Install Navigraph in X-Plane 12, update AIRAC data, enable Simlink moving maps, export flight plans and fix detection or navdata errors.
To install Navigraph with X-Plane 12, install Navigraph Hub and Simlink, sign in, let Hub detect the simulator, then install the X-Plane 12 navdata package. Open Navigraph Charts with Simlink running for moving maps, and export an X-Plane .fms file when you want the route in the cockpit.
Which Navigraph apps do I need for X-Plane 12?
Navigraph Hub installs navigation data, Charts provides flight planning and charts, and Simlink sends your live aircraft position to Charts.
| Component | What it does | Must it run during the flight? |
|---|---|---|
| Navigraph Hub | Installs AIRAC navdata for X-Plane 12 and supported add-on aircraft | No |
| Navigraph Charts | Displays airport charts, en-route charts and planned routes | Only when using Charts |
| Simlink | Transfers aircraft position and flight data from X-Plane to Charts | Yes, for moving-map tracking |
You need an appropriate Navigraph subscription to download its licensed navdata and use its chart services. X-Plane 12 still works with its supplied database if you do not subscribe; our explanation of legal AIRAC options and their limitations covers the alternatives.
Installing Navigraph navdata and Simlink
Install the X-Plane 12 base package through Navigraph Hub, then add the Simlink plug-in if you want live chart tracking.
- Run X-Plane 12 once. This creates its normal folder structure and helps Hub locate the installation. Close the simulator before changing navdata.
- Install and open Navigraph Hub. Sign in with the Navigraph account attached to your subscription.
- Confirm the detected X-Plane 12 path. It must be the simulator's root folder—the one containing the X-Plane application and
Resourcesfolder. If you keep several copies of X-Plane, check that Hub has selected the one you actually launch. - Install the X-Plane 12 navdata package. Hub should place the update in
Custom Data. Do not manually overwriteResources/default data; X-Plane is designed to give compatible data inCustom Datapriority. - Update separate add-on aircraft packages. Some aircraft read X-Plane's database, while others maintain their own. If Hub lists a dedicated package for your aircraft, install it and keep its AIRAC cycle matched to the X-Plane base package.
- Install Simlink and its X-Plane plug-in. Point its installer to the same X-Plane 12 root folder. A Simlink plug-in folder should then appear under
Resources/plugins. - Verify the AIRAC cycle. Start X-Plane and inspect the database or IDENT/status page in the aircraft's GPS or FMS. The cycle shown there should match Hub's installed cycle.
If the cycle remains unchanged, follow our AIRAC folder and installation-path checks. The mistake we see most often is updating one X-Plane installation and launching another.
How do I use Navigraph Charts with X-Plane 12?
Use Charts for planning and chart display, Simlink for the moving aircraft symbol, and an exported flight-plan file when the route must be loaded into the cockpit.
Moving map and chart tracking
Simlink must be running and signed into the same account used by Navigraph Charts. Start X-Plane 12, load an aircraft and flight, then open the map in Charts; the aircraft symbol should appear once the simulator plug-in connects.
Simlink does not update the FMS database or insert a route into the aircraft. Its job is position tracking, so Charts can follow the aircraft and show its position against the route, airport diagram or approach chart.
Loading a flight plan into the cockpit
Export or download the route in X-Plane's .fms format and place it in X-Plane 12/Output/FMS plans. Load it through the aircraft's flight-plan, company-route or co-route function; the exact control depends on the GPS, FMS or add-on aircraft.
A route saved in the Charts account does not automatically appear in every X-Plane cockpit. Some supported add-ons can import routes through their own account integration, but the default and simpler method is an .fms file. Our X-Plane 12 flight-plan loading instructions explain how to activate the route and use GPS or LNAV guidance.
After loading a plan, verify the runway, SID, STAR, approach and transitions in the cockpit. An exported route can still require manual procedure selection, particularly when the planned runway changes or the aircraft uses a different AIRAC cycle.
Does Navigraph update SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12?
Yes. The X-Plane 12 navdata package updates supported navaids, fixes, airways and instrument procedures, including SIDs and STARs contained in that AIRAC cycle.
A procedure can still be missing when the aircraft uses its own older database, the airport identifier has changed, or the procedure was revised between cycles. Keep the simulator and aircraft databases aligned; our guide to getting missing SIDs and STARs into X-Plane 12 covers these cases in detail.
Why isn't Navigraph working in X-Plane 12?
Most Navigraph failures come from an incorrect simulator path, mismatched AIRAC cycles or a Simlink plug-in that is absent, disabled or blocked.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hub cannot find X-Plane 12 | The simulator has not been run, was moved, or is one of several installed copies | Run X-Plane once, close it, then set Hub to the root folder containing the application and Resources |
| FMS still shows the old AIRAC | Hub updated another copy, or the aircraft uses a separate database | Check Hub's path and install any dedicated aircraft package for the same cycle |
| X-Plane reports a navdata error at start-up | Mixed, incomplete or manually copied files are overriding the valid package | Remove and reinstall the affected package through Hub; do not merge packages into Resources/default data |
| Charts opens but no aircraft appears | Simlink is not running, accounts differ, or the plug-in did not load | Sign both applications into the same account, check X-Plane's plug-in manager and inspect Log.txt for a Simlink loading error |
| The route or procedure is rejected | The planner and aircraft use different AIRAC cycles | Align the base simulator and aircraft databases, then export the plan again |
| Charts do not appear inside the cockpit | The aircraft lacks built-in Navigraph integration | Use Charts on a desktop, browser or mobile device; cockpit chart support depends on the individual aircraft |
If you need to reinstall, remove only the affected Navigraph package through Hub where possible. Deleting the entire Custom Data or Resources/plugins folder can also remove unrelated add-ons.