MSFS Flight Planner: IFR Flight Plans Using the World Map

Here’s a quick tip to streamline your flight planning in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Instead of just setting basic departure and arrival airports, you can create a complete gate-to-gate IFR flight plan that automatically loads into your aircraft’s avionics. Here’s how:

1. Open the World Map
2. Select your aircraft
3. Choose departure and destination airports
4. Change flight rules from VFR to IFR (High or Low Altitude Airways)
5. Select your preferences for:
   • Departure procedure (SID)
   • Arrival procedure (STAR)
   • Approach procedure

The simulator will then:

• Generate a complete route with all waypoints
• Automatically load it into your aircraft’s flight management system (G1000, FMS, etc.)
• Save you time programming the avionics in the cockpit

This works for any airports with published procedures and is especially useful for airliner flights or complex IFR routes.