Set up a flight plan for a flight simulator: choose VFR or IFR, build and load the route, connect GPS/FMS guidance and fix common errors.
To set up a flight plan in a flight simulator, choose departure and destination airports, select VFR or IFR, build a suitable route, set cruise altitude and procedures, then load or enter it in the aircraft. Before departure, verify every leg, runway, navigation source and intended lateral mode.
Simulator: General. This workflow applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, X-Plane, Prepar3D and most aircraft add-ons, although their menu names and import methods differ.
A flight plan can exist in three separate places: the simulator’s pre-flight planner, the cockpit GPS or FMS, and the simulator’s ATC system. They do not always synchronise. A mistake we see constantly is assuming that a route visible on the planning map must also be active in the aircraft.
Where should you create a flight plan for a flight simulator?
Create the route in the system that matches your aircraft, required realism and intended use of simulator ATC.
| Planning method | Choose it when | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in map or flight planner | You want a quick route, a convenient starting position or support from built-in ATC | Complex add-on aircraft may not import everything |
| Cockpit GPS | You are flying general aviation routes or want to make changes in the aircraft | Simulator ATC may not know about a route created only in the GPS |
| Airliner FMS or FMC | You need airways, SIDs, STARs, approaches and managed navigation | The route may require an import, confirmation or manual entry |
| External operational planner | You want aircraft-specific routing, winds, fuel, payload and a dispatch-style plan | Export and aircraft compatibility must be checked |
For a basic training aeroplane, the built-in planner and GPS are usually enough. FSX users can follow our worked example of selecting airports, generating a route, saving it and loading it into FSX.
For an airliner or a fuel-sensitive flight, use an operational planning tool and then verify the result in the cockpit. Our route, weather, fuel, payload and operational flight plan workflow explains that more advanced method.
How do I build and load the flight plan?
The same core sequence works in most flight simulators.
- Select the correct airports. Search by the identifier recognised by the simulator and confirm the airport on the map. Do not confuse an airline-facing three-letter code with the four-letter or regional identifier used by the navigation database.
- Choose a starting position. Select a parking stand or gate for a normal start-up and taxi. A runway start saves time but leaves little opportunity to catch an incorrect first waypoint or navigation source.
- Choose VFR or IFR. Use VFR for a flight conducted mainly by visual reference. Choose IFR when you want instrument routing, procedures or a supported ATC clearance. VFR flights can use GPS, and IFR routes can still be direct.
- Build an appropriate route. A short flight may need only a direct leg or one intermediate waypoint. Longer flights can use named fixes, radio navaids and low- or high-altitude airways where the aircraft, planned altitude and navigation data support them.
- Set a sensible cruise altitude. Account for terrain, airway restrictions, weather, aircraft performance and applicable direction-of-flight rules. An altitude suggested by the planner is not a guarantee of terrain clearance or aircraft capability.
- Add procedures carefully. Select a SID, STAR or approach only when it fits the runway, route and aircraft equipment. Winds or ATC may change the runway, so it is reasonable to leave the arrival and approach until later. Not every IFR airport uses a SID or STAR.
- Load or enter the route. Default avionics may receive it automatically; other aircraft require an import, route activation or manual entry. If automatic transfer is unsupported, use our instructions for transferring each route segment into a cockpit GPS or FMS.
- Inspect every leg. Check the waypoint order, procedure transitions, runway, duplicate fixes, sharp turns and route gaps. Make sure the first active leg leads away from the departure airport rather than back towards an earlier waypoint.
- Complete the aircraft setup. A navigation route does not automatically calculate or set fuel, payload, take-off speeds, thrust, pressurisation or autopilot altitude. Those items remain aircraft-specific.
Should I choose VFR or IFR?
