Find MSFS 2020 approach plates, match them to the sim’s navdata, brief minima and fixes, and avoid common ILS and RNAV setup errors.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 supplies procedure data, but not a complete, dependable library of approach-plate PDFs. Find the current plate by airport identifier and procedure name, keep it open on another screen or supported EFB, load the matching approach into the FMS, then brief and fly every fix, altitude, minimum and missed-approach instruction.
Where can I find approach plates for MSFS 2020?
For US airports, the quickest method is to search our approach-plate library by airport identifier or name. Our wider FAA chart library also includes sectionals, terminal charts and downloadable procedure PDFs.
For airports outside the United States, use the official aeronautical information publication for the relevant country. Search with the airport’s ICAO identifier rather than only its name, then confirm that the document is an instrument approach procedure rather than an airport diagram, departure or arrival chart.
- Identify the airport and runway. Use the four-letter ICAO identifier where available, such as
EGLLorKJFK. - Choose the exact procedure. An ILS, RNAV, VOR and localiser approach to the same runway are different procedures.
- Match the full title. Suffixes matter: RNAV Y and RNAV Z approaches may use different fixes, constraints and minima.
- Check the effective date. A newly issued plate may not match an older simulator navigation-data cycle.
How do I use an approach plate in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?
Use the plate to verify and monitor the procedure rather than treating the magenta line as the authority. The World Map and aircraft FMS can load procedure data, but they do not replace the chart’s notes, minimums or missed-approach instructions.
- Select the likely approach. Base this on the landing runway, weather, available navigation equipment and the aircraft’s capabilities. Do not choose an ILS merely because the runway has one if the wind favours another runway.
- Brief the plate before descent. Note the initial approach fix, transition, inbound course, altitude restrictions, final approach fix, decision altitude or minimum descent altitude, and missed-approach procedure. If the symbols are unfamiliar, our guide to interpreting an instrument approach plate explains the plan, profile and minima sections.
- Load the matching procedure. In the World Map or aircraft FMS, select the same approach, runway, suffix and transition shown on the plate. Review the resulting sequence of fixes instead of accepting it without checking.
- Set the navigation equipment. For an ILS or localiser, verify the frequency, front course and navigation source even when the aircraft tunes them automatically. For RNAV, make sure GPS is the active source and that the displayed level of service supports the minima you intend to use.
- Join the procedure correctly. Fly to the selected initial fix or follow vectors to final. Loading an approach is not the same as activating it; activating too early can send the aircraft directly to an approach fix and disrupt the en-route flight plan.
- Monitor every constraint. Check the FMS against the plate as fixes sequence. Automation can follow an incorrect route perfectly, so confirm courses, distances and crossing altitudes throughout the approach.
- Apply the correct minima. Use the line for the aircraft category and guidance actually available. At decision altitude or the missed-approach point, land only if the required visual reference exists; otherwise execute the published missed approach.
Which settings depend on the approach type?
| Approach | What to verify | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| ILS or LOC | Frequency, inbound course, correct NAV source and approach mode | Trying to capture the glideslope from above or intercepting the localiser at an excessive angle |
| RNAV (GPS) | GPS source, active leg, altitude constraints and displayed guidance capability | Using LPV minima when the avionics only provide LNAV guidance |
| VOR | VOR frequency, selected course, station identification and any required DME | Expecting glideslope guidance from a procedure that supplies lateral guidance only |
For an ILS, the safest technique is to intercept the localiser from a sensible angle while level below the glideslope, then arm approach mode and watch the mode annunciations. Our practical MSFS 2020 ILS setup guide covers that sequence in more detail.
Can an approach plate be displayed inside MSFS 2020?
Some aircraft or add-on EFBs can display charts, but this is not a universal feature and may depend on separate chart integration. The dependable arrangement is to open the PDF on a second monitor, tablet, phone or laptop; this is especially useful on Xbox, where switching away from the simulator is awkward.
The World Map’s procedure preview and an avionics moving map are not substitutes for the plate. They may show fixes and the route line, but usually omit chart notes, obstacle information, complete minima tables and the detailed missed approach.
Why does the approach plate not match the simulator?
A mismatch usually means the chart and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 are using different navigation-data or airport versions. Check the exact procedure name before assuming the simulator has generated the route incorrectly.
- Missing or renamed fixes: the plate may be newer than the simulator’s navigation database.
- Different runway number: real runways are occasionally renumbered after magnetic variation changes, while scenery or navdata may still use the former designation.
- Wrong transition: selecting vectors instead of an initial fix, or choosing a different IAF, changes the legs displayed by the FMS.
- Wrong procedure suffix: RNAV Y and Z procedures are not interchangeable even when they serve the same runway.
- Add-on conflict: airport scenery and replacement navdata can disagree with each other or with a saved flight plan.
First compare the ICAO identifier, runway, procedure type, suffix and transition. Update the simulator and installed content where appropriate, then rebuild any saved route that contains obsolete fixes. If the plate and FMS still disagree, choose a procedure represented correctly in both rather than following a mixture of two different versions.