How do I find taxiways and gates in a flight simulator?

In any flight simulator, find taxiways and gates with an airport diagram showing taxiway letters, holding points, terminals and parking stands, then match it to yellow centre-lines and airfield signs. Use a moving map, taxi ribbon or ground-ATC instructions for position checks, but treat the simulated airport layout as the final reference.

Which tool should I use to find taxiways and gates?

Use an airport diagram as your primary reference because it shows how the entire ground layout fits together. The standard diagram normally identifies runways, taxiways and terminals; detailed gate numbers may instead appear on a separate apron or parking chart.

Our guide to reading airport diagrams and ground markings explains how to interpret these charts. Microsoft Flight Simulator users can also follow our process for obtaining and displaying airport charts in MSFS.

How do I follow a taxi route from the gate or runway?

Locate your aircraft on the airport diagram, trace the cleared route one taxiway at a time, and verify every turn against the signs outside.

1. Confirm the airport and runway. Check the ICAO code, since similar airport names can lead to the wrong diagram. After landing, note the runway and the exit you used.
2. Find your position. At departure, match the stand number and terminal shape. After landing, use the runway exit label, nearby taxiway sign and aircraft heading. A moving map is useful when the scenery does not display the stand number clearly.
3. Orient the diagram. Most charts indicate north, but your view from the cockpit will rarely face the same way. Compare the aircraft heading with the runway orientation before deciding whether a taxiway lies to your left or right.
4. Write down the route. Break a clearance such as via A, A1 and B, hold short runway 27 into separate checkpoints. Trying to remember a long string of letters is a common cause of missed turns.
5. Follow the yellow centre-line. Check the sign at each junction before turning. If using ATC or an online flying environment, do not cross a runway holding point without clearance.
6. Enter the assigned stand carefully. Follow its lead-in line and stop at the marker appropriate to the aircraft size. Jetway positioning, marshallers and stopping guidance vary with the airport scenery.

If you use Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and prefer visual assistance, our practical taxi-ribbon setup instructions cover requesting ground directions and following the on-screen route.

What do taxiway signs and markings mean?

Airfield signs tell you where you are, where each route leads and when you must stop.

• Black sign with yellow lettering: your present taxiway location. A black sign marked A means you are on taxiway Alpha.
• Yellow sign with black lettering and arrows: directions to intersecting taxiways, runways or airport areas.
• Red sign with white lettering: a mandatory instruction, commonly at a runway entrance. Do not pass it without the required clearance.
• Solid yellow line: the taxiway centre-line to follow. Taxiway edges are also yellow; runway markings are white.
• Two solid and two dashed yellow lines: a runway holding position. Approaching from the solid-line side means you must stop unless cleared to cross or enter.

A mistake we see constantly is following the centre-line without reading the location sign. At a large junction, several yellow lines may branch away; the sign confirms which branch matches the clearance.

How do I find the correct gate after landing?

Use the gate or parking assignment from ground ATC, then locate that identifier on an apron chart, moving map or the terminal signage in the scenery.

A gate usually means terminal parking, often with a jetway. A stand, ramp position or parking spot may be remote, cargo or general-aviation parking. Simulators and charts sometimes use different terms for the same position.

If no gate is assigned, choose parking that suits the aircraft and operation:

• a stand large enough for the wingspan and turning radius;
• passenger-terminal parking for an airliner, cargo parking for freight, or a ramp for general aviation;
• a jetway stand only when the aircraft and scenery support it;
• an unoccupied stand during multiplayer sessions.

Can the aircraft GPS show airport gates?

Most panel-mounted aircraft GPS units are designed for airborne navigation and cannot reliably guide you to a gate. Some EFBs and simulator maps provide an own-aircraft symbol over a detailed airport layout, but coverage depends on the simulator, aircraft and chart data.

Why do the chart and simulator scenery not match?

The usual cause is that the chart, navigation database and airport scenery represent different revisions of the real airport.

Taxiways can be renamed, terminals rebuilt and stands renumbered. Add-on scenery may also conflict with a default or older airport package, producing duplicate buildings, broken taxi routes or gate labels that disagree with ATC.

• Verify that the chart and scenery use the same airport code.
• Check whether more than one add-on supplies the airport, then disable the duplicate or correct its scenery priority.
• Use the visible signs and paved layout to avoid buildings and closed surfaces, while treating every runway crossing as a holding point.
• If ATC or a taxi ribbon directs you through an obstruction, stop and choose the safe marked route rather than following it blindly.
• Expect generic airports to have fewer signs and less accurate parking labels than detailed scenery.

Gate-number mismatches are usually inconvenient rather than critical. Taxiway mismatches require more care because an outdated route can put the aircraft onto an active runway or an unusable surface.