Learn how to read an airport diagram, identify runways, taxiways and hold points, follow a taxi clearance, and resolve chart-scenery mismatches.
To read an airport diagram for flight simulation, verify the airport and chart revision, orient the plan with its north arrow, locate your aircraft, and trace the cleared taxiways in order. Mark every hold point, runway crossing and hotspot, then confirm each junction against the signs and pavement markings outside the cockpit.
This method applies to general flight simulation, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and 2020, X-Plane, FSX and Prepar3D. Chart styles differ between publishers and countries, but the underlying runway, taxiway and holding-position information serves the same purpose.
What does an airport diagram show?
An airport diagram is a plan view of the airfield used mainly for ground movement; it is not an approach chart, a live traffic display or an indication of the active runway.
| Chart item | How to read it | Common trap |
|---|---|---|
| Airport identity | Confirm the airport name, ICAO or local identifier, chart revision and elevation where shown. | Loading a chart for another airport serving the same city. |
| Orientation and scale | Find the north arrow and any scale statement. | Assuming the top is north or estimating distance from a diagram marked not to scale. |
| Runways | Look for broad strips labelled at each end with designators such as 09, 27 or 18L. | Assuming the visually most prominent runway is active. |
| Taxiways and aprons | Taxiways normally have letters or letter-number labels such as A, B2 or K5. Aprons contain stands, gates and parking areas. | Reading a taxiway label as an aircraft-position marker. |
| Safety information | Identify runway holding positions, hotspots, closed surfaces and restricted routes. | Treating a charted runway crossing as permission to cross. |
| Dimensions and notes | Check runway length, width, surface and any aircraft restrictions, including whether measurements use feet or metres. | Ignoring text notes because the route looks usable on the drawing. |
Some charts are titled Airport Diagram; others use terms such as Aerodrome Chart. If you do not yet have the appropriate plate, our guidance on locating a chart that matches your simulated airport explains why identifiers and revision dates matter. Publisher-specific shapes vary, so use the chart legend and our reference for decoding airport-chart symbols and abbreviations.
How do you identify the runway (滑走路) and taxiways?
Runways are identified by numerical designators, while taxiways normally use letters or letter-number combinations.
On a Japanese chart or localised interface, 滑走路 means runway. Runway 09 points approximately towards 090 degrees magnetic and its opposite end is normally Runway 27. The number is the magnetic direction rounded to the nearest ten degrees with the final zero removed; north is designated 36, not 00.
Parallel runways add L, C or R for left, centre and right. The letters reverse when viewed from the other direction, so the opposite end of 09L is 27R. Magnetic drift can eventually cause a real airport to renumber a runway, which is one reason an older simulator may disagree with a newer chart.
- Runway labels: 04/22, 09L/27R or 18/36.
- Taxiway labels: A, A1, B or K5. The exact naming scheme is airport-specific.
- Stand labels: Gate and stand numbers belong to parking positions, not taxiways.
- Displaced thresholds and stopways: These may form part of the paved strip without being available for every take-off or landing operation. Read the chart notes rather than judging from the pavement alone.
How do you read an airport diagram while taxiing?
Plan the full route before releasing the parking brake, then verify the aircraft’s position at every junction instead of trying to memorise the whole airport.
- Verify the chart. Match the airport identifier and runway layout to the simulator. Similar names, nearby reliever airports and outdated diagrams cause many wrong-airport errors.
- Locate the aircraft. Find the gate, stand, apron or runway exit. If individual stands are omitted, use the terminal shape, nearby taxiways, aircraft heading and visible signs to establish the position.
- Orient the diagram. Compare the north arrow with the aircraft heading. Rotating a paper chart or tablet display can make left and right turns easier to visualise, but do not lose track of chart north.
- Break the clearance into segments. A clearance of “Runway 27 via Alpha, Bravo, hold short Runway 18” becomes
A → B → stop before Runway 18. Exact phraseology varies, but under ATC a drawn route never authorises an unspoken runway entry or crossing. - Trace the route. Follow each taxiway with a finger or cursor. Mark sharp turns, hotspots, runway crossings and junctions where similar labels meet.
