How do I stop safely after landing in a flight simulator?
Learn how to stop safely after landing using spoilers, brakes and reverse thrust, with MSFS 2024 PS5, mobile and stopping-margin advice.
To stop safely after landing in Aviation & Real-World Flying, touch down in the touchdown zone at the correct speed, set power to idle, hold the centreline, deploy spoilers if fitted, use approved reverse thrust, and brake smoothly. Ease off as speed falls, then leave the runway at a safe taxi speed.
The aircraft type, wind, runway condition and control hardware all change how much input is needed. A home simulator is useful for practising the sequence, but its ground physics must not be used to calculate real-world landing performance; use the aircraft handbook and operator procedures for that.
What is the correct landing rollout procedure?
A safe landing rollout is an overlapping sequence planned before touchdown, not a last-second attempt to use maximum braking near the runway end.
- Prepare before landing. Confirm the runway is suitable, arm the ground spoilers where required and select an appropriate autobrake setting if fitted. Brief the intended exit, but never make that exit more important than stopping safely.
- Touch down on speed and in the touchdown zone. Use the prescribed reference speed and any required wind correction rather than choosing an arbitrarily low speed. Avoid floating in pursuit of an exceptionally soft landing; if the touchdown zone will be missed, go around while that option remains safe.
- Set power or thrust to idle. Check that the throttle has actually reached idle. A miscalibrated axis or duplicated binding can leave residual thrust even when the physical lever appears closed.
- Maintain the centreline. Use rudder while it remains effective, then transition smoothly towards nose-wheel steering as speed falls. Keep the appropriate aileron input in a crosswind and avoid abrupt differential braking. Our detailed explanation of centreline control throughout the landing rollout covers the transition between these controls.
- Lower the nose correctly. In a tricycle-gear aircraft, let the nose wheel settle without slamming it down or holding it off so long that steering and braking are delayed. Tailwheel aircraft require type-specific control inputs and particularly cautious braking.
- Confirm spoiler deployment. Ground spoilers dump lift and transfer more weight to the wheels. If they do not deploy, the brakes have less grip and stopping distance increases.
- Use reverse thrust if fitted and permitted. Apply it symmetrically after touchdown, then return to idle reverse and stow it at the speed specified for that aircraft. Reverse assists deceleration but does not replace wheel braking.
- Brake smoothly. With analogue pedals, build pressure progressively and keep both sides balanced. If autobrake is operating normally, allow it to perform the planned deceleration until you take over and disarm it according to the aircraft procedure.
- Slow before turning. Stow reverse, reduce manual braking as appropriate and reach a safe taxi speed before entering a runway exit. Do not use the parking brake as an emergency rollout brake.
What is stopping margin in aviation?
Stopping margin is the runway distance left beyond the distance expected or required to stop; it is a useful planning concept rather than one universal cockpit indication.
The margin shrinks with excessive approach speed, a long touchdown, tailwind, high weight, downhill slope, standing water, snow, ice, delayed spoiler deployment or delayed braking. Simulator add-ons model these factors with varying accuracy, so a generous margin is wiser than trying to reproduce a handbook limit exactly.
The most effective way to protect the margin is to arrive stabilised, cross the threshold at the planned speed and touch down in the correct zone. Heavy braking cannot reliably recover runway consumed by a fast approach or prolonged float.
How do aircraft spoilers, brakes and reverse thrust work together?
Spoilers improve wheel grip, brakes provide the main controllable stopping force, and reverse thrust adds deceleration—especially during the faster part of the rollout.
How do aircraft spoilers help you stop?
Ground spoilers rise after touchdown to reduce lift and place more aircraft weight on the landing gear. Transport-aircraft systems may require the spoilers to be armed, thrust at idle and signals from wheel spin-up or weight-on-wheels sensors before automatic deployment.
Check the cockpit indication rather than assuming deployment occurred. If they remain retracted, follow the modelled aircraft procedure and expect weaker braking; our guide to automatic spoiler logic and failed deployment explains the common trigger conditions.
Should I pump the brakes in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
No—when the aircraft has anti-skid and you have analogue brake pedals, use firm, smooth pressure rather than pumping the brakes. Releasing and reapplying them repeatedly can lengthen the stop and disturb directional control.
A keyboard key, gamepad button or mobile control may behave as a simple on/off input. In that case, short controlled applications can prevent continuous maximum braking, but this is a workaround for a binary simulator control, not realistic anti-skid technique. For the choice between early light braking and later firm braking, see our practical guide to brake timing and pressure.
Manual pedal input often disarms autobrake, while advancing the thrust levers can cancel it in some aircraft. Watch the annunciation and deceleration rather than assuming a selected mode remains active.
How much reverse thrust should I use?
Use enough symmetrical reverse to support the planned deceleration, then reduce and stow it before low-speed taxi unless the aircraft procedure specifies otherwise.
