Plan a realistic KDEN to KSLC flight, including route, SID and STAR choices, cruise altitude, fuel and essential FMS checks.
For a general flight simulator, plan KDEN–KSLC as a westbound IFR sector: choose a Denver SID and Salt Lake City STAR for the winds, file roughly 360–400 NM at an even flight level such as FL300–340 for a jet, calculate fuel, and verify each FMS leg against matching-navdata charts.
How should you build a KDEN to KSLC flight plan?
- Check weather and runways. Review conditions at KDEN and KSLC, winds aloft and possible alternates. Select a provisional arrival runway, but expect to revise it before descent if the wind changes.
- Set the correct aircraft and navdata. Use the exact aircraft or the closest available performance profile. The planner, simulator and aircraft should use the same AIRAC cycle where possible; mismatched cycles are the main reason procedures or fixes go missing.
- Generate the en-route section. The direct distance is about 340 NM, while a practical IFR route is commonly around 360–400 NM. Our SimBrief planning walkthrough explains aircraft profiles, route generation, winds, fuel and operational flight-plan checks.
- Add procedures that actually connect. Pick a KDEN SID whose transition joins the first en-route fix, then a KSLC STAR that joins the selected approach. Use our guide to checking SIDs, STARs and approach charts to confirm transitions, altitude restrictions and runway compatibility.
- Choose a sensible cruise level. The route is predominantly westbound, so US IFR direction rules normally call for an even flight level. Published restrictions and online ATC clearances take precedence.
- Calculate rather than guess the fuel. Include taxi, trip, contingency, alternate, final reserve and any extra fuel justified by weather or expected vectors.
- Load and inspect the route. Check the LEGS or flight-plan page from runway to runway, including every constraint and discontinuity. If the avionics do not support importing, follow our manual GPS and FMS entry procedure.
What route should you enter from Denver to Salt Lake City?
An illustrative route skeleton is:
KDEN DCT BAYLR DCT OCS DCT LEEHY DCT KSLC
This shows the broad westbound shape only; it is not a guaranteed real-world clearance. Procedure names, transitions, available direct segments and preferred routings can change with the navdata cycle, runway configuration and traffic flow. A current planner may use different fixes or add published airways between them.
Do not select a SID merely because its name appears in somebody else’s route. Confirm that its final transition connects cleanly to the en-route section and that your aircraft can meet any climb requirement. Denver sits at roughly 5,400 feet above sea level, so temperature, weight and anti-ice use can materially affect take-off and climb performance.
The arrival crosses high terrain east of Salt Lake City. Keep the STAR and approach constraints intact, and do not descend early simply because the airport appears close on the navigation display.
Which cruise altitude works best?
The best altitude is the highest economical westbound level the aircraft can reach without beginning descent almost immediately.
| Aircraft type | Practical starting point | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow-body airliner or business jet | FL300, FL320 or FL340 | Use the lower end when weight, headwinds or an early descent make a higher level inefficient. |
| Pressurised turboprop | About FL220–280 | Check the aircraft ceiling, icing conditions and winds before choosing the level. |
| Piston aircraft | Charted airways at or above their MEAs | Choose by terrain clearance, oxygen requirements, weather and aircraft capability rather than copying a jet route. |
A direct mountain crossing is a poor default for a low-performance piston aircraft. Use published airways and minimum en-route altitudes, and confirm that the aircraft can maintain them with realistic loading and weather.
How much fuel and flight time should you allow?
A typical jet usually spends about 65–85 minutes airborne on KDEN–KSLC, but winds, departure sequencing and arrival vectors can move that figure significantly. A turboprop or piston aircraft will take longer.
There is no safe universal fuel figure because aircraft profiles differ sharply. Check that the simulator receives the planner’s intended fuel quantity and that pounds have not been entered as kilograms, or vice versa. That unit mismatch is a common cause of excessive take-off weight or an apparent fuel shortage.
Why does the FMS route not match the planner?
- A procedure is missing: the aircraft and planner probably use different navdata cycles. Align the cycles or select procedures present in both databases.
- The route doubles back: a SID or STAR transition has probably been duplicated during import. Remove the repeated fix and inspect the route again.
- There is a discontinuity before the approach: it may represent an intentional radar-vector leg. Do not delete it blindly; connect to an initial approach fix only when the chart and your method of operation support that connection.
- A runway change creates a sharp turn: reload the STAR transition and approach together, then recheck altitude and speed constraints.
- Simulator ATC orders an early descent: remain above published restrictions and safe terrain altitudes. Mountain terrain takes priority over an unrealistic or late-changing ATC instruction.