How do I use Navigraph Charts in a flight simulator?

To use Navigraph Charts in a flight simulator, sign in, create or import a route, pin the airport, SID, STAR and approach charts, and run Simlink if you want live aircraft position. Brief each chart, then cross-check it against the FMS, avionics and simulator navigation-data cycle.

This general workflow applies to supported desktop simulators such as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, X-Plane and Prepar3D. Full chart access requires a Navigraph subscription that includes Charts; connection methods and in-cockpit integration vary by simulator, aircraft and platform.

How do I set up Navigraph Charts with my simulator?

Set up the chart display, simulator connection and navigation data before building the flight.

1. Confirm chart access. Sign in with the account holding the subscription. If Charts opens but plates remain unavailable, check the account before reinstalling anything.
2. Choose where to display Charts. A desktop or browser window gives the most room for planning. A tablet or phone works well as a second screen, while an available in-simulator panel keeps charts in the cockpit at the cost of display space.
3. Install only the required connection tools. External moving-map position normally needs Simlink and the connector or plug-in for the specific desktop simulator. An aircraft EFB or in-simulator panel may obtain position internally instead.
4. Start the simulator and connection. Check that Simlink detects the intended simulator and is signed into the same account used by Charts. Restart the simulator after installing or repairing a connector.
5. Create or import the flight. Enter the departure and destination ICAO codes, add the en-route segment and select the expected procedures, or import a SimBrief plan. Importing a route into Charts does not automatically programme every aircraft FMS. Our comparison of Charts, SimBrief and simulator flight planners explains which tool should perform each job.
6. Pin the required charts. Collect the departure airport diagram, SID, destination STAR, approach plate and arrival airport diagram before departure. Add alternates or runway variants that are genuinely likely, rather than filling the list with every available plate.
7. Compare navigation-data cycles. The procedure names, transitions and fixes in Charts should match the data used by the aircraft. Some add-on aircraft maintain a database separate from the simulator's own data.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on PC, our step-by-step setup for Hub, Simlink, navdata and the optional Charts panel covers the simulator-specific installation. Other simulator releases may offer different packages, so install only those identified as compatible.

On Xbox or PlayStation 5, Simlink cannot be installed directly on the console. Charts can still be used on a separate browser or mobile device, but live position and cockpit chart access require integration provided by the simulator or aircraft; they should not be assumed to work simply because the Charts account is active.

What is the Navigraph.com code and where do I enter it?

The navigraph.com/code address is used to authorise an application or cockpit device with your Navigraph account; the displayed code is not a subscription key, discount code or permanent licence.

1. Start sign-in in the application. Charts, an in-game panel or an aircraft EFB may display a short one-time code, a QR code or a browser sign-in prompt.
2. Open the official code page. Enter navigraph.com/code in a browser. You may use another device if that is easier than leaving the simulator.
3. Sign in and enter the code. Type it exactly as shown and approve the device. Some clients open a browser with the code already supplied, so no manual entry field appears.
4. Return to the application. It should recognise the authorisation and finish signing in without receiving your account password directly.

These codes are temporary and normally work once. If a code is rejected or has expired, cancel the sign-in request in the application and generate a fresh one. A successful authorisation followed by missing charts usually means the wrong account was approved or that account lacks chart access.

Never share a live device code. Anyone able to approve it while it remains valid may be able to authorise the requesting application against their account.

Which Navigraph chart should I use during each flight phase?

For a normal IFR flight, use the airport diagram on the ground, SID and STAR plates in the terminal area, the appropriate en-route chart in cruise, and the selected approach plate for landing and the missed approach.

A mistake we see constantly is selecting the correct airport but the wrong runway, transition or procedure variant. An ILS Y and ILS Z for the same runway are not interchangeable, nor are two RNAV approaches whose titles look nearly identical. Read the complete title and compare the depicted fixes with the FMS.

For help interpreting terminal procedures, use our explanation of SID and STAR fixes, transitions and restrictions. Navigraph instrument plates use Jeppesen presentation, so our guide to briefing Jeppesen-format simulator charts is useful when the briefing strip, symbols or minima are unfamiliar.

Using Navigraph Charts during the flight

Brief each chart before its flight phase, then use it to verify the route and avionics rather than chasing the own-aircraft symbol.

• Before taxi: confirm the runway and trace the expected route on the airport diagram. Check that the diagram resembles the installed scenery before relying on stand numbers or taxiway names.
• Before take-off: compare the selected SID runway and transition with the FMS. Identify the first lateral instruction, the initial altitude restriction and any early speed limit.
• In cruise: verify the next fixes and airway changes. Prepare the arrival early enough to resolve a runway, transition or navigation-data mismatch before descent.
• Before descent: pin and brief the STAR, approach and airport diagram. Make sure the STAR connects logically to the approach instead of assuming that two procedures selected for the same runway must join.
• Before the final approach fix: verify the navigation source, final course, crossing altitudes, applicable minima and missed-approach procedure. Select the minima line appropriate to the simulated aircraft category and equipment.
• After an ATC change: replace the obsolete chart and amend the FMS. Do not continue with the old plate because part of its route still appears plausible.

A chart may contain a vectors or manual leg that appears in the FMS as a discontinuity or manual sequence. That can be intentional. Do not close every discontinuity with a direct-to command without checking what the plate actually requires.

The moving aircraft symbol is useful for situational awareness, particularly while taxiing, but it is not an autopilot and does not prove that the procedure has been loaded correctly. Fly using the FMS, navigation instruments and published procedure. Navigraph Charts is for flight simulation and must not be used for real-world navigation.

Live aircraft position and Simlink

Simlink is optional for planning and chart viewing; it is normally needed only to show live position from a supported desktop simulator in an external Charts application.

If the aircraft symbol does not appear, check that Simlink and Charts use the same account, the correct simulator connector is installed, the simulator or aircraft is detected, and the connector has not been disabled by the simulator's plug-in manager. Restart after repairs and check whether security software, a VPN or a restricted network is blocking the connection.

Also confirm that the map is centred on the aircraft and that position display is enabled. An in-cockpit panel or aircraft integration may obtain position without Simlink, so running Simlink is not a universal requirement.

Why do Navigraph Charts and the simulator not match?

Most mismatches are caused by different AIRAC cycles, airport scenery from another date, an aircraft-specific database or a route that was displayed in Charts but never loaded into the cockpit.

• A SID, STAR or approach is missing: compare the active navigation-data cycle in Charts, the simulator and the aircraft. Update the supported database or select a procedure available in both systems.
• The procedure name matches but the fixes differ: verify the exact runway, transition and procedure variant. The FMS sequence comes from coded navigation data, while the plate depicts the published procedure; vectors and conditional legs may not appear as ordinary waypoints.
• The runway number or taxiway layout is different: the real airport may have changed since the scenery was created. Do not expect a georeferenced chart symbol to align with an outdated airport model.
• An ILS frequency or course differs: compare the chart with both the aircraft database and simulator scenery. Updating one data source does not necessarily replace an ILS coded into another source.
• The route exists only in Charts: load or enter it separately in the aircraft FMS, then select the same SID, STAR, approach and transitions. Charts and cockpit avionics are not automatically bidirectionally synchronised.
• The aircraft symbol is offset at one airport: confirm the correct ICAO code first. If the problem occurs only with one scenery package, its coordinates or runway geometry probably differ from the chart.

When scenery and chart geometry disagree, use the runway and taxiways that physically exist in the simulator for that flight; do not treat the moving-map overlay as precise ground guidance. For reliable procedure practice, keep the simulator scenery, aircraft navigation data and Charts data as closely aligned as the supported products allow.