Welcome to Global AI Ship Traffic – a community project which provides free realistic ship models and AI ship traffic to flight simulation enthusiasts using FSX, P3D, and MSFS 2020 flight simulators.

More than 1000 unique ship models; more than 2500 unique ships, when texture variants are included. The project includes everything from small fishing boats typical to their regions to Ultra Large Container Carriers, Bulk Carriers, Ore Carriers, and Super Tankers. From Coast Guard rescue boats, patrol boats, and cutters to navy frigates, destroyers, and aircraft carriers. Add to that sailboats, private yachts, royal yachts, passenger, and cruise ships. And hundreds of ferries serving their real-life routes.

Global AI Ship Traffic Real Time – GAIST RT for MSFS

With GAIST RT you can follow tugs pushing container ships to the pier in real time or check if your local ferry is on schedule. All inside the flight simulator. The GAIST RT User Interface combines real time AIS position data from Fleetmon.com and the GAIST Ultra V4 ship library to create and unprecedented authentic simulation of global ship traffic. GAIST RT is created and maintained by Alpha India Group. It matches the position data received from FleetMon.com for ships in the vicinity of the sim pilot’s plane with ships from the library. First it searches for a direct match based on IMO and MMSI ship registration numbers; if the ship does not exist in the ship library it will search for a ship of similar type and size. When a match is done the ship will then appear in the simulator with its’ current speed and heading.

Not all ship types are present in GAIST Ultra V4, but we constantly add to the library. It is also important that not all data received from ships is correct. Heading on ships which are stopped at anchor or moored can be erroneous especially for smaller ships. This will mean that the heading will also be erroneous in the simulator.

Global AI Ship Traffic Ultra – GAIST Ultra for MSFS

GAIST Ultra V4 also contains the latest update to the traditional preprogrammed version of the Global AI Ship Traffic project well known by flight simulation enthusiasts since 2013. GAIST Ultra V4 has ship traffic preprogrammed mostly along the coast lines and it depends on the BGL traffic file format to simulate real traffic patterns and place ship models which are relevant to individual geographical areas in the simulator. In GAIST Ultra you can find several preprogrammed events like a tall ship race from Saint Malo, an around the world sail race, and the rescue of Captain Phillips off the coast of Somalia, well known from the movie with Tom Hanks.

How to install in MSFS

Both versions depend on the same ship library GAIST-Ultra-V4.zip, and while they can in theory be used together, we strongly recommend just to use one at the time. Either Real Time or the traditional BGL.

Inside the GAIST Ultra V4 download you will find the GAIST-Ultra-V4.zip containing the ship library and a number of zip folders named according to regions following this syntax gaist-regionname-routes.zip and containing BGL traffic routes.

  • To install you need to unzip the files you want to install. and place them in the Community folder of MSFS
  • You must always install the GAIST-Ultra-V4 folder
  • If you run the traditional BGL version you can minimize performance impact at start up of the sim installing only the GAIST-Ultra-V4 folder and one route folder for the area where you want to fly.
  • Do not install the GAIST-Navy-Routes folder if you run the BGL version as the Navy routes are already included in the regional route folders and you will get doublets.
  • If you want to run Real Time Traffic do not install the Regional Route Folders but install instead only the the GAIST-Ultra-V4 folder and the GAIST-Navy-Routes folder.

As most navy ships do not emit AIS position signals, the BGL files in GAIST-Navy-Routes supplements the Real Time traffic with Naval Vessels from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and USA.

About the creators and copyright

The Global AI Ship Traffic project was initiated and conceptualized by Henrik Nielsen in 2012. Shortly after the first launch for FSX it turned into a community project involving model and texture creators from around the Globe.

Please respect copyrights so we can continue to develop and make this available as a free add-on for all flightsim enthusiasts to use and enjoy.