Reverse is most useful at higher rollout speeds. Excessive or asymmetric reverse can cause directional-control problems, particularly on a slippery runway or in a crosswind. Turboprop power levers must not be moved into ground range, beta or reverse before touchdown unless the specific aircraft permits it. The complete sequence is covered in our reverse-thrust deployment and stowage guidance.
How does stopping technique change by aircraft type?
The basic sequence remains the same, but each aircraft places different demands on braking, steering and power management.
| Aircraft type | Main stopping methods | Common error |
|---|---|---|
| Light piston aircraft | Power idle, aerodynamic drag and progressive wheel braking | Forcing the nose wheel down or applying heavy brakes before directional control is secure |
| Tailwheel aircraft | Aerodynamic control and careful differential braking | Overbraking, raising the tail or starting a ground loop |
| Turboprop | Wheel brakes plus ground range, beta or reverse where approved | Moving the power levers below flight idle before touchdown |
| Jet airliner | Ground spoilers, autobrake or manual braking, and reverse thrust | Relying on reverse alone or failing to notice that the spoilers stayed retracted |
Leave flaps and other landing-configuration controls alone during the high-speed rollout unless the aircraft checklist directs otherwise. Reaching for the wrong lever while trying to clear the runway is a mistake we see often in simulation.
How do I reverse thrust in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5?
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5 or PS5 Pro, assign a reverse-thrust command to the active controller profile, bring the throttle fully to idle after touchdown, engage reverse, apply the required power, then return to idle and disengage reverse before taxi.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on PlayStation 5 on 8 December 2025; Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation. A single universal PS5 button cannot be given because assignments can vary with the selected control preset, controller and aircraft.
- Confirm the aircraft supports reverse. Many jets and turboprops do, while most piston singles and some simulator models do not.
- Open the controls settings for the active device. Search for
reverseand assign a hold, toggle or dedicated reverse-axis command suited to your controller. - Remove conflicting assignments. A duplicated throttle binding can prevent idle detection or make the engines return to forward thrust.
- Deploy only after touchdown. Set forward thrust to idle first, engage reverse and keep steering inputs small while the aircraft is fast.
- Stow it deliberately. Return the throttle to idle reverse, disengage the command and verify that forward idle is restored before taxiing.
If reverse will not engage, check that the aircraft is firmly on the ground, the throttle reaches idle and the chosen model actually simulates reverse. If applying throttle produces forward power, inspect the reverse binding and axis direction.
Does this work in Airline Commander mode, on iPad and mobile?
Yes—the same order of touchdown, idle power, directional control, spoilers, reverse and braking applies in Airline Commander and other mobile simulators, although the app may automate some actions.
Available controls can vary by aircraft, mission, assistance setting and app update. If spoilers or reverse are automatic in the selected Airline Commander mode, monitor their indications rather than repeatedly pressing a control that the mode does not expose.
Should I use both brakes and reverse on mobile?
Yes, use both when the aircraft and mode provide them, but do not hold every control at maximum throughout the rollout. If the prompt is effectively asking for “both, please” or “ja, beides bitte”, select both only after touchdown and reduce reverse as the aircraft approaches taxi speed.
On an iPad or other touchscreen device, the brake control may be binary rather than proportional. Use measured presses if necessary, keep the aircraft straight and avoid trying to steer sharply while maximum braking is applied.
What does “stow device holder for taxi” mean?
“Stow device holder for taxi” means fold away and secure the holder used for a phone or tablet before the aircraft taxis. It is a cabin-safety or procedure prompt, not an instruction to retract spoilers, landing gear or another aircraft stopping device.
In a mobile airline simulator, completing the prompt may affect procedural scoring even though it has no direct effect on braking performance.
Why will the aircraft not slow down properly?
Poor deceleration is usually caused by excessive touchdown speed, residual thrust, undeployed spoilers or an incorrect brake assignment.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Barely slows after touchdown | Throttle not at idle, long float or spoilers retracted | Throttle calibration, duplicate axes, spoiler arming and touchdown position |
| Brakes have little or no effect | Inverted axis, excessive dead zone or conflicting binding | Left- and right-brake input displays and active controller profiles |
| Reverse will not engage | Throttle above idle, no ground detection or unsupported aircraft | Idle position, weight-on-wheels state and reverse assignment |
| Aircraft swerves under braking | Unequal pedal input, asymmetric reverse or excessive steering | Pedal calibration, engine indications and duplicated steering controls |
| Autobrake is selected but inactive | System disarmed by manual braking, thrust movement or missing spoiler logic | Autobrake annunciation and the aircraft-specific disarm conditions |
| Stops abruptly or will not taxi | Parking brake set or another device holding a brake command | Parking-brake state and every connected keyboard, controller and pedal set |
When should I leave the runway?
Leave the runway only after slowing enough to turn without heavy braking, tyre skidding or departing the paved surface.
Do not chase a preferred taxiway once it is clear that the aircraft cannot reach it safely. Continue straight to the next suitable exit, cross the runway holding-position markings completely, then perform after-landing actions where appropriate. Set the parking brake only after stopping in a suitable location, not as a means of halting on the active runway.