X-Plane Updated Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:14:09 GMT 8 min read 162 views

How do I get SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12?

By Ian StephensEditor-in-Chief

In short

Load SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12, update navdata, match the correct runway and fix missing procedures or routes the autopilot ignores.

To get SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12, use an aircraft with an FMS or IFR GPS, enter the origin and destination, then select the procedures through its DEP/ARR or PROC page. If they are missing, check airport coverage, runway selection and the navdata used by both X-Plane and the aircraft.

How to load a SID or STAR in X-Plane 12

You load SIDs and STARs from the aircraft's cockpit avionics; they are not separate scenery add-ons. A SID is a standard instrument departure, while a STAR is a standard terminal arrival route.

Airliner-style flight management systems normally use a DEP/ARR page. Garmin-equipped aircraft commonly provide a PROC button or procedure menu. Basic VFR panels and some simplified GPS units cannot load departures or arrivals, even if they can display approaches.

Choose procedure-capable avionics. Confirm that the FMS or GPS offers departures and arrivals, not just direct-to navigation and approaches.
Enter the route endpoints. Put the origin and destination into the cockpit FMS or GPS. Loading them only in X-Plane's flight setup does not guarantee that every add-on aircraft will import them.
Select the SID. Open DEP/ARR or PROC, choose the departure airport, then select the runway, SID and route transition as requested by that avionics system.
Enter the en-route section. Add the required fixes and airways, or import a compatible flight plan. An imported route may contain the fixes without preserving the named procedure or all its restrictions, so inspect it rather than assuming the SID was loaded correctly.
Select the STAR. Choose the arrival, its en-route transition and, where requested, the expected landing runway.
Add the approach. Select the instrument approach separately. A STAR delivers the aircraft into the terminal area; it is not itself an ILS, RNAV or other approach.
Review every leg. Check for duplicated fixes, unexpected turns, runway mismatches, altitude or speed constraints, and route discontinuities. A VECTOR, MANUAL or similar leg may be intentional, so do not automatically delete every break in the route.
Commit and activate the route. Press EXEC where the aircraft requires it, then confirm that the intended first leg is active rather than merely present in the flight plan.

Loading a procedure does not replace briefing it. Published altitude limits, speed restrictions and minimum climb gradients still apply, and not every aircraft can manage them automatically. Our explanation of the complete IFR workflow in a flight simulator covers how procedures fit around route planning, clearances, approaches and missed approaches.

Which runway and transition should I choose?

Choose the runway and transition that connect your assigned runway to the planned en-route route with no unnecessary detour. If ATC has issued a clearance, that clearance takes priority over the option that merely looks shortest on the map.

For a SID, the runway branch leads into the common departure and the route transition normally ends near the first en-route fix. For a STAR, the en-route transition joins the airway route to the arrival; the STAR may then have separate runway branches or connect to an approach through another fix.

A wrong transition often produces a route that doubles back, omits the expected waypoint or creates a large gap. If the route looks implausible, compare the first and last fixes of the selected procedure with the adjoining legs before editing anything.

Where do X-Plane 12 procedures come from?

X-Plane reads SIDs, STARs, approaches, fixes and navaids from its navigation database and terminal procedure records. Airport buildings, textures and taxiway scenery do not supply these procedures.

Three parts must agree:

Airport data must use the expected airport identifier and runway designators.
Navdata must contain the procedure and its associated fixes.
Aircraft avionics must support the procedure and read the relevant database.

X-Plane 12 includes built-in navdata. Compatible replacement data is normally installed under X-Plane 12/Custom Data/, not Custom Scenery. Follow the folder structure supplied with the navdata package rather than moving individual files at random.

Some complex add-on aircraft use their own database or installer. Updating X-Plane alone may therefore leave the aircraft on a different AIRAC cycle, causing missing fixes, renamed procedures or runway disagreements.

Do I need updated AIRAC data for SIDs and STARs?

You only need updated AIRAC data when the included database lacks the procedure you need or must match charts, route-planning data or an ATC clearance from another cycle. The built-in data is sufficient for casual IFR flying when those differences do not matter.

