Checklist Creation Guide

SimEFB loads aircraft checklists from JSON files on your server. This guide explains the exact format, every field, and how to create and host your own checklists for any aircraft.

How It Works

When the app starts, it fetches index.json from your server's /data/ directory. This file lists all available aircraft. When a user selects an aircraft, the app fetches that aircraft's individual JSON file containing all checklists.

App fetches /data/index.json → gets list of aircraft
User picks an aircraft (e.g. "Airbus A320 Family")
App fetches /data/a320.json → gets all checklists for that aircraft
Checklists are displayed grouped by flight phase

File Structure

/data/ ├── index.json # Aircraft catalogue (required) ├── index.json.php # PHP wrapper for CORS ├── a320.json # A320 checklists ├── a320.json.php # PHP wrapper for CORS ├── a330.json # A330 checklists ├── a330.json.php ├── b737.json # B737 checklists ├── b737.json.php ├── b777.json # B777 checklists ├── b777.json.php └── version.json # App version info

Each aircraft has two files: the .json data file and a .json.php wrapper that adds CORS headers so the app can fetch it.

index.json — Aircraft Catalogue

This is the main entry point. It lists every aircraft available on your server.

json — index.json

{
  "server_name": "My Custom Checklists",
  "version": "1.0",
  "last_updated": "2026-02-11",
  "checklists": [
    {
      "id": "a320",
      "aircraft": "Airbus A320 Family",
      "aircraft_code": "A320 Family",
      "description": "A320 Family Normal Procedures",
      "url": "a320.json.php",
      "version": "1.4",
      "premium": false
    },
    {
      "id": "b737",
      "aircraft": "Boeing 737-800",
      "aircraft_code": "B738",
      "description": "737-800 Normal Procedures",
      "url": "b737.json.php",
      "version": "1.0",
      "premium": true
    }
  ]
}

index.json Field Reference

Field	Type	Description
`server_name`	string REQ	Display name of your checklist server. Shown in the app.
`version`	string REQ	Version of your checklist catalogue (e.g. `"1.0"`).
`last_updated`	string REQ	Date of last update in `YYYY-MM-DD` format.
`checklists`	array REQ	Array of aircraft entries (see below).

Aircraft Entry Fields

Field	Type	Description
`id`	string REQ	Unique identifier. Use lowercase, no spaces (e.g. `"a320"`, `"crj700"`).
`aircraft`	string REQ	Full display name (e.g. `"Airbus A320 Family"`).
`aircraft_code`	string REQ	ICAO type code or short label (e.g. `"A320 Family"`, `"B738"`).
`description`	string REQ	Short description shown below the aircraft name.
`url`	string REQ	Filename of the checklist JSON (e.g. `"a320.json.php"`). Relative to `/data/`.
`version`	string REQ	Version of this specific checklist file.
`premium`	boolean OPT	`true` = requires Pro access. Default: `false`.

Aircraft Checklist JSON

Each aircraft has its own JSON file containing all checklists organized by flight phase.

json — a320.json (structure)

{
  "version": "1.4",
  "aircraft": "Airbus A320 Family",
  "aircraft_code": "A320 Family",
  "source": "SimEFB",
  "last_updated": "2026-02-06",
  "checklists": [
    {
      "id": "cockpit_prep",
      "name": "COCKPIT PREPARATION",
      "phase": "cockpit_preparation",
      "category": "normal",
      "items": [
        { "challenge": "GEAR PINS & COVERS", "response": "REMOVED" },
        { "challenge": "FUEL QUANTITY", "response": "______" },
        { "challenge": "SEAT BELTS", "response": "ON" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "before_start",
      "name": "BEFORE START",
      "phase": "before_start",
      "category": "normal",
      "items": [ ... ]
    }
  ]
}

Top-Level Fields

Field	Type	Description
`version`	string REQ	Version of this checklist file. Should match the version in `index.json`.
`aircraft`	string REQ	Full aircraft name.
`aircraft_code`	string REQ	ICAO type designator or short code.
`source`	string OPT	Source of the procedures (e.g. `"FCOM"`, `"QRH"`, `"SimEFB"`).
`last_updated`	string REQ	Date in `YYYY-MM-DD` format.
`checklists`	array REQ	Array of checklist objects (one per flight phase).

