What flight charts can you use in a simulator, and where can you get them legally?
Find legal flight simulator charts: which VFR and IFR charts to use, where to get them, and how copyright, expiry dates and navdata cycles matter.
In a general flight simulator, you can legally use official VFR and IFR charts, authorised commercial chart subscriptions, and charts included with the simulator or an add-on. Get them from aviation authorities, licensed providers or legitimate mirrors; avoid copied subscription charts, random scans and files whose redistribution rights are unclear.
The same principles apply to Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D, FSX and other civilian simulators. A chart can be lawfully obtained but still be unsuitable because it is expired or does not match the simulator's navigation database.
Which flight charts should you use?
Use the chart designed for the phase of flight and the rules under which you are flying.
| Flight phase | Useful chart types | What they provide |
|---|---|---|
| VFR planning and cruise | Sectional, terminal-area and regional aeronautical charts | Airspace, terrain, obstacles, airports, radio aids and visual reporting points |
| IFR cruise | Low- or high-altitude en-route charts | Airways, waypoints, navigation aids, route restrictions and minimum altitudes |
| Departure | SID or departure procedure, airport diagram and take-off-minimum pages | Initial routing, altitude restrictions, runway information and ground layout |
| Arrival | STAR or arrival procedure | Published routing and altitude or speed restrictions leading towards the approach |
| Approach | ILS, RNAV, VOR, NDB or visual approach chart | Frequencies, courses, fixes, minima and missed-approach instructions |
| Taxi | Airport diagram or ground chart | Runways, taxiways, stands, hotspots and holding positions |
An AIP, chart supplement and NOTAM package can also contain essential supporting information, but these are not substitutes for the appropriate graphical chart. Our guide to selecting and reading charts for each flight phase explains how these documents fit together.
Where can you get flight simulator charts legally?
The safest source is an aviation authority, an authorised chart service or a distributor with explicit permission to reproduce the material.
- National aviation authorities: Many countries publish an electronic AIP containing airport, departure, arrival and approach charts. Access conditions vary by country, so check the publication's copyright and reuse terms rather than assuming that free viewing permits redistribution.
- FAA charts for the United States: Our legally mirrored FAA chart library provides sectionals, airport diagrams and terminal procedures for simulation use. Check the edition or effective date before planning the flight.
- Licensed subscriptions: Services such as Navigraph provide broad regional coverage through a paid personal licence. Our explanation of using Navigraph Charts with a simulator covers the normal workflow and chart integration.
- Authorised Jeppesen access: Jeppesen charts should come through an authorised account, product or service. We outline the licensing issues and legal alternatives to copied Jeppesen charts.
- Simulator and add-on EFBs: Charts supplied inside an electronic flight bag may be used as permitted by that product's licence. Inclusion in an add-on does not automatically grant permission to extract, republish or share the files.
- Community-made charts: These are acceptable when the creator owns the artwork and has permission to reproduce any underlying data. A filename, logo or claim that a chart is “free” is not proof of permission.
When is a downloaded chart not legal to use?
A chart is not lawfully sourced merely because it appears in a search result, forum attachment or shared folder.
- Do not download scans or exported PDFs from another person's commercial chart account.
- Do not share subscription credentials or extract files from an application's cache.
- Do not assume an airline-branded chart or operations document is public material.
- Do not repackage charts with scenery or aircraft unless the licence explicitly permits redistribution.
- Do not treat “free to view” as “free to copy, host or publish”. Those are separate rights.
Personal simulator use, redistribution and public display are different licence questions. If charts will appear in a stream, video, downloadable flight package or virtual-airline briefing, check that the source permits that use.
Do charts need to match the simulator's navdata?
Charts should match the simulator's procedure and navigation-data cycle wherever practical, especially for IFR flights.
Most modern instrument procedures are revised on published effective dates, often aligned with AIRAC cycles. The chart only depicts the procedure; it does not update the waypoints, runways, frequencies or coded paths stored in the simulator or aircraft flight-management system.
What happens when the chart and simulator disagree?
Mismatched data commonly produces one of these problems:
- A SID, STAR or approach is missing: The simulator may contain an older or newer version, or the aircraft may use a separate navigation database.
- A waypoint name has changed: Select a chart matching the installed data cycle, or update the simulator and aircraft navdata together.
- The runway number differs: The real airport may have been renumbered after a magnetic-variation change while the scenery still depicts the old designation.
- An ILS frequency or course is different: Compare the chart with the simulator's own airport and navigation data. Old scenery can override or visually conflict with newer navdata.
- Built-in ATC assigns another procedure: Simulator ATC may have limited procedure support; this does not by itself prove that the chart is wrong.
Can you mix chart and navdata providers?
Yes. The chart publisher and navdata provider do not have to be the same, provided they represent the same procedure revision. Matching the airport identifier and procedure name is not always enough; compare runway transitions, waypoint sequences, altitude restrictions and effective dates.
Can you use expired or historical charts?
Expired charts can be useful for recreating a historical flight or matching old scenery, but they should be labelled and kept separate from active charts.
Age does not automatically remove copyright, and an obsolete commercial chart is not automatically free to copy. For ordinary simulation with present-day scenery and navdata, use the newest legally available edition. Never use a chart obtained for simulation as the sole source for real-world navigation.
Which legal chart source should you choose?
Choose according to coverage, currency and how closely the charts need to integrate with the simulator.
- For US flying, official FAA charts are the straightforward free option.
- For occasional flying in one country, start with that country's official AIP.
- For worldwide IFR operations and consistent presentation, use an authorised commercial subscription.
- For quick access inside the cockpit, use the simulator or aircraft EFB, but verify its coverage and effective date.