living World Traffic Injection - real-world schedule-based AI traffic for MSFS 2020 and 2024
- CPDLC and ACARS - datalink communications for airliner operations
- SkyOps Missions - AI-generated sit-and-go missions at any airport
- SkyNet Multiplayer - shared skies across MSFS and X-Plane users
- PocketSky Mobile App - monitor and interact with your flight on the go
- FlightLine / Click-to-Talk - text-based and non-microphone ATC options
- SimBrief and Navigraph integration
- Full VR support
- Compatible with MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024, X-Plane 11*, X-Plane 12*, and Prepar3D. But unfortunately Windows only.
The ATC Experience - Why This Is the Best AI ATC Plugin for Flight Sim
The default ATC in Microsoft Flight Simulator has been one of the most criticised parts of the simulator for years. The gap between that and SayIntentions is night and day. This isn't a scripted call-and-response system - you speak naturally, phrase things in your own way, and the AI understands the context of what you're doing and where you're going.For VFR flying in particular, the flexibility is significant. You can depart an uncontrolled field, transit through controlled airspace, and pick up clearances conversationally - exactly how real-world VFR operations work. No flight plan required. No rigid phraseology needed.
Is it a fully natural conversation? Not quite yet. I'd put it at around 80 to 85 percent. There are moments where responses feel slightly mechanical or where the AI doesn't follow the thread exactly as expected. But that gap is closing fast. At the rate this technology is developing, it will likely be indistinguishable from a real controller within a few years. What exists right now is already impressive enough that it had me forgetting I was talking to software.
Voice recognition is also worth highlighting. It handles natural speech well and doesn't require you to flatten your pronunciation or speak like a textbook. For anyone with a regional accent - tested extensively with a strong Scottish accent - it holds up.
The Broader Ecosystem - More Than Just an ATC Plugin
AI Co-Pilot - genuinely useful rather than a novelty. Handles radio calls, works through checklists, and gives accurate situational updates. A real asset on longer flights.AI Mentor - the most underrated feature in the package. If you're a student pilot using the sim as a supplement, or a simmer who wants to improve real ATC communication, the mentor gives personalised feedback on phraseology and procedure. This alone makes SayIntentions one of the best X-Plane 12 plugins for anyone learning to fly in the sim.
Tour Guide - entertaining over unfamiliar territory but more of a nice-to-have than essential. Personality variety can wear thin over extended use.
Living World Traffic Injection (MSFS only at this time) - when configured correctly, this transforms the sim environment entirely. AI-controlled aircraft running on real-world schedules, sequenced by the same ATC you're communicating with, with controllers audibly managing other traffic. Airports feel alive. Currently in early beta and requires disabling all other traffic add-ons, but the direction is exactly right and it's already one of the best MSFS 2024 traffic plugins available.
The One Gap Worth Knowing About
If you're primarily an X-Plane pilot, traffic injection isn't available yet for that platform. The ATC, co-pilot, and mentor features all work well in X-Plane 12, but the Living World traffic system that makes MSFS feel populated isn't there yet. It's the most significant missing feature for X-Plane users and the most requested addition from that community and myself. I've seen what it can do in MSFS and bring this to X-Plane will make a lot of people happy.Pricing - Is It Worth It?
Current pricing sits at $15.83 per month on an annual plan (~$190/year). Monthly billing is higher. On-demand passes are also available — $4.95 for 48 hours or $9.95 for 7 days - which is a smart option for more casual simmers and probably the one i'd suggest if you just want to try it out first. I also think by offering this on-demand pass they know themselves this is a great product and that people will come back.Honest take: if you fly regularly and put in decent hours, the subscription makes sense. SayIntentions fundamentally changes what every flight feels like, and that has real value. If you're only jumping on a few times a week for short sessions, the cost-to-benefit calculation is harder to justify. The on-demand pass is the right entry point for lighter users. Either way, the 24-hour free trial with full premium access and no credit card required means there's no reason not to try it before committing.
SayIntentions.AI vs Default ATC - Is It Worth the Switch?
Yes. Completely. The comparison isn't even close. Default MSFS ATC and default X-Plane ATC are functional at best and immersion-breaking at worst. SayIntentions turns every flight into something that feels real. The first few times you use it there's a genuine sense of disbelief that this is running inside a home flight simulator.Who Is SayIntentions.AI For?
- VFR pilots - this is where it shines brightest. Natural, unscripted, no flight plan required
- IFR simmers - solid coverage with CPDLC support for airliner operations
- Student sim pilots - the mentor feature makes this one of the most useful real-world training supplements available
- Airliner simmers - co-pilot, CPDLC, ACARS, and traffic injection make complex operations feel complete
- VR pilots - full VR support, and the immersion gain in VR with SayIntentions is exceptional
- X-Plane 12 users - full ATC, co-pilot, and mentor support, with traffic injection coming
Final Verdict - One of the Best Flight Sim Plugins, Period
SayIntentions.AI is one of three add-ons I consider genuinely essential for serious flight simulation - alongside quality scenery and a properly modelled aircraft. It is the best AI ATC plugin currently available for MSFS 2024, MSFS 2020 and X-Plane 12 by a long way. It's not perfect though - the conversation is 80-85% there, traffic injection is MSFS-only for now, and the price requires an honest look at how much you actually fly. But none of that changes the fundamental point.Sitting at the hold short line, contacting tower, and forgetting you're talking to an AI - that's what this does. That's the future of flight simulation, and it's already here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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