What it is: A SID links the runway departure to the wider en-route structure, usually through named fixes, altitude constraints and turns that keep traffic organised and clear of terrain or noise-sensitive areas. In sims, you will usually select one in the flight planner, FMC or EFB when departing from a larger airport.
In practice: After take-off, the SID tells you which heading, waypoint sequence and restrictions to follow until ATC vectors you elsewhere or clears you to continue as filed. Depending on the aircraft and simulator, it may be flown automatically through LNAV/VNAV, or manually by following charts and basic autopilot modes. A mismatch between the chosen runway, navdata cycle and loaded procedure can cause broken routing, missing waypoints or incorrect turns, so checking the chart against what the aircraft has loaded matters.
Key considerations:
