How do I get and use charts in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Get Microsoft Flight Simulator charts from the simulator’s EFB where available, a supported chart subscription, or official national aviation publications such as an AIP. Use airport diagrams for taxiing, en-route charts for routing, and SID, STAR and approach plates for published courses, altitudes, frequencies, minima and missed-approach instructions.
Chart sources for Microsoft Flight Simulator
Choose a source that covers your region and provides an effective date for each chart. Charts and simulator navigation data can change, so an undated image found in an old document is a poor choice.
| Source | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| MSFS EFB or aircraft tablet | Convenient cockpit access and, where supported, aircraft position display | Chart availability, route transfer and account requirements vary by aircraft and service |
| Official AIP or aviation authority | Airport, SID, STAR, approach and regional en-route publications | Coverage is organised separately by country and may be less convenient in the cockpit |
| Global chart subscription | Consistent worldwide coverage, chart search and supported avionics integration | Normally requires a subscription and may need a separate account connection |
| Printed or saved PDF charts | Second-screen use and aircraft without chart integration | No moving-aircraft symbol and files must be kept up to date |
For the United States, the FAA publishes airport diagrams, terminal procedures, sectionals and en-route charts. In the UK, official material is published through the NATS Aeronautical Information Service. For other countries, look for the national aviation authority’s Aeronautical Information Publication, usually divided into AD airport material and ENR en-route information.
What is different between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 includes an EFB with planning and airport information, making it the first place to check. The exact chart pages and route-transfer behaviour still vary by aircraft and enabled service.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has no single universal chart library. Its World Map and VFR Map are useful planning aids, but neither replaces a sectional chart, airport diagram or instrument approach plate. Some aircraft in either simulator provide their own tablet or avionics chart page; a blank chart page often means the integration is unsupported or needs an account, rather than indicating a corrupt installation.
Which chart do I need for each part of the flight?
Use the chart designed for the phase you are flying rather than trying to follow an approach plate from departure to arrival.
| Chart | When to use it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Airport diagram | Parking, taxi, take-off and landing rollout | Runways, taxiways, holding points and hotspots |
| VFR chart | Visual navigation | Airspace, terrain, obstacles, reporting points and radio frequencies |
| Low- or high-level en-route chart | IFR cruise planning | Airways, waypoints, navigation aids, route levels and airspace |
| SID | IFR departure | Runway, transition, initial track, altitude constraints and climb requirements |
| STAR | IFR arrival | Entry transition, speed and altitude constraints, and where the arrival connects to an approach |
| Approach chart | Final approach and missed approach | Frequencies, final course, fixes, minimum altitudes, minima and missed-approach instructions |
A STAR does not necessarily lead directly to the runway. It may finish at a transition or initial approach fix, after which the selected instrument approach completes the route.
How do I use an approach chart in MSFS?
Brief the complete procedure before starting the approach, then make the aircraft’s flight plan, radios, altitude settings and minima agree with the plate.
- Confirm the airport, runway and procedure name. Similar procedure names can refer to different runways, navigation systems or transitions.
- Check the chart’s effective date. Where possible, use charts and aircraft navigation data from the same AIRAC cycle. A cycle mismatch can produce missing fixes or renamed procedures.
- Build the route. Select the departure, airway route, arrival, transition and approach. Our explanation of creating VFR and IFR routes with the built-in planner covers the planning stage without duplicating it here.
- Cross-check the cockpit route. Confirm each waypoint in sequence, remove unintended discontinuities and verify the selected runway and transition. Do not assume a route created on the World Map transferred perfectly into every aircraft’s FMS.
- Read the approach from top to bottom. Note the navigation source, frequency where applicable, final approach course, crossing altitudes, descent profile and any special notes. Set the local pressure and the published decision altitude or minimum descent altitude appropriate to the procedure and aircraft category.
- Brief the missed approach. Identify the first heading, altitude and holding fix before descending. Trying to interpret the missed-approach diagram after losing visual reference is a mistake we see constantly.
- Keep the chart visible. Use the EFB, an aircraft tablet, a second monitor, an external phone or tablet, or a printed copy. Once on the ground, change to the airport diagram for taxiing.
The minimum sector altitude shown on many approach charts is emergency or orientation information, not permission to descend. Follow the procedure’s actual altitude constraints and any valid ATC clearance. If the simulator changes your runway, reselect and rebrief the procedure; our guide to working with MSFS ATC and its limitations explains how those assignments are handled.
For the wider sequence of clearances, navigation and procedure changes, see our practical walkthrough of flying a complete IFR route in a flight simulator.
Why does the chart not match the simulator?
Most chart mismatches come from different navigation-data cycles, outdated scenery or the wrong runway transition—not from reading the plate incorrectly.
- Missing or renamed procedure: the chart and aircraft database probably use different AIRAC cycles. Update the supported database or select the equivalent procedure available in the aircraft.
- Different waypoint sequence: check whether the wrong transition was selected. Clear and reload the procedure rather than deleting random fixes.
- Runway number differs: runway designations can change as magnetic variation shifts. Older scenery may retain the former number even when a newer chart does not.
- Taxiways or stands disagree: the installed airport scenery may represent a different construction state. Official diagrams may also omit commercial gate labels used by the simulator.
- Planner route is absent from the cockpit: some aircraft do not import every part of the World Map or EFB plan. Enter the route through the aircraft’s avionics and compare it waypoint by waypoint.
When there is a disagreement, do not blindly chase the magenta line. Identify the expected fix, altitude and runway from the chart, then determine whether the aircraft database or scenery is the older element. For simulation, consistency between the chart, procedure database and installed airport is usually more useful than forcing a newer procedure the aircraft cannot represent.