- Brief the next two decisions. Know the next turn and what follows it. This prevents the common mistake of turning one intersection early when several exits are close together.
- Confirm outside. At each junction, compare the chart with the location sign, direction sign and centreline. A moving-map aircraft icon is useful, but it should confirm the route rather than replace these checks.
- Stop when uncertain. Do not continue while reconstructing the route. Stop clear of runways, identify the last confirmed position and request progressive taxi instructions when the ATC system supports them.
If no ATC service is being used, select a sensible route that remains on suitable paved surfaces and minimises runway crossings. Treat closed routes, holding points and aircraft restrictions exactly as you would under a clearance.
How do the diagram, taxiway signs and markings fit together?
The diagram shows the planned route, while signs and painted markings confirm where the aircraft is and where it must stop.
- A black sign with yellow characters is normally a location sign: it identifies the taxiway the aircraft occupies.
- A yellow sign with black characters and arrows normally gives directions to intersecting taxiways or destinations.
- A red sign with white characters is a mandatory instruction, commonly marking a runway holding position.
- A runway holding marking normally has two solid and two dashed yellow lines. Approaching from the solid-line side, stop unless authorised to enter or cross.
When vacating a runway, the entire aircraft must pass beyond the holding marking before it is clear; getting only the nose or cockpit across is not enough. ILS critical-area holding positions can sit farther from the runway and should not be confused with the normal runway hold. Our guide to matching taxiway signs and markings to the chart covers these visual cues in detail.
Does an airport diagram show the active runway?
No. An airport diagram shows the available layout, but ATIS, ATC instructions and operating conditions determine which runway is in use.
Wind direction is an important clue, not the only factor. Traffic flow, runway length, closures, approach availability and noise procedures may lead to a different choice. A METAR helps with wind and weather; our explanation of reading a METAR for simulator use shows how to interpret it without treating it as a runway assignment.
The diagram also does not display live traffic or grant permission to enter a runway. Departure, arrival and approach procedures belong on their respective charts rather than the airport diagram.
Chart or simulator: mana yang benar (which one is correct)?
When the chart and simulator disagree, the answer to mana yang benar depends on what is being compared: the chart describes a published airport state, while the scenery determines the physical surfaces available in that simulator installation.
| Mismatch | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Runway number differs but the geometry matches | The runway was renumbered after a change in magnetic direction. | Match the physical runway carefully and advise online ATC of the scenery discrepancy. |
| Taxiway geometry matches but names differ | Taxiways were renamed, or the scenery and navigation data represent different revisions. | Use the simulator’s visible signs for immediate positioning and clarify the route with ATC. |
| A taxiway, stand or terminal is missing | The chart and scenery model different construction states. | Request another paved route; never force the charted line across grass, buildings or barriers. |
| The moving-map route leaves the pavement | Airport routing data and visual scenery are misaligned. | Follow safe visible pavement, preserve all runway restrictions and stop if the alternative is unclear. |
Updating a simulator’s navigation database can change procedures, frequencies and identifiers, but it does not rebuild taxiways or terminals. Custom scenery can change the physical airport without updating every ATC or routing reference. For accurate procedure practice, use chart, scenery and navigation data representing the same airport layout where possible.
One fixed chart symbol also causes confusion: the airport reference point marks a surveyed location for the aerodrome. It is not your aircraft. Only a clearly presented ownship icon on a moving map follows the simulated aircraft.
What mistakes cause most wrong turns?
Most errors come from losing positional awareness before an intersection rather than misunderstanding the whole diagram.
- Assuming the top of the chart is north without checking the arrow.
- Following a taxiway centreline before confirming its label.
- Turning at the first branch when the clearance names the second.
- Crossing a hold marking because the destination runway lies beyond it.
- Trusting a taxi ribbon or moving map when it conflicts with visible pavement and signs.
- Continuing after the chart, clearance and scenery stop agreeing.
The reliable habit is simple: know the next taxiway before reaching the junction. If the chart, sign and marking do not agree, stop clear of the runway and resolve the discrepancy before moving.