Flight Phases

Each checklist belongs to a flight phase. The app groups and orders checklists by phase. Use these exact values for the phase field:

Phase Value	Display Name	Description
`cockpit_preparation`	COCKPIT PREPARATION	Initial cockpit setup, before anything else
`before_start`	BEFORE START	Pre-engine start checks
`after_start`	AFTER START	Post-engine start checks
`taxi`	TAXI	Before/during taxi to runway
`line_up`	LINE UP	On the runway, before takeoff
`approach`	APPROACH	Approach preparation
`landing`	LANDING	Final landing checks
`after_landing`	AFTER LANDING	Post-touchdown procedures
`parking`	PARKING	At the gate/stand
`securing_the_aircraft`	SECURING THE AIRCRAFT	Final shutdown

Checklist Object Fields

Field	Type	Description
`id`	string REQ	Unique ID within this file (e.g. `"cockpit_prep"`).
`name`	string REQ	Display name, uppercase (e.g. `"BEFORE START"`).
`phase`	string REQ	One of the phase values from the table above.
`category`	string REQ	Always `"normal"` for standard procedures.
`items`	array REQ	Array of checklist item objects.

Checklist Items

Each item in a checklist represents one challenge/response pair. This is what the user sees and checks off.

json — item examples

// Standard item (challenge + response)
{ "challenge": "PARKING BRAKE", "response": "SET" }

// Item with a fill-in value (underscore = pilot fills in)
{ "challenge": "FUEL QUANTITY", "response": "______ KG" }

// Item with both-pilots confirmation
{ "challenge": "BARO REF", "response": "_____ (BOTH)" }

// Note item (informational, no response expected)
{ "challenge": "AUTO BRK MAX", "response": "", "is_note": true }

// Note with dash prefix (common Airbus style)
{ "challenge": "- SPLRS ARM", "response": "", "is_note": true }

Field	Type	Description
`challenge`	string REQ	The item label / challenge text. Uppercase recommended.
`response`	string REQ	Expected response. Use `"______"` for fill-in values. Empty string for notes.
`is_note`	boolean OPT	If `true`, displayed as an informational note instead of a checkable item. Default: `false`.

Notes (is_note)

Notes are items that appear in the checklist but are not checkable. They're displayed differently — usually as dimmer text without a checkbox. Use them for:

ECAM memo items (things the pilot verifies visually, not calls out)
Reminders ("AUTO BRK MAX", "CABIN READY")
Conditional notes ("IF ICE: ENGINE ANTI-ICE ON")

TIP

Prefix notes with a dash ("- SPLRS ARM") to match the Airbus ECAM memo style. This is purely cosmetic but looks more authentic.

Full Example — CRJ-700

Here's a complete example for a fictional CRJ-700 checklist with 3 phases:

json — crj700.json

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "aircraft": "Bombardier CRJ-700",
  "aircraft_code": "CRJ7",
  "source": "Community",
  "last_updated": "2026-02-11",
  "checklists": [
    {
      "id": "cockpit_prep",
      "name": "COCKPIT PREPARATION",
      "phase": "cockpit_preparation",
      "category": "normal",
      "items": [
        { "challenge": "BATTERY", "response": "ON" },
        { "challenge": "EMERGENCY LIGHTS", "response": "ARMED" },
        { "challenge": "FUEL QUANTITY", "response": "______ LBS" },
        { "challenge": "PARKING BRAKE", "response": "SET" },
        { "challenge": "EXT POWER", "response": "AS RQRD" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "before_start",
      "name": "BEFORE START",
      "phase": "before_start",
      "category": "normal",
      "items": [
        { "challenge": "DOORS", "response": "CLOSED" },
        { "challenge": "BEACON", "response": "ON" },
        { "challenge": "THRUST LEVERS", "response": "IDLE" },
        { "challenge": "ANTI-ICE", "response": "AS RQRD" },
        { "challenge": "DEPARTURE BRIEFING", "response": "COMPLETED" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "taxi",
      "name": "TAXI",
      "phase": "taxi",
      "category": "normal",
      "items": [
        { "challenge": "FLIGHT CONTROLS", "response": "FREE & CORRECT" },
        { "challenge": "FLAPS", "response": "______ SET" },
        { "challenge": "TRIM", "response": "______ SET" },
        { "challenge": "TRANSPONDER", "response": "TA/RA" },
        { "challenge": "- TAKEOFF BRIEFING", "response": "", "is_note": true },
        { "challenge": "- CABIN SECURE", "response": "", "is_note": true }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

