Sim basics
The parts of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 that every aircraft sheet assumes: editions, flight planning in the EFB, the ATC window, checklists, assists, keys, views, weather, failures and the avionics manuals. The aircraft are the Cessna 172 (G1000), 172 Classic, Cirrus SR22, Vision Jet and Citation Longitude. Radio phraseology is in ATC comms. State of the sim: Sim Update 6 (1.8.14.0, 13 August 2026).
Editions and aircraft
Each edition contains the one before it. Aviator adds the 30 paid aircraft released for MSFS 2020.
| Edition | Aircraft | Aircraft covered here |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 70 | Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000), Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 (built by FlightFX) |
| Deluxe | 80 | + Cessna 172 Skyhawk "Classic" (steam gauges) |
| Premium Deluxe | 95 | + Cirrus SR22T (listed as "Cirrus SR22"), Cessna Citation Longitude |
| Aviator | 125 | everything above + MSFS 2020 paid DLC aircraft |
- Standard owners can buy the Classic separately in the Marketplace, where it's listed as "Cessna 172 Skyhawk (SP)" (reported).
- Some aircraft come in variants (avionics, floats, skis). Pick them from the aircraft selection screen's configure option.
Flight planning: EFB and SimBrief
The EFB (electronic flight bag) is the in-sim tablet. Open it with Tab or the toolbar icon. Its apps include
the Flight Planner, weight and balance, charts, airport info and checklists.
| Task | Where |
|---|---|
| build a route | EFB → Flight Planner: departure, arrival, runway, SID/STAR (departure and arrival procedures), approach |
| load it into the aircraft | Route page → SEND → SEND TO AVIONICS |
| load it and file it with in-sim ATC | SEND → SEND TO AVIONICS AND ATC (or SEND TO ATC only) |
| pull the aircraft's route back into the EFB | OPEN (folder icon) → REQUEST FROM AVIONICS |
| a plan built on the web | build at planner.flightsimulator.com, then OPEN → LOAD FROM WEB |
| fuel and payload | EFB weight and balance; SU5 added warnings when planned fuel is short |
SimBrief (Navigraph's free flight planner) produces an OFP (operational flight plan: route, fuel, weights).
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the SimBrief Dispatch app in the EFB, or plan at simbrief.com. |
| 2 | Sign in with SimBrief or the linked Navigraph account. No Pilot ID is needed in the default EFB. |
| 3 | Generate or pick the latest OFP. Imports fetch the last finished OFP, not one still being edited. |
| 4 | Send it to the Flight Planner or avionics (button labels vary), then check the route on the aircraft's FPL page. |
| fallback | Copy SimBrief's route string, paste it at planner.flightsimulator.com, save, then LOAD FROM WEB. |
- An OFP in the EFB is not a route in the avionics. Always confirm on the FPL page.
- Some third-party aircraft have their own EFB and want a SimBrief username or Pilot ID.
- Navigraph Charts in the EFB needs a paid Navigraph subscription. SimBrief is free.
ATC window
In-sim ATC is a menu. Open the ATC panel from the toolbar or with \. Pick a numbered option and your pilot
voice reads it out, then the controller replies. SU5 lets you queue a message while the frequency is busy.
| Menu gives you | Real-world equivalent | Sheet |
|---|---|---|
| ATIS and ground requests, taxi clearance | ATIS, ground, readbacks | fundamentals |
| tower calls, pattern entry, landing clearance | towered VFR | vfr-towered |
| CTAF (self-announce) calls at uncontrolled fields | untowered VFR | vfr-untowered |
| IFR clearance, departure check-in | clearance delivery, departure | ifr-departure |
| altitude changes, STAR (arrival route), approach | center, approach | ifr-enroute-arrival |
| "declare emergency" | Mayday, Pan-Pan, 7700 | emergencies-lost-comms |
- Tune the frequency the menu asks for on your COM radio. SU6 made tuning with cockpit knobs update the panel.
- For real phraseology, use online ATC networks (VATSIM, free; PilotEdge, paid) and read your own calls from the ATC comms sheets.
Checklists and copilot
| Feature | How it works |
|---|---|
| checklist panel | pages of checkpoints per flight phase. Most items tick themselves when the cockpit state matches. Manual items need Tick item. |
| highlight | the camera swings to the switch or gauge and outlines it in blue |
| Auto-complete item / page | the copilot does the item or the whole page for you |
| copilot (Flight Assistant, toolbar) | can take radios or checklist actions. Each job is a separate switch. |
- Built-in checklists are simplified sim flows. The aircraft sheets here follow the POH order.
- Auto-complete doesn't teach anything. Use it only to recover a flight, not to learn the flows.
