How do airline pilots create and use flight plans?

Airline pilots create flight plans with dispatch or operations staff, using aircraft performance, payload, weather, NOTAMs, airspace restrictions and fuel rules. They review the operational flight plan, obtain and verify the ATC clearance, load the cleared route into the FMS, then monitor progress and revise it when conditions change.

In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, “flight plan” can mean several connected but different things: the operational flight plan, the plan filed with air traffic services, the clearance issued by ATC and the route entered in the aircraft. Approved company procedures and official aeronautical information always take precedence in real operations.

What is a flight planner, and who creates an airline flight plan?

A flight planner is either a trained person or a software system that turns operational data into a usable route, fuel calculation, timing forecast and set of alternates.

Airline pilot planning is usually shared. Planning software proposes a route and fuel load; a dispatcher, flight operations officer or operations department checks it; and the flight crew reviews the result. At a smaller operator, the pilots may perform more of the planning themselves.

The legal division of responsibility depends on the country and operator. A licensed dispatcher may share operational-control duties with the captain in one system, while another places those duties elsewhere. The captain and flight crew still have to determine that the aircraft, route, weather, fuel and airports are acceptable before departure.

What is an operational flight plan (OFP) in aviation?

An operational flight plan, commonly shortened to OFP, is the airline’s detailed prediction of how the flight should operate and the document used to monitor it.

Its exact layout varies, but an OFP normally includes the planned route and cruise levels, waypoint distances, forecast winds and temperatures, estimated times, aircraft masses, fuel figures, destination and alternate airports, and expected fuel remaining at selected points. It may also show extended-diversion information, navigation requirements and penalties caused by aircraft defects.

Do pilots need both an OFP and an ATS flight plan?

Airline operations normally use both because they serve different purposes. The OFP supports the operator and crew’s planning and monitoring, while the ATS flight plan gives the required information to air traffic services. One planning system may generate both from the same data, but the resulting records are not interchangeable.

They are also only part of the complete package. Our explanation of the navigation logs, weather material, NOTAMs, fuel calculations and weight-and-balance documents used alongside a flight plan shows how the other paperwork fits around the OFP.

An aviation route is the intended lateral sequence of procedures, airways and waypoints. The flight path is where the aircraft actually travels in three dimensions, while a trajectory may add altitude and timing predictions. ATC vectors, weather avoidance and shortcuts often make the flown path different from the planned route.

How is an airline flight plan prepared?

An airline flight plan is prepared by converting the aircraft, payload, weather and regulatory constraints into a legal route, suitable airports and sufficient fuel.

1. Identify the aircraft and flight. Planning begins with the aircraft type or specific registration, departure time, payload and expected operating mass. Minimum Equipment List or Configuration Deviation List items can restrict navigation capability, maximum altitude, icing exposure or fuel performance.
2. Assess weather and NOTAMs. The planner checks surface forecasts, winds and temperatures aloft, thunderstorms, turbulence, icing, runway conditions, navigation outages, airport operating hours and airspace restrictions.
3. Select a route and cruise level. The proposed route must suit the aircraft’s equipment and performance while respecting usable airways, restricted airspace and departure or arrival procedures. Winds, congestion, charges, diversion options, time and fuel can make the shortest geographical route a poor operational choice.
4. Choose suitable alternates. An alternate must have acceptable forecast weather, runway performance, navigation facilities and operating availability. The nearest airport is not necessarily suitable if the same weather system or restriction affects both airports.
5. Calculate fuel. The OFP commonly separates taxi, trip, contingency, alternate, final-reserve and additional fuel. Terminology and minimum quantities differ by regulation and operator, so applying one universal reserve percentage to every flight is incorrect.
6. Check performance and limitations. Planners account for runway limits, terrain, aircraft mass and relevant defects. Final take-off and landing calculations are separate, time-sensitive tasks using the actual runway, wind, temperature, surface condition and aircraft configuration.
7. File the ATS plan and check flow restrictions. The operator submits the required flight details through its approved channel. Airspace congestion can produce a reroute, level restriction or controlled departure time.
8. Review and accept the plan. The pilots check aircraft identity, route, weather, NOTAMs, fuel, masses, alternates and operational threats. A material payload, runway or weather change calls for recalculation rather than an improvised correction.
9. Load and verify the FMS. The route may be sent electronically or entered by hand. The crew compares every significant part with the OFP and latest clearance before activating it.

How does an ATC slot checker fit into the plan?

An ATC slot checker reports whether flow management has assigned or revised a controlled take-off time, often called a CTOT in systems that use that term.

This is a traffic-flow restriction, not a parking-stand allocation or departure clearance. Estimated off-block time, target off-block time and controlled take-off time describe different events; their labels and use vary by region, so one must not be substituted for another.

• Confirm the date, flight number or callsign and airport pair.
• Check the status and timestamp rather than relying on an old briefing.
• Look for reroutes, suspensions, revisions or cancellations as well as the time itself.
• Use the operator’s approved operational source; an informational checker cannot grant clearance.
• Continue monitoring because a slot can change before departure.

Most offline flight simulators do not enforce real-world flow-management slots. An online ATC environment or organised event may apply its own procedures, which should not be confused with a live airline CTOT.

How do pilots check and use the flight plan?

