Find KDFW charts for flight simulation, including the airport diagram and Chart Supplement data, and use them for taxiing and realistic IFR planning.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying reference and flight simulation, find the KDFW airport diagram, SIDs, STARs, approaches, frequencies and runway data in our downloadable KDFW chart set. Use the diagram for taxiing, procedure charts for IFR routing, and the FAA South Central Chart Supplement for detailed airport remarks, services and operating information.
Which KDFW chart should I use?
Choose the chart by phase of flight; no single KDFW chart contains everything needed from departure gate to arrival stand.
| Document | Use in the simulator | What it does not provide |
|---|---|---|
| Airport diagram | Runways, taxiways, terminal areas, hold positions, hot spots and field layout | Your assigned taxi route or live runway status |
| SID or departure procedure | Routes from the runway towards the en-route structure | Ground movement from the stand |
| STAR | Routes from the en-route structure into the Dallas terminal area | A complete landing clearance or necessarily the final approach |
| Approach chart | Final approach course, altitudes, minima and missed-approach instructions | Taxi instructions after landing |
| Chart Supplement | Airport remarks, runway details, lighting, communications and services | A drawn taxi route or IFR procedure profile |
| Terminal Area Chart | Wider Class B airspace, nearby airports, reporting features and VFR planning | Detailed airport-surface information |
A common mistake is trying to taxi from an approach plate. Once on the ground, switch to the airport diagram. If its symbols are unfamiliar, our guide to interpreting airport-diagram symbols and markings explains the layout conventions.
For VFR planning or a broader view around the airport, add the wider Dallas–Fort Worth Terminal Area Chart. It shows the surrounding controlled airspace but is not detailed enough for taxiing at KDFW.
How do I use the KDFW airport diagram for taxiing?
Use the KDFW airport diagram to convert a taxi clearance into an exact sequence of labelled taxiways, runway crossings and hold-short points.
- Confirm the airport and edition. Check that the diagram is for KDFW and compare its effective date with the simulator's scenery and navigation data. New charts can differ from older scenery.
- Locate the aircraft. Identify the terminal or ramp area first. If an individual stand is not labelled on the chart, use the simulator scenery to establish the precise starting position.
- Write down the clearance. Record every taxiway in order rather than assuming the shortest route. KDFW's parallel runways and large terminal complex make a missed turn difficult to correct.
- Trace the complete route. Follow the taxiway centreline on the diagram and identify every runway crossing, hot spot and holding position before moving.
- Verify each intersection. Match the chart against taxiway signs, pavement markings and the aircraft heading. Similar parallel-runway designators are easy to confuse.
- Stop when clearance ends. A taxi clearance to a runway does not automatically authorise crossing or entering it. In the simulator, follow the active ATC system or controller being used.
After landing, clear the runway fully before concentrating on the diagram and obtaining a route to the stand. Do not plan a turn across another runway merely because it looks convenient on the map.
Where do I find KDFW Chart Supplement information?
KDFW appears in the FAA Chart Supplement South Central volume under Dallas–Fort Worth International and the domestic identifier DFW.
Search for DFW as well as KDFW: the prefixed form is the ICAO identifier, while domestic FAA entries commonly show the three-letter identifier. The entry supplies information that would overcrowd the airport diagram, including runway characteristics, communications, lighting, services and operational remarks.
Use these details to check realistic operating constraints and airport facilities, but remember that some services have no functional equivalent in a simulator. Frequencies can also differ when scenery, simulator data or an online ATC system uses another database cycle. Our explanation of reading FAA Chart Supplement entries covers the abbreviations and remarks in more detail.
The Chart Supplement does not replace ATIS, NOTAMs, an ATC clearance or procedure-specific notes. For real-world flying, verify that the publication is official and effective for the flight date.
How do I match KDFW charts to my flight simulator?
KDFW charts must be reconciled with three separate simulator data layers: airport scenery, the aircraft's navigation database and the ATC or runway-flow system.
IFR chart sequence
- Establish the active runway. Use simulated ATIS, wind and ATC rather than choosing a runway solely because an approach is available.
- Select the cleared procedure. Check runway applicability, aircraft requirements, transitions and chart notes before loading a SID, STAR or approach.
- Compare every waypoint. Verify the FMS sequence against the chart, including altitude and speed constraints. Do not accept the loaded procedure without checking it.
- Brief the changeover. Know where the STAR ends, how the approach begins and what vectors or manual routing may be needed between them.
- Review the missed approach. Load or brief it before commencing the approach, not after a go-around has started.
| Problem | Likely cause | Practical fix |
|---|---|---|
| A taxiway or runway on the chart is missing in the simulator | The installed scenery represents an older or different airport layout | Use a ground route that exists in the scenery and avoid crossing unmodelled pavement |
| The FMS lacks a charted procedure or waypoint | The navigation database and chart use different cycles | Select a procedure supported by the installed data or enter an permitted manual route and verify every leg |
| A runway number differs | Old scenery or a real-world runway redesignation | Identify the physical runway by position and heading; do not match it by number alone |
| A published frequency does not work | The simulator or ATC system uses different communications data | Use the frequency recognised by that simulator session while retaining the chart for procedural reference |
| ATC assigns an unexpected runway | Simulator traffic logic, weather or a different airport flow | Use charts for the assigned runway and recheck the SID, STAR or approach rather than forcing the original plan |
When a current real-world chart and the simulator disagree, do not quietly mix incompatible pieces. For a simulation-only flight, keep the procedure chart and navigation database coherent, then adapt the ground route to the installed KDFW scenery. Real-world operations require current official charts, NOTAMs, ATIS and clearances.