Assists to turn off as you learn
Assistance options (Options → Assistance) come in groups (piloting, aircraft systems, navigation aids, user experience) and presets (All Assists up to the most realistic). Menu names shift between builds. The order below goes from easy to hard.
| Assist | What it hides | Turn off when |
|---|---|---|
| AI piloting, assisted takeoff/landing | the whole flight | first flight done |
| auto-rudder | P-factor and crosswind rudder work | you have pedals or a twist stick |
| unlimited fuel | fuel planning | you plan fuel in the EFB |
| auto-mixture | leaning, rich/lean engine behavior | you've read the aircraft's cruise section |
| gyro drift compensation | DG (directional gyro) drift | flying the 172 Classic |
| taxi ribbon, flight/landing path | reading signs and charts | you can read an airport diagram |
| landmark, city and airport markers | map reading | VFR navigation practice |
| crash damage, engine stress damage (turn on) | consequences | you want over-speed and over-temp to matter |
| checklist auto-complete, copilot radios | flows and phraseology | once you've learned the flows |
Also set the flight model to Modern (not Legacy) in the options.
Key bindings
Defaults for the 2024 keyboard preset. Options → Controls → keyboard lets you switch to the old "Keyboard 2020" presets (general and airplane) or search any command.
| Action | Key | Action | Key |
|---|---|---|---|
| brakes (hold) | Space | parking brake | Ctrl+Space |
| flaps extend one step | B | flaps retract one step | V |
| landing gear | / | auto-start engine | Ctrl+E |
| throttle up / down | R / F | engine auto-stop | Ctrl+Shift+E |
| mixture richer / full lean1 | Y / Ctrl+H | trim nose up / down1 | K / I |
| autopilot master | Ctrl+1 | AP altitude hold | Ctrl+F2 |
| AP heading hold | Ctrl+F5 | AP approach hold | Ctrl+F3 |
| set altimeter to local setting1 | , | ATC panel | \ |
| EFB | Tab | active pause | P |
| menu (pauses) | Esc | pushback | Alt+P |
| cockpit ↔ external view | Backspace | drone camera | Shift+X |
| smart camera | Ctrl+B | sim rate | Alt+R |
Bind these yourself if you have hardware: throttle, mixture and prop axes; trim wheel or buttons; toe brakes; push to talk if you fly online.
Cameras and views
| Want | Do |
|---|---|
| look around | right mouse button + drag (or a head tracker) |
| zoom | mouse wheel |
| move the head (translate) | Shift + W A S D; Shift+Q / Shift+E for up and down1 |
| reset view | Shift+Space1 |
| outside view | Backspace; Shift+X for the free drone |
| walkaround | 2024 starts Free Flight with an exterior walkaround. SU6 added an option to skip it. |
Weather, time and traffic
| Setting | Where | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| live weather or a preset | Weather toolbar panel (also sets date and time) | learn in a calm preset, then go live |
| custom wind and cloud layers | Weather panel → custom | practice a 10 kt crosswind; the 172's maximum demonstrated crosswind is 15 kt |
| live traffic vs AI traffic | Options → traffic (names vary by build) | live traffic makes the ATC frequency realistic but slower |
| time of day | Weather panel | dusk shows how much the panel lighting helps |
Failures
- Career mode and wear and tear create failures on their own. Engine stress failure (under assistance) lets over-speed or over-temperature break the engine.
- Free Flight has no scripted-failure menu that we could confirm for this build. Third-party tools (for example FailControl) add random failures.
- The honest way to practice: cause the failure with the aircraft's own controls. Pull mixture to cutoff for an engine failure, switch the alternator off for an electrical failure. Each sheet's Emergencies section lists the flow.
Avionics manuals
The sim's avionics are built by Working Title (Microsoft's avionics studio). They follow the real Garmin units closely, so the real pilot's guides are the best manuals. Working Title's own docs are for aircraft developers.
