How do you plan KLAX to EGLL in a flight simulator?

To plan KLAX to EGLL in a general flight simulator, generate a wind-optimised route for your departure time, choose an aircraft that can carry the planned payload for about 5,000 nautical miles, add valid North Atlantic waypoints, calculate reserves and an alternate, then verify every leg in the FMC before departure.

This workflow applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, FSX and Prepar3D. The menus and import formats differ, but the planning decisions are the same.

What route should you use from KLAX to EGLL?

There is no permanent KLAX–EGLL route that remains operationally correct. Winds, restricted airspace, North Atlantic tracks, runway flow and the AIRAC navigation cycle can all change the route.

A sensible route normally follows this structure:

KLAX – departure procedure – western and northern US – Canada – oceanic entry – North Atlantic waypoints – Irish or UK entry – EGLL arrival procedure

The great-circle path arcs north-east rather than running due east. A route that crosses the southern United States, contains an unexplained ocean-sized gap or doubles back over a waypoint needs correcting.

A North Atlantic track is not automatically the best choice, and it must be valid at the estimated oceanic crossing time—not merely at departure from Los Angeles. Our North Atlantic route-planning workflow covers track timing, oceanic waypoints, alternates and crossing checks in more detail.

How do you build the KLAX to EGLL flight plan?

1. Select the exact aircraft profile. Use a long-haul type such as a suitable 777, 787, A330 or A350 variant. Match the engine, payload and simulated performance model; an aircraft family name alone is not enough for reliable fuel figures.
2. Set the departure date and time in UTC. Load the weather you intend to use in the simulator. Upper winds over North America and the Atlantic have a major effect on eastbound time and fuel.
3. Generate the en-route route. Enter KLAX as origin and EGLL as destination, then calculate an operational flight plan using the same aircraft profile and AIRAC cycle as the aeroplane. Our SimBrief setup and export guide explains the required profile, weather, fuel and format choices.
4. Inspect the route on a map. Confirm that it progresses north-east across the continent, connects cleanly to its oceanic entry, crosses the Atlantic through named or coordinate fixes, and reaches the correct side of the UK for its arrival.
5. Add runway procedures carefully. Select the KLAX SID and EGLL STAR from the expected runway flow, route transition and ATC clearance. Avoid coding their fixes into the en-route section and then selecting the same procedures again in the FMC.
6. Check every oceanic waypoint. Coordinate abbreviations are not interpreted identically by every FMC. Use the export format intended for the installed aircraft, then compare each loaded coordinate with the operational flight plan.
7. Calculate fuel and alternates. Include taxi, trip, contingency, destination alternate, final reserve and any justified extra fuel. Choose an alternate with suitable weather, runway length and aircraft support rather than automatically selecting the closest London airport.
8. Transfer and validate the plan. Loading a route into the simulator's world map does not necessarily load it into a complex add-on aircraft. Use the aeroplane's supported company-route import or enter it manually, following our Airbus and Boeing FMC import checks.

How long is a KLAX to EGLL flight?

KLAX to EGLL is about 4,750 nautical miles by great-circle distance, while an operational route is usually longer. Allow roughly 9½ to 11 hours airborne in a long-haul jet, with additional time for taxiing, runway queues and arrival sequencing.

Do not calculate fuel from that broad duration alone. Aircraft variant, payload, cruise Mach, forecast winds, anti-ice use, diversion requirements and holding can alter the result substantially. A heavily loaded aircraft may also need a lower initial cruise level followed by step climbs as fuel burns.

Which KLAX SID and EGLL STAR should you select?

Select the SID and STAR from runway flow and route connectivity, not from the direction of the destination. KLAX commonly operates a westward flow, so an eastbound flight may depart towards the Pacific before turning inland.

At Heathrow, choose an arrival that connects to the UK entry point and the expected 09 or 27 runway operation. Heathrow arrivals may terminate at a holding fix before ATC vectors the aircraft onto the approach; a discontinuity there can therefore be intentional rather than an error.

If simulated ATC does not provide usable vectors, prepare a published approach transition where the aircraft's navigation database offers one, or vector yourself while respecting altitude and intercept constraints. The procedure-loading guide for avoiding duplicate fixes and gaps explains how to join SIDs, airways, STARs and approaches correctly.

Why does the FMC reject a KLAX to EGLL route?

Most rejected or distorted routes result from mismatched navigation data, malformed oceanic coordinates or duplicated procedure fixes.

Before take-off, step through the LEGS or F-PLN page from KLAX to EGLL. Check for implausible distances, sharp turns, altitude conflicts, missing coordinates and a sensible destination fuel prediction. Recheck the EGLL runway and approach before descent because a late runway change can invalidate the original STAR or create another discontinuity.