And the matching entry in index.json:

json — add to index.json checklists array

{
  "id": "crj700",
  "aircraft": "Bombardier CRJ-700",
  "aircraft_code": "CRJ7",
  "description": "CRJ-700 Normal Procedures",
  "url": "crj700.json.php",
  "version": "1.0",
  "premium": false
}

Adding a Custom Aircraft

Step by step:

Create your checklist JSON file (e.g. crj700.json) in the /data/ directory
Create the PHP wrapper (e.g. crj700.json.php) — see below
Add an entry to the checklists array in index.json
Update index.json's last_updated date
Done — the app will show the new aircraft on next refresh

Serving Checklist Files

The app fetches checklists via HTTP. Files live in your web server's /data/ directory. The .json.php wrappers exist to add CORS headers so the app can fetch them from a different domain.

PHP Wrapper File

Every .json file needs a matching .json.php wrapper. They all look the same:

php — crj700.json.php

<?php
header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *");
header("Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, OPTIONS");
header("Content-Type: application/json");
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'OPTIONS') {
    http_response_code(200);
    exit();
}
readfile(__DIR__ . "/crj700.json");

WHY PHP WRAPPERS?

The Flutter app runs on a different origin than your server. Without CORS headers, the browser blocks the request. The PHP wrapper adds Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * to every response. The url field in index.json points to the .json.php file, not the raw .json.

Alternative: Nginx CORS

If your Nginx config already adds CORS headers for the /data/ directory, you can skip the PHP wrappers and point url directly to the .json files. Example Nginx config:

nginx

location /data/ {
    add_header Access-Control-Allow-Origin * always;
    add_header Access-Control-Allow-Methods "GET, OPTIONS" always;
    try_files $uri =404;
}

With this, you can set "url": "a320.json" directly in index.json.

Testing Your Checklists

Before using in the app, verify your JSON is valid:

Validate JSON syntax — paste your file into jsonlint.com to catch missing commas, brackets, etc.
Test the URL — open https://yourdomain.com/data/crj700.json.php in a browser. You should see the raw JSON.
Check CORS — in the browser dev tools (F12 → Network tab), verify the response has Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *.
Test in app — restart SimEFB or pull-to-refresh the aircraft list. Your new aircraft should appear.

Premium Flag

Set "premium": true in the aircraft entry in index.json to restrict access to Pro users. Non-Pro users will see the aircraft but get a "Pro Required" message when trying to open it.

                    json
                
{
  "id": "b777",
  "aircraft": "Boeing 777-300ER",
  "aircraft_code": "B77W",
  "description": "PMDG 777-300ER Normal Procedures",
  "url": "b777.json.php",
  "version": "1.0",
  "premium": true
}

Versioning

The app uses version numbers to detect updates:

index.json version — bump this when you add/remove aircraft
Aircraft entry version — bump when you update a specific aircraft's checklists
Checklist file version — should match the entry in index.json

IMPORTANT

When you update a checklist, make sure to bump the version in both the aircraft's JSON file and the matching entry in index.json. If they don't match, the app may serve a cached version.

Best Practices

Uppercase text — all challenge and response text should be UPPERCASE to match real aviation style
Use underscores for fill-ins — "______" tells the pilot they need to fill in a value
(BOTH) — add this when both pilots must verify/set the item
Keep phases ordered — put checklists in the order they're used during a real flight
One file per aircraft — don't combine multiple aircraft in one JSON file
Validate before deploying — a single missing comma breaks the entire file
Use descriptive IDs — "before_start" not "bs1"
Source your procedures — use the source field to credit FCOM, QRH, or community contributions

NEED HELP?

Have questions about creating checklists? Contact us at simefb.com/contact