What is Little Navmap and how do you use it?
Little Navmap is a free moving-map, flight-planning and navigation tool for flight simulators. You use it by installing the programme, connecting it to your simulator, loading the correct scenery database, then planning or monitoring a flight on a live map with airports, airways, navaids, procedures and traffic.
What does Little Navmap actually do?
For General flight simulators, most often Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, Prepar3D and X-Plane, Little Navmap runs outside the cockpit as a desktop map and planner. It reads airport, runway and navaid data from the simulator, then shows your aircraft live once the connection is working.
Its strengths are practical rather than flashy:
- planning VFR or IFR routes on a large map;
- browsing airports, approaches, airways, terrain and airspace before you fly;
- tracking your aircraft on a second screen instead of constantly zooming the in-sim map;
- exporting route files for the simulator or for aircraft that accept imported plans.
A mistake we see often is expecting Little Navmap to replace the aircraft's avionics. It does not fly the aircraft, and it does not automatically load every route into every FMC or GPS. Think of it as an external planning and situational-awareness tool. If you need the files or want to check supported simulators, our Little Navmap setup page in the downloads library is the right place to start. Because it makes beacons and intersections easy to visualise, it also pairs well with our guide to VOR and NDB navigation.
How do you set up Little Navmap with flight simulators?
You set up Little Navmap by installing the programme, loading the correct simulator scenery library, then making a live connection to the sim.
- Install Little Navmap and any companion connector or plug-in. Microsoft-based simulators usually connect through SimConnect or a bundled companion connector. X-Plane setups typically need the companion plug-in placed in the simulator's plug-ins folder.
- Start the simulator first. Load an aircraft and place it on the ground. First connections are usually easier when the sim is already in a flight rather than sitting at the main menu.
- Load the correct scenery library. Choose the simulator you actually use, not the one you last scanned. This imports airports, runways, parking spots and procedures so the map matches the sim.
- Connect Little Navmap to the simulator. Once connected, your aircraft icon should appear and the map can centre on it.
- Re-scan after add-ons. If you install airports, mesh or scenery from our freeware add-ons library, rebuild the Little Navmap scenery library so airport layouts and parking data stay in sync.
If you run the simulator on one PC and Little Navmap on another, the network connection matters. The usual symptoms of a blocked connection are a blank aircraft position, a map that never updates, or a connection option that appears to work but shows no movement.
How do you plan and export a route in Little Navmap?
You plan a flight by selecting a departure and destination, editing the route on the map, then exporting it in the format your simulator or aircraft expects.
- Pick the airports. Start with departure and arrival, then choose runways if you already know them.
- Build the route. Add waypoints, airways and procedures for IFR, or create a looser track for VFR using reporting points, navaids and visual references.
- Check the details. Review runway length, terrain, controlled airspace and alternates before exporting. This is where a large moving map is genuinely useful.
- Export the right file type. Many first-time users pick the wrong target. A simulator world map, the stock GPS and a study-level airliner may each expect a different flight-plan format.
- Load the route where it belongs. Some aircraft read imported plans directly; others still need the route entered or verified in the cockpit.
Why do the procedures in Little Navmap not match my FMC?
Procedure mismatches usually mean the aircraft and Little Navmap are using different nav-data cycles. The route can look fine on the map but a SID, STAR or approach may be missing in the cockpit. When that happens, either align the nav databases or build the route around waypoints and procedures both systems share.
Why isn't Little Navmap showing the right aircraft, scenery or procedures?
Most Little Navmap problems come down to connection, scenery library choice or nav-data mismatch.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft icon does not appear or does not move | No live connection, missing plug-in or connector, simulator still at menu, firewall blocking traffic | Load a flight, confirm the live connection, install the correct companion component and allow it through the firewall if needed |
| Airport layout on the map differs from the simulator | Scenery library was never rebuilt after installing an airport add-on, or the wrong simulator database is loaded | Re-scan the scenery library for the correct simulator |
| Approach, SID or STAR is missing in the aircraft | Little Navmap and the aircraft use different nav-data cycles | Align the databases if possible, or choose procedures both systems contain |
| Exported flight plan will not load | Wrong export target or wrong file type for the simulator or aircraft | Export again for the specific simulator or avionics package you intend to use |
If the live position works but traffic or weather layers do not, that is often a simulator-side limitation or a data source that has not been enabled. Fix the basic connection first; most other features depend on it.
When is Little Navmap better than the in-sim map?
Use Little Navmap when you want more control over planning and a clearer picture of the airspace around you.
- Use the in-sim map for a quick casual route or when you want the simulator to handle everything in one screen.
- Use Little Navmap for second-screen flying, route editing, add-on airport awareness, multi-leg trips and easier VFR or IFR situational awareness.
- Use both together when you want to plan outside the sim, then import the route and fly it in the cockpit.
That combined workflow is why Little Navmap has become a staple utility for many simmers, especially in older platforms where the stock planners are limited.