Navigraph Academy Expands With Free Instrument Flying Course for Flight Simmers

Navigraph has expanded its free Navigraph Academy training platform with a new course focused on Instrument Flying, giving sim pilots a structured path into IFR procedures, instrument scans, flight planning, and ILS approaches.




The new course, released on May 19, 2026, is the second course to arrive in Navigraph Academy and is designed specifically for flight simulation. It includes three video-based lessons supported by 3D graphics and visualizations, with practical training aimed at helping simmers understand not just how IFR procedures are flown, but why they are used in real-world aviation.




The course covers core instrument flying skills including the basic-T instrument scan, aircraft control without outside visual reference, RNAV flight planning using SIDs and airways, and briefing and flying an ILS approach down to minimums. Navigraph says users can also practice the material through dedicated in-sim missions in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.




While the interactive in-sim training and missions are built for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024, the video lessons are available to flight simmers on any platform. That makes the course useful whether you are flying Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D, or simply looking to sharpen your IFR knowledge from the ground-school side of the hangar.




Alongside the new Instrument Flying course, Navigraph has also upgraded the Academy experience with live moving maps, improved maneuver analysis, better mobile and tablet support, and a smoother flow from briefing to flight to debrief. Completing the lessons and associated training allows users to earn a Navigraph Academy Instrument Qualification badge.




Navigraph Academy remains free to use, with the Instrument Flying course now available through the Academy website. Lessons are also downloadable through Navigraph Hub, and Navigraph says the new videos are available on its YouTube channel.




For sim pilots looking to move beyond fair-weather sightseeing and into the cloudy, needle-chasing world of IFR flying, this new course looks like a useful addition to the virtual flight bag.



via: https://news.skyblueradio.com/2026/05/21/navigraph-academy-expands-with-free-instrument-flying-course-for-flight-simmers/