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General ARTICLES

Tutorials and reference material for IFR route planning, aviation weather, and flight simulator workflows. All content is written for simulation pilots using NG ROUTE.

General

Athens to London (LGAV–EGLL): Mediterranean to European Airways

Brief a ~1,340 NM IFR route from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos to Heathrow — Balkan airways, cruise level, and export for European sim flying.

Importing NG ROUTE Flight Plans into X-Plane 11 and 12

Where to put .FMS files and how to load routes in ToLiss, Zibo 737, and default X-Plane aircraft.

How to Read a METAR Report for Flight Simulator Pilots

Decode wind, visibility, clouds, and QNH from a METAR string and apply the numbers in MSFS, X-Plane, or Aerofly.

Tokyo to New York (RJTT–KJFK): Long-Haul Cruise and Fuel Briefing

Plan a ~6,080 NM transpacific IFR route from Haneda to JFK — airways, FL390 cruise, fuel totals, and what to expect on the map curve.

Choosing Cruise Flight Levels in Flight Simulation

How NG ROUTE picks FL240–FL390 suggestions, semi-circular cruising rules, and when to override the default.

About NG ROUTE — Free IFR Planning for Flight Simulation

What NG ROUTE is, who it is for, which simulators it supports, and important limitations for real-world aviation.

Fuel Planning Basics for Simulated Airline Flights

Trip fuel, contingency, alternate, and final reserve — how NG ROUTE builds totals and what to load in the sim fuel panel.

VATSIM and IVAO Briefing with NG ROUTE

Use NG ROUTE to prepare IFR routes, fuel, cruise levels, and METAR data before filing and flying on VATSIM or IVAO.

Setting Up Live Weather in MSFS to Match NG ROUTE METAR

Align Microsoft Flight Simulator live weather with NG ROUTE METAR data for realistic takeoffs, approaches, and runway selection.

ILS Categories Explained for Simulator Approaches

CAT I, CAT II, and CAT III approaches — what the labels mean, how NG ROUTE estimates them, and how to fly them in the sim.

RVSM and Semi-Circular Cruising Rules Simplified

Why eastbound flights use odd flight levels and westbound use even — and how NG ROUTE applies RVSM conventions to cruise suggestions.

Great Circle Routes: Why Your Sim Flight Plan Curves on the Map

Mercator distortion makes long-haul NG ROUTE paths look bent toward the pole. Here is why that curve is actually the shortest distance.

AIRAC Cycles and Navigraph: Keeping X-Plane Data Current

Why waypoints go missing in X-Plane, what AIRAC cycles mean, and how to sync NG ROUTE plans with an updated navigation database.

Top of Climb and Top of Descent Planning in Your Simulator

Use NG ROUTE T/C and T/D markers to time your climbs and descents and avoid energy-management surprises on approach.

SIGMET and AIRMET Along Your Route

What NG ROUTE checks when it displays weather warnings along your track, and how sim pilots should use SIGMET and AIRMET information.

Editing Routes on the Map: Adding and Removing Waypoints

Click fixes on the NG ROUTE map to insert waypoints, remove intermediate points, and refresh the nav log before export.

Planning Paris to Amsterdam (LFPG–EHAM): A Sample IFR Briefing

A worked example of a 220 NM European IFR hop from Charles de Gaulle to Schiphol using NG ROUTE — route, METAR, cruise, and MSFS export.

How to Use the NG ROUTE Random Route Generator

Generate practice flights under or over 500 NM, limit departures to the visible map, and keep a fixed arrival airport.

How to Plan Your First IFR Flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator

A step-by-step walkthrough for building a realistic IFR route in MSFS using NG ROUTE, from airport selection to loading your .PLN file.

Victor Airways vs Jet Routes: What Sim Pilots Should Know

Why NG ROUTE separates LOW and HIGH airway levels, and how Victor routes differ from upper jet airways in everyday IFR flying.

V1, VR, and V2 Explained for Flight Simulator Takeoffs

What NG ROUTE takeoff performance numbers mean and how to use them with Airbus, Boeing, and default sim aircraft.

Importing Flight Plans into Aerofly FS 4 and FS Global

How to export a NG ROUTE mission file, place custom_missions_user.tmc in the Aerofly folder, and fly custom IFR routes.

Importing Flight Plans into Microsoft Flight Simulator (.PLN)

Step-by-step guide to downloading a NG ROUTE plan and loading the .PLN file in MSFS 2020 and 2024 via the World Map.

What Is an ICAO Route String?

Learn how to read the route line NG ROUTE prints below your summary — airports, airways, fixes, and DCT segments in standard ICAO format.

Understanding Headwind, Tailwind, and Crosswind on Runways

How NG ROUTE calculates wind components for suggested runways and what those numbers mean for takeoff and landing in the sim.