Understanding Flight Plan Formats in Prepar3D

Before diving into the creation process, it helps to understand the file formats Prepar3D uses for flight plans. The default format is .pln, which stores departure airport, destination airport, waypoints, and altitude information in a structured XML format. Prepar3D also supports .rte files from older Microsoft Flight Simulator versions and .gfp for GPS-based navigation. Understanding these formats ensures compatibility when you share plans with other simmers who may use different tools or simulator versions.

Getting Started with Flight Planning in Prepar3D

Prepar3D offers several tools for creating detailed flight plans, from the built-in flight planner to powerful third-party applications. The basic process involves selecting your departure and arrival airports, plotting your route, saving the plan, and then loading it before departure. Mastering this workflow allows you to fly consistent routes, practice instrument approaches, and fly online with virtual air traffic control networks.

Using the Built-in Flight Planner

The default Prepar3D flight planner is accessible from the main menu and provides a straightforward way to create simple point-to-point or multi-leg routes.

  1. Launch Prepar3D and click Flight > Plan a Flight from the main menu bar.
  2. In the flight planner window, use the Departure and Destination fields to select your airports. You can search by ICAO code or airport name.
  3. The planner automatically draws a straight-line great circle route between the two airports. To refine it, click Add Waypoint and enter a VOR, NDB, intersection, or fix identifier.
  4. Set your desired cruising altitude in the Altitude field. This altitude will appear in the plan but can be adjusted during flight via ATC or your own judgment.
  5. Click Save As and choose a location for your .pln file. Give it a descriptive name such as KLAX-KSFO_SFO_Arrival so you can easily find it later.
  6. To load the saved plan during a flight, open the Flight > Load Flight Plan menu from the cockpit view, or use the World > Load Flight Plan option from the main menu.

Adding Waypoints and Airways

For more realistic flight planning, you will want to follow published airways and add intermediate waypoints. In the built-in planner, you can type waypoint identifiers directly into the route field. Prepar3D includes a navigation database that recognizes most VORs, NDBs, and intersections from the real-world navigational charts. You can also enter airway identifiers such as J501 or V23, and the planner will automatically fill in the waypoints along that airway. This approach mirrors real IFR flight planning and gives you a more authentic experience when flying online networks like VATSIM or IVAO.

Using Third-Party Tools for Advanced Flight Planning

While the built-in planner is sufficient for basic routes, serious simmers often turn to specialized tools that provide deeper functionality, including weather integration, aircraft performance calculations, and realistic fuel planning.

Little Navmap

Little Navmap is a free, open-source flight planner that runs independently of Prepar3D. It uses the same navigation database but offers a much richer interface with moving maps, airport information, and detailed waypoint data. To create a flight plan in Little Navmap:

  • Install and launch Little Navmap. Point it to your Prepar3D installation so it reads your scenery and navigation data.
  • Right-click on your departure airport and choose Set as Departure. Do the same for your destination.
  • Use the Route tab to manually add waypoints or select from suggested airways and routes. The tool can automatically generate a route based on your preferred altitude and aircraft type.
  • View the flight plan on the map, including terrain, airspace boundaries, and navaids.
  • Export the plan as a .pln file compatible with Prepar3D. You can also export in other formats like .gpx or .kml for use with external apps.

SimBrief

SimBrief is a web-based dispatch and flight planning tool used by many virtual airlines and serious simmers. It generates complete flight plans including routing, fuel calculations, weight and balance, and NOTAMs. To use SimBrief with Prepar3D:

  • Create a free account and set up your aircraft profile with realistic performance data.
  • Enter your departure, destination, and desired cruising level. SimBrief will fetch current weather and generate an optimized route.
  • Download the flight plan in Prepar3D .pln format. SimBrief can also generate plans for specific add-on aircraft that require custom file formats.
  • Load the downloaded .pln file into Prepar3D using the built-in flight plan loader.

Other Useful Tools

Beyond Little Navmap and SimBrief, several other utilities can enhance your flight planning workflow. Plan-G offers a similar map-based interface with weather overlays. AirFMC and FSCaptain provide in-cockpit flight management computer emulations that can import your flight plans directly. For those flying online, vPilot and Swift clients can load your .pln file and automatically file your route with virtual ATC.

Sharing Your Flight Plans

Once you have created a flight plan, sharing it with the community is a great way to collaborate, showcase scenic routes, or run group flights. Prepar3D flight plans are small text files that can be shared easily through various channels.

Exporting Flight Plans

To prepare your flight plan for sharing, you first need to export it in a compatible format. Most planning tools allow you to save or export the plan directly as a .pln file. In the built-in planner, simply click Save As and choose the destination folder. In Little Navmap, use File > Export Flight Plan > Prepar3D PLN. For SimBrief, click the Download button after generating the plan and select the Prepar3D format. Make sure the exported file contains all the waypoints and altitude information you intended.

Sharing Tips and Best Practices

When sharing your flight plans with others, providing context makes the experience more enjoyable and useful for the recipient.

