ForeFlight Sim Review: Using Your EFB in the Simulator
What Is ForeFlight in the Sim Context?
ForeFlight is the dominant electronic flight bag in general aviation, and its simulator integration brings that same capability into the training device. When connected to an approved ATD, ForeFlight displays your sim position on geo-referenced charts in real time, lets you build and fly flight plans, and behaves almost identically to how it works in an actual airplane.
The value proposition is simple: practice with the same tool you will use on real flights. That continuity between sim and cockpit eliminates a common friction point where students learn one workflow in the sim and a different one in the airplane.
How the Integration Works
The most direct connection runs through the EAA Pilot Proficiency Center’s Redbird LD simulators, which link to ForeFlight natively. Once paired, ForeFlight receives position data from the sim and updates charts, moving maps, and flight plan progress accordingly. You get the full EFB experience without any workarounds or third-party bridges.
Beyond the Redbird connection, ForeFlight’s flight planning tools are useful even without a live sim link. Students can build routes, review approach plates, and study airspace before stepping into the device. Using ForeFlight as the planning tool for sim sessions builds habits that transfer directly to preflight planning for real flights.
Who Benefits Most
Student pilots who already subscribe to ForeFlight, or who plan to use it once they start flying real aircraft, gain the most from this integration. The sim becomes a place to build EFB proficiency alongside stick-and-rudder skills, rather than treating them as separate domains.
Flight schools running Redbird ATDs should also take note. Encouraging students to bring ForeFlight into sim sessions creates a more realistic training environment and reduces the adjustment period when students transition to the airplane.
Verdict
ForeFlight’s sim integration is not a standalone product; it is an extension of the tool most GA pilots already carry. That is exactly what makes it worth using. The geo-referenced charts and real-time position tracking add realism to ATD sessions, and the habit-building aspect is hard to overstate. If you fly with ForeFlight in the airplane, you should be using it in the sim too.