| Avionics | Aircraft here | Pilot manual | Sim docs |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1000 NXi | 172, SR22 (Perspective+) | Garmin G1000 NXi Cockpit Reference Guide, Cessna Nav III (opens in a new tab) | G1000 package (opens in a new tab) |
| G3000 | Vision Jet (Perspective Touch+) | Cirrus/Garmin guide for the SF50 | G3000/G5000 package (opens in a new tab) |
| G5000 | Longitude | Garmin support: G5000, Citation Longitude (opens in a new tab) | same package as the G3000 |
| GNS 430/530 | 172 Classic | Garmin GNS 530W/430W pilot's guides | GNS package (opens in a new tab) |
| Avidyne IFD540/550 | 172 Classic IFD variants (SU5) | Avidyne IFD pilot guide | IFD package (opens in a new tab) |
PFD and MFD glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PFD | primary flight display: attitude, airspeed tape, altitude tape, HSI |
| MFD | multi-function display: moving map, engine data, flight plan |
| HSI | horizontal situation indicator: compass rose with the course needle |
| CDI | course deviation indicator; the CDI key picks its source (GPS, NAV1, NAV2) |
| OBS | omni-bearing selector: set a course to or from a point by hand |
| softkeys | the row of buttons under a Garmin display; their labels change per page |
| FMS knob | the concentric knob that moves the cursor and enters data |
| FPL | flight plan page |
| PROC | procedures key: load departure, arrival and approach |
| D→ (Direct-to) | fly straight to a waypoint |
| NRST | nearest airports, VORs and frequencies |
| bug | a movable marker: heading bug, altitude bug, speed bug |
| AP / FD | autopilot / flight director (the magenta command bars) |
| HDG, NAV, APR | follow the heading bug, the CDI course, the approach course |
| ALT, VS, FLC | hold altitude, hold vertical speed, hold airspeed by pitch (flight level change) |
| VNAV (VNV) | vertical navigation along the flight plan's altitude constraints |
| GS / GP | glideslope (ILS) / glidepath (GPS approach) |
| LPV | a GPS approach with vertical guidance down to about ILS minimums |
| XPDR, IDENT | transponder, and the button that highlights you on ATC's radar |
| BARO | altimeter setting, inches of mercury (inHg) in the US |
Performance tips
| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
| aim for a steady frame rate (around 30 fps is fine for GA) | stutters hurt flying more than lower detail |
| lower the global rendering quality preset first, then fine-tune | it moves the most settings at once |
| use the upscaler or lower render resolution before cutting terrain detail | cheaper than losing scenery |
| turn off character voices, UI sounds and music | less noise, clearer ATC audio |
| turn off tooltips once you know the cockpit | fewer pop-ups over the instruments |
Recipes
First session setup
The one-time pass before your first real flight.
- Controls: bind throttle, mixture, trim, brakes and push to talk. Choose the 2024 or 2020 key preset and stick with it.
- Assists: start from a middle preset. Turn off AI piloting, keep the taxi ribbon for now.
- Flight model: Modern.
- Weather: clear skies preset, daytime.
- Aircraft: 172 G1000, cold and dark at a towered airport.
SimBrief to the avionics
Plan a real route with fuel numbers.
- Generate an OFP (SimBrief Dispatch app or simbrief.com).
- EFB → SimBrief Dispatch → load the latest OFP → use its send/import button to push it to the Flight Planner (labels vary by version).
- Flight Planner → SEND → SEND TO AVIONICS AND ATC.
- Aircraft FPL page: check the departure, the waypoints, and that there are no discontinuities (gaps in the route).
- Set fuel and payload from the OFP in weight and balance.
Fly a flight with in-sim ATC
- Plan and SEND TO AVIONICS AND ATC.
- Tune ATIS (find it on the NRST or airport page), then ground. Open the ATC panel (
\). - Request clearance or taxi, and read each call against ATC comms.
- On handoffs, tune the new frequency on COM1 and check in from the menu.
Practice an engine failure
- Climb to at least 3,000 ft AGL (above ground level) over flat ground.
- Pull mixture to idle cutoff (in the sim that works as a full power loss).
- Fly the aircraft sheet's Emergencies flow: glide speed, field, restart attempt, then secure.
- Mixture rich, restart, climb away.
Declutter for realism
Taxi ribbon, landing path and markers off. Checklist auto-complete off. Gyro drift compensation off. Unlimited fuel off. Crash damage on.
References
- Sim Update 6 release notes (1.8.14.0) (opens in a new tab): walkaround skip option, ATC panel tuning fix
- Sim Update 5 release notes (1.7.27.0) (opens in a new tab): Avidyne IFD variants, EFB fuel warnings, ATC message queue
- Sim Update 3 release notes (1.5.27.0) (opens in a new tab): G1000 NXi, GNS, EFB, ATC and copilot fixes
- MSFS SDK: Checklist best practices (opens in a new tab): how checkpoints, Tick item and Auto-complete item behave
- MSFS avionics docs (Working Title) (opens in a new tab): G1000 NXi, G3000/G5000, GNS and IFD packages
- FlyByWire: Flight planning with MSFS (opens in a new tab): the EFB SEND and OPEN menus
- MSFS web flight planner (opens in a new tab) and SimBrief (opens in a new tab)
- Flight Sim Coach: MSFS 2024 keyboard commands (opens in a new tab) and preset switching (opens in a new tab)
- Editors Keys: 25 MSFS 2024 shortcuts (opens in a new tab): second source for the 2024 key list
- FSNews: Aircraft in MSFS 2024 (opens in a new tab) and MSFS forum: first-party aircraft by edition (opens in a new tab)