Learn how to read an airport diagram for flight simulation: identify runways, taxiways, stands, holding points and hotspots, then taxi safely.
To read an airport diagram in a flight simulator, confirm the airport and chart date, orient the plan, locate your stand, identify runways and taxiways, then trace the cleared route one segment at a time. Mark every runway crossing, holding point and hotspot, and verify each junction against signs outside the cockpit.
This method applies across general flight simulation, including Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, FSX and Prepar3D. Chart presentation varies between publishers and countries, but the underlying airport features and safe taxiing principles are much the same.
What does an airport diagram show?
An airport diagram is a plan view of the airfield used for ground movement, not an approach chart or a live indication of the active runway.
| Chart item | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Airport identity | Check the airport name, ICAO or local identifier, chart date and any listed elevation. Similar airport names and outdated charts cause many avoidable mistakes. |
| Orientation | Find the north arrow rather than assuming the top of the page is north. Some diagrams are rotated to fit the airport layout. |
| Runways | These are the broadest paved areas and are labelled by runway end, such as 09 and 27. The number represents the approximate magnetic direction rounded to the nearest ten degrees, with the final zero omitted. |
| Taxiways | Narrower routes are identified by letters or letter-number combinations such as A, B2 or K5. A label names the taxiway; it does not show your aircraft's position on it. |
| Aprons and stands | Terminal areas, ramps, parking stands and gates may be numbered, although less detailed diagrams sometimes omit individual stands. |
| Safety information | Look for runway holding positions, closed surfaces, restricted routes, hotspots marked with identifiers such as HS 1, and notes applying to particular aircraft or taxiways. |
Runway dimensions and surface types may appear beside the runway or in a separate table. Check whether dimensions are in feet or metres, and do not estimate distance from the drawing unless a scale is explicitly provided.
If you still need the correct plate, our guide to finding suitable airport chart sources explains where to look and why chart dates matter.
How do you follow an airport diagram while taxiing?
The safest technique is to plan the whole clearance before moving, then confirm your position at every junction.
- Verify the airport and chart. Match the airport identifier, runway layout and revision information. Confirm that the diagram belongs to the airport loaded in the simulator rather than another airport serving the same city.
- Locate the aircraft. Find the gate, stand, apron or runway exit where the aircraft is parked. If the stand is not labelled, use the terminal shape, nearby taxiways and visible signs to establish the position.
- Orient the diagram. Compare the aircraft's heading with the north arrow and nearby runway. Rotate a paper chart or tablet display if that makes left and right turns easier to visualise.
- Write down the route in order. A hypothetical clearance of “Runway 27 via Alpha, Bravo, hold short Runway 18” becomes
A → B → stop before 18 → continue towards 27 only when authorised. - Trace every segment. Run a finger or cursor along the route. Circle runway crossings, sharp turns, hotspots and any place where similarly named taxiways meet.
- Taxi junction by junction. Keep the diagram available, read the next taxiway name before reaching it, and compare the chart with location signs, direction signs and pavement markings.
- Stop if the position becomes uncertain. Do not continue while trying to reconstruct the route. Set the parking brake if appropriate, identify the last confirmed junction and request progressive taxi instructions when using ATC.
For a worked gate-to-runway method, including how to break an ATC clearance into manageable sections, see our explanation of planning and following a complete taxi route.
How do you match the diagram to taxiway signs?
The diagram provides the map, while signs and markings confirm where the aircraft actually is.
Under the conventions used at many airports, a black sign with yellow characters is a location sign, a yellow sign with black characters and arrows indicates directions, and a red sign with white characters marks a mandatory instruction such as a runway holding position. Regional details vary, so use the chart legend where one is provided.
A runway holding marking normally has two solid and two dashed yellow lines. Approaching from the solid-line side, stop unless cleared to enter or cross the runway. ILS critical-area holding positions may sit farther from the runway and are not the same as the normal runway holding point.
Our illustrated explanation of taxiway signs, runway signs and ground markings covers these visual cues in more detail.
What information is not shown on the airport diagram?
An airport diagram does not tell you which runway is active, where other traffic is, or whether ATC has authorised a runway crossing.
- Use ATIS, ATC instructions and wind information to determine the runway in use.
- Treat every runway entry or crossing as a separate hazard. A line drawn across a runway is not permission to cross it.
- Use departure, arrival and approach charts for airborne procedures; the airport diagram primarily covers movement on the ground.
- Read chart notes rather than relying only on the drawing. Restrictions involving wingspan, weight, one-way taxi routes or low-visibility procedures may appear only as text.
A common trap is mistaking the airport reference point symbol for the aircraft's position. It identifies a surveyed reference location for the aerodrome; it is not a moving-map marker.
What if the chart and simulator airport do not match?
When the diagram and simulated scenery disagree, first check the airport identifier and chart revision, then assume the scenery may represent a different construction state.
Default scenery can have old taxiways, renamed stands or simplified aprons, while custom scenery may model a newer layout. Updating navigation data can change procedures and database identifiers, but it does not rebuild the physical airport scenery. Simulator ATC may also use internally generated taxiway names that differ from real charts.
- Compare the runway arrangement and terminal shapes before relying on gate numbers.
- Follow the visible paved geometry rather than forcing the charted route across grass or through a closed area.
- Preserve the clearance's safety limits: never improvise a runway crossing because the expected taxiway is missing.
- If using online ATC, report the discrepancy and request another route. Offline, a taxi ribbon or moving map can be used as a positioning aid, but it may not reproduce real-world routing.
The habit that prevents most wrong turns is simple: know the next taxiway before the aircraft reaches the intersection. If the sign, marking and diagram do not agree, stop and resolve the conflict before moving again.