Learn how to read aerodrome charts for flight simulation, including runways, taxiways, holding points, declared distances and scenery mismatches.
To read an aerodrome chart for a flight simulator flight, confirm the airport, chart revision and units; determine the active runway from ATIS, weather or ATC; then locate its thresholds, taxiways, holding points, stands and hot spots. Trace the taxi route and verify that the chart matches your installed scenery and navigation data.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying practice, an aerodrome chart—often called an airport diagram—is primarily a ground-movement map. It shows where runways, taxiways and parking areas are, but it does not itself assign the active runway or replace a taxi clearance.
What should I check first on an aerodrome chart?
Start by confirming the airport identifier, chart type, revision or effective date, orientation and measurement units. Airports with similar names can be hundreds of miles apart, while dimensions and elevations may be printed in feet, metres or a mixture defined by the chart legend.
- Airport and chart title: Verify the ICAO identifier and make sure this is the aerodrome chart rather than a parking, approach or obstacle chart.
- North and scale: Do not assume the top of the page is the runway heading or that every diagram is drawn to a precise scale.
- Elevation and datum: Airport elevation is not necessarily the same as either runway threshold elevation.
- Bearings: Check whether headings are magnetic or true. A runway number is only a rounded magnetic direction, not the exact course to enter in the avionics.
- Legend and notes: Symbols, closed areas, restrictions and lighting annotations vary between chart formats. Read the legend instead of guessing from colour or shape.
If the symbols or chart families are unfamiliar, our broader guide to understanding aeronautical chart scales, legends and purposes explains how the different chart types fit together.
What do the runway symbols and distances mean?
Runway information tells you which strip you are using, how much usable distance it provides and whether a threshold, stopway or clearway changes the operation.
| Chart feature | Meaning in the simulator |
|---|---|
| Runway number | 09 is approximately 090° magnetic and its reciprocal is normally 27. Parallel runways add L, C or R. |
| Dimensions and surface | Check runway length, width and whether the surface is paved, grass, gravel or another type suitable for the aircraft. |
| Displaced threshold | Landing in that direction begins at the displaced threshold. Pavement before it may have restricted uses, so follow the chart notes rather than treating it as ordinary landing distance. |
| Stopway or clearway | These may contribute to declared performance distances but are not extra runway available for normal landing or taxiing. |
| Taxiway intersection | An intersection departure shortens the take-off run available. Use it only when aircraft performance permits. |
Where declared distances are published, TORA is take-off run available, TODA is take-off distance available, ASDA is accelerate-stop distance available and LDA is landing distance available. The largest number is not automatically usable paved runway: TODA can include a clearway, and ASDA can include a stopway.
A common mistake is treating the runway designator as a precise heading. Magnetic variation can eventually cause a real airport to renumber its runway, while older simulator scenery may retain the previous number.
How do I plan a taxi route from the chart?
Plan the route one named taxiway at a time, marking every holding point, runway crossing and hot spot before the aircraft moves.
- Locate the stand or parking area. Detailed stand numbers may appear on a separate parking or docking chart rather than the main aerodrome diagram.
- Find the assigned runway entry. Distinguish between the full-length entry and an intersection entry; they provide different take-off distances.
- Trace each taxiway. Write the sequence in order, such as
Stand 12 – A – A3 – holding point RWY 27, and compare it with the signs visible in the simulator. - Mark runway crossings. A taxi route crossing another runway requires specific attention and, when operating with ATC, the appropriate clearance.
- Identify hot spots. These flag confusing intersections or areas with a history of surface-movement risk. Slow down and verify the signs before entering them.
- Plan the arrival loosely. Identify likely exits, but do not chase a particular high-speed exit or make a sharp turn after landing. Leave the runway only at a safe speed and follow the actual clearance.
The chart helps you prepare, but ATC instructions control the route when ATC is in use. If cockpit signage is difficult to read, Little Navmap can display the airport layout and live aircraft position; use it as positional support, not as a substitute for runway signs or clearances.
Why does the aerodrome chart not match the simulator?
A chart usually disagrees with the simulator because the chart, airport scenery and aircraft navigation database represent different revisions of the airport.
Typical symptoms include a renamed taxiway, a runway shown as 08 on one source and 09 on another, a new terminal missing from the scenery, or an FMS procedure using different runway identifiers. Two airport scenery packages active at once can also produce overlapping buildings, duplicate markings or conflicting signs.
- Use the installed scenery to judge where the physical pavement, barriers and signs actually are.
- Use the aircraft navigation database to determine which procedures and fixes its FMS can load.
- Use the simulator's active navaid data for the frequency and course that the simulated receiver can actually tune.
- If operating with online ATC, report a significant scenery or runway-number mismatch rather than pretending the layouts agree.
First recheck the ICAO code and chart date, then confirm which airport scenery package is active. If duplicated scenery is causing the problem, leave only one version enabled. Runway renumbering alone does not mean the runway moved; compare its orientation and endpoints before assuming it is a different strip.
Is an aerodrome chart enough for an IFR flight?
An aerodrome chart is not enough for an IFR flight because it does not contain the complete departure, arrival, approach, minima or missed-approach instructions.
Use the appropriate procedure chart after leaving the ground layout. Our guide to reading SID and STAR routes, transitions and restrictions covers the departure and arrival phases. For an instrument landing, check the separate approach chart and verify the ILS frequency, front course, minima and missed-approach data.
Frequencies printed on an aerodrome diagram may also be incomplete or revised elsewhere. In simulation, cross-check them against the aircraft and simulator data before departure. For real-world flying, only approved, current charts and operational information are suitable; a simulator-oriented chart workflow is not a substitute.