Learn to use the built-in FSX Flight Planner: create VFR or IFR routes, choose GPS, VOR or airways, save .PLN files and fix common problems.
To use the built-in FSX Flight Planner, open Free Flight, select Flight Planner, choose departure and destination airports, set VFR or IFR, select Direct GPS, VOR-to-VOR or airway routing, enter a cruising altitude, then choose Find Route. Inspect the route, save it if required and select OK to load it.
These instructions apply to Microsoft Flight Simulator X and FSX: Steam Edition; their planners work substantially the same way. If your simulator opens on a World Map instead of the FSX Free Flight screen, you are using Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, which has a different planning interface.
How do I create and load an FSX flight plan?
Create the route from the Free Flight screen, check what FSX has generated and accept the plan before starting the flight.
- Choose the aircraft and starting position. On the Free Flight screen, select your aircraft and a gate, parking position or runway if you already know where you want to begin.
- Open Flight Planner. Select the Flight Planner button on the Free Flight screen.
- Set the departure and destination. Search using an airport identifier recognised by FSX, or search by airport name and city. Stock identifiers can differ from newer real-world identifiers.
- Choose VFR or IFR. Use VFR if you mainly want a route for your own navigation. Select IFR if you want to file the plan with FSX's default ATC and receive a clearance and instructions.
- Select a routing method. Choose Direct GPS, VOR to VOR, Low altitude airways or High altitude airways. Direct GPS is the easiest option for a first flight.
- Enter the cruising altitude. Pick an altitude appropriate for the aircraft, terrain, weather and route. FSX does not stop you from assigning an impractical altitude to an underpowered aircraft.
- Generate the route. Select Find Route. The FSX route finder uses airports, navaids, intersections and airways from the simulator's own navigation database.
- Inspect the result. Check the waypoint order, distance, route shape and NavLog. Watch for doubling back, unnecessary detours and terrain that the selected aircraft cannot safely clear.
- Save and accept it. Select Save if you want a reusable
.PLNfile, then select OK to return to Free Flight with the plan loaded. Saving alone is not the same as loading it into the active flight. - Handle the positioning prompt carefully. FSX may offer to move the aircraft to the plan's departure airport. Select No if you are already parked correctly. If you select Yes, check the new starting position before beginning the flight.
The loaded plan becomes available to the default GPS, map, navigation log and compatible simulator systems. It does not engage the autopilot, tune radios, manage speed or altitude, load an approach or configure the aircraft for landing.
Which FSX route planner option should I choose?
Choose Direct GPS for the simplest route, VOR to VOR for radio-navigation practice and an airway option for structured IFR flight planning in FSX.
| Route type | Best used for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Direct GPS | Short, simple routes and learning the default GPS | May cross high terrain or restricted areas because FSX does not perform full operational validation |
| VOR to VOR | Practising radio tuning, identification and course tracking | Sparse VOR coverage can produce a substantial detour |
| Low altitude airways | Lower-level IFR flights in suitable piston aircraft and turboprops | The generated route depends on FSX's older airway database |
| High altitude airways | Jets capable of operating in the upper airway structure | Can be impractical for slower aircraft or a low cruising altitude |
The built-in Flight Simulator X Flight Planner is a route generator, not a dispatch system. It does not confirm terrain clearance, aircraft performance, fuel reserves, weather suitability or compliance with present-day real-world procedures. If a route looks wrong, change the routing method and run Find Route again.
Should I select VFR or IFR?
Select IFR when you want default ATC to clear and control the flight; select VFR when the plan is mainly a navigation reference.
Flight rules and route type are separate choices. You can file a Direct GPS route as IFR or fly a VOR-to-VOR route without an IFR clearance. Selecting IFR does not make the generated route more accurate, add SIDs or STARs, or guarantee obstacle clearance.
How should I choose the cruising altitude?
Choose an altitude the aircraft can reach while clearing terrain and remaining sensible for the route's length and navigation method.
A very high altitude wastes time and fuel on a short trip, while an altitude that is too low can place a Direct GPS leg through terrain. For an IFR plan, expect default ATC to use the filed altitude or issue intermediate climbs and descents. The planner does not conduct a detailed climb-performance check.
Can I add or change waypoints in the FSX Flight Planner?
Yes, but the built-in editor can use only airports, navaids and intersections recognised by FSX's navigation database.
Generate the initial route, open the planner's Edit view and zoom in until the required point is visible. You can shape the route by dragging its line onto a displayed navigation point and remove unwanted intermediate points with the available waypoint controls.
Make manual edits after using Find Route, then save the result. Selecting Find Route again can discard those edits and calculate a new route. FSX is not a free-text route parser, and its stock planner does not build modern departure and arrival procedures as complete SIDs or STARs.
How do I follow the FSX flight plan after loading it?
A loaded flight plan provides navigation guidance, but the correct navigation source, active leg and aircraft controls must still be selected.
