Talking flight monitor 6 release notes

NOTICE: Release notes moved

Release notes from this point forward will be in blog format on our blog. You can follow them there.
This page will no longer be updated and will remain for historical sake until TFM 7.0.0 is released.

Version 6.9.4 (January 2026)

Checklist Editor Improvements:

Checklists created with a previous version of TFM will not work in TFM 6.9.4 and later. You will have to rebuild them again.
Added dropdown state selection for multi-state controls. When editing checklist items that have multiple positions (like switches with OFF/ON/AUTO), you can now select the expected state from a dropdown menu instead of typing it manually.
Checklist items now display “Complete” or “Incomplete” status for clearer feedback.
Fixed an issue where controls could accidentally change position when loading a checklist or during auto-check operations.
Improved keyboard handling when toggling checklist items – pressing Space or Enter now properly executes control manipulation when enabled.

Other Changes:

Renamed API key to TFM account key to make it more descriptive of its purpose. This applies to the activations section of your store account and the activation dialog in TFM itself.
If you cancel your subscription, TFM will continue to work until the end of your current billing period.

Version 6.9.3 (January 2026)

The PMDG777/737 controls are now available in the control picker when browsing for controls in the checklist editor.

Version 6.9.2 (January 2026)

Enabled the clipboard, checklist editor, and procedures viewer for public release.

Version 6.9.1 (January 2026)

New Feature: Procedure Viewer (Preview)

TFM now includes a comprehensive Procedure Viewer for browsing SIDs, STARs, and Approaches from the Navigraph navigation database. This feature is currently available to preview users only.

Key Features:

Browse SIDs and STARs for any airport worldwide
Chain approaches to STARs for complete arrival planning (STAR → Approach → Missed Approach)
View detailed waypoint information including:
- Waypoint identifiers and coordinates
- Magnetic course and turn direction
- Altitude and speed restrictions with proper ARINC 424 formatting
- Path termination descriptions (Track to Fix, Direct to Fix, Holding patterns, etc.)
ILS/GLS approach data display (Localizer frequency, course, glideslope angle, threshold crossing height)
Missed approach section clearly labeled with holding pattern details
Airport frequencies panel (ATIS, Ground, Tower, Approach, Departure)
Transition selection with “(Common Route)” option for procedures without transitions
Copy procedure to clipboard for reference

How to Use:

Go to Nav Data menu → Procedure Viewer
Enter a 4-letter ICAO airport code and press Enter or click Load
Select SID or STAR from the Type dropdown
Choose a procedure from the Procedure dropdown
Select a transition if available (or use Common Route)
For STARs, optionally chain an approach using the Approach dropdown
View waypoints in the list – missed approach section is clearly marked

Keyboard Shortcuts:

F2: Focus airport input
F3: Focus procedure list
F4: Focus waypoint list
Ctrl+C: Copy procedure to clipboard

** New feature: Checklist editor/clipboard support for PMDG737**

See notes for TFM 6.9.0. PMDG777/737 support in the clipboard/checklist editor are identical to each other.

Version 6.9.0 (December 2025)

Important: License System Update

TFM now uses a new device-based activation system that improves security and provides better control over your license.

What You’ll Need to Do:

When you first run TFM after updating, you’ll see a new activation window asking for:

API Key – This is like a password that lets TFM securely communicate with your account on talkingflightmonitor.com. To get your API key:
- Go to talkingflightmonitor.com and log into your account
- Navigate to My Account → Talking Flight Monitor
- Your API key will be displayed at the top (starts with “tfmcs_live_…”)
- Copy it and paste it into the TFM activation window
License Key – This is your existing TFM license key (the one you’ve always had)

Why the API Key is Needed:

The API key allows TFM to:

Verify your license is active and hasn’t expired
Check how many devices you’ve activated
Securely validate your device without sending your license key over the internet repeatedly
Allow you to manage activations from the website.

Think of your license key as your “username” and the API key as your “password” – both are needed for secure communication between TFM and the licensing server.

New License Features:

Speeds up TFM startup by only checking online when your next payment is due.
Offline Grace Period: TFM will work offline for 24 hours after your last successful license check.
Automatic Re-activation: If your device is deactivated, TFM will guide you through re-activation automatically.

My Account Page Improvements:

Added a new “Talking Flight Monitor” section under My Account on talkingflightmonitor.com.
View your license status and activation count.
Generate and regenerate your API key for desktop app integration (if you lose it or suspect it’s been compromised).
Reset activations if you’ve reached your device limit (subject to cooldown period).

