VFR has been the most requested feature since BeyondATC launched in early access back in May 2024, and for a long time it felt like it was perpetually “just around the corner.” But that corner is now firmly in view. The team has just dropped a full flight demo video showcasing Stage 1 of VFR in action, and it’s the most concrete look we’ve had at what the system will actually feel like to use.
Back in December, BeyondATC laid out the plan for a three-stage VFR rollout, with Stage 1 focused on laying the foundations for controlled airport operations. That video was about the roadmap. This new one is about the actual flying experience, and it goes a long way in showing how much work has gone into making VFR feel like a real, coherent system.
The demo takes place at London Stansted, with a session that includes circuit work, touch-and-go procedures, a low approach, a departure into uncontrolled airspace, and finally a return for a full stop landing. It’s a thoughtfully chosen scenario, because it puts nearly every VFR Stage 1 capability to the test in a single flight.
New ways to load a flight plan
One of the first things highlighted in the video is something IFR users will also want to keep an eye on. Stage 1 will introduce the ability to import flight plans from the MSFS world map, or via a .pln or Little Navmap file. This means you no longer need a SimBrief account to get flying, which removes a significant barrier for general aviation pilots and those who just want a quick local flight. SimBrief remains fully supported, and the developer confirms the system also works in MSFS 2020.
Circuit work and the new UI
Stage 1 brings a dedicated VFR tab within the BeyondATC interface, separate from the existing IFR workflow. Once a flight is loaded, the system handles the shortened callsign format appropriate to the region automatically, so a UK pilot flying as Golf Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta becomes Gulf Charlie Delta after initial contact.
For button users, the team has added sub-menus to certain request types to reduce back-and-forth with ATC. The example shown is the taxi request, where you can now specify whether you’re taxiing for circuits or departure before transmitting, giving ground the context it needs upfront. The developer notes that voice users who omit that context will simply be asked for it by ATC verbally.
Intersection departures
A long-requested feature arrives with Stage 1: intersection departures for VFR. The system reads valid intersections from the scenery data and displays the remaining runway length for each, letting you choose where to line up without having to taxi all the way to the threshold. The developer says this is launching VFR-only for now, with IFR support to follow.
Into uncontrolled airspace and back
The demo also covers the transition out of controlled airspace. After completing the circuit work, a dedicated “request VFR departure” button handles the communication to leave the zone, after which BeyondATC places you in an uncontrolled state. The developer admits current limitations here: the system doesn’t yet have the data to verify specific VRPs or corridor exits, and the phraseology reflects that. Stage 2 is where that accuracy is expected to improve. Rejoining controlled airspace is handled through a “request join” call, and the system integrates the returning aircraft into the existing traffic flow, which in the demo included a steady stream of IFR departures and arrivals.
What’s still being worked on
The developer is transparent throughout the video about what isn’t finished. VFR traffic is not part of Stage 1, the sequencing between IFR and VFR aircraft is still being refined, and the phraseology for uncontrolled airspace transitions is at placeholder-level for now. The developer describes Stage 1 as a foundation, not a final product, and it’s clearly being presented in that spirit.
As we reported earlier, BeyondATC’s March 2026 experimental update already flagged that once those core IFR systems stabilised, the team planned to replace the experimental branch with the first stage of VFR features. It looks like that moment is very close.
VFR Stage 1 will arrive in the experimental branch as a free update for all Supporter tier users first, with a wider rollout to follow.
