Use the Aerosoft Airbus X Fuel Planner in FSX: enter payload, distance and reserves, generate a loadsheet, import it and fix loading errors.
Use the Aerosoft Airbus X Fuel Planner as a separate pre-flight loader: select the exact Airbus variant, enter route distance, payload and reserve assumptions, calculate the load, then generate its loadsheet. In FSX, import that loadsheet through the aircraft’s right-hand MCDU loading page and verify fuel, zero-fuel weight and centre of gravity.
How to use the Airbus X Fuel Planner step by step
The correct sequence is to calculate first, generate the loadsheet, then make the aircraft read and apply that loadsheet inside FSX or FSX: Steam Edition.
- Open the supplied Fuel Planner. Launch the utility installed with Aerosoft Airbus X rather than FSX’s own planner. Its shortcut may be in the Aerosoft program group or the add-on’s installation folder, depending on the release and installation method.
- Select the exact aircraft variant. Choose the A320 or A321 and the applicable engine or configuration option offered by your version. A different variant can have another operating weight, tank capacity and payload limit.
- Enter the planned route distance. Use the expected flown distance in nautical miles, including the airway route and reasonable departure and arrival allowances. Do not use the straight-line airport distance unless that genuinely matches the route.
- Enter flight time and operational details. Some Airbus X releases ask for flight time, alternate distance or related planning values; others expose fewer fields. Use the figures from the route you actually intend to fly rather than accepting an unrelated previous entry.
- Set passengers and cargo. Enter the intended payload and check that the resulting zero-fuel weight, take-off weight and centre of gravity remain within the limits shown by the planner. Red or out-of-range figures must be corrected before loading.
- Calculate and review the fuel. Confirm the displayed unit before accepting the result. Many Airbus X installations work primarily in kilograms, while FSX can display pounds under some settings.
- Generate the loadsheet. Use the planner’s loadsheet or save function after making the final calculation. This normally writes data for the aircraft to read; it does not necessarily place fuel and passengers aboard immediately.
- Import it in the aircraft. Load the matching Aerosoft Airbus in FSX and open its right-hand MCDU loading or
LOAD/FUELpage. Initialise or read the generated loadsheet, then select the gradual boarding/refuelling or instant-loading option available in that release. - Verify the MCDU figures. Compare fuel on board, zero-fuel weight and zero-fuel centre of gravity with the loadsheet. Enter or confirm the ZFW/ZFWCG and block-fuel figures on the appropriate MCDU INIT page before departure.
Airbus X releases do not all use identical button labels. Airbus X Extended normally places these controls in the right MCDU, while earlier editions may present the equivalent loading function differently. Aerosoft Airbus Professional uses its own package-specific workflow; our comparison of Airbus Extended and Professional explains why their utilities and instructions should not be mixed.
Which fuel and weight figures matter?
Block fuel, payload and zero-fuel weight are the figures to check most carefully before applying the loadsheet.
| Figure | Meaning | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Payload | Passengers, baggage and cargo | Adjust it until weight and balance remain within limits. |
| ZFW | Aircraft operating weight plus payload, without usable fuel | Enter or confirm it with ZFWCG in the MCDU. |
| Trip fuel | Fuel expected to be consumed during the planned flight | Do not confuse it with the total amount loaded at the stand. |
| Block fuel | Trip fuel plus applicable taxi, alternate, contingency and final reserve fuel | This is normally the total fuel loaded before departure. |
| TOW | Expected take-off weight after taxi fuel is used | Check it against the selected variant’s limit. |
The planner is only as good as its inputs. Allow for the real airway distance, forecast wind, taxi use, an alternate and a sensible reserve. For the underlying calculation, follow our FSX block-fuel and reserve method rather than treating the planner’s first result as an unconditional dispatch figure.
Why does the loadsheet not appear in the MCDU?
A missing loadsheet usually means it was not generated for the loaded aircraft, the cockpit has not initialised it, or Windows prevented the utility from writing where the add-on expects.
- Generate it again: recalculate after selecting the correct variant and use the final save or loadsheet button. Closing the planner without generating the file may leave the previous flight’s data in place.
- Match the product and aircraft: a loadsheet made by another Aerosoft Airbus generation may not be recognised. Avoid mixing Airbus X, Extended and Professional utilities.
- Refresh the loading page: reopen the right MCDU’s loading page and use its initialise or loadsheet-read control before pressing the boarding or instant-load option.
- Check Windows permissions: run FSX and the Fuel Planner at the same privilege level. A protected installation folder or mismatched administrator settings can stop one program seeing the other’s file.
- Use a suitable aircraft state: loading functions may expect the aircraft to be parked, with the parking brake set and engines shut down. Complete loading before starting the engines.
Why do the planner and cockpit weights differ?
Large discrepancies indicate a unit, variant or loading error; tiny differences can result from rounding and FSX’s internal fuel-volume conversion.
- Check whether the figure is in kilograms or pounds. Entering a value labelled in pounds as though it were kilograms produces a dangerously excessive load.
- Compare like with like: ZFW excludes usable fuel, while gross weight includes it.
- Do not alter fuel or payload through FSX’s menus after importing the Aerosoft loadsheet. That can leave the MCDU and aircraft loading stations out of agreement.
- Make sure the livery belongs to the same aircraft variant selected in the planner.
- If the imported payload exceeds a station limit, reduce or redistribute it through the add-on’s loader rather than forcing a total through the default FSX interface.
If you deliberately need to load fuel without the Aerosoft utility, our explanation of FSX refuelling and add-on-specific fuel loaders covers the alternatives. For Airbus X, its supplied loader remains the safer choice because it keeps payload distribution and MCDU data aligned.
Does the Fuel Planner replace FSX Flight Planner?
No. The Aerosoft Fuel Planner calculates and loads aircraft-specific fuel and payload, while FSX Flight Planner creates the route and saves the flight plan.
You can build and save the route with FSX’s Flight Planner, then use that route’s actual distance and time in the Aerosoft utility. The route must still be loaded or entered into the Airbus MCDU, and the MCDU’s predicted fuel at destination should be checked again after the route, cruise level and wind data are complete.