How do I plan and fly a transatlantic route in a flight simulator?

To plan and fly a transatlantic route in a flight simulator, choose an aircraft with adequate range, build an IFR route with suitable oceanic waypoints, calculate payload and reserve fuel, load and verify the FMS, then monitor navigation, winds and fuel throughout the crossing before preparing the arrival.

For Aviation & Real-World Flying practice, treat this as a complete IFR dispatch rather than drawing a direct line between two airports. The planning principles apply across Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX, although route import, FMS capability and simulated ATC vary by aircraft and platform.

Transatlantic flight planning, step by step

Build the flight in the same order as a dispatcher: aircraft, weather, route, alternates, payload, fuel and final route validation.

1. Choose a suitable aircraft. Check its range at the intended payload, not the brochure maximum. Headwinds, diversion requirements and reserve fuel can make a nominally possible crossing impractical, particularly in smaller jets.
2. Check weather for the whole flight. Include departure conditions, forecast winds aloft, oceanic weather, destination conditions at the estimated arrival time and the weather at each alternate. Westbound crossings often face stronger headwinds, so the same city pair can require substantially different fuel in each direction.
3. Build the IFR route. Use a planner that handles aircraft performance, winds, payload, fuel and route export; our guide helps you compare simulator planners by route, wind, fuel and export support. Include the expected departure and arrival procedures, but be ready to change them when the runway or clearance changes.
4. Select the oceanic segment. Use either an appropriate North Atlantic organised track or a valid random route made from named fixes and latitude/longitude waypoints. Never invent a track by connecting points that merely look convenient.
5. Choose alternates and diversion airports. Consider runway length, weather, aircraft support and distance from the route. ETOPS or EDTO planning can impose additional requirements in real operations; a home simulator can reproduce the diversion logic without claiming regulatory compliance.
6. Set payload before calculating fuel. Passenger and cargo weight affects take-off weight, cruise level, fuel burn and landing weight. Do not calculate fuel for an empty aircraft and then add payload afterwards.
7. Export or enter the route. The planner, simulator and aircraft must use compatible route formats and navigation data. For a practical cross-platform workflow, see our advice on checking and exporting a long route with Little Navmap.
8. Brief the complete flight. Record the first oceanic fix, the coordinate sequence, planned cruise levels, step climbs, destination forecast, alternates and expected fuel at key points. This gives you something concrete to compare with the aircraft during the crossing.

Do I need to use a North Atlantic Track?

No. A transatlantic flight can use the North Atlantic Organised Track System or an approved random route, depending on direction, time, traffic flow and the airports involved.

Organised tracks are published for defined operating periods and change from one day to another. A track letter by itself is not enough because the same identifier can later represent a different sequence of coordinates. Use the complete waypoint sequence that applies to the simulated date and time.

Some planners display stored or stale tracks. If the flight is offline, consistency matters more than pretending an obsolete track is live: use a coherent route and matching weather. When flying with online ATC, file the exact route and follow the oceanic clearance, which may differ from what you submitted.

Fuel and payload for an ocean crossing

Transatlantic block fuel must cover the planned flight and the reserves required by the rules or operating method you are simulating.

A useful planning structure is block fuel = taxi + trip + contingency + alternate + final reserve + extra. ETOPS or EDTO scenarios may add critical-fuel considerations that a simple formula does not capture, so use the aircraft's performance system or a planner with a matching airframe profile.

• Confirm that take-off and predicted landing weights remain within the aircraft limits.
• Use forecast winds rather than still-air range.
• Include the planned cruise level and any step climbs.
• Do not copy fuel from another aircraft variant; engine and weight differences matter.
• Compare planned and actual fuel at regular waypoints. If the shortfall is growing, divert early rather than consuming the final reserve.

How do I enter oceanic waypoints in the FMS?

Load oceanic fixes exactly as the aircraft's FMS expects, then verify every coordinate and leg on the route page and navigation display.

1. Initialise the aircraft. Enter the position, align the inertial systems if the model simulates them, and load the zero-fuel weight, reserves, cruise level and performance data.
2. Enter the cleared route. Add the departure, en-route fixes, oceanic points and destination. Select the runway and procedure that match the clearance and weather.
3. Check coordinate syntax. Different FMS implementations accept different abbreviated latitude/longitude formats. Use the format documented for that aircraft rather than guessing where the hemisphere letters belong.
4. Inspect every leg. Use PLAN mode when available and step through the route. Look for reversed hemispheres, duplicate points, sharp turns, implausible leg distances and a route that doubles back.
5. Resolve discontinuities carefully. Close an accidental route gap, but retain a discontinuity representing radar vectors or a procedure break until you have an appropriate clearance.
6. Cross-check total distance. A large difference between the planner and FMS usually indicates a missing fix, coordinate error or different departure and arrival procedures.

An AIRAC mismatch between the planner and aircraft commonly produces NOT IN DATABASE, missing airways or altered procedures. Align the navigation-data cycles where possible; otherwise rebuild the affected section with fixes supported by the aircraft. Our explanation of how GPS, inertial systems and the FMS maintain position over the ocean covers why ground-based VOR coverage is not required for the crossing.

Flying and monitoring the oceanic crossing

Once established at cruise, let the FMS and autopilot fly the cleared route while you monitor position, fuel, weather and system status.

• At oceanic entry: compare the clearance, FMS route and navigation display one final time. Confirm that LNAV is following the correct active leg rather than merely being armed.
• At each oceanic fix: note the crossing time, fuel remaining, next-point estimate and following waypoint. This catches route and fuel errors before they become serious.
• During cruise: compare actual fuel with the flight plan and review the destination forecast. Account for anti-ice use, stronger winds, an unplanned lower level or a higher speed than planned.
• For step climbs: check the FMS optimum and maximum altitudes, aircraft weight and ATC clearance. Do not climb merely because the original plan listed a higher level later in the flight.
• With online ATC: follow the network's clearance, reporting and communications procedures. HF, CPDLC and automatic position-report functions depend on the aircraft add-on and are not simulated consistently.

The autopilot does not make the flight self-monitoring. A wrong hemisphere entered into one coordinate can send the aircraft hundreds of miles off route while LNAV remains perfectly engaged.

How do I prepare the transatlantic arrival?

Review the destination before the calculated top of descent, then update the FMS with the expected runway, arrival and approach.

Check the latest simulated weather, landing weight, fuel remaining, runway suitability, STAR constraints, approach minima and missed-approach procedure. Keep the alternate viable until landing is reasonably assured.

The FMS top of descent is only as accurate as its winds, restrictions and performance data. If the aircraft is predicted to arrive high, request or begin an earlier descent where appropriate rather than waiting until the final altitude constraint and relying on excessive speedbrake.

Can I use time acceleration over the Atlantic?

Time acceleration is practical offline, but only when the aircraft and simulator remain stable at the selected simulation rate.

Increase the rate gradually and watch LNAV tracking, autopilot pitch, fuel burn, weather updates and distance to top of descent. Complex aircraft can overshoot waypoints, miss step climbs or pass the descent point at high rates. There is no universal safe setting.

Return to normal speed well before oceanic exit and the arrival briefing. With online ATC, do not accelerate unless the service rules and controller explicitly permit it.

Common transatlantic route problems

Most failed crossings begin with a route, data or fuel error that could have been found before take-off.