How do I plan a long-haul flight in a flight simulator?

To plan a long-haul flight in a flight simulator, choose an aircraft with adequate range, build a valid route, check winds and destination weather, calculate payload and reserve fuel, select suitable alternates, then verify the imported route, procedures, weights and performance in the aircraft’s flight-management system before departure.

The same sequence works in Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX. Simulator planners differ, but in a complex airliner the FMC or MCDU controls the aircraft, while a separate simulator-level plan may supply the map and built-in ATC.

Which long-haul planning method should you use?

Use a dispatch-style planner for realistic airline operations; use the simulator’s built-in planner when speed and simplicity matter more than operational detail.

A proper dispatch package connects the route with weather, payload, fuel and alternates. Our explanation of the airline-style dispatch process covers those operational decisions, while MSFS users can follow our SimBrief planning and import workflow for MSFS.

Long-haul flight planning workflow

A reliable plan is built in a fixed order so that each decision feeds the next one.

1. Define the flight and aircraft. Choose the origin, destination, intended departure time, aircraft variant and payload. Published maximum range is not a guarantee: headwinds, reserves, diversion requirements and payload can make a nominally possible sector impractical.
2. Check airports and weather. Confirm runway length, available approaches, likely winds and operating conditions at the departure, destination and normally at least one alternate. A METAR describes observed conditions rather than weather many hours ahead, so use forecasts when available; our guide can help you decode simulator weather reports correctly.
3. Build the horizontal route. Connect the departure procedure, airways or oceanic segment, arrival and approach using navigation data compatible with the aircraft. Daily organised oceanic tracks are not timeless, and a route generated from one navigation cycle may contain waypoints or airways missing from another.
4. Plan the vertical profile. Select a realistic initial cruise level for the aircraft’s departure weight. Heavy long-haul aircraft often begin below their eventual optimum altitude and make step climbs as fuel burns off; do not climb above the FMS maximum altitude merely because the final planned level is higher.
5. Set payload and calculate fuel. Enter passengers, cargo and planned reserves before accepting the fuel figure. Check maximum zero-fuel weight, take-off weight and expected landing weight rather than filling every tank automatically.
6. Import or enter the route. Verify the origin, destination, first and last waypoints, airways, cruise altitude and every route discontinuity. Importing a route does not guarantee that the simulator, built-in ATC and aircraft FMS all received identical plans.
7. Complete departure performance. Use the actual runway, wind and aircraft weight to calculate the take-off configuration, trim and reference speeds. Recheck these values if the runway, payload or fuel changes.
8. Prepare operational checkpoints. Record the planned fuel remaining at several en-route waypoints and before descent. This shows early whether stronger winds, an inaccurate aircraft profile or excessive fuel flow is eroding the reserve.

How much fuel should a long-haul simulator flight carry?

Load calculated block fuel, not full tanks or an arbitrary percentage. A typical structure is block fuel = taxi + trip + contingency + alternate + final reserve + additional or extra fuel.

• Taxi fuel covers engine start, auxiliary power use and movement before take-off.
• Trip fuel covers the planned route from take-off to landing.
• Contingency fuel protects against forecast and performance variations.
• Alternate fuel covers a missed approach followed by diversion and landing.
• Final reserve is protected fuel, not spare fuel intended for routine use.
• Additional or extra fuel may cover holding, remote diversion airports, poor weather or operational judgement.

Exact reserve rules differ by operation and jurisdiction, so one universal percentage is not realistic. Make sure the planner uses the correct aircraft and engine profile, and confirm whether every fuel figure is in kilograms or pounds. Unit confusion is one of the most damaging long-haul planning errors we see.

Should I select the SID and STAR before departure?

Select a likely SID before departure, but treat a long-haul arrival and approach as provisional because weather and runway use can change during the flight.

A STAR may be determined mainly by the direction of arrival, by the runway, or by both. Load a sensible expected arrival if it helps route and fuel planning, then revise it before descent using updated weather or ATC instructions. Our procedure for matching a STAR to the route and expected runway explains the selection criteria.

After changing a procedure, inspect the complete FMS legs page. Duplicate fixes, unexpected vectors, route gaps and automatic direct-to legs commonly appear where the en-route route meets the new STAR.

Common long-haul planning mistakes

• Mismatched navigation data: use compatible data in the planner, simulator and aircraft, or manually repair invalid airways and missing fixes.
• Duplicate route imports: importing at simulator level and again through the aircraft can create repeated procedures or waypoints. Choose one main import method and verify the result.
• Ignoring landing weight: an aircraft can depart within limits but arrive overweight if the sector is short for its fuel load or actual consumption is lower than planned.
• Committing to one arrival too early: preserve enough fuel and planning flexibility for a changed runway, holding or diversion.
• Trusting the plan without monitoring it: compare actual fuel remaining with the planned figure throughout cruise. Investigate a growing deficit before the destination becomes the only practical option.
• Assuming saves and time acceleration are harmless: complex aircraft may not restore every FMS, autopilot or add-on state after loading. High simulation rates can also destabilise the autopilot or interfere with systems logic, so test the aircraft and return to normal speed well before descent.

What should I check before top of descent?

Before top of descent, update the arrival using actual fuel, landing weight, weather and runway information rather than relying on choices made many hours earlier.

• Review destination and alternate weather, runway use and approach availability.
• Insert or confirm the STAR and approach, then clear only intentional FMS discontinuities.
• Check descent winds, altitude and speed constraints, approach minima and the missed-approach route.
• Compare predicted landing fuel with the planned reserve and diversion requirement.
• Calculate landing reference speeds and configuration using the expected arrival weight.
• Return the simulator to normal speed and confirm the autopilot and navigation modes before descent begins.