  • Include a brief description of the route, highlighting any interesting scenery, challenging approaches, or special procedures you included.
  • Note the recommended aircraft type for the route. A heavy jet requires different altitude and speed profiles than a light piston single.
  • Specify which navigation data cycle you used. If someone uses an outdated AIRAC cycle, some waypoints may not match, causing the plan to fail to load.
  • Indicate whether the plan includes SIDs, STARs, or instrument approaches. Some simmers prefer a simple direct route while others want full procedure compliance.
  • Add a version number if you update the plan over time. This helps users know they have the latest version.

Where to Share Your Flight Plans

There are several active communities where Prepar3D flight plans are shared:

  • Virtual Airlines: Many virtual airlines maintain route databases where members can share and download flight plans for their fleet.
  • Online Flying Networks: VATSIM and IVAO forums often have dedicated sections for sharing flight plans, especially for organized events and tours.
  • Flight Simulation Forums: Websites like AVSIM and the official Prepar3D forums have file libraries where you can upload your plans.
  • Cloud Storage: Tools like Google Drive or Dropbox make it easy to share a link to your flight plan file in a forum post or chat message.

When uploading to a file library, include a short readme file with your contact information and any special instructions. This helps maintainers and users understand your work and makes it easier for others to offer feedback.

Importing and Managing Shared Flight Plans

Receiving a flight plan from another simmer is just as simple. Place the .pln file into your Prepar3D flight plans folder, typically located in Documents\Prepar3D v5 Files or Documents\Prepar3D v6 Files depending on your version. You can also place it in any folder and load it directly from the in-sim menu. If the plan uses waypoints not present in your navigation database, Prepar3D will attempt to skip them or show an error. To avoid this, ensure you are using a current navigation data cycle. Tools like Navigraph provide updated AIRAC cycles that keep your database in sync with real-world charts.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even experienced simmers occasionally run into problems when loading or creating flight plans. Here are common issues and how to resolve them.

Flight Plan Will Not Load

If Prepar3D fails to load a .pln file, first verify that the file is not corrupted. Open it in a text editor like Notepad. It should contain XML tags with airport identifiers and waypoints. If you see gibberish or incomplete data, the export process may have been interrupted. Regenerate the plan and try again. Also confirm that the file path does not contain special characters or extremely long names, as these can cause parsing errors.

Waypoints Not Found

If the flight plan includes waypoints that Prepar3D does not recognize, you will see an error message listing the missing waypoints. This usually happens when the plan was created with a different navigation database. Update your navigation data with a current AIRAC cycle from Navigraph or Aerosoft, or ask the plan author which database they used. Alternatively, you can manually edit the .pln file to remove or replace the missing waypoints, but this requires some knowledge of the route.

Altitude Discrepancies

Sometimes a shared flight plan specifies an altitude that is inappropriate for your aircraft or route direction. If you are flying a light aircraft, you may need to lower the cruising altitude. If you are flying eastbound in a jet, you may need to adjust the altitude to comply with the hemispheric rule (odd altitudes for eastbound, even for westbound). Always verify the planned altitude against your aircraft performance charts and ATC expectations.

Best Practices for Realistic Flight Planning

Creating a flight plan that feels realistic adds depth to your simulation experience. Here are some guidelines used by virtual pilots who fly on networks and want to replicate real-world procedures.

  • Use real-world charts: Refer to current navigational charts for your region. Services like SkyVector or Navigraph provide IFR low and high enroute charts that show airways, navaids, and airspace boundaries.
  • Consider wind and weather: For long flights, plan your route to take advantage of favorable winds. Tools like SimBrief automatically calculate wind-optimized routes based on real-time weather data.
  • File with ATC: If you fly on VATSIM or IVAO, file your flight plan with the network before departure. This allows controllers to know your intentions and provide appropriate clearances.
  • Include SIDs and STARs: Standard Instrument Departures and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes streamline your climb and descent phases. Most planning tools allow you to select these procedures from the airport chart.
  • Plan for alternates: Always add a diversion airport in case of weather or mechanical issues. Real airline flight plans always include an alternate, and it adds realism to your sim flying.
  • Check NOTAMs: Navigraph and SimBrief can show relevant NOTAMs for your departure, destination, and alternate airports. This helps you avoid closed runways or navoids that might affect your plan.

By following these practices, your flight plans will closely mimic those used in real-world operations, making your Prepar3D sessions more immersive and challenging.

Conclusion

Creating and sharing flight plans in Prepar3D is a straightforward process that opens up new levels of realism and community engagement. Whether you use the built-in planner for quick hops, Little Navmap for detailed map-based routing, or SimBrief for full dispatch-quality plans, the key is to understand the tools and the file formats. Once you have built a collection of routes, sharing them with fellow simmers helps everyone enjoy new experiences and learn from each other. Experiment with different route types, incorporate real-world procedures, and participate in community events to get the most out of your flight planning efforts. With a well-crafted flight plan, every flight in Prepar3D can be a rewarding journey.