Bug Fixes:

Fixed crashes on the My Account/Talking Flight Monitor page.
Fixed API authentication errors when activating licenses.
Fixed offline mode not working correctly.
Improved error messages to be clearer about what went wrong.
Fixed keyboard navigation in data grids (runways, gates, traffic, hotkeys) – focus now properly lands on the first row when the grid gains focus.
Improved screen reader announcements in data grids – removed redundant technical information when navigating through rows.

Electronic Clipboard for PMDG 777

TFM now includes an interactive Electronic Clipboard system that brings airline-style checklists directly into the simulator. This feature allows you to follow procedures step-by-step with automatic state monitoring and optional control manipulation.

What is the Electronic Clipboard?

The Electronic Clipboard displays checklists organized by flight phase (Preflight, Taxi, Takeoff, Cruise, Approach, Landing, etc.) and provides real-time feedback on your aircraft’s state. As you configure the aircraft, TFM can automatically check off items or you can manually mark them complete.

Key Features:

Pre-loaded PMDG 777 default checklists parsed from the aircraft’s own procedures
Create unlimited custom checklists for different airline SOPs (United, Emirates, Delta, etc.)
Auto-check: TFM monitors aircraft state and automatically checks off items when you set controls correctly
Control manipulation: Optionally let TFM set controls for you when you check an item (can be disabled)
Current state display: See what position each control is actually in vs. what’s expected
State persistence: Your checklist progress is saved – return to it anytime
Reset functionality: Start fresh for a new flight

How to Use:

Load the PMDG 777 in TFM
Open Aircraft menu → Electronic Clipboard
Select a checklist from the dropdown (default: PMDG 777 Default)
Navigate through phases and pages using the tree view (F3)
View and check off items in the data grid (F4)
Enable “Auto-check” to have TFM monitor and check items automatically
Enable “Control Manipulation” to let TFM set controls when you check items

Keyboard Shortcuts:

F2: Focus checklist selector dropdown
F3: Focus phase/page tree view
F4: Focus checklist items grid
Ctrl+R: Reset all items in current checklist
Ctrl+F5: Refresh checklist list
Ctrl+O: Open checklists folder in Windows Explorer
Ctrl+D: Restore default PMDG checklist
Space: Check/uncheck focused item

Checklist Editor

Create and customize your own checklists without touching JSON files! The Checklist Editor provides a visual interface for building checklists tailored to your airline’s SOPs.

How to Use the Editor:

Open Tools menu → Checklist Editor
Create a new checklist or open an existing one
Add phases (e.g., “Preflight at Gate”, “After Landing”)
Add pages within each phase (e.g., “Electrical Power Up”, “Engine Start”)
Add items to each page – use “Browse Controls” to link aircraft controls
Save your checklist and it will appear in the Electronic Clipboard

Control Browser:

When adding items, click “Browse Controls” to see all available aircraft controls with automatic metadata:

Search by name (e.g., “battery”, “altitude”, “wiper”)
See control type (toggle, numeric input, multi-state)
Automatic detection of which controls need user input (e.g., MCP altitude varies by flight)
One-click assignment with all settings configured automatically

Keyboard Shortcuts (Editor):

Ctrl+N: New checklist
Ctrl+O: Open checklist
Ctrl+S: Save checklist
Ctrl+Shift+P: Add phase
Ctrl+Shift+G: Add page
Ctrl+Shift+I: Add item
Del: Delete selected item
Ctrl+Up/Down: Move item up/down within parent
F6: Toggle focus between tree view and edit form

Creating Custom Airline Checklists:

You can create as many custom checklists as you want. Examples:

“United Airlines SOP” with United-specific procedures
“Emirates SOP” with Emirates callouts and flows
“Quick Turnaround” with just the essentials
“Training Mode” with extra detail for learning

All custom checklists are stored in: %LOCALAPPDATA%\tfm\Checklists\PMDG777\checklists\

Accessibility Improvements:

All new features are fully accessible with comprehensive keyboard navigation and screen reader support:

All controls have descriptive labels and help text
Logical tab order and keyboard shortcuts throughout
No mouse required – complete keyboard navigation
AutomationProperties for NVDA/JAWS support
Improved data grid row announcements: “Checked/Unchecked, Item Name, Current state: Value”

Performance Improvements:

TFM now starts significantly faster and responds more quickly thanks to smart caching and background loading:

