How do I land in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024?
To land in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, line up early, reduce speed, extend flaps and landing gear, and hold a stable three-degree approach. Cross the threshold at the aircraft’s recommended speed, gently raise the nose while reducing power, touch down on the main wheels, then brake and maintain directional control.
This method covers conventional fixed-wing aircraft. Taildraggers need additional technique, while helicopters, gliders, seaplanes and specialist STOL aircraft require different landing procedures.
How to land an aircraft step by step
A reliable landing begins with a stable approach rather than a last-second attempt to rescue an aircraft that is too high, fast or badly aligned.
- Choose an easy runway. Start with a long runway, clear weather and little wind. Use the runway facing most directly into the wind; a headwind lowers groundspeed and reduces the distance needed to stop.
- Find the correct approach speed. Use the aircraft checklist, cockpit reference page or electronic flight bag. Landing speed changes with aircraft type, weight and flap setting, so a speed copied from another aeroplane may be dangerously wrong.
- Establish a normal descent. A three-degree path places the aircraft roughly 300 feet above runway level for every nautical mile remaining. On a standard PAPI, two white and two red lights indicate the correct path; extra white lights mean high, while extra red lights mean low.
- Configure in stages. Reduce speed before extending each flap setting, observing the flap and landing-gear speed limits. Lower retractable landing gear early enough to confirm it is down, then arm spoilers and select autobrake if the aircraft requires them.
- Trim and stabilise. Use pitch and trim to hold the target indicated airspeed, with small power changes controlling the descent path. By about 500 feet above the runway in visual conditions, the aircraft should be configured, on speed, aligned and requiring only small corrections.
- Aim beyond the threshold. Keep a fixed runway point steady in the windscreen. If that point moves upwards, the aircraft will land short of it; if it moves downwards, the aircraft is overshooting it.
- Cross the threshold under control. Maintain the published speed rather than chasing GPS groundspeed. Look towards the far end of the runway as the surface begins to expand in the windscreen.
- Flare and reduce power. Raise the nose just enough to reduce the descent rate without climbing. Smoothly bring the power towards idle as required by the aircraft type, then let the main wheels meet the runway.
- Complete the rollout. Hold the nosewheel off briefly where appropriate, then lower it gently. Keep straight with rudder or nosewheel steering, use aerodynamic braking where suitable, and apply wheel brakes progressively. Reverse thrust assists jets and turboprops but does not replace wheel braking.
What landing speed should I use?
There is no universal landing speed in Microsoft Flight Simulator; use the speed calculated or published for the exact aircraft and configuration.
| Aircraft type | Speed source | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Light piston trainer | Checklist final-approach speed for the chosen flap setting | Approaching too fast because the airspeed indicator still appears comfortably above the stall range |
| Twin or turboprop | Aircraft checklist or performance system for weight and configuration | Using a light-trainer speed or forgetting the landing gear |
| Airliner | Calculated VREF or approach speed from the flight-management or performance system | Reusing a memorised speed despite a different weight or flap setting |
| Taildragger or historic aircraft | Type-specific documentation for a three-point or wheel landing | Applying nosewheel-aircraft technique to a conventional undercarriage |
Fly indicated airspeed, not groundspeed. Wind can make the GPS speed look unusually high or low without changing the airflow over the wings. Some aircraft procedures add a gust correction to the approach speed, but excessive extra speed causes floating and consumes runway.
When should I flare?
Begin the flare when the aircraft is low over the runway and the apparent movement of the runway surface starts to increase, not at one memorised altitude for every aircraft.
Shift your gaze towards the far end, gently increase pitch and continue holding the aircraft off as it slows. A light trainer is usually held off until the main wheels settle; an airliner uses a smaller, type-specific flare and should not be held above the runway indefinitely. Pulling too sharply creates a balloon, while flaring late produces a hard touchdown.
Do not push the nose down to force a floating or bouncing aircraft onto the runway. Maintain a sensible landing attitude after a minor skip, but go around after a pronounced bounce, balloon or developing porpoise. Our practical fixes for smoother flares and touchdowns cover the finer pitch, trim and power corrections.
Why do landings keep going wrong in MSFS?
Most poor landings come from excess speed, an unstable approach or control inputs that are too large for the situation.
| Problem | Likely cause | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft floats along the runway | Too much speed, excess power or an early flare | Use the published approach speed and reduce power smoothly rather than forcing the nose down |
| Aircraft drops heavily | Too slow, power removed too early or flare started late | Protect the target speed and arrest the descent with a small pitch change |
| Aircraft balloons | Abrupt or excessive back-pressure | Hold the attitude, add a small amount of power if needed, and go around if the balloon is significant |
| Aircraft veers off the centreline | Insufficient rudder, a crosswind or conflicting control bindings | Use rudder rather than aileron for basic steering and inspect duplicated rudder, brake or steering assignments |
| Jet will not slow after touchdown | Throttle not fully idle, spoilers not deployed or brakes incorrectly mapped | Check the throttle position, spoiler state, autobrake selection and brake-axis direction |
Keyboard inputs can be too abrupt for fine flare and rudder control, so an analogue controller, joystick or yoke makes landing easier. Also make sure the simulation rate is back to normal and that assisted steering, automatic trim or AI piloting is not fighting your inputs.
In a crosswind, keep the aircraft on the extended centreline with a crab, then remove the crab and prevent drift before touchdown. The full crab, de-crab and wing-low method for crosswind landings is best practised separately in a light aircraft.
When should I go around?
Go around whenever the approach is unstable, the runway is no longer clear, the aircraft is badly misaligned or a safe touchdown within the available runway is doubtful.
- Apply power. Use the aircraft’s take-off or go-around power and control any resulting pitch or yaw change.
- Set a safe climb attitude. Stop the descent, remain aligned with the runway and confirm that airspeed is increasing.
- Clean up gradually. Retract flaps in stages and raise the landing gear after establishing a positive climb, following the aircraft checklist. Retracting all flap immediately can cause a sharp loss of lift.
- Reposition for another attempt. Climb away, rejoin the circuit or follow the missed-approach procedure, then correct the speed or configuration problem before trying again.
Should I use a visual approach or ILS?
Use a visual approach in clear weather while learning basic landing control; use an ILS when practising instrument procedures or when the runway is difficult to see.
An ILS guides the aircraft towards the runway but does not guarantee an automatic landing. The localiser and glideslope must be tuned or activated correctly, intercepted from a suitable angle and captured in the correct mode. Most aircraft still require a manual flare unless they support autoland and have been configured for it.
For the avionics sequence, follow our MSFS 2020 localiser and glideslope setup or the MSFS 2024 approach-mode sequence.
Is landing different in MSFS 2020 and 2024?
The basic landing technique is the same in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, but individual aircraft, assistance options and control profiles can make the handling feel different.
Use the checklist and performance data supplied with the aircraft rather than relying on one procedure for every model. A Cessna trainer, swept-wing airliner and taildragger have different sight pictures, flare attitudes and energy management. If an aircraft behaves unexpectedly, check duplicated control axes and assistance features before assuming the flight model is at fault.