Runways can be renumbered, fixes renamed and procedures amended or withdrawn between AIRAC cycles. Comparing one cycle's chart with another cycle's FMS database is the most common reason a valid procedure appears to be missing.

Back up custom data. Preserve any existing files in Custom Data before replacing them.
Install one compatible cycle. Put the X-Plane-format package in the location specified for X-Plane 12. Do not combine unrelated files from several cycles.
Update separate aircraft databases. If an add-on maintains its own navdata, install the matching cycle there as well.
Restart X-Plane. Navigation data is read during start-up, so replacing files while a flight is running will not reliably refresh the FMS.
Verify the cycle. Check the avionics status or identification page where available, then confirm that the procedure and runway are listed.

Can airport scenery add missing SIDs and STARs?

Scenery does not normally add SIDs or STARs because those belong to navdata. Installing a more detailed terminal will not by itself populate an empty procedure page.

Old scenery can still cause an indirect mismatch. If its airport data uses an obsolete runway number or identifier while the navdata uses a replacement, the FMS may hide the procedure, reject the runway or produce a route that does not align with the visible airport.

Why are no SIDs or STARs showing up?

Most empty or incomplete procedure lists are caused by aircraft capability, airport coverage, filtering or mismatched navdata rather than an X-Plane failure.

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
No `DEP/ARR` or departure/arrival option	The installed GPS or FMS does not support terminal procedures	Use an aircraft with a procedure-capable IFR GPS or FMS
Approaches appear, but no SID or STAR	The airport may not publish them, or none applies to the selected runway	Check another runway and confirm that the airport actually has published departures or arrivals
A charted procedure is absent	The chart and FMS use different AIRAC cycles	Use matching navdata or select the procedure name from the database cycle installed in the simulator
Only some procedures are listed	The avionics is filtering by runway, transition or route endpoint	Enter the origin and destination first, then review the selected runway and filters
The default aircraft shows the procedure but an add-on does not	The add-on uses separate or incompatible navdata	Check its database cycle and install matching data in the location required by that aircraft
The runway or a waypoint is rejected	Airport data, scenery and navdata may use different identifiers	Correct the mismatch rather than substituting an unrelated runway or fix
The procedure loads with loops or duplicated legs	The wrong transition was selected, or loading an approach replaced part of the arrival	Reload the SID, STAR and approach in order, then inspect the join between each section

If the cause remains unclear, test the same airport in a known procedure-capable default aircraft. If the SID or STAR appears there, the problem is specific to the original aircraft or its database.

You can also back up and temporarily remove custom navdata so X-Plane falls back to its included database. If the procedures return, the custom package is incomplete, misplaced or incompatible. X-Plane's Log.txt file may identify navigation records it could not read.

Should I load the STAR before the approach?

Load the STAR before the approach unless the aircraft's own procedure logic combines those selections. The least troublesome order is origin, SID, en-route route, STAR and then approach.

If the landing runway has not been confirmed, it is reasonable to load the STAR but delay the runway and approach selection. After any runway change, review the complete arrival again: replacing an approach can delete part of a STAR, duplicate a common fix or leave a discontinuity.

Do not force a connection simply to remove every gap. Some arrivals terminate in radar vectors or require a manual intercept to the approach. The FMS may correctly stop sequencing at that point until the pilot or ATC supplies the next leg.

Why will the aircraft not follow a loaded SID or STAR?

A loaded procedure will not be flown until the correct navigation source, active leg and autopilot lateral mode are selected. The route can look complete on the display while remaining inactive.

Set the CDI or navigation source to GPS or FMS, not VOR or localiser mode.
Execute any pending route modification and activate the intended leg.
Arm or engage the aircraft's NAV or LNAV mode as appropriate.
Make sure the aeroplane is positioned to intercept the active leg rather than flying away from it.
On Garmin systems, cancel an unintended OBS condition and check whether SUSP is preventing automatic sequencing.
Expect vector, manual and some discontinuity legs to require pilot action.
Remember that lateral tracking does not guarantee vertical compliance; altitude and speed restrictions may require VNAV setup or manual control.

For Garmin-equipped aircraft, our G1000 flight-plan tracking checklist covers GPS source selection, active-leg errors, approach activation and autopilot mode problems in detail.