How do I save and load flights in Prepar3D?

To save a flight in Prepar3D, use the in-simulator Save or Save As command under the Scenario or Flights menu, name the scenario, and keep its companion files together. To reload it, choose Load from the start-up Scenario screen or in-simulator menu. Some add-on aircraft need a separate panel-state save.

How do I save a Prepar3D flight correctly?

The safest method is to treat the scenario, flight plan and add-on aircraft state as separate layers. This avoids the common surprise of returning to the correct location but finding an empty flight management system or incorrectly configured cockpit.

1. Stabilise the aircraft. Wait for scenery, gauges and aircraft systems to finish loading. Avoid saving while changing vehicles, using slew mode or reloading scenery.
2. Save the route separately. If you need the active route again, save it as a .pln flight plan. Our Prepar3D flight-planner walkthrough explains how to create, save and reopen these route files.
3. Save the add-on panel state. Sophisticated aircraft may provide their own panel-state, cockpit-state or flight-management save function. Use it before saving the Prepar3D scenario.
4. Open Save or Save As. Look under the Scenario menu in newer Prepar3D generations or the Flights menu in releases using the older interface. Enter a clear name such as EGLL-KJFK-before-descent.
5. Keep checkpoints separate. Use Save to update an existing checkpoint and Save As when you want another recovery point. Do not rely on one repeatedly overwritten file for a long flight.

How do I load a saved flight?

A saved Prepar3D flight can normally be loaded from the start-up Scenario screen or through the Load command while the simulator is running.

1. Confirm the required content is installed. The aircraft, livery and essential scenery used when the scenario was saved should still be available.
2. Choose Load. Open the saved-scenario list from the start-up screen, or use the Scenario or Flights menu after Prepar3D has started.
3. Select the main scenario. In modern versions this is commonly the .fxml entry, not its .wx weather companion or a .pln route.
4. Allow the aircraft to initialise. After loading, check the pause state, engines, fuel, controls, autopilot and weather before continuing.
5. Restore the add-on state if required. Load the aircraft's matching panel state only after the Prepar3D scenario has opened, unless that add-on specifies a different order.

Loading from within an active session replaces the scenario already running, so save any progress you want to keep first.

What does a Prepar3D saved flight preserve?

A Prepar3D saved scenario records the simulator situation, but it is not the same thing as a saved route or an add-on cockpit state.

ATC conversations, AI behaviour, complex failures and externally managed avionics may not resume exactly where they stopped. For dependable airline operations, we recommend saving all three layers where the aircraft supports them.

Where are Prepar3D saved flights stored?

Prepar3D normally stores per-user scenarios in a version-labelled folder inside Documents, commonly following this pattern:

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Prepar3D vX Files

The vX portion corresponds to the installed major version. A redirected or synchronised Documents folder can place the files elsewhere, and Save As can be used to choose a custom location.

Modern Prepar3D releases commonly use a main .fxml scenario and may create a same-named .wx weather file. When backing up or transferring a flight, copy every file sharing that name rather than taking only the main scenario. Do not expect saves from one major Prepar3D generation, or scenarios dependent on incompatible add-ons, to transfer cleanly to another.

Why is my saved flight missing or not loading?

Most missing or failed saves are caused by the wrong version folder, an incomplete file set or content that is no longer installed.

• The save is not listed: check the Documents folder for the correct Prepar3D major version and confirm that the Load dialogue is showing scenario files rather than flight plans.
• Only a weather or route file was copied: restore the main scenario and all same-named companion files.
• The aircraft changes after loading: reinstall the exact aircraft and livery referenced by the save, or create a new scenario using an installed vehicle.
• The cockpit state is incomplete: use the aircraft's own panel-state system. Prepar3D cannot serialise every third-party system.
• Saving fails: try a normal user-writable Documents location and check whether the folder is read-only, locked by synchronisation software or blocked by security controls.
• Loading causes a crash: test a fresh save made with a default aircraft. If that works, suspect the saved add-on state or a missing dependency; our Prepar3D crash-diagnosis steps cover the next checks.

Can Prepar3D save flights automatically?

Automatic checkpoints are useful on long flights, but they should rotate through several filenames so one damaged or badly timed save does not replace the only recovery point.

The FSX AutoSaver utility listed for Prepar3D is one option. Because it originates from the FSX era, verify compatibility with your exact Prepar3D generation and test that its files load before relying on it. An autosave also cannot guarantee that a complex add-on's internal cockpit state will be preserved.