How do I save and load flights in Prepar3D?

To save a flight in Prepar3D, open the Scenario menu, choose Save or Save As, and give the scenario a clear name. To load the flight, use Load from the start-up Scenario screen or the in-simulator Scenario menu. Keep its weather companion, any separate flight plan and add-on aircraft state together.

How do I save a Prepar3D flight correctly?

A dependable Prepar3D save consists of the simulator scenario plus any separate route and aircraft-specific panel state you need. Some older interfaces label the relevant menu Flights rather than Scenario.

1. Wait for the aircraft to stabilise. Let scenery, gauges and aircraft systems finish initialising. Avoid saving while changing aircraft, using slew mode, reloading scenery or running an add-on panel-state operation.
2. Save the route separately. If you will need the route again, save it as a .pln flight plan. Our guide to saving and reopening Prepar3D flight plans covers the built-in planner. A .pln file is not a complete saved flight.
3. Save the add-on aircraft state. Complex aircraft may have their own panel-state, cockpit-state or flight-management save control. Use it as directed by the aircraft documentation; Prepar3D cannot capture every third-party system by itself.
4. Choose Save As. Enter a descriptive name such as EGLL-KJFK-before-descent. Use Save only when you deliberately want to overwrite the selected checkpoint.
5. Keep more than one checkpoint. Separate saves before departure, at cruise and before descent are safer than repeatedly overwriting one file. A bad aircraft state or interrupted write should not destroy your only recovery point.

For a long flight with an unfamiliar add-on, test the save-and-load process on the ground first. Finding out that an aircraft cannot restore its avionics after several hours is a common and avoidable failure.

How do I load a flight in Prepar3D?

Load a saved flight from the start-up Scenario screen or by choosing Load from the Scenario menu after Prepar3D has started.

1. Save the scenario already running. Loading another flight replaces it.
2. Open Load. If Prepar3D skips its start-up screen and opens a default scenario automatically, use the in-simulator Scenario menu instead. Older interfaces may place the command under Flights.
3. Select the main scenario file. This is normally the .fxml file, not the .wx weather companion or a .pln route.
4. Allow initialisation to finish. Do not start manipulating switches while the aircraft and scenery are still loading.
5. Restore the add-on panel state. Load the matching aircraft state in the order specified by its developer. Some aircraft expect the Prepar3D scenario first; others manage their own complete restore procedure.
6. Check the aircraft before continuing. Confirm the pause state, fuel, engines, controls, autopilot modes, navigation source, route and weather. Never assume every system resumed exactly where it stopped.

The aircraft and livery referenced by the save should still be installed. Missing or renamed add-on content can prevent the scenario from loading correctly or cause Prepar3D to use a different vehicle.

What does a Prepar3D saved flight preserve?

A Prepar3D saved flight records the simulator scenario, but it is not an all-in-one archive of the route, weather companions and every add-on system.

ATC conversations, AI traffic, complex failures and software connected outside Prepar3D may not resume exactly. A saved scenario also does not by itself represent a completed flight; our explanation of how the Prepar3D logbook records flights covers that separate function.

Why is the FMS route empty after loading?

An empty flight management system usually means the route or add-on panel state was not saved through the system that owns it. Prepar3D's .pln route, its built-in GPS and a third-party aircraft's FMS can store different information.

Save the .pln file for Prepar3D, then use the aircraft's own route or panel-state facility where one is provided. After loading, verify the active route, departure and arrival procedures rather than immediately resuming navigation.

Where are Prepar3D saved flights stored?

Per-user Prepar3D scenarios are normally stored in the version-labelled Prepar3D folder inside Windows Documents:

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Prepar3D vX Files

The vX part represents the installed major version. Each Windows account has its own Documents folder, and a redirected or OneDrive-managed Documents folder may place it elsewhere. Save As can also write a scenario to a custom location.

The loadable file is normally .fxml. A same-named .wx file may hold its weather, while a .pln route and an add-on panel state remain separate. When backing up a flight, copy all files sharing the scenario name as well as any route and aircraft-state files you used.

Can I move a saved flight to another PC or Prepar3D version?

You can move the scenario files to another PC, but the destination installation needs the referenced aircraft, livery and other required add-ons. Copy the main .fxml, its same-named companion files, the flight plan and any aircraft-specific state.

Compatibility between major Prepar3D versions is not guaranteed. Changes to aircraft, gauges, scenery or scenario data can leave an older save partly restored or unable to load, so keep the original files and create a fresh save after a successful migration.

Why is my saved flight missing or not loading?

Missing or failed saves are usually caused by the wrong version folder, an incomplete file set, unavailable add-on content or a folder Prepar3D cannot write to.

• The save is absent from the list: check the Documents folder for the correct Prepar3D major version and Windows user. Also confirm that the Load dialogue is displaying scenarios rather than flight plans.
• You copied only a .wx or .pln file: restore the main .fxml scenario. Neither the weather file nor the route is a loadable flight situation by itself.
• Documents has moved: inspect the active Windows Documents location, including any synchronised or redirected folder, instead of assuming the files remain under the original local path.
• Saving produces no file: try a normal user-writable Documents folder. Check for a read-only folder, synchronisation conflict, security block or lack of access to the chosen custom location.
• The aircraft is missing or changes: reinstall the aircraft and livery referenced by the scenario, or create a new scenario with an installed vehicle.
• The cockpit is only partly restored: load the aircraft's matching panel state. This is expected with add-ons whose systems are not stored by Prepar3D.
• The scenario crashes while loading: create and reload a fresh save using a default aircraft. If that works, the original aircraft state, missing dependency or add-on configuration is the likely cause.
• The save came from another Prepar3D generation: load it in the version that created it where possible. Cross-version scenario files should not be treated as universally portable.

Can Prepar3D save flights automatically?

Automatic checkpointing generally requires a utility or add-on because Prepar3D's standard save workflow is manual. An autosave should rotate through several filenames rather than continually replacing the only usable checkpoint.

The legacy FSXSave automatic-checkpoint utility listed for FSX and Prepar3D is one option. It originated in the FSX era, so do not assume compatibility with every Prepar3D generation, 64-bit release or complex aircraft. Test it with your exact installation and confirm that one of its files can be loaded before relying on it.

Automatic scenario saves still cannot guarantee recovery of a third-party FMS or panel state. Saving can also briefly interrupt the simulation, so avoid excessively short intervals and continue making aircraft-specific state saves where required.