Pilots use the plan as a continuously checked prediction, not as paperwork that becomes irrelevant once the aircraft leaves the gate.

What is checked before departure?

Before departure, the crew confirms that the aircraft, OFP, clearance and FMS all describe the intended flight.

• origin, destination, flight number and aircraft data;
• cleared runway, SID and transition;
• airway and waypoint sequence, including duplicate waypoint names;
• speed and altitude constraints;
• route discontinuities, vector legs and manual segments;
• STAR, arrival transition and approach when assigned or anticipated;
• total distance and predicted fuel against the OFP;
• navigation database validity and relevant procedure NOTAMs;
• payload, zero-fuel mass, take-off mass and fuel units.

Procedure names can look deceptively similar, especially after a runway change. Simmers who are unsure where a transition begins or why a constraint appears can use our guide to matching SID and STAR charts with the clearance and FMS.

A mistake we see constantly is deleting every DISCONTINUITY as soon as it appears. Some gaps are errors, but others represent an expected radar-vector segment or a procedure that must not be joined until ATC gives an instruction. Identify the reason for the gap before closing it.

What does an airline pilot watch after departure?

After departure, an airline pilot watches the active leg, flight-guidance modes, position, actual time and fuel against the OFP, while also following weather and ATC changes.

Crews commonly compare actual and predicted values at waypoints or defined intervals. A small one-off fuel difference may be harmless; a continuing negative trend can signal stronger winds, a longer route, unexpected holding, an aircraft performance problem or incorrect planning data. The response and reporting thresholds come from the operator’s procedures rather than a universal figure.

The FMS and autopilot reduce workload, but they do not validate the clearance. Pilots still monitor the flight mode annunciations, turn direction, active waypoint and vertical constraints whenever a route modification is executed.

A special wristwatch is not what creates or controls the flight plan. A personal watch can be convenient for UTC or elapsed time, but required timing is based on approved cockpit equipment and company procedures; personal devices are also subject to the operator’s rules.

What happens when ATC changes the route?

When ATC changes the route, the crew records and reads back the clearance, modifies the FMS, verifies the new path and then checks its effect on fuel, timing and the arrival.

1. Clarify the instruction. Ambiguous waypoint names, headings, levels or restrictions are resolved before altering the active route.
2. Maintain control. During a busy phase, the pilot flying concentrates on the aircraft while the pilot monitoring enters the change.
3. Check the connection. The crew inspects the waypoint before and after the modification, turn direction, constraints and any resulting discontinuity.
4. Activate and monitor. The modification is executed only after cross-checking, and the first turn or intercept is watched closely.
5. Reassess the operation. A long reroute, hold or runway change can affect fuel reserves, landing mass, alternates and the validity of the arrival briefing.

A heading or vector temporarily takes the aircraft away from the programmed route without making the entire flight plan invalid. Our guide to following IFR headings, altitudes and vectors while keeping the FMS under control covers that cockpit workflow.

How do you create a flight plan in MSFS 2020?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, create a flight plan from the World Map, choose an IFR or VFR routing method, inspect the generated route and procedures, then verify the resulting plan in the aircraft’s navigation system. These steps apply to PC and Xbox; MSFS 2020 was not released on PlayStation.

1. Select the aircraft and starting position. Choose the aircraft before finalising fuel and range. Select a gate or ramp position for a cold-and-dark airline departure; selecting the runway normally starts the aircraft ready for departure.
2. Choose the departure and destination. Set both airports, then consider the expected weather and usable runways before selecting procedures.
3. Select the planning type. Use VFR routing for visual practice. For an airline-style IFR flight, select low- or high-altitude airways according to the aircraft and intended cruise operation.
4. Inspect the route. Check that the path uses sensible waypoints and airways. A route generated automatically may be flyable without being realistic or efficient.
5. Add procedures carefully. Select the runway, SID, transition, STAR and approach only when appropriate. Live weather or simulator ATC may later assign a different runway, requiring the route to be amended.
6. Set payload and fuel. The World Map route is not a substitute for aircraft-specific fuel and performance calculations. Leave enough fuel for the planned trip, expected delay, diversion and reserve appropriate to the simulation you are attempting.
7. Load the flight and verify the avionics. Confirm the origin, destination, waypoint order and procedures in the GPS or FMS. Sophisticated airliner add-ons may use their own route-loading method and may not mirror every World Map entry.
8. Obtain and follow the simulated clearance. Built-in ATC may recognise the World Map plan, but the route actually cleared still takes priority. Amend the avionics if the runway or route changes.

A missing waypoint, rejected airway or different procedure often means the planner and aircraft are using different navigation-data cycles. Rebuild the affected section using procedures available in the simulator rather than forcing a broken sequence. For the flying that follows, our gate-to-gate simulator IFR workflow connects the plan with clearance, departure, cruise, approach and missed-approach handling.

Which sim flight-planning method should you use?

The right sim flight-planning method depends on whether the aim is a quick usable route, FMS practice or a full airline-style dispatch exercise.

Which flight-planning mistakes cause the most trouble?

The most troublesome errors are mismatches between the OFP, clearance and FMS, followed by stale data and unverified automation.

The working rule is straightforward: the OFP predicts the flight, the ATS plan communicates the request, ATC clears the operation, and the FMS helps fly it. Pilots keep all four aligned and investigate any difference before it develops into an operational problem.