The last decade of advancements in home computer technology and hardware has allowed flight simulation to reach a level that used to be reserved only for million dollar training programs available to real pilots, military and commercial.
However, even with the increased realism flight simulator brings to flight simulator enthusiasts, it is still up to the flight simmer to find as many ways as he/she can to bring more immersion to the flight simulator experience, too.
One way they can do this is by using SID and STAR charts.
A SID (Standard Instrument Departure) and STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Procedure) are official routes used by real world pilots. They are freely available on the internet from various sites (links below) and they are like road maps for the sky. Real world airways are made up of interconnected way points that comprise various SID and STAR routes.
An ancillary part of SID and STAR routes are Approach Plates. Approach Plates are what real pilots use when approaching the runways to airports. They give vital information like the altitude of obstacles that might surround the airport/runway like mountains, trees, antenna towers, etc. They also list altitude points where a plane should ideally be as it descends to the runway. Most important, they list crucial information like the ILS frequency and type of ILS the airport is equipped with. They also list the true course heading of the runway that is used to align the plane during an ILS approach.
I highly recommend virtual pilots print out real SID, STAR and Approach Plates when planning and flying virtual routes. Not only will it enhance the experience, but it will keep the immersion level constant because they will not have to pause the simulation and look up the ILS frequency, for example.
Links to SID, STAR and Approach Plates:
Aeroplanner.com
For more in-depth explanations of how to read SID, STAR and Approach Plates, I recommend searching Youtube.com for various video tutorials.
