Learn how to save and resume a flight simulator session, what gets restored, and how to fix missing aircraft state, weather, ATC or add-ons.
To save and resume a flight, use the simulator’s Save Flight or Save Situation command, give the session a clear name, then reload it from the Load Flight menu. Save while paused and stable. A saved session may restore the aircraft and position, but complex add-ons may not recover every system state.
What does a saved flight preserve?
A saved flight usually preserves your aircraft, location, altitude, heading, fuel and basic cockpit configuration. The exact result depends on the simulator, aircraft and any plug-ins involved.
| Save type | What it normally stores | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Saved flight or situation | Aircraft position, environment and some cockpit state | Resuming the same session |
| Flight plan | Route, waypoints and procedures | Reloading navigation without restoring the aircraft |
| Aircraft state file | Systems configured by a particular add-on aircraft | Restoring a study-level cockpit accurately |
| Logbook entry | Flight history and statistics | Recording activity, not resuming it |
A mistake we see constantly is saving only the flight plan. In MSFS 2020, for example, a .PLN file contains the route, while a .FLT file represents the saved session. Likewise, the simulator logbook records flight history rather than a resumable cockpit.
How do you save and reload a flight safely?
The safest method is to create the save while the aircraft is stable, then inspect every critical control before continuing.
- Pause and stabilise the aircraft. Straight-and-level cruise is more reliable than saving during take-off, an autopilot mode change or the final approach.
- Choose the session-save command. Look for Save Flight, Save Situation or equivalent wording. Do not select Export Flight Plan unless you only need the route.
- Use a descriptive name. Include the aircraft, location and phase of flight, such as
A320-EGLL-cruise-before-descent. - Keep associated files together. Some simulators create companion weather, route or configuration files with the same base name. Copy the complete set when making a backup.
- Reload through the simulator. Select Load Flight or Load Situation rather than opening a route-planning screen.
- Check the cockpit before unpausing. Verify throttle, mixture or condition levers, fuel, gear, flaps, trim, autopilot modes, navigation source, weather and time.
For Microsoft Flight Simulator, menu wording and file access vary by edition and platform. Our MSFS-specific save-and-resume workflow covers the normal procedure and its restore limitations.
Why does a resumed flight load incorrectly?
A resumed flight usually goes wrong because the native save format does not capture every aircraft, weather, traffic or plug-in variable.
Why are the autopilot and aircraft systems wrong?
Complex aircraft often maintain internal variables that the simulator’s general save function cannot record. Use the aircraft’s own panel-state or aircraft-state feature where one exists, preferably alongside the simulator save.
After loading, confirm the active navigation source, selected altitude, flight-director modes, fuel pumps, electrical configuration and engine state. Do not assume that illuminated switches prove the underlying systems were restored.
Why have weather, ATC or traffic changed?
Live weather, multiplayer traffic and ATC sessions are dynamic services, so they may be rebuilt rather than resumed. A saved location can therefore reopen with different winds, runway assignments, traffic or clearances.
Expect to obtain a new ATC clearance and recheck the active runway. If preserving conditions matters more than live data, save with a fixed weather preset where the simulator supports it.
Why does the aircraft jump or crash after loading?
An aircraft may jump, roll or apply power when physical controls immediately overwrite the saved control positions. Before unpausing, place the throttle, propeller, mixture, speedbrake and flap controls close to their expected positions.
Changed scenery can also leave a saved aircraft below the surface or inside an object. If that happens, reload at a nearby airport or reposition the aircraft rather than repeatedly opening the damaged save.
Can a saved flight be moved to another computer?
You can move many PC saved flights, but the destination normally needs the same simulator, aircraft and required add-ons. Saved sessions are not universal files and should not be assumed to work across different simulators or major editions.
Copy every file belonging to the save and preserve its folder structure. Cloud synchronisation may omit local aircraft states or plug-in data; FSX users can follow our detailed method for backing up FSX settings, saved flights and add-ons.
When should you use an autosave add-on?
Use autosave for long flights or unstable systems where losing several hours would be costly. Keep several rotating checkpoints rather than continually overwriting one file, because the newest save may capture the failure or crash you are trying to avoid.
Native saving is usually sufficient for simple aircraft. For a study-level airliner, the most dependable arrangement is a simulator save for position and environment, an aircraft-specific state save for cockpit systems, and a separate flight-plan file for the route.