How do I program the ATR FMS/MCDU in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

To program the ATR FMS/MCDU in Microsoft Flight Simulator, power the aircraft, initialise the FMS, load or enter your route on the flight-plan page, select the SID, STAR and approach, then complete the key performance fields and verify the legs. The mistake we see most often is accepting the route without checking every transition and discontinuity.

ATR FMS or MCDU: what are you actually programming?

In the ATR 42/72, people often say MCDU, but what we are really doing is programming the aircraft's flight management system through its control display unit. In practice, that means route entry, departure and arrival selection, basic performance setup, and making sure the autopilot has the correct lateral guidance to follow.

The ATR is not an Airbus in turboprop clothing. It can fly a route very well, but you still need to manage vertical modes properly. If you expect it to behave like a fully managed jet, you will end up high, low or on the wrong leg.

What is the easiest way to load a route in the ATR?

The easiest method is to build your flight in the MSFS World Map first, then use the ATR's FMS to confirm and tidy what was imported. You can also enter everything manually in the cockpit, which is slower but often cleaner if you want full control.

If the imported plan looks odd, do not assume the aircraft is wrong. Very often the issue is a mismatched runway, an unwanted transition, or a vector leg that makes sense only with live ATC.

How do I program the ATR FMS/MCDU step by step?

1. Power the aircraft properly

   Get the aircraft on stable electrical power first. That can be battery plus external power, or battery plus APU or engines depending on your start state. Wait for the FMS screens to finish booting before you begin typing anything.

2. Check the initialisation page

   Open the page where the aircraft wants its basic flight data. On most ATR setups in MSFS, this is where you confirm the route skeleton, present position and planned cruise level. If the FMS asks you to align or confirm the aircraft position, do that before building the rest of the route.

3. Load or enter the flight plan

   If you created the route in the World Map, go to the flight-plan page and make sure the origin, destination and intermediate fixes are actually there. Scroll through the legs one by one.

   If you are entering the route manually, insert the departure and arrival airports first, then add waypoints or airways using the line-select keys. Take your time here. A single wrong fix name can create a route hundreds of miles off course.

4. Select the departure runway and SID

   Use the departure/arrival pages to choose the active runway and any SID you want to fly. This matters because the first few legs after take-off are where most ATR FMS mistakes appear.

   If you are not flying a published departure, you can often leave the SID out and simply use the runway departure. That is often cleaner for shorter regional flights.

5. Select the STAR and approach

   Now choose the arrival procedure, transition and approach. For an ILS, make sure the runway and approach match each other. For an RNAV arrival, check that the transition actually joins your en-route segment sensibly.

   It is common to see the FMS create a gap between the en-route structure and the arrival. That is not always a bug. Sometimes it reflects radar vectors, and sometimes it needs manual cleaning.

6. Review every leg for discontinuities

   Scroll through the route from top to bottom and look for route breaks, duplicated waypoints, strange turns or vectors that point behind you. If the flight plan contains a discontinuity that should not be there, close it by inserting the next valid fix into the gap.

   Do not blindly delete every discontinuity. If a procedure genuinely expects radar vectors, removing the gap may create a turn the real aircraft would never fly.

7. Fill the key performance fields

   Go to the performance and initialisation pages and enter the data the ATR needs for the flight. At minimum, we recommend checking planned cruise altitude and the essential take-off or approach values the aircraft expects.

   Depending on the exact MSFS ATR build and your realism settings, some fields are more critical than others. If the aircraft accepts sensible defaults, you can still fly, but the FMS guidance and speed predictions will be better if the pages are completed properly.

8. Check radio and approach data

   For an ILS approach, verify the frequency and course are correct if the aircraft has not tuned them as expected. Do not wait until final approach to discover the wrong runway or no localiser.

   For RNAV, make sure the correct approach is active in the FMS and that the final approach fix sequence looks right.

9. Set up the autopilot for departure

   Before take-off, confirm your flight director, altitude selector and lateral mode plan. The usual idea is simple: once safely airborne and cleaned up, engage the appropriate navigation mode so the autopilot follows the FMS route.

   The exact button labels are less important than the principle. The aircraft must be told to follow the FMS laterally, and you must manage its climb vertically with the correct mode.

Which pages matter most in the ATR MCDU?

Page names can vary slightly with updates, but these are the pages we care about most when programming the ATR in MSFS:

• Initialisation pages for route basics, position and cruise data
• Flight plan pages for the waypoint sequence and route edits
• Departure/Arrival pages for SID, STAR, runway and approach selection
• Performance pages for take-off, climb, cruise and approach planning
• Radio or navaid pages if you need to verify or manually set approach data

If you are new to the ATR, do not try to master every page at once. The flight-plan pages, departure/arrival pages and the minimum required performance entries are the essential pieces.

Why is the ATR not following the route after take-off?

This usually comes down to one of five things:

• The first leg in the FMS starts behind the aircraft or off the runway you actually used
• The wrong SID or runway transition is loaded
• A discontinuity remains in the active route
• The autopilot is not in the correct lateral navigation mode
• You need a direct-to the next sensible fix after ATC or a manual departure

If the magenta line looks right but the aircraft still will not turn as expected, look at the active leg on the flight-plan page rather than guessing from the map alone. The FMS may be sequencing a different fix from the one you think is next.

Does the ATR manage climbs and descents like an Airbus?

Not really. The ATR can follow lateral FMS guidance very well, but its vertical behaviour needs more pilot management. In practical sim terms, we still need to control altitude selection and choose the appropriate vertical mode for climb, level-off and descent.

That means you should not expect the ATR to magically honour every altitude constraint just because the route is in the box. Treat altitude restrictions as something to monitor actively, especially on arrivals.

How do we set up an ILS or RNAV approach in the ATR?

ILS setup

1. Select the correct arrival runway on the arrival page.
2. Choose the ILS approach and transition that matches your expected arrival path.
3. Verify frequency and course if the aircraft does not present them as expected.
4. Check the final approach fixes on the flight-plan page so the sequence makes sense.
5. Intercept from a sensible position and arm the approach mode only when established appropriately.

RNAV setup

1. Select the RNAV approach and correct transition.
2. Review the final legs for any discontinuity or odd turn.
3. Manage descent manually so you arrive at each fix at the right altitude.
4. Stay in FMS lateral guidance unless ATC vectors you away from the procedure.

If you want a broader explanation of the final approach phase itself, our separate guides on instrument flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator are the next step. The programming part is only half the job.

Common ATR FMS/MCDU mistakes in Microsoft Flight Simulator

• Skipping the route check. The FMS accepted it, but that does not mean it is sensible.
• Flying a different runway from the one in the FMS. This breaks the first leg immediately.
• Assuming VNAV will save the day. The ATR needs active vertical management.
• Leaving vector gaps unresolved. Sometimes you need a direct-to after departure or on arrival.
• Not confirming the approach. An ILS with the wrong runway or transition is a classic setup error.

Our recommended beginner workflow

If you are just learning the ATR in MSFS, we recommend this order:

1. Build the route in the World Map to reduce typing errors.
2. Open the FMS and verify the full flight plan before engine start or before taxi.
3. Select the departure and arrival procedures carefully, especially runway transitions.
4. Complete the essential performance entries rather than every optional field.
5. Fly the climb and descent conservatively and do not over-trust automation.

Once that feels natural, move on to full manual route entry. It teaches you much more about how the ATR thinks, and it makes troubleshooting far easier when the magenta line does something unexpected.