Import SimBrief into the Aerosoft CRJ using the correct .flp file and folder, then recall it in the CDU and fix procedures or route errors.
To import a SimBrief flight plan into the Aerosoft CRJ for Microsoft Flight Simulator, export it in Aerosoft CRJ .flp format, save it in the CRJ FlightPlans folder, then recall it through the CDU’s FPLN route menu. Add the runways and procedures, inspect every leg, and execute the route.
How do you import the SimBrief .flp file?
The reliable method is to export the Aerosoft-specific .flp file and recall that file in the CRJ CDU. A standard MSFS .pln file, PDF operational flight plan or copied route string is not the same thing.
- Generate the SimBrief plan. Choose the profile matching your CRJ variant so the fuel, payload and performance figures are appropriate. If the operational flight plan is not ready, follow our SimBrief route-planning instructions first.
- Download the Aerosoft CRJ format. In the flight-plan downloads, select the Aerosoft CRJ option. The required file has the
.flpextension; do not substitute the Microsoft Flight Simulator.plnexport. - Save it in the CRJ flight-plan directory. The usual MSFS location is
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Aerosoft\Digital Aviation\CRJ\FlightPlans. SimBrief Downloader can also place the file there automatically. If Windows redirects Documents to OneDrive, use the redirected Documents folder rather than creating a second folder in the local profile. - Power and initialise the CDU. The CDU must be operating before it can recall the file. Our CRJ cold-and-dark power-up sequence covers the preceding electrical and aircraft-start steps.
- Recall the route. Open FPLN, enter the route menu and use the route-recall or pilot-route function shown by your CRJ build. Select the generated plan, or enter its filename without
.flpif the CDU requests a route name. Confirm that the displayed origin and destination are correct. - Add and verify the procedures. Select the departure runway and SID, followed by the arrival, STAR and approach. Review the LEGS and FPLN pages, resolve genuine discontinuities, then press EXEC when the complete route is correct.
Do not clear every discontinuity automatically. A vector segment or an expected ATC transition may be intentional; connect two legs only when the published procedure or clearance requires a continuous route.
Why does the SimBrief plan not appear in the CRJ?
An absent plan almost always means the file has the wrong format, is in the wrong folder or was saved under a different Windows Documents location.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Route list is empty | Confirm that the file ends in .flp and is directly inside the CRJ FlightPlans folder. Check for OneDrive redirection and reload the aircraft if the file was added after the CDU started. |
| File exists but cannot be recalled | Use the filename generated by the exporter and omit the extension when entering it in the CDU. Avoid renaming it with spaces or unusual characters. |
NOT IN DATABASE or a waypoint is rejected | The SimBrief and CRJ navigation databases may use different AIRAC cycles, or the route may contain a waypoint the aircraft database does not recognise. Match the cycles or replace the affected fix using the operational flight plan and charts. |
| SID, STAR or transition appears twice | The exported route already contains procedure fixes and the same procedure has been selected again in the CDU. Remove the duplicated section or recall an en-route-only version and select the procedure once. |
| No complete magenta route appears | Check for an unexecuted modification, missing origin or destination, an unresolved discontinuity, or incomplete position initialisation. |
What must be entered after importing?
The import primarily supplies the lateral route; it does not finish the CRJ setup. Confirm or enter the following separately:
- departure and arrival runways;
- SID, STAR, transition and approach;
- cruise altitude and performance data;
- fuel and payload figures;
- take-off reference data and V-speeds;
- position initialisation and any required reserve data.
A common mistake we see is treating a successful route import as a fully programmed aircraft. Compare the CDU route against the SimBrief operational flight plan, paying particular attention to the first fix after the SID and the final fix before the STAR.
Does the EFB or MSFS world map import the route automatically?
No—the EFB, the CRJ CDU and the MSFS world-map planner are separate systems. An EFB SimBrief download may retrieve operational data, but it should not be assumed to have programmed and validated the CDU route.
Likewise, recalling an .flp file in the CRJ does not necessarily give the built-in MSFS ATC system the same route. If simulator ATC matters, create a matching world-map plan as well; our explanation of how simulator plans relate to onboard avionics covers that distinction. The CDU remains the authority for what the Aerosoft CRJ will actually fly.