Full VFR departure setup
advancedPremiumEverything a departure needs: altimeter, bugs, a flight plan, and the autopilot climbing on course.
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The G1000 checks every knob, softkey and entry as you make it, and tells you when something was accepted but wrong.
Step-by-step: Full VFR departure setup
- Set the altimeter to 30.05 inHg.
Set the local altimeter before departure so your altitude is accurate.
- Set the heading bug to 350° and the altitude bug to 5,500 ft.
Bugs first, so the autopilot flies your intended runway heading and cruise altitude.
- On the MFD, build the plan SUNOL then ALTAM.
A loaded plan gives the moving map a magenta course to follow.
- Back on the autopilot, engage AP with HDG and FLC to climb on the departure heading.
HDG holds the departure heading while FLC climbs toward the selected altitude.
Background reading
- GuideMSFS 2024 Career Mode Checkrides: How to Pass Every Certification
Pass every MSFS 2024 career mode checkride: PPL, CPL, instrument rating and the type ratings — what each exam tests, why players fail, and retake costs.
- GuideSIDs and STARs Explained — How to Read Departure and Arrival Plates
SID and STAR plates decoded using real FAA charts from JFK — every symbol explained, plus how to fly them in the PMDG 737 and Fenix A320.
- GuideGarmin G1000 and G3000 Avionics Guide for MSFS 2024: The Complete Hands-On Tutorial
Master the Garmin G1000 and G3000 glass cockpit in MSFS 2024 — PFD/MFD layout, flight plans, Direct-To, autopilot modes, and loading approaches.