I plan them via flightplanner software and by using paper charts as well, Aerosoft publishes their sceneries often with hardprint booklets with Jeppesens or such. I only use major airports I have special sceneries for, around three dozen destinations across Europe, and over distances so that between top of climb and top of descent there usually are not more than 15-20 minutes of time with nothing to do. It is not interesting to fly for hours on travel altitude, and doing nothing. I calculate 20 minutes flight and fuel planning, 15-20 minutes cockpit preparation, boarding, taxing, 40-60 minutes of flying until taxiing at destination again. Rarely I do longer flioghts of 2 hours duration or so. I exclusively fly from and towards addon airports focussing on Europe. I also use area scenery for the Balearic Islands and Iceland, online weather, and weather and environment texture replacements. I do not waste system resources for other ground-imrpooving addons, becasue at 30000 feet I do not see that anyway. But addon airports are important and add tremendously to the experience, since then you are close to the ground or on the ground for sure. This, and a visually good weather simulation are musts for me.
In FS9, I even used the 747 and 767 for short flights only, that is unrealistic, I know, but the sim allows to do so, and flying over the Atlantic for 8 hours does not hold any attraction for me. With the JS4100 and 737 however, the distances that I fly are perfectly matched.
My network of serviced destinations:
