The Foundation of Simulated VFR Flight: Checklists and Procedures

Flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in a simulator is more than just a game—it's a powerful training tool that can sharpen skills, reinforce good habits, and prepare pilots for real-world conditions. However, the effectiveness of that training depends heavily on how you approach the two most critical tools at your disposal: checklists and procedures. Without disciplined use, a simulator session can devolve into aimless flying that reinforces bad habits instead of correcting them.

This guide provides a comprehensive, actionable framework for using checklists and procedures during simulated VFR flights. Whether you are a student pilot working toward a certificate or an experienced aviator brushing up on skills, these strategies will help you extract maximum training value from every session.

Why Checklists Matter More in a Simulator

In a real aircraft, the stakes are obvious—miss a step and you could face serious consequences. In a simulator, the absence of physical risk can tempt pilots to skip or rush through checklists. That temptation must be resisted. Simulator training is most effective when it mirrors real-world discipline. Checklists serve as your cognitive safety net, ensuring that every critical action is taken regardless of whether you are sitting at a real panel or a virtual one.

Key Benefits of Checklist Discipline in Simulators

  • Builds procedural memory: Repeating checklists in a simulator engrains the sequence into your muscle memory and mental workflow, so the actions become automatic when you need them most.
  • Reduces cognitive overload: VFR flights require constant scanning of the environment, navigation, and communications. A checklist offloads the burden of remembering every step, freeing your brain to focus on situational awareness.
  • Exposes knowledge gaps: Running through a checklist in a simulator may reveal that you do not actually know what a particular item means or why it is important. That discovery is far safer than making it in the air.
  • Standardizes your workflow: Simulators allow you to practice the same scenario repeatedly. Using consistent checklists ensures your performance is repeatable, making it easier to measure progress and identify weaknesses.

Creating or Customizing Checklists for Simulator Use

Most simulators come with default checklists, but these are often generic or incomplete. For effective training, you may want to customize or even create your own checklists that match the specific aircraft model you are flying and the training goals you have set. The goal is not to invent new procedures but to adapt real-world checklists to the simulator environment.

Sources for Authoritative Checklists

Start with the official Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for the aircraft you are simulating. Many POHs are available online for free or through aviation libraries. The FAA’s Aviation Handbooks & Manuals page is an excellent resource for generic VFR procedures. For real-world context, consult resources from organizations like AOPA’s training and safety section.

Structure for a VFR Simulator Checklist

A good VFR checklist should be divided into logical phases. Avoid the temptation to combine everything into one long list. Instead, separate by flight phase:

  • Preflight / Cockpit Setup – covers battery on, avionics power, fuel selector, flight instruments, and communication radio check.
  • Before Start / Engine Start – includes mixture, throttle, primer, and magneto checks.
  • After Start / Before Taxi – alternator, ammeter, vacuum gauge, gyro alignment, and flap settings.
  • Before Takeoff – flight controls check, engine run-up, trim set, and transponder code.
  • Climb / Cruise / Descent – power settings, mixture lean, fuel management, and traffic scanning.
  • Approach and Landing – pre-landing check (GUMP: Gas, Undercarriage, Mixture, Props), landing clearance, and go-around decision.
  • After Landing / Shutdown – flap retraction, avionics off, mixture idle cut-off, master switch off.

Keep each list to around five to eight items. Any longer, and you risk the checklist itself becoming a source of distraction.

Integrating Procedures into Simulated VFR Flights

Procedures are the step-by-step actions you take to accomplish a specific task or handle a situation. While checklists are a tool to ensure you complete them, procedures define the how. In VFR simulator flights, procedures cover everything from navigation planning to emergency response.

Pre-Flight Planning Procedures

Before you even sit in the simulator, a thorough pre-flight planning procedure sets the stage for a productive session. Treat it as if you were planning a real cross-country flight:

  • Weather review: Use simulator weather settings to match real conditions or challenge yourself with marginal VFR conditions. Check METARs, TAFs, and wind aloft forecasts for the simulated time and location.
  • Route selection: Plot your course on a sectional chart (digital or physical). Identify prominent waypoints, landmarks, and airspace boundaries. Note any controlled airspace that may require a clearance even under VFR.
  • Performance calculations: Determine takeoff distance, climb gradient, cruise performance, and fuel consumption based on the aircraft’s POH and the planned weight. In the simulator, you can adjust payload to practice various loading scenarios.
  • Alternate planning: Identify at least one alternate airport along the route and note its contact frequencies and runway information. This builds the habit of always having a Plan B.
  • Documents and communications: Have your flight plan, checklists, and a notepad ready. Pre-tune the first two radio frequencies you will need.

In-Flight VFR Procedures

Once airborne, your procedural discipline helps you maintain course, avoid hazards, and manage the flight efficiently. Even in a simulator, treat every action with the same gravity as real flight:

  • Scanning technique: Practice the “scan, interpret, act” cycle. In VFR, your eyes should be outside 80% of the time, with quick glances at instruments to confirm altitude, heading, and airspeed. Simulators can help you refine this scan without the distraction of turbulence or real traffic.
  • Position reporting: Even when flying uncontrolled airspace in a simulator, report your position and intentions as if you were on a real frequency. This reinforces phraseology and helps you build a mental picture of traffic.
  • Fuel management: Monitor fuel gauges and elapsed time. Switch tanks at predetermined intervals. If your simulator models fuel systems, practice managing imbalances and cross-feeding.
  • Divert procedures: Simulate an unexpected weather change or airspace closure. Plan and execute a diversion to an alternate airport. Use the same decision-making steps you would in real life: assess, communicate, navigate, and land.

Emergency Procedures in the Simulator

One of the greatest advantages of a simulator is the ability to practice emergencies safely. Do not limit yourself to engine failures. Practice system failures such as electrical malfunctions, vacuum pump failure, or even a loss of communication. Treat each emergency with a systematic approach:

  • Maintain aircraft control: Fly the airplane first. Establish a safe attitude, altitude, and airspeed before diagnosing the problem.
  • Run the appropriate emergency checklist: Pull up the checklist (or use a paper copy) and perform it step by step. Do not rely on memory alone—even in a simulated emergency, reading the checklist reduces error.
  • Communicate: Declare an emergency or squawk 7700 if appropriate. Practice your radio calls so they are clear and concise.
  • Evaluate options: Determine the best course of action—return to departure airport, land at the nearest suitable field, or continue if the problem is resolved.
  • Follow through: Execute the landing or recovery procedure. After the emergency is resolved, complete a post-flight debrief to analyze what went well and what could be improved.

Post-Flight Debrief: The Most Underrated Procedure

Your simulator session is not complete once the engine is shut down. The post-flight procedure is just as important as the pre-flight and in-flight phases. A structured debrief helps you solidify lessons learned and track your progress over time.

Effective Debrief Checklist

  • Review flight data: Many simulators log parameters such as altitude deviations, heading errors, and airspeed fluctuations. Use this data to identify specific areas for improvement.
  • Self-critique honestly: Did you follow the checklist every time? Were there any steps you skipped or rushed? Did you get distracted at a critical moment? Acknowledge mistakes without making excuses.
  • Compare to standards: Measure your performance against published tolerances (e.g., altitude ±100 feet, heading ±10 degrees for VFR). If you fall outside these standards, plan specific drills to target those weaknesses.
  • Note what worked: Recognize your successes. If you handled a simulated engine failure smoothly, write down the sequence you used so you can replicate it in future sessions.
  • Set goals for next session: Based on your debrief, define one or two specific objectives for your next flight. For example, “Maintain altitude within 50 feet during the entire cruise phase” or “Complete the pre-takeoff checklist without rushing.”

Advanced Techniques for Simulator Proficiency

Once you have mastered the basics of checklists and procedures, you can push your simulator training further with more advanced techniques that mimic the pressures of real flight.

Time Pressure and Stress Management

In real VFR flight, you often face time constraints—whether due to fuel, weather, or airspace restrictions. Introduce similar pressure in the simulator by setting a timer for a diversion or by giving yourself a limited window to complete a preflight before ATC expects a response. This trains you to prioritize tasks and remain calm under time stress.

Scenario-Based Training

Design full scenarios that test your procedural knowledge and checklist discipline. For example:

  • Depart in low visibility with a ceiling close to VFR minimums.
  • Receive a simulated radio failure in a busy Class D airspace.
  • Encounter unexpected turbulence that requires you to reduce speed and re-evaluate your flight plan.
  • Have a passenger (virtual or role-played) who asks questions during critical phases of flight to practice managing distractions.

Each scenario should have a learning objective. After the flight, debrief specifically on how well you adhered to procedures and used checklists despite the distractions or complications.

Using the Simulator to Refine Checklist Flow

Checklists are not just for before and after flight—they can be used as a real-time reference during the flight itself. Train yourself to seamlessly integrate checklist calls with your normal scan. For instance, when reaching cruise altitude, call out “Cruise checklist” and run through the items while continuing to scan for traffic and monitor instruments. In the simulator, you can practice this flow repeatedly until it becomes second nature.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced pilots can fall into bad habits when using checklists in a simulator. Recognizing these pitfalls is the first step to avoiding them.

Becoming Complacent

Complacency is the enemy of proficiency. When you fly the same simulator scenario multiple times, you might start skipping checklist items because you think you know them. Fight this by introducing random variations—swap aircraft models, change weather, or inject failures. Keep your brain engaged.

Treating the Simulator Like a Video Game

The immersive nature of modern simulators can make them feel like entertainment. That mindset undermines training. Set the simulation to “hard” mode if necessary: no external help, no pausing, realistic gravity and weather. Commit to treating every session as if it were a real flight with real consequences.

Overcomplicating Checklists

Some pilots create checklists that are too long or too detailed, turning them into a chore rather than an aid. Keep your checklists concise. If you need deeper reference material, keep a separate manual or PDF open, but during the flight, use only a short, action-oriented checklist. Too many items buried in a long list can cause you to miss something important.

Conclusion: Making Checklists and Procedures Your Habit

Effective use of checklists and procedures during VFR flights in simulators is not a one-time exercise—it is a habit that must be cultivated over many sessions. The simulator offers a risk-free environment to practice this discipline until it becomes automatic. By planning thoroughly, running checklists with the same seriousness as in a real aircraft, and debriefing every flight, you will build the procedural fluency that defines a safe and competent pilot.

Incorporate external resources like the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook into your study routine. Use your simulator not as a toy but as a training tool—one that, when paired with disciplined checklist use, can dramatically accelerate your progress from novice to proficient aviator.