- 1. Pick the route and the aircraft
- 2. Check the weather at both ends
- 3. Gather the charts
- 4. Work out the fuel
- 5. File the flight plan and set up the aircraft
- 6. Listen before you talk
A good simulator flight is mostly decided before you push back. Preparing in the same order every time means you never discover a missing chart on final approach.
1. Pick the route and the aircraft
Choose a departure and a destination that suit the aircraft's range and the time you have. A briefing shows the great-circle distance and a rough flight time. Real routes follow airways and are longer than the great circle, often by 5 to 15 percent.
2. Check the weather at both ends
Read the METAR (what the weather is now) and the TAF (what it is expected to do) for the departure, the destination and an alternate. Look for:
- Wind: it decides which runway is in use, and whether the crosswind is within your aircraft's limits.
- Visibility and cloud: they decide whether you can fly a visual approach or need an instrument approach, and which one.
- Trends such as
TEMPOandPROB30: the weather may be worse at your arrival time than it is now.
3. Gather the charts
Open the airport page for each airport. You will usually want:
| Chart | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Aerodrome or airport diagram | Taxi routes, parking stands, runway layout |
| SID | How you leave the airport and join the route |
| STAR | How you arrive from the route |
| Approach | How you get from the STAR to the runway |
Check that each chart's AIRAC cycle matches the navigation data in your simulator. See AIRAC cycles explained.
4. Work out the fuel
Fuel is more than the trip. A typical plan is taxi, trip, contingency, the fuel to reach your alternate, a final reserve and any extra you choose to carry. The fuel planner adds these up for you.
5. File the flight plan and set up the aircraft
Enter the route in the flight management computer or GPS, set the departure runway and SID, and brief yourself on the first few minutes: initial altitude, first turn, and what you will do if an engine fails.
6. Listen before you talk
If you fly with live controllers, listen to the ATIS first and note its information letter, the runway in use and the QNH. Then call clearance delivery with your callsign, aircraft type, destination, stand and the ATIS letter. See Radio phraseology.
For flight simulation and training only. Real-world procedures vary by country and operator; always follow the published charts and your local rules.
Keep reading
- Reading aeronautical charts: What is on an airport diagram, a SID, a STAR and an approach chart, and where to look first.
- AIRAC cycles explained: Why aeronautical data changes every 28 days, how cycles are numbered, and why it matters in the simulator.