So there is an option to set the VFR map to automatically open at the start of a flight:
Options > Assistance > User Experience > VFR Map UI Panel Open At Start > On
If this is set to “On”, does the VFR map bug go away? If so, I will just keep it to “On” and have the VFR map automatically load at the start of a flight with this setting.
Great question… I’d do the same thing. (Even though I never use the VFR Map.) 
Yes, I just tried this and it worked. I flew with the window minimized for awhile and opened it with no problem. Then I closed it and reopened later in the flight with no problem. On a previous flight I did not open it ahead of time and then when I did I had the CTD.
That’s great info… thanks for this! Saves some frustration…
I have it set to open when the flight loads, then closed it, then opened it a couple times and thought all was well. 5 minutes later I go to open it and it crashed the sim. Maybe the trick is to leave it minimized, or I dunno stop breaking stuff.
What happens if you keep the VFR map inactive the whole time?
I was doing this since patch 2 to increase FPS.
So I just did another flight, repeating the same behavior as earlier, loading a flight with the VFR map open, and opening and closing it throughout the flight, and this time I was able to do a ~30 minute flight with no issues.
So is the tentative consensus that if we start with the VFR map open, we can later close it (not just minimize) it and reopen it without risk? I like having it on for taxi at the start and end of flights, but not otherwise.
so far… nothing. provided you do not hit v or open up the vfr map.
i have no use for th vfr map either.
That looks good, I will only be able to test it later this week.
But it will be great if I can play as normal without having to open the VFR map.
update 1 = 10 problems
update 2 = 20 problems
stop update please !!!
the sim was better on a 18 aout
we are go back on alpha 
Does not work reliably for me… Experienced CTDs even with the option set under Assistance. 
How this patch could have been released with such a known issue is beyond comprehension.
This hasn’t been my experience. Flew several flights last night, all starting with the map open. I flew some where I kept the map open, but minimized. Had no issues there. Others where I later closed it, I would open it occasionally without issue. Then just randomly I’d get CTD opening it again.
The only way you can guarantee to not CTD from the maps is to either not use it at all, or open it but keep it minimized when not needed. At least with that latter solution, I never experienced crashing.
Ok, I think I found at least the problem why the workaround did not work for me. I previously used a second screen to display the map and for that I undocked the window (to shift it to the other screen). Now the second screen is not present anymore, but the default position of the VFR-map is still on this, thus the map is not visible: in the in-game menu, it shows the VFR map as active, if I deactivate it and activate it again, it will show up on the main screen (and docked again). Sadly, if I restart the flight, it is again active but invisible. I reattached the second screen, found the map and drag-and-dropped it back to the main screen. Sadly, there was another CTD when I accidentially clicked on the undock-button (until then, I was able to fly with VFR-map minimized). Man, this is messed up…
there is a reset panels option on the cog icon. try that
Wait, what’s the bug? I rarely open the VFR map, so what happens if I don’t?
The Known issue is that opening the VFR map may cause a CTD if you don’t load it at start of flight, so you will dramatically reduce your chances of a CTD if you never use the VFR map.
If you have changed your settings to open the map by default, only use V to open or close it in flight. If you close the map using the toolbar or the X in the corner of the window, MSFS will update your default to set the map to Off by default. And then the map won’t open by default when you start a new flight.
Just got a CTD after I had the VFR map open at flight start, so having the map open at start is not a complete solution on its own. If you close the map using V after the flight start, then reopen it later then you get a CTD, although this is random. So you may need to only minimise the VFR map for the work around to stop CTDs.
Yep. Last night I set it to never open on start. I kept it closed the entire flight. 1/4 mile from the threshold on final approach, the software simply “disappeared.” This was unlike any CTD I’ve experienced to date: no freeze, no stutter, nothing locked up. Simply POOF gone from the screen as though I’d not even been running the software for nearly four hours.
Checked the temps on the silicone: mid to low 40s. Nothing stood out in the event log.
Sidenote: I have yet to complete a single IFR flight without incident. Something always goes “bump in the night.”