Use a practical Cessna 172 flight simulator checklist covering pre-flight, start, run-up, take-off, landing, shutdown and common start faults.
A typical Cessna 172 flight simulation checklist covers the external inspection, cockpit preparation, engine start, taxi, run-up, take-off, climb, cruise, descent, landing and shutdown. Use it as a flow-and-check routine, but match the fuel system, starting method, speeds and instrument checks to the exact 172 model loaded in your simulator.
Which Cessna 172 version does this checklist suit?
No single checklist fits every Cessna 172 because its engine, fuel system, panel and electrical equipment changed across variants. For general flight simulation, the sequence below works as an abbreviated normal-procedures checklist, but the aircraft developer’s checklist or simulated Pilot’s Operating Handbook takes priority.
| Configuration | Checklist difference |
|---|---|
| Carburetted 172 | Uses a primer and carburettor heat; it normally has no auxiliary fuel pump. |
| Fuel-injected 172R or 172S | Uses an electric auxiliary pump for priming and fuel checks. Hot and cold starting procedures differ, and there is no carburettor heat. |
| Analogue panel | Check and align conventional gyroscopic instruments. Check vacuum or suction only where that system is fitted. |
| Glass cockpit | Check display warnings, engine indications, heading alignment and standby equipment. Electrical and battery checks may differ. |
If the panel labels are unfamiliar, our plain-language explanation of Cessna 172 controls and instruments covers the items referenced below.
What is the normal Cessna 172 flight sim checklist?
The following sequence is suitable for a normal VFR circuit or short cross-country flight. Speeds are typical guidance rather than universal limits; always use the figures shown in the loaded aircraft’s own checklist.
- Pre-flight inspection. Remove any simulated chocks, tie-downs, control lock and pitot cover. Check fuel quantity, oil level, tyres, lights, pitot tube, static ports, flight controls and propeller. When the simulator lacks an interactive walk-around, confirm fuel and payload through its aircraft-loading interface.
- Cockpit preparation. Set the parking brake, close the doors and adjust the view or seat position. Put the fuel selector on BOTH, check that the controls move freely and in the correct direction, set take-off trim, check the flaps and leave avionics and unnecessary electrical loads off.
- Engine start. Confirm the parking brake is set, select BOTH tanks, switch on the beacon and clear the propeller area. Use the primer and carburettor heat controls on a carburetted aircraft, or the auxiliary-pump procedure specified for a fuel-injected model. Turn on the master, engage the starter and release it when the engine fires. Set roughly 1,000 RPM, then check oil pressure, alternator output and warning lights before switching on the avionics.
- Taxi. Switch on the required taxi light, release the brake and test the wheel brakes as soon as the aircraft moves. During turns, confirm that the compass, heading system and turn indicator respond correctly. Use rudder or differential braking gently rather than taxiing with excessive power.
- Run-up. Point into wind where practical, set the brake and use the RPM specified by the aircraft; around 1,700 RPM is common. Check both magnetos against the permitted RPM drop, carburettor heat where fitted, engine instruments, charging system and vacuum system where fitted. Return briefly to idle, then confirm full, free and correct flight-control movement and take-off trim.
- Before take-off. Secure doors and windows, confirm seat belts, select BOTH tanks and set the mixture appropriately. Full rich is normal at lower elevations, but high-density-altitude departures may require leaning according to the aircraft checklist. Set flaps for the planned departure, normally UP for a routine take-off, verify carburettor heat COLD where fitted, set the altimeter and heading indicator, select transponder altitude reporting and switch on the required lights.
- Take-off and climb. Apply full power smoothly, keep straight with rudder and check that RPM, oil indications and airspeed are normal. Rotate at the published speed; about 55 KIAS is typical for many 172 variants. Retract flaps when the checklist permits and climb at the model’s published VY or VX rather than treating a generic speed as exact.
- Cruise. Level off, allow the aircraft to accelerate, set cruise power and trim until control pressure disappears. Lean the mixture using the model’s RPM, fuel-flow or exhaust-temperature procedure. Recheck heading, altitude, engine instruments and fuel periodically.
- Descent and approach. Obtain runway and weather information, set the altimeter and brief the circuit or approach. Confirm BOTH tanks, enrich the mixture as needed, use carburettor heat before substantial power reduction where fitted and switch on the landing light. Enter the flap operating range before extending flaps in stages. Roughly 60–65 KIAS on final is common, but weight, wind and variant determine the correct target.
- After landing. Leave the runway before changing cockpit settings. Retract the flaps, set carburettor heat COLD, change the transponder to the appropriate ground or standby state if it is not automatic, extinguish the landing light and use the taxi light as required.
- Shutdown. Set the parking brake and bring the engine to idle. Switch off avionics and electrical equipment, pull the mixture to idle cut-off and wait for the engine to stop. Turn the ignition and master switches off, extinguish the beacon, fit the control lock and use chocks before releasing the brake if the simulator models them.
Checklist prompts do not explain handling technique, so use our full start-to-landing Cessna 172 tutorial if you also need help with taxiing, trimming, circuit spacing and the landing flare.
Why will the Cessna 172 not start in the simulator?
Most failed starts come from using the wrong procedure for the model, interrupting the fuel supply or having a hardware control override the cockpit switch. A mistake we see constantly is following a carburetted checklist in a fuel-injected 172, or the reverse.
- The propeller turns but the engine does not fire: check fuel quantity, selector position, magnetos, mixture and the correct priming procedure. Repeated priming can flood the engine.
- Nothing happens when START is selected: check the battery or master switch, battery charge and starter assignment. A physical magneto switch may override a switch moved with the mouse.
- The engine starts and immediately stops: open the throttle slightly and inspect the mixture axis. Duplicate or reversed assignments can pull the mixture back to idle cut-off.
- The engine runs but the avionics remain dark: check the avionics master, alternator side of the master switch and panel brightness controls. A glass display set to minimum brightness can look unpowered.
For that simulator’s model-specific switch order, follow our MSFS 2024 cold-and-dark Cessna 172 start sequence.
How should you use the checklist without making the sim tedious?
Use a cockpit flow first, then read the checklist to catch anything missed. Stop at natural gates—before start, before taxi, before take-off, before landing and shutdown—instead of reading continuously while trying to control the aircraft.
Beginners can enable cockpit tooltips or checklist assistance until each control becomes familiar, then reduce that help gradually. Keep emergency procedures separate from this normal checklist, and put the routine into context with our structured Cessna 172 simulator exercises.
Can this simulator checklist be used in a real aircraft?
No. This is a generic flight-simulation checklist, not an approved operational document. A real Cessna 172 may have model-specific speeds, installed-equipment checks and owner modifications, so actual flying must use that aircraft’s approved checklist and Pilot’s Operating Handbook under qualified instruction.