Subscription validation: TFM only checks your license online when your subscription renewal is due, not every startup (reduces API calls by ~99%)
Background loading: AutoUpdater check, airports database, and destination loading now happen in the background while you use TFM
Location announcements: “Where am I?” and flight following now cache location data, eliminating network delays during cruise flight
- Instant location announcements without waiting for internet lookup
- Reduces Geonames API usage by ~90% during typical flights
- Works better with slow or unreliable internet connections
- User-configurable cache settings in Settings → Mapping (distance threshold and time interval)
Result: 10-30x faster startup time and instant location responses during flight

Behind the Scenes:

Updated terminology: “seats” are now called “activations” throughout the system for clarity.
Improved API security with per-user API keys.
Better logging for troubleshooting license issues.
Credentials are now stored securely in Windows Credential Manager.
Subscription renewal date caching for faster startup
Async background loading for non-critical operations

Migration from Older Versions:

If you’re updating from a version before 2.0.0, your old license data will be automatically migrated.
You will need to go through the activation process again (one time).
All your existing licenses and subscriptions will continue to work.
Your old credentials will be cleared automatically – this is normal and expected.

Version 6.8.3:

PMDG737: The PMDG737 should now work in MSFS2024.
Upgraded TFM to use dotnet 10.0 and Windows SDK 7.0.

Known issues

In the help/about view, TFM doesn’t present the version in the version field. Currently, It displays the subscription renewal date and its current status (EG: active, on hold, canceled, etc). We will fix it in a future build.

Version 6.8.2:

Adjusted TFM to work with the new server we moved to this past week. The Xfinity/Comcast problem is still present, so we are working on a fix for that in a future update.
Fixed a bug in the PFD where the PMDG777/737 would crash TFM when the altimeter is set after transition altitude.

Version 6.8.1

Removed the lock on the PMDG737 for users of the official release.

Version 6.8.0

Full PMDG 737 Support – A Milestone Achievement

We are thrilled to announce that the PMDG 737 is now fully supported in Talking Flight Monitor. This marks a significant milestone in accessible flight simulation – to our knowledge, this is the first time two complete PMDG study-level aircraft have been made fully accessible in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Why fly the PMDG 737?

The Boeing 737 is the world’s best-selling commercial airliner and the backbone of modern aviation. Now, blind and visually impaired pilots can experience this iconic aircraft with the same depth and authenticity as the PMDG 777. Whether you’re flying short regional hops or transcontinental routes, the 737 offers:

A consistent, familiar experience for pilots already flying the PMDG 777 in TFM
Complete access to every switch, button, and system in the cockpit
Professional procedures from cold and dark startup to shutdown
The flexibility to fly everything from the compact 737-600 to the popular 737-900

Complete System Coverage:

Full overhead panel with all electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel, pressurization, flight control, and environmental systems
Glare shield EFIS controls with altimeter management (Control+U/D to adjust, Alt+S for standard/previous setting, Alt+M to switch between HPA and inches)
Forward panels for complete cockpit access
Control stand including MCP and transponder
Streamlined turnaround panel for efficient ground operations
Enhanced ILS system supporting ILS, RNAV, LOC, GS, and all modern approach types
Quick access shortcuts: Control+P (panels), Control+F (FMC), Control+M (MCP)

Download version 6.8.0 today and experience the world’s most popular airliner like never before.

Version 6.7.12

PMDG777: Fixed the audio works panel hyd pump sound switcher.

Version 6.7.11

PMDG (all): Added Control+P = open panels, Control+F = open FMC, and Control+M = open MCP to the TFM control key keyboard commands. This will load them into a popout window without requiring you to load the view first.
TFM: Added loading licenses to the network timeout in the network section of settings. If you find your internet to be too slow, increase this value.

Version 6.7.10

PMDG (all variants): Added controls for the audio works sound pack. They are in the observer audio control panel. Note: You must have the audio works sound pack for these controls to work. Otherwise, it will only control observer microphone state.

Version 6.7.9

Speech history is now thread safe. There shouldn’t be any more random crashes when TFM tries to remove a speech item from the speech history list.

Version 6.7.8:

Keyboard manager: Custom hotkey assignments are now preserved when a new hotkey is introduced or removed from the keyboard manager.
Keyboard manager: You are now notified with a dialog when trying to assign duplicate or invalid hotkeys to an action.
Keyboard manager: Added a reset to defaults button. Press it to factory reset your assigned hotkeys.
Keyboard manager: Notification dialog for saving or resetting hotkeys makes it clear that you must reload your aircraft in TFM to make the hotkeys work.
PMDG: The 777 is now available in MSFS2024.

