Find airport frequencies in a flight simulator using airport data, charts and avionics, then fix COM/NAV tuning and navdata mismatches.
To find airport frequencies in a flight simulator, search the airport by ICAO code in the simulator’s map or airport-information page, then check its charts or the avionics airport-data page. Match the service you need—ATIS, ground, tower, approach, CTAF or ILS—and tune it on the correct COM or NAV receiver.
In aviation and real-world flying, an airport rarely has one universal frequency. It may have separate channels for weather, clearance delivery, ground control, tower and approach, plus navigation frequencies tied to particular runways.
What is the fastest way to find the correct frequency?
- Identify the airport precisely. Use its ICAO code where available, such as
EGLL, rather than relying only on a city or airport name. Similar names and nearby airports are a common source of errors. - Decide which service you need. Choose ATIS or an automated weather service for conditions, ground for taxi, tower for runway operations, approach or departure for terminal control, and CTAF at many non-towered airports.
- Open the airport information. Check the simulator’s flight-planning map, airport details, ATC panel or an airport page in the aircraft’s GPS or FMS. Menu names vary between simulators and aircraft.
- Check the runway and procedure. An ILS frequency belongs to a specific runway direction. Read the frequency, localiser identifier and inbound course from the relevant approach data rather than using the first ILS listed for the airport.
- Tune the correct receiver. Voice services use COM radios. ILS, VOR and similar navigation aids use NAV receivers or an FMS-managed navigation system. Move the frequency from standby to active when the radio requires it.
- Verify the station. Listen for the station name or ATIS recording. For an ILS, confirm the displayed or audible identifier before relying on the guidance.
Where are airport frequencies listed?
| Source | Best used for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Simulator airport information | Built-in ATC and a quick pre-flight lookup | May omit regional control sectors or less commonly modelled services |
| Aircraft GPS or FMS | Finding frequencies from the cockpit, including nearby airports | Pages and database coverage vary between aircraft |
| Aeronautical charts | Runway-specific ILS data and realistic IFR procedures | The chart and simulator database may represent different data cycles |
| ATC interface or assigned frequency | The service to contact at that stage of flight | It is not necessarily a complete airport frequency directory |
Airport diagrams and terminal charts usually place communication frequencies in an information box, while an instrument approach chart lists the approach controller and runway navigation data. Our guide to finding suitable airport charts for flight simulation explains the available chart sources and what each chart type contains.
Which airport frequency should I use?
- Before departure: ATIS, AWOS or ASOS for weather; clearance delivery where provided; then ground and tower.
- After take-off: Departure control normally follows tower. Use the frequency assigned by ATC rather than assuming every published departure frequency applies to your sector.
- On arrival: Obtain ATIS first, then contact the assigned approach, tower and ground frequencies in sequence. Some large airports publish separate arrival and departure ATIS broadcasts; our explanation of how published ATIS channels and broadcasts are organised covers that distinction.
- At a non-towered airport: Use the published CTAF for position reports. UNICOM may share that channel, but it does not provide air traffic control.
- For an instrument approach: Tune the published ILS or localiser frequency for the selected runway, unless the aircraft manages it automatically.
Is an ILS frequency a COM frequency?
No. An ILS localiser is a navigation signal and must be tuned through NAV equipment or entered into the aircraft’s managed navigation system. The paired glideslope frequency is selected automatically; pilots do not tune it separately.
Confirm the runway, localiser identifier and course because opposite runway ends can use different systems. There are also restrictions on which published frequencies can be assigned to an ILS, so an arbitrary number from the localiser band will not work.
Why does a published frequency not work in the simulator?
- It is still in standby. Entering a number does not activate it; use the transfer control where fitted.
- The wrong radio is selected. Check COM1 versus COM2, NAV1 versus NAV2 and the audio-panel monitoring buttons.
- COM and NAV have been confused. Tower and ATIS belong in COM; an ILS belongs in NAV or the aircraft’s navigation system.
- The airport lacks that service. A non-towered field will not answer on a tower frequency, and not every airport has ATIS, ground or clearance delivery.
- You are out of range. Frequencies are reused geographically. Reception depends on distance, altitude, terrain and how the simulator models radio coverage.
- The chart and simulator disagree. A runway may have been renumbered, an ILS replaced or a frequency changed after the simulator’s navigation database was compiled.
- The aircraft cannot select the channel. Some older simulated radios do not handle newer channel spacing correctly, particularly 8.33 kHz COM channels.
- ATC or audio is malfunctioning. Microsoft Flight Simulator users can follow our checks for silent or unavailable ATC services, including active-radio and receiver-selection faults.
Which frequency source should take priority?
Use the source that controls the type of flight you are conducting. For built-in ATC, the simulator’s own airport listing is usually the practical authority because that is the database its controller recognises. For an IFR procedure, use chart data that matches the navigation database installed in the aircraft as closely as possible.
If a live controller assigns a frequency, that assignment takes priority over a generic airport listing. Add-on scenery can also update buildings and runway markings without updating the simulator’s radio-navigation database, so scenery appearance alone does not prove that a charted ILS or COM frequency is available.