Learn how X-Plane Mobile uses SIDs and STARs, which aircraft support them, how to load them in the FMC, and why procedures may be missing.
Yes. X-Plane Mobile can load and fly SIDs and STARs in aircraft with a procedure-capable FMC. Enter the origin and destination, open the departure/arrival pages, then select the runway, procedure and transition. Coverage varies by aircraft, airport, navdata and cockpit interface; the basic flight-planning screen may offer fewer choices.
How do I load a SID or STAR in X-Plane Mobile?
The exact button labels vary by aircraft, but supported airliner FMCs follow the same general sequence. Our guide to loading routes and procedures through the mobile FMC explains the wider workflow.
- Choose a compatible aircraft. Use an aircraft whose FMC includes departure and arrival procedure pages. A simple GPS or route-planning screen may not provide the same options.
- Enter the route endpoints. Set the correct origin and destination airport identifiers before opening the procedure pages. An incomplete route can prevent departures or arrivals from appearing.
- Select the departure. Open the origin airport’s departures, choose the expected runway, then select the SID and the transition that connects with your en-route flight plan.
- Select the arrival. At the destination, choose the STAR, its transition and the expected runway or approach. The STAR and instrument approach are separate parts of the route, even when the FMC displays them together.
- Execute and inspect the route. Check the legs page for duplicate fixes, sharp course reversals and route discontinuities. Do not remove every discontinuity automatically: one marked for vectors may be intentional.
- Monitor the aircraft. Loading a procedure does not by itself engage LNAV, VNAV or guarantee compliance with every altitude and speed restriction. Set the cleared altitude, use the appropriate modes where fitted and verify each leg as it becomes active.
Which SID and STAR should I choose?
Choose procedures that match the runway in use and connect cleanly with the first or last part of your en-route route. Wind, airport operating direction and an ATC clearance take priority over whichever procedure looks shortest.
The transition matters as much as the procedure name. A mismatched transition can produce an unnecessary loop or leave a gap between the procedure and your route; our explanation of matching SIDs and STARs to runways and route fixes covers that selection in detail.
Why are SIDs or STARs missing in X-Plane Mobile?
A missing procedure usually means the selected aircraft, interface, runway filter or navigation database does not match what you expected.
- Unsupported interface: the aircraft’s FMC may support procedures even when the basic mobile planner does not expose them.
- Route not initialised: confirm that the origin and destination are entered correctly.
- Runway filtering: selecting a runway can hide procedures that do not serve it. Clear or change the runway selection to check.
- Navdata differences: charts and the simulator may use different procedure names, runway numbers or revisions.
- No published procedure: smaller airports may have an approach but no SID, no STAR, or neither.
Do not enter a SID or STAR name as though it were an ordinary waypoint. If the FMC rejects the procedure or its fixes, use our FMS procedure troubleshooting checks before rebuilding the entire route.
Will the flight planner or ATC fly the procedure automatically?
Not necessarily. The mobile flight planner, an aircraft’s GPS/FMS and an airliner FMC are different interfaces, and procedure support can vary between them. Our guide to building and transferring X-Plane Mobile flight plans explains which part of the route each interface controls.
A loaded SID or STAR is also not an ATC clearance. Follow assigned runways, headings and altitudes when using ATC or multiplayer, and treat the FMC route as something to monitor rather than an instruction the aircraft may follow without supervision.