Version 6.7.7:

Implemented auto update for release customers.
PMDG777: TFM now reads the incoming FMC message when the message annunciator turns on.

Version 6.7.6:

PMDG737 settings: Made it clear which settings in the Overhead/ADIRU panel are annunciators. Also rearranged the checkboxes where the controls are first, then annunciators last.

Version 6.7.4:

Licenses: TFM now normalizes the expiration date/time on the license server with the system it is installed on. This makes it easier to determine when the license expires, and when is the correct time to display the license expired dialog. I have seen cases where the license expired dialog appears a day early or late due to time zone differences. This should fix that issue.
Introducing V1.0 of the new license tracking system. It improves the security of your license. With the new format, you can be assured that no one can steal or tamper with it. It works as follows. TFM will take a fingerprint of your system. It uses 6 stable components to generate the fingerprint. These components do not include personally identifiable information, only a generic system profile. When you change systems, reinstall Windows, or add/remove some hardware, the license server will then determine if it can tolerate the new changes. If so, it will launch as usual. Otherwise, the following conditions will apply.
- Legacy licenses – Anyone with TFM 6.3.2 and earlier has a legacy license. When starting TFM for the first time after this update, you will be presented with a reauthorization required dialog. Pressing the reauthorize button will update your license to the new format.
- Unauthorized devices – When installing TFM on a new or unfamiliar device, it will present an unauthorized device detected dialog. Pressing the move license button will activate TFM on the new device, and deactivate it on the old one. You can move TFM around an unlimited number of times. You can run only 1 licensed copy at a time. Please note that anti-virus software may temporarily interfere with the unauthorized detection process. Avast is one known to do this. It is a false alarm and should be ignored until you know it is truely an unauthorized device.
- Expired licenses – When an expired license is detected, TFM will present a dialog giving you the chance to renew. Pressing the renew button will take you to your account so you can complete the renewal process. Note that you will have to restart TFM for the renewal to refresh. Any other action will either result in TFM shutting down or redisplaying the expired license dialog.
- Normal license – TFM will continue to work as expected.

Version 6.7.3:

Update manager: Added a customized update view that better fits TFM’s user interface design.
- Readonly text field that displays the update message. *Update button updates TFM if available. *Changelog button displays the changelog in the browser (may require account login).
- Go to download button displays the download page for the current version in the browser (may require account login).
- Remind me later button sets a reminder for 2 days (will add more in another build).
Update manager: Added a help/check for updates menu item. Click it to check for updates.
Update manager: Updates may be mandatory or optional depending on the update’s contents. For mandatory updates, users are not allowed to leave the update manager until updates are applied. All other updates can be delayed until a later time.
Update manager: Help/changes menu item now displays the current changelog in the browser (may require account login).

Version 6.7.1:

A dialog box now appears when trying to load an aircraft from the ‘Choose aircraft’ menu item that isn’t currently loaded into MSFS. Example: trying to load the PMDG777 in TFM when the PMDG737 is the active aircraft in MSFS.

Version 6.7.0:

Improved performance, especially around API calls.
Added a message spoken during startup that indicates that TFM is loading licenses.

Version 6.6.1:

Added logging levels to the logging system. The levels are as follows.
- info = informational messages such as success log entries or non functional messages.
- debug = non functional information logged that could help implement new features, fix bugs, and improve performance.
- warn = an option set in settings prevents the use of a feature, or the current state of TFM prevents the feature’s use. TFM can continue running as normally in other cases.
- error = A system or TFM related error that causes a feature to crash or otherwise rendered useless. TFM can operate, but in unstable or undesirable conditions.
- fatal = A system or TFM error prevents the use of TFM completely. FSUIPC or MSFS drops the connection, for instance.
Started logging problems in threads, background tasks, UI contexts, and the global application context. This will help with debugging issues in TFM.
Added additional diagnostics in the log entries.
The log entries are now in json format. This makes it easier for json utilities in TFM to manage them in the UI.
The log file now has a .json extension, reflecting the content inside.
Fixed an airports database crash when trying to build using in a popped out window.
Added extra logging around the airports database build process, especially since it uses external processes to build the database.