Models and textures are copyright of Henrik Nielsen, Erwin Welker, Jean-Pierre Fillion, Knud Kristoffersen, Martin Rueedi, Larry Robinson, Dexter, Milton Shupe, Manfred Siedler, Bernardo Barroso, Paul Donnelly, Finn Kristoffer, Didier ‘‘Lagaffe’’ Puentes, Andrew Thomsen, Kevair, Robystar, Antonio Diaz, Sebastien Viale, Alberto Garcia, Cxema, Pascal Dumat, Rick Keller, Lazarus Starkweather, Dave Garwood, Darren Lane, and Jan de Jong.

Global AI Ship Traffic Real Time is developed in collaboration between the above model and texture creators, Kai from the AI air traffic Alpha India Group, and the team behind the maritime website Fleetmon.com.

Referencing models in other projects or any other sharing or distribution of the models or textures included in Global AI Ship Traffic in actual or converted format can only happen after a written permit by the respective copyright holders for each of the individual models. You can find contact information inside the packages. Global AI Ship Traffic is freeware, so if you have paid or been asked to pay for it, please let us know so we can take appropriate legal action.

Thanks to DFDS and DgzRS for providing detailed documentation for their respective fleets. Please support the voluntary German Sea Rescue service here www.seenotretter.de and next time you need to cross the European waters please check options here on www.DFDS.com.

Where to download

You can find the Global AI Ship Traffic V4.0 in the following links:

Link to Flyawaysimulation

Link to Simviation

Link to Flightsimnorway.com

Link to Flightsim.com

Global AI Ship Traffic for FSX and P3D

Global AI Ship Traffic was originally developed for FSX and P3D. You can download the last version for these simulators from the links below. They only work with BGL traffic files and not with the Real Time injection.

FSX/Prepar3D Global AI Ship Traffic V2 on flightsim.com https://www.flightsim.com/files/file/202827-fsxprepar3d-global-ai-ship-traffic-v2/

FSX/Prepar3D Global AI Ship Traffic V2 on simviation.com: Simviation: Microsoft Flight Simulator Addons

FSX/P3D Classic Global AI Ship Traffic from the period 1960-1972

A special version of Global AI Ship Traffic for FSX/P3D with Retro ship traffic from the period 1960-1972 can be found here:

Download File (simviation.com)

Support:

As GAIST is a freeware developed by creators in their leisure time we only provide support through established flight simulation fora benefitting from peer-to-peer support between users. Do not expect any individual support.

Alpha-India-Group Forum in English

Avsim.com in English Henrik Nielsen’s Global AI Ship Traffic for MSFS – Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) – The AVSIM Community

Forums.flightsimulator.com in English Global AI Ship Traffic V2 native version and Great Lakes – General Discussion & Interests / Scenery & Airports – Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums

Sim-outhouse.com in English http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/129694-Global-AI-Ship-Traffic-for-MSFS-GAIST-ULTRA-V3-released

Flightsim.no in Danish/Norwegian Global AI Ship Traffic for MSFS GAIST ULTRA V3 freeware lanceret – MSFS 2020 – Scenery – Flightsim.no

Pilote-Virtuel.com in French Pilote-Virtuel.com – Forum de simulation aérienne / [MSFS][P3D][FSX] 1300 navires et routes AI (MSFS V2 Natif page 121)

Voovirtual.com in Portuguese/Spanish Nova versao do freeware Global AI Ship Traffic lancado para MSFS (voovirtual.com)

Copyright 2023 Henrik Nielsen, Erwin Welker, Jean-Pierre Fillion, Knud Kristoffersen, Martin Rueedi, Larry Robinson, Dexter, Milton Shupe, Manfred Siedler, Bernardo Barroso, Paul Donnelly, Finn Kristoffer, Didier ‘‘Lagaffe’’ Puentes, Andrew Thomsen, Kevair, Robystar, Antonio Diaz, Sebastien Viale, Alberto Garcia, Cxema, Pascal Dumat, Rick Keller, Lazarus Starkweather, Dave Garwood, Darren Lane, and Jan de Jong.

Copyright 2023 Global AI Ship Traffic Real Time Application Alpha India Group , Fleetmon.com and Henrik Nielsen