Choose VFR for visual navigation and simple GPS practice; choose IFR when the flight depends on instrument procedures, airway routing or an IFR clearance.
| Choose VFR when | Choose IFR when |
|---|---|
| You intend to navigate using outside references, landmarks or a simple GPS route | You intend to fly airways, instrument procedures or an instrument approach |
| The simulated weather and your training objective permit visual flight | Cloud, visibility or the exercise requires instrument navigation |
| You do not need a formal sequence of departure and arrival procedures | You want to practise clearances, restrictions, holds or missed approaches |
Do not select IFR merely because the aircraft has a GPS. Likewise, an IFR plan does not need every available procedure. Unnecessary SIDs, STARs and transitions often create duplicated fixes or large course reversals.
How do I set up a flight plan in the new update?
Use the same departure, route and destination sequence after a simulator update, but check again how the selected aircraft receives and activates the plan.
There is no single “new update” shared by every simulator. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s Sim Update 5, released in April 2026, flight planning remains divided between pre-flight planning and the aircraft’s cockpit systems. A route displayed outside the cockpit may still need to be imported, sent to the avionics or confirmed in the FMS; integration varies by aircraft.
If planning stopped working after an update, create a short direct route between two airports in a default aircraft. If that loads correctly, the likely problem is aircraft-specific compatibility, an outdated add-on or its import method rather than the route itself. Rebuild old plans when their procedures no longer match the navigation data available in the cockpit.
Does loading a flight plan make the autopilot follow it?
No. Loading the flight plan supplies route data, but the correct navigation source, active leg and lateral autopilot mode must still be selected.
In many general aviation aircraft, the course display must use GPS rather than VLOC before NAV mode will follow the magenta route. Airliners normally require an active FMS route and a mode such as LNAV or managed navigation. Labels and activation logic vary by aircraft.
If the aircraft is well away from the active leg, use heading mode to establish a reasonable intercept angle, then arm route tracking. A magenta line proves only that the route is displayed. Our guide to activating GPS navigation and coupling it correctly to the autopilot covers the next cockpit steps.
For an ILS or other approach using a ground-based signal, the required source may change from GPS/FMS guidance to VLOC or an equivalent approach mode. Some avionics switch automatically; others do not.
Why is the flight plan missing or not being followed?
Most failures are caused by a mismatch between the simulator planner, the cockpit avionics and the selected navigation mode.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| The planning map shows a route but the cockpit does not | The route exists only at simulator level. Import, send, activate or manually enter it in the GPS or FMS. |
| The cockpit has the route but ATC does not | The route was created or changed only in the avionics. Simulator ATC may continue using its original plan. |
NAV mode does not turn towards the route | Check the GPS/FMS source, active leg and lateral mode. Use heading mode to intercept if the aircraft is too far from the course. |
| The aircraft turns back after take-off | An earlier waypoint or runway leg is active. Activate the intended next leg or use a carefully checked direct-to command. |
| The route has loops or sharp zig-zags | Look for duplicate fixes, incompatible transitions or a procedure attached to the wrong runway. |
| A SID, STAR or approach is missing | The planner and aircraft may use different navigation data, or the avionics may not support it. Choose a procedure available in the cockpit. |
| The FMS reports a discontinuity | Inspect the legs on both sides before deleting it. Some gaps are mistakes; others represent vectors or a manual segment. |
| A saved plan no longer loads after an update | Test a newly created direct route, confirm the required file or import method, and check aircraft compatibility. Rebuild procedures that refer to changed navigation data. |
Can I change the flight plan after take-off?
Yes, but stabilise the aircraft before editing the active route.
If the autopilot is engaged, use heading mode while making the change. Inspect the revised legs, activate the intended waypoint and then re-arm GPS or FMS route tracking. Loading an approach is not always the same as activating it; premature activation can command an unexpected turn towards an initial approach fix.
What is the easiest flight plan for practice?
The best first practice plan is a short, direct VFR flight between two nearby airports in a simple GPS-equipped aeroplane.
- Use a direct route with no SID, STAR or instrument approach.
- Start from parking so there is time to inspect the cockpit route before taxi.
- Confirm the active leg and GPS source before take-off.
- Intercept the route deliberately using heading mode, then engage
NAV. - Add complexity gradually with an intermediate waypoint, a radio navaid, an instrument approach and finally a complete IFR route.
This progression separates route-entry errors from autopilot and procedure problems, making each mistake much easier to identify.