Following a Direct GPS route
Set the aircraft's navigation source to GPS, intercept the active leg and then use the autopilot's navigation-tracking mode if the aircraft supports it.
The selector may be labelled NAV/GPS, GPS/VLOC or CDI, depending on the panel. If it remains on NAV or VLOC, the aircraft will look for a radio-navigation signal instead of following the GPS route. Heading hold must also be disengaged before the autopilot can track the flight-plan leg.
Use a reasonable intercept angle rather than engaging navigation mode while flying away from the route. If the GPS does not advance at a waypoint, check that OBS mode is off and that the correct leg is active. Our detailed guide explains how to display and follow an FSX flight plan with the default GPS and autopilot.
GPS tracking normally supplies lateral guidance only. You remain responsible for power, speed, altitude, descent planning and aircraft configuration. Complex add-on aircraft may use a separate FMC or FMS and may not read the default FSX plan automatically.
Flying a VOR-to-VOR route
Tune and identify each VOR, set the required course and track it using the aircraft's NAV radios.
The Flight Planner does not tune frequencies or set courses for you. Although the route may also appear as a line on the GPS, following that line would bypass much of the intended radio-navigation exercise.
Using default ATC with an IFR plan
A loaded IFR plan lets FSX's default ATC issue a clearance, altitude instructions, vectors and an approach near the destination.
Request the clearance through the ATC window before departure. When ATC assigns a heading, use heading mode rather than forcing the autopilot to recapture the GPS line. Our instructions for opening the FSX ATC menu and responding to clearances cover the available controls and replies.
Ending a plan at an airport does not automatically tune an ILS, activate a GPS approach or prepare the aircraft for landing. Complete those tasks separately after ATC assigns an approach or you choose one yourself.
Can I save and reuse an FSX flight plan?
Yes. FSX saves reusable routes as .PLN files, normally in Documents\Flight Simulator X Files for the active Windows account.
The actual folder can differ if Windows redirects Documents through OneDrive or another location. To reuse a plan, open Flight Planner, select its load option, choose the required .PLN file and select OK to place it into the active flight.
A flight plan is not the same as a saved flight. The .PLN contains route data; a saved flight also preserves the selected aircraft, position and simulator state.
Plans made by another programme must be exported specifically in a format FSX accepts. Even a structurally valid file can lose points if it refers to airports, fixes or airways absent from the stock FSX database.
What do the NavLog time, fuel and headings mean?
The NavLog values are planning estimates rather than precise performance or dispatch figures.
Actual time and fuel use change with wind, climb and descent performance, power settings, taxi time, holding, ATC vectors and route changes. Carry a sensible simulated reserve instead of loading exactly the estimated quantity. A listed leg heading may also require wind correction to maintain the intended track.
For a closer explanation of the assumptions and limitations, see how the FSX Flight Planner calculates fuel, time and route headings.
Why is my FSX flight plan not working?
The usual causes are an unloaded plan, the wrong navigation source, an inactive leg or a waypoint that FSX's stock database does not recognise.
- The route is missing from the GPS. Reopen Flight Planner and confirm that you selected OK after generating or loading the route. On the GPS flight-plan page, check that the waypoints and active leg are present.
- The line is visible but the aircraft will not follow it. Select GPS as the navigation source, disengage heading hold, approach the active leg at a suitable angle and engage the autopilot's navigation mode.
- The GPS will not sequence to the next waypoint. Turn off OBS mode and verify the active leg. Slewing, repositioning or starting part-way along a route can leave the wrong leg selected.
- Find Route creates a loop or large detour. Try Direct GPS or switch between VOR, low-airway and high-airway routing. The shape and coverage of FSX's stored navigation network can force indirect results.
- A waypoint or airport cannot be found. FSX uses navigation data from its own era. New identifiers and later fixes may be absent, and installing scenery does not necessarily update the default GPS database. See our guide to diagnosing missing waypoints in the FSX GPS and Flight Planner.
- Manual edits have disappeared. Running Find Route after editing recalculates the route and can replace your changes. Generate first, edit second and save last.
- ATC does not offer an IFR clearance. Confirm that the accepted plan is IFR rather than VFR, then contact the available clearance, ground or en-route service through the ATC window.
- An add-on aircraft ignores the route. Many complex aircraft use their own navigation system and require a compatible import format or manual route entry. Loading a default FSX plan does not guarantee FMC or FMS compatibility.
Do I need an FSX online flight planner or separate route finder?
No internet connection or separate software is required for simple FSX flight planning.
The built-in planner is adequate when you want a quick Direct GPS, VOR or stock-airway route that works with the default GPS and ATC. It is integrated with the simulator, uses the same navigation database and saves reusable .PLN files.
An external or online flight planner becomes useful for detailed wind and fuel calculations, payload and performance work, newer navigation data, airline procedures or export to a particular add-on FMC. Check the target format and database compatibility before using the result in FSX. Exporting a modern route as an FSX .PLN does not make unsupported waypoints, SIDs or STARs available to the stock simulator.