How do I load SIDs and STARs into a flight simulator FMC?

In most flight simulators, enter the origin and destination in the FMC, build or import the en-route flight plan, then open DEP/ARR or PROC. Select the departure runway, SID and transition; at the destination, select the STAR, transition, runway and approach. Execute the changes, then inspect every leg for discontinuities.

This general procedure applies across Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX, although each aircraft labels the controls differently. Strictly speaking, you enter the procedures through a CDU or MCDU connected to the flight management computer, but simmers commonly call the whole unit the FMC.

How do you enter a SID and STAR in the FMC?

The safest sequence is to establish the basic route first, add the procedures, and then check how their transition fixes join the en-route portion.

1. Enter the route endpoints. Initialise the FMC and enter the correct origin and destination ICAO codes. Add the flight number, position and other required data if the aircraft demands them.
2. Build or import the en-route route. Enter the airways and waypoints between the departure and arrival areas. For a complete example of the surrounding steps, use our Boeing 737 FMC route-programming workflow.
3. Load the departure. Open the departure page for the origin airport. Select the expected runway, the cleared SID and the transition that connects to the first appropriate en-route fix. Some units ask for the SID before the runway.
4. Load the arrival. Open the arrival page for the destination. Select the STAR and its en-route transition, followed by the expected runway and approach. A STAR and an instrument approach are separate procedures, even when the FMC displays them on the same page.
5. Insert or execute the revision. Boeing-style systems normally require an EXEC action, while Airbus-style systems present a temporary flight plan that must be inserted. Until that happens, the displayed selection may not be part of the active route.
6. Check the LEGS or F-PLN page. Review every waypoint in sequence. Look for route discontinuities, duplicated fixes, unexpected turns, old runway legs and implausible altitude or speed constraints.

Where is the procedure menu?

The menu name depends on the avionics rather than the simulator itself.

Exact prompts vary between default aircraft and complex add-ons. A simplified GPS or FMC may support approaches but not full SIDs and STARs.

Which SID, STAR and transition should you choose?

Use the ATC clearance when one has been issued; otherwise, select procedures that match the active runway and connect cleanly to the planned route.

• SID: Match the departure runway and choose a procedure leading towards the first en-route airway or waypoint.
• SID transition: Choose the exit fix that best connects the SID to the en-route route.
• STAR: Choose an arrival entered from the final part of the route and compatible with the expected landing direction.
• STAR transition: Match the transition to the waypoint or airway from which the aircraft enters the arrival.
• Approach: Select the cleared or expected instrument approach separately. Do not assume the STAR automatically includes it.

When several arrivals appear suitable, our method for matching a STAR to the route, runway and approach explains the decision in more detail. Without ATC, runway choice should reflect the weather and the airport's operating direction rather than simply the shortest taxi.

Why are SIDs or STARs missing from the FMC?

Missing procedures usually mean the airport has no published procedure in the installed navigation database, the route endpoints are incomplete, or the simulator and aircraft are using different navdata.

• Confirm that the origin and destination ICAO codes are correct.
• Check that a runway filter is not hiding procedures assigned to other runways.
• Try selecting the runway first; some FMCs do not display compatible procedures until then.
• Verify that the real airport actually has a SID or STAR. Smaller airports often do not.
• Check for a navdata mismatch between the flight planner, simulator and add-on aircraft. Different database cycles can contain renamed fixes, renumbered runways or changed procedures.
• Do not assume an imported flight plan has loaded the procedures. Some import formats preserve only waypoints, requiring the SID, STAR and approach to be selected again in the cockpit.
• Remember that scenery and navigation data are separate. Installing a new airport does not necessarily update the FMC's procedure database.

For X-Plane specifically, follow these X-Plane 12 procedure and navdata checks if the departure or arrival lists remain empty.

What should you do with route discontinuities?

Close an unexpected discontinuity only after confirming which fixes should connect; leave intentional vector or manual legs in place unless ATC has cleared a direct routing.

A discontinuity between the end of a SID and the en-route route usually indicates the wrong transition or a missing common waypoint. One near the start of a STAR often means its entry transition does not match the final en-route fix. Reselecting the correct transition is safer than forcing two unrelated legs together.

VECTOR, MANUAL or similar legs may be deliberate. They tell you to expect radar headings rather than continuous FMC guidance. Deleting one blindly can create a sharp turn back towards the airport or bypass an altitude restriction.

Duplicated transition fixes cause another common problem: the aircraft reaches a waypoint, then attempts to fly back to the same area. Remove the duplicate leg only after checking the route map, waypoint sequence and procedure chart.

How do you change the runway after loading a procedure?

Reselect the SID, STAR and approach for the new runway rather than changing only the runway field.

A runway change can alter procedure branches, transitions and constraints. Insert the revised selection, inspect the complete route again, and remove any legs retained from the old procedure. When using ATC, load only the clearance you have received; our explanation of how SIDs and STARs interact with simulator ATC covers runway changes and amended clearances.

Will the autopilot fly a loaded SID or STAR automatically?

No; loading the procedure creates the route, but the aircraft still needs the correct navigation source, active lateral mode and properly managed altitude profile.

Confirm that the route was executed, the first leg is active and LNAV, NAV or the equivalent lateral mode is engaged at the appropriate time. Altitude constraints require correctly configured VNAV or managed descent, and ATC-assigned altitudes take priority. On a vector leg, use heading mode until cleared to intercept or proceed direct to another fix.