Compare the best flight planning tools for simulators, including Little Navmap, SimBrief and Navigraph, with clear picks for VFR, IFR and airliners.
For general flight simulation, Little Navmap is the best free all-round route planner, while SimBrief is the strongest choice for realistic airline dispatch. Navigraph Charts suits subscription-based IFR flying with up-to-date charts and navdata. A simulator’s built-in planner remains quickest for simple VFR or casual flights, but offers less control.
Best flight simulator route planners compared
No single planner covers VFR mapping, airline dispatch, charts, fuel calculations and simulator integration equally well.
| Tool | Best for | Main strengths | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Navmap | Free VFR and IFR planning | Moving map, airspace, terrain, performance profiles and broad export support | Requires database setup and does not replace current instrument charts |
| SimBrief | Airliner dispatch | Operational flight plans, routing, fuel, payload, alternates and aircraft profiles | Less suitable for visual route planning; free navdata may not match the aircraft |
| Navigraph Charts | Serious IFR flying | Charts, route planning, moving maps and matching navdata for supported add-ons | Requires a subscription |
| Built-in simulator planner | Quick, uncomplicated flights | No separate application and usually the easiest route into native ATC | Limited route editing, fuel planning and procedure control |
Little Navmap is our default recommendation for simmers who want one free planner across MSFS, X-Plane, FSX and Prepar3D. It can read simulator scenery databases, connect to a running simulator and export numerous flight-plan formats. Our Little Navmap database, connection and route-export walkthrough covers the setup details that cause most problems.
SimBrief is designed around airline operations rather than visual map work. It produces an operational flight plan with routing, winds, fuel, reserves, alternates and estimated weights, provided the selected aircraft profile is appropriate. MSFS users can follow our SimBrief dispatch and MSFS import process.
Navigraph Charts is the better choice when matching charts and navigation data matter more than keeping the setup free. It is particularly useful for flying SIDs, STARs and instrument approaches with complex aircraft. SimBrief still handles dispatch well, while Navigraph supplies the charting and navdata side of the workflow.
Should I use one planner or combine several tools?
The best IFR setup separates dispatch, charts and aircraft execution instead of forcing one application to perform every task.
- General aviation and VFR: Little Navmap is usually sufficient for route design, controlled airspace, terrain awareness and a live moving map.
- Airline IFR: Use SimBrief for dispatch and fuel planning, Navigraph for charts and compatible navdata, then load or enter the route in the aircraft’s FMS.
- Free airline setup: Combine SimBrief with Little Navmap, but check for navdata mismatches before using newer airways or procedures.
- Quick native-ATC flight: Use the simulator’s own planner. This is often the least troublesome way to make default ATC recognise the route.
A planner creates the intended route; the aircraft’s FMS or GPS executes it, and the simulator’s ATC may hold a separate copy. Treating those as one shared system is a mistake we see constantly.
How do I import a route into a flight simulator?
A route must be exported in a format recognised by both the simulator and the selected aircraft.
- Check the navigation data. Confirm that the planner and aircraft recognise the same airways, waypoints and procedures. They do not have to use the newest cycle, but they need compatible data.
- Build and validate the route. Check altitude, direction of flight, airway restrictions and sensible alternates. Select the final runway and approach from the expected weather rather than accepting the first automatic suggestion.
- Export the correct format. MSFS and FSX commonly use
.pln, while X-Plane uses.fms. Complex add-on aircraft may require their own company-route format or an integrated import service. The X-Plane 12 export and avionics-loading workflow explains the distinction for that simulator. - Load every system that needs the route. If native ATC must follow it, load the plan through the simulator’s pre-flight planner as well as the aircraft avionics. Our guide to VFR, IFR and procedure planning in the MSFS native planner shows how that layer works.
- Inspect the legs page. Check the departure, arrival, approach, transitions, altitude constraints and any discontinuities before departure. Never delete a discontinuity blindly; it may represent radar vectors or a manual-sequencing leg.
- Verify fuel and weights separately. Route import does not guarantee that planned fuel, payload or reserves have reached the aircraft. Compare the loaded values with the dispatch plan.
Why does a route change or break after import?
Most broken flight plans are caused by mismatched navdata, duplicate procedures or loading the route into only one part of the simulator.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Waypoint or airway not found | The planner and aircraft use different AIRAC cycles | Use compatible data or rebuild the affected segment with waypoints the aircraft recognises |
| SID, STAR or approach disappears | The procedure, runway or transition differs between databases | Reload the procedure in the aircraft and verify every connecting leg |
| Route appears on the map but not in the FMS | The simulator and aircraft maintain separate flight plans | Import through the aircraft’s supported EFB, FMS or company-route method |
| ATC ignores the route | The plan was loaded only into the aircraft | Load the base route through the simulator’s native planner before starting the flight |
| Loops, zigzags or duplicate fixes appear | A departure or arrival was included in both the exported route and the avionics selection | Remove the duplicate procedure, then reconnect the en-route and terminal legs |
| Planned fuel is far too high or low | Wrong aircraft profile, weights, winds or reserve policy | Correct the profile and recalculate rather than adjusting fuel by guesswork |
Do flight simulators need the latest AIRAC data?
You do not need the latest AIRAC for every simulator flight; matching data between the planner, aircraft and charts is usually more important than having the newest cycle.
Older data is generally adequate for casual VFR and offline flying. Up-to-date navdata becomes much more useful for online ATC, recently changed procedures and flights based on current instrument charts. A newer database can also expose a runway number that older airport scenery does not display, so check for runway renumbering as well as missing waypoints.
Flight simulator planning tools and charts are intended for simulation. They must not be used as an approved source for real-world flight planning or navigation.