How do I get SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12?
In X-Plane 12, you get SIDs and STARs by using an aircraft with suitable avionics and selecting the procedure in the FMS, GPS or glass cockpit. If no procedures appear, the usual reasons are outdated navdata, an aircraft that cannot load them, or an airport/runway pair that has no compatible SID or STAR.
How to load a SID or STAR in X-Plane 12
You do not normally install SIDs and STARs as separate add-ons. X-Plane reads them from its navigation database, and you load them inside the aircraft avionics.
- Use an aircraft with IFR-capable avionics. A default airliner FMS, Garmin-style unit, or modern glass cockpit will usually support departures and arrivals. A simple VFR GPS or a very basic panel may not.
- Set your departure and destination airports. You can do this from the simulator flight setup or directly in the aircraft FMS. What matters is that the avionics know your origin and destination before you try to pick procedures.
- Open the procedures page. In most systems this is labelled
DEP/ARR,PROC, or part of the FMS route pages. The exact button depends on the aircraft. - Select a SID for departure. Choose the departure airport, then pick the runway, SID and transition if the avionics ask for one. Some aircraft present these in a different order.
- Select a STAR for arrival. Do the same for the destination airport: choose the arrival runway if known, then the STAR and transition. If you are also using an instrument approach, load that after the STAR so the sequencing makes sense.
- Activate and check the route. Review the legs page or map display. Look for discontinuities, odd turns, duplicate waypoints, or a runway/procedure mismatch.
- Verify altitude and speed constraints against charts. The simulator can load the procedure, but it will not replace proper chart reading. If you fly online or want realistic IFR operation, you still need to confirm the published restrictions.
Where do SIDs and STARs come from in X-Plane 12?
They come from the simulator's navdata, not from the scenery textures or 3D airport buildings. That is why you can have a beautiful custom airport and still be missing a procedure, or have a plain airport and still have full procedures available.
In practice, three things have to line up:
- The airport must exist with compatible runway and navigation data.
- The nav database must include the SID, STAR or approach for that airport.
- The aircraft avionics must be able to read and load terminal procedures.
Why are SIDs and STARs missing in X-Plane 12?
This is the part that catches most people. If the list is empty, it does not automatically mean X-Plane is broken.
| Cause | What you will see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Outdated navdata | Recent procedures or runway changes are absent | Update to a current AIRAC/navdata cycle compatible with X-Plane 12 |
| Aircraft does not support procedures | No DEP/ARR or PROC option, or only direct-to navigation | Use an aircraft with a full FMS or Garmin-style IFR unit |
| No compatible procedure for that runway | Airport appears, but only some SIDs or STARs show | Try a different runway or transition and check the published procedure logic |
| Airport or runway naming mismatch | Procedure exists in charts but not in the aircraft | Check that your airport data and navdata are aligned |
| Procedure filtered by avionics logic | Only certain arrivals or departures appear | Load destination first, then choose the procedure in the correct order |
Do I need updated AIRAC or navdata for SIDs and STARs?
If you want current real-world procedures, yes, often you do. X-Plane includes navdata, but any simulator database can become stale as airports are renamed, runways are changed, and procedures are amended or withdrawn.
That matters most at busy airports. If a real-world chart shows a SID or STAR that your aircraft cannot find in X-Plane 12, stale navdata is one of the first things we would suspect.
The safe rule is simple:
- If you just want to fly casually, the built-in procedures may be enough.
- If you want realistic IFR routes, modern RNAV procedures, or online ATC compatibility, keep your navdata current.
Can scenery or airport add-ons add SIDs and STARs?
Usually, no. Scenery add-ons mainly change how an airport looks and, in some cases, adjust layout data such as taxiways, stands and runway details. SIDs, STARs and approaches are primarily tied to navigation data.
Scenery can still affect things indirectly. If an airport layout is very old or has a runway designation that no longer matches the nav database, procedure loading can become messy. But installing a better-looking airport is not the normal fix for missing terminal procedures.
Which aircraft in X-Plane 12 can use SIDs and STARs?
As a broad rule, aircraft with a proper FMS or IFR GPS can load them. Aircraft with only simple navigation radios, or very limited GPS implementations, often cannot.
Aircraft types that usually work
- Default airliners with an FMS
- Modern business jets with FMS pages
- Glass cockpit GA aircraft with Garmin-style procedure support
- Some older GA aircraft fitted with GNS-style IFR GPS units
Aircraft types that often do not
- Basic VFR-only aircraft
- Classic aircraft with only VOR/NDB navigation and no procedure-capable GPS
- Add-on aircraft with simplified or partly modelled avionics
What is the right order: SID, STAR and approach?
For most IFR setups in X-Plane 12, we would load them in this order:
- Departure airport and route
- SID if the airport uses one for your route or runway
- En-route waypoints or airways
- STAR for the destination
- Approach for the landing runway
Some avionics let you load everything early; others behave better if you wait to choose the arrival runway and approach until you are closer in or once weather is confirmed. That is not an X-Plane problem so much as a normal FMS workflow issue.
Why does the procedure look wrong after I load it?
There are a few common reasons:
- You selected the wrong transition.
- The FMS inserted a discontinuity that needs manual clean-up.
- The chosen runway does not match the SID or STAR you expected.
- You loaded an approach that replaced part of the arrival.
- The real-world chart you are using belongs to a newer AIRAC cycle than the simulator.
Always check the legs list after loading a procedure. If the route suddenly doubles back, jumps to an unexpected fix, or stops at a blank leg, the route needs tidying before departure or descent.
If the airport definitely has procedures, what should I check first?
We would check these in order:
- Aircraft capability — does this cockpit actually support loading departures and arrivals?
- Navdata currency — are you comparing current real charts with older simulator data?
- Airport and runway — are you choosing a runway that really has a published SID or STAR?
- Procedure order — did you enter origin, destination and route before opening DEP/ARR?
- Route integrity — did the FMS add a discontinuity that makes it look as though the procedure is missing?
Do SIDs and STARs work with the default X-Plane 12 aircraft?
Many of the default IFR-capable aircraft do support them, but not every default aircraft uses the same avionics depth. Airliners and modern glass cockpit aircraft are the most straightforward. Simpler GA types may give you route guidance without full airline-style procedure management.
If you are building out your simulator, our X-Plane area at Fly Away Simulation Downloads is a good place to look for aircraft and utilities, but for SIDs and STARs themselves the key is still proper navdata and avionics support rather than scenery alone.
The short version
To get SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12, use an aircraft with a proper FMS or IFR GPS, enter your airports, then load the procedures from the DEP/ARR or PROC pages. If nothing appears, check the aircraft type first, then your AIRAC/navdata, then whether the airport and runway actually have compatible published procedures.