CRAFT: The Essential IFR Clearance System Every Flight Sim Pilot Should Know

March 7, 2026

If you’re flying IFR in Microsoft Flight Simulator, there’s one acronym that will immediately transform your experience from “button-pressing” to genuine airline-style realism: CRAFT. Whether you’re departing LIRF on a rainy morning or pushing back from EGLL on a busy transatlantic slot, understanding CRAFT is the key to handling ATC clearances like a real-world pilot.

What Is CRAFT?

CRAFT is a mnemonic used by instrument-rated pilots worldwide to decode and write down an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) clearance issued by Air Traffic Control before departure. It breaks a fast-spoken, dense radio message into five clearly identifiable pieces of information. Each letter stands for:

C – Clearance Limit: the furthest point to which you are authorized to fly — almost always your destination airport
R – Route: the exact path ATC wants you to follow, including SIDs, airways, and waypoints
A – Altitude: the initial altitude to maintain after departure, often with a second, higher altitude to expect later
F – Frequency: the departure or center frequency you must contact once airborne
T – Transponder Code: the four-digit squawk code that identifies your aircraft on ATC radar

Why It Matters in Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 features a fully functional ATC system capable of issuing real IFR clearances complete with all five CRAFT elements. Many simmers either skip the ATC entirely or just click “acknowledge” without actually reading the clearance — and that’s a missed opportunity for incredible realism.

Using CRAFT forces you to slow down, act like a real pilot, and engage with the simulation on a much deeper level. It trains you to listen critically, transcribe accurately, and read back correctly — the same habits real-world pilots spend hours perfecting in instrument training.

Breaking Down a Real-World Example

Here’s a typical IFR clearance you might hear at departure, with CRAFT applied:

“Skyhawk 123AB, cleared to Orlando Executive Airport via the Miami Five Departure, radar vectors to Victory, then as filed. Maintain 3,000, expect 6,000 five minutes after departure. Departure frequency 124.7, squawk 4521.”

Let’s decode it with CRAFT:

Letter	Element	From the clearance
C	Clearance Limit	Orlando Executive Airport (KORL)
R	Route	Miami Five Departure, radar vectors to Victory, then as filed
A	Altitude	Maintain 3,000; expect 6,000 in 5 minutes
F	Frequency	Departure 124.7
T	Transponder	Squawk 4521

The correct pilot readback would be: “Cleared to Orlando Executive, Miami Five Departure, radar vectors to Victory, then as filed. Maintain 3,000, expect 6,000 after five minutes. Departure 124.7, squawk 4521. Skyhawk 123AB.”

How to Use CRAFT in MSFS

Here’s a practical workflow you can apply on every IFR flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator:

Before requesting clearance, prepare a simple notepad (physical or digital) with five labeled lines: C / R / A / F / T
Request your IFR clearance via the ATC menu or, if using a tool like Pilot2ATC or vPilot on VATSIM, via voice
Listen carefully to the full clearance message and fill in each field as it’s spoken
Cross-check the route against what you filed in SimBrief or the in-sim flight planner
Read back the full clearance before clicking “acknowledge” — even if you’re flying solo offline, it trains the habit
Set your transponder squawk code in the aircraft panel and tune your COM radio to the departure frequency before pushing the throttle forward

C, R, A, F, T — A Closer Look

C — Clearance Limit

In most flights this is simply your destination airport. However, in situations with heavy traffic or weather, ATC may clear you only to an intermediate fix or waypoint, instructing you to hold there until further authorization. In MSFS, this rarely happens on offline ATC, but it’s a standard procedure on VATSIM or IVAO networks where human controllers are in charge.

R — Route

This is the heart of your clearance. The route may perfectly match your filed flight plan — in which case ATC will say “cleared as filed” — or it may include a different SID, a revised airway, or radar vectors. In MSFS, always verify the route given matches what’s loaded in your FMC or GPS. A mismatch here can take you miles off course.

A — Altitude

You’ll typically receive an initial departure altitude and an expected cruise altitude with a time frame, such as “maintain 5,000, expect FL200 ten minutes after departure”. The initial altitude takes immediate priority. Never climb past it without further clearance. In the sim, this is directly reflected in your autopilot’s initial altitude selector.

F — Frequency

This is the frequency of the departure controller you’ll contact right after takeoff. Before rolling, load it into your standby COM1 or active COM2 so you can switch instantly without fumbling in the cockpit. In MSFS this is often handled automatically, but manually setting it adds a realistic layer to your pre-departure flow.

T — Transponder Code

The squawk code lets ATC identify your aircraft on radar. Enter it into your transponder and set the mode to ALT (altitude reporting) before departure. In some contexts, the T can also stand for Void Time — a deadline by which you must be airborne, or the clearance expires. This is common at non-towered airports.

CRAFT on VATSIM and IVAO

If you fly on VATSIM or IVAO — the online networks where human controllers manage real-time traffic — CRAFT becomes absolutely indispensable. Controllers speak at real-world speed. You won’t get a convenient on-screen menu: it’s pure voice, live, with no pause button.

Experienced online pilots prepare their CRAFT notesheet before even connecting to the network, pre-filling the expected route from their SimBrief OFP. When clearance delivery opens the frequency, they’re ready. Missing a squawk code or a departure frequency on VATSIM leads to real confusion — and real consequences for traffic flow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced simmers make these errors when working with IFR clearances:

Not writing it down — relying on memory during a busy cockpit flow is a recipe for errors
Skipping the readback — readback is how errors get caught before they matter
Ignoring the initial altitude — climbing straight to cruise altitude without authorization is a serious deviation
Wrong squawk code — entering 7700 (emergency) or 7500 (hijack) by mistake will cause issues on VATSIM; always double-check
Tuning the wrong frequency — set it before takeoff, not while climbing through 2,000 feet

Make CRAFT a Pre-Departure Ritual

The beauty of CRAFT is its simplicity. Five letters, five pieces of information, zero ambiguity. Print a small CRAFT template card and place it next to your monitor. Use it on every single IFR departure, even on short hops between nearby airports. Over time, the structure becomes second nature — and your ATC interactions will start sounding exactly like the real pilots you hear on LiveATC.

Flying with CRAFT helps develop the mental discipline that makes you a better flight simulator pilot, more focused and more immersed in the experience. And in a simulator as detailed as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, it’s that discipline that makes the difference between a good session and a truly memorable one.

Clear skies, and squawk VFR only when you mean it.