Version 6.6.0:

Rewrote 100% of the logging system. It should be cleaner and easier to read.
Removed debug.log, error.log, and warning.log. They only created confusion and duplicated other log entries elsewhere.
TFM now generates a new log file each time it starts. This makes session debugging much easier, since we only have to look at a particular log file(s). The new format is TFM-DD-MM-YYYY_HH-MM-SS.log, where DD is the day, MM is the month, YYYY is the year, HH is the hour, MM is the minute, and SS is the second. This also provides an easy way to create a log viewer UI in the future. The logs folder can get filled up pretty quick, so make sure you remove any logs you don’t want to keep.
TFM no longer floods the log file after disconnect.
ILS announcements should be turned off by default.
ILS announcements should now turn off on touchdown.
TFM now cleans up its resources when returning to a disconnected state.
TFM now reverts to the connection status screen when FSUIPC drops the connection.
All popout windows will automatically close without notice when the FSUIPC connection is lost.
TFM no longer crashes when the FSUIPC connection is lost.
Where am I? no longer crashes TFM when attempting to use a nonexistent airports database.
Attempting to use TCAS when your aircraft is in an unknown location, or the airports database hasn’t been built yet, no longer crashes TFM. Instead, it announces a message and returns you to the screen currently being displayed.
PMDG (all variants): Global hotkeys used with the TFM control key no longer stay active when an aircraft is unloaded from TFM. Example: MSFS crashes or is shutdown before TFM is shutdown.

Version 6.5.0:

Rewrote the ILS detection system to be more efficient.
PMDG (all variants): TFM no longer crashes when MSFS closes.
Implemented a volume control for sapi output. Navigate to assistive technology in settings and move the slider to change the volume. 0 = muted and 100 = 100% volume.
Due to technical changes in TFM, the way we queue spoken text has changed. This required the following changes in assistive technology settings. The select a voice, speech rate and volume controls now have their own play sample buttons. Be sure to press each one to hear your new sapi setting.

Version 6.4.2:

TFM: Redesign automatic announcements for ILS landings
TFM will now detect and announce tuned ILS stations independently of other ILS announcements.
Added a new hotkey, ‘Shift + L’, that toggles the detection and announcement of tuned ILS stations. NOTE: it is sticky! Be sure to delete UI state/GlobalHotkeys.json before starting for the first time.
Removed the old checkbox in settings for automatically announcing ILS position because it is obsolete.
Added a checkbox in settings/aircraft that toggles on/off the announce tuned ILS stations setting.
Made permanently visible the ILS time entry box.
Your position on the ILS (Shift + I) is no longer sticky. It will now revert to off when TFM starts.
Changed the attitude mode on/off announcement to ‘attitude mode on/off’. The announcement better fits with the other togglable modes.
Your position on the ILS (Control + I) now gives ILS readouts regardless of the ILS announcements setting. WARNING: it could be inaccurate.

Version 6.4.1:

ILS: The ILS readouts now work for non ILS based runways such as rnav, loc, gs, dvm, etc.
- Runways without an ILS will not have any detection actions related to it.
- Scenery can be outdated. Given this, the ILS readouts will do their best to give the most accurate representation it can provide.

Version 6.4.0:

Refactered the ILS detection and announcement system to no longer require/depend on aircraft system state to be used. The previous implementation limited pilots to using it when approach mode was turned on. In all cases, a real pilot would have access to this information when the nav radio needles detected the ILS tuned to the frequency in the nav radios. BVI pilots now have the same ability with one advantage: They can get the readouts as soon or as late as they feel is required. The new ILS detection/announcement system also no longer requires a physical ILS station to work. This was done for a few reasons.

Attempt to handle outdated scenery (phantom ILS stations, mismatch runways).
Help facilitate rnav, loc, gs, and similar approaches (ILS station physically not present).

Pressing Shift+I will immediately startreading ILS announcements, provided the destination runway is set in the nav data/runways view, regardless of distance or aircraft state. The only condition tied to the ILS system is that it doesn’t read while on the ground.

Version 6.3.2:

Added networking category in settings that has a network time out setting. Increase it if your internet is slow.
Security and performance improvements.
Fix: Allow the PMDG777 to accept negative vertical speeds.

Version 6.3.0:

Fixed: The bug tracker no longer appears in the release version.
Fixed: The activation window now appears when no valid license key is detected on your machine.

Version 6.2.2:

Removed extra logging that was no longer needed.

Version 6.2.1:

Fixed: Subscriptions with multiple payment plans are now handled as expected.

Version 6.0.0

initial release.