Using the Map

Contents

The Map dialog box provides you with a graphical representation of your route, information about airports and facilities along the way, and the ability to instantly change your position, altitude, heading, and airspeed. The Map dialog box also lets you change the point of view of the tower so that you can watch your aircraft from a specific position and altitude when you choose Tower mode.

The Map dialog box lets you display or hide graphical elements in the map itself. For example, if you want to see the locations of all of the airports in the simulator world, you can display them on the map. Doing so, however, may make the map too cluttered, so the Map dialog box also lets you hide the airports.

To open the Map

Using the Map

Think of the map as an aviation chart. The map displays airports, navigational aid facilities, airways, flight paths, and other relevant data. The map can also display topographical information, an especially useful feature when flying in mountainous areas, as well as things a real-world navigation chart cannot, like weather fronts (when using Real-World Weather).

The map displays your aircraft as a small plane icon, and the tower as a small tower icon. You can zoom in and out to display more detail or more territory on the map.

Moving the Map

The map always displays north at the top. You can move the map in any direction to view another part of your route by clicking near the edge of the map; you'll find this option particularly helpful when you zoom in to get a closer view of the map.

For example: To view a portion of the map south of the area currently displayed, place the pointer near the bottom edge of the map. When the pointer turns into a large arrow, click the edge of the map; the area of the map's view will move down. To move the map east, click the right side of the map; to move west, click the left side of the map; to move north, click the top of the map. You can also move diagonally by clicking a corner of the map.

The map also displays state and country borders, as well as latitude and longitude lines. Use the icons at the top of the map to display features such as navigational aids, airports, weather stations, airspace boundaries, and airways.

Displaying or Hiding Map Elements

Use the icons along the top of the Map dialog box to navigate within the map or to display or hide map elements. The table below explains the function of each icon.

Icon Function
Zoom in
Zoom out
Center map on your aircraft's current position.
Print the current map.
Display or hide airports.
Display or hide VORs.
Display or hide NDBs.
Display or hide ILS feathers.
Display or hide airway intersections.
Display or hide low altitude airways.
Display or hide high altitude airways.
Display or hide airspace boundaries.
Display or hide your aircraft's flight path.
Display or hide weather stations.
Display or hide weather systems.
Display or hide data tags.
Display or hide topographic features.

Data Tags

Data tags are displayed next to individual map elements, which makes it easy to get information quickly. Data tags include airport information (airport name, runway length and altitude, radio frequencies, and the like), airspace information, instrument approach information, and navigational aid information.

To display or hide data tag information

Using the Map in Aircraft Mode

Rather than flying to a location where you want to begin a flight, you can move your aircraft on the map. (You can also move your aircraft using the Go to Airport dialog box, but using the map allows you to quickly place your aircraft anywhere, including in off-airport locations.) Move your aircraft on the map by using the text boxes on the left side of the Map dialog box, or by dragging your aircraft to the desired location.

To select Vehicle mode

Dragging the aircraft

To move your aircraft by dragging
  1. Click the airplane icon.
  2. Drag the aircraft to its new location on the map.
  3. Click OK.

Changing Aircraft Latitude

To change your aircraft's latitude

  1. Highlight the text in the Latitude box.
  2. Type the new latitude.
    Note: Enter latitude in degrees, followed by a space, then the minutes, followed by a decimal point, and
  3. finally the seconds.
  4. Click OK.

Changing Aircraft Longitude

To change your aircraft's longitude

  1. Highlight the text in the Longitude box.
  2. Type the new longitude.
    Note: Enter longitude in degrees, followed by a space, then the minutes, followed by a decimal point, and finally the seconds.
  3. Click OK.

Changing Aircraft Altitude

To change your aircraft's altitude
  1. Highlight the text in the Altitude box.
  2. Type your aircraft's new altitude.
    Note: Enter altitude as feet or meters MSL.
  3. Click OK.

Changing Aircraft Heading

To change your aircraft's heading
  1. Highlight the text in the Heading box.
  2. Type your aircraft's new heading.
    Note: Enter a heading from 1 to 360 degrees magnetic.
  3. Click OK.

Changing Aircraft Airspeed

To change your aircraft's airspeed
  1. Highlight the text in the Airspeed box.
  2. Type your aircraft's new airspeed.
    Note: Enter any airspeed from zero up to your aircraft's maximum speed.
  3. Click OK.

Note: You can exceed your aircraft's maximum speed, but an overspeed warning will appear during flight.

Getting Information about Airports and Facilities

You can get information about any airport, airspace, or facility depicted on the map in the Map dialog box. The information is displayed in ToolTips, bubbles that appear when you pause the pointer over map elements. You may have to enlarge the map or hide some map elements to see other elements.

To see ToolTip information on the map

The following table lists the information found in map ToolTips.

Map element Information in ToolTip
Airport Airport name, ICAO ID, runway, elevation, radio frequencies.
VOR VOR name, ID, class, frequency.
NDB VOR name, ID, class, frequency.
Marker beacon Outer, middle, inner label.
ILS feather ILS name, ID, final approach heading, frequency.
Intersections Intersection name
Low altitude (victor) airways Airway designator and minimum en route altitude.
High altitude (jet) airways Airway designator and minimum en route altitude.
Airspace boundary Airspace name, class, altitude limits.
Weather stations Station name, temperature/dewpoint, wind direction and speed.

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