All aircraft start with instruments off and engines stopped

I just recently re-installed FSX as I needed to reformat and re-install everything.

 

Since then (didn't really notice it before) whatever aircraft I select when the 'game' starts the 'glass cockpit' gauges are blank and the engines stopped (like a cold start) and I need to press CTRL plus E which lights up the gauges and starts the first engine.

Is this normal?

Are there any settings which can be applied so that an aircraft starts up with engines running?

Thanks

Try starting the engines and saving the flight, then every time you load the flight the plane should be warm, alive and eager to go like a girlfriend waiting for you jump aboard

Tried that (started a flight, got the engines idling and then exited and saved the flight but next time everything is back to what is was - no engines etc).

 

 

BUT then I googled How to startup an aircraft Cold and Dark (the reverse of what I want) and found that you were partly correct. Once the aircraft is configured the way you want it you press the ";" key and then save the flight and make it the default flight. I didn't know about pressing the ";" key and had exited back to the previous screen and then saved the flight. This obviously stripped the way I had configured the aircraft.

 

Funny thing though is that I cannot remember (in fact I am sure I didn't) set the aircraft up in a cold and dark state before I saved the flight before.

Funny thing though is that I cannot remember (in fact I am sure I didn't) set the aircraft up in a cold and dark state before I saved the flight before.

 

Only one way to find out: load your default flight.

I'm pretty sure you saved it with engines off.

 

Wim

The good news is that a cold dark start doesn't really matter with many aircraft, especially lightplanes, as hitting Ctrl E will instantly start the prop whirling with no delay.

Single-engine jets usually start up quick too, but big multi-engined airliners (prop and jet) can take much longer because after Ctrl E you have to sit twiddling your thumbs as each engine starts up one after the other.

Tip- with big jet airliners go to external view and pan around to look at the front of the engine pods to see the turbines spinning to confirm the engines are working, then wait another 10 seconds or so to give them time to spool up to a healthy whine.

Some turbo-prop aircraft (including single-engine ones) can also take some time to start after Ctrl E and you might think the keys had no effect, so wait a while and you'll hear the whine get louder before the prop starts to spin.

You could also restore the original default flight (ultralight over friday harbor).

 

with fsx shut down, open the fsx.cfg file.

look for the [uSERINTERFACE] -section.

 

find the line:

Situation="name of your saved default flight"

 

change that to:

Situation=

 

Then start fsx, your default flight will be back to the original flight: ultralight over friday harbor.

Thanks for the replies and advice.

 

With the B737-800 (favourite jet airliner) with the engines stopped it would seem like forever for both engines to be started and idling.

CTRL-E would make the engine starter engage but it would then just sit there for quite some time (looking front on in the external view) with the engine slowing spinning and then after quite some time there was a puff of black smoke from the rear of the engine and then it would start to spool up.

Then after what appeared almost forever and many presses of CTRL-E the other engine would start to turn and once again after quite some time (almost ready to give up that the engine wasn't going to start) a puff of black smoke from the rear of that engine and it would start to spool up.

Having flown many times in real aircraft and noting the engine start up after push back it seems that my FSX B737-800 took much longer to start up than real aircraft. Is this what is the 'norm' with this FSX aircraft?

 

Any way I now have it all sorted out and my default flights start with engines idling.

 

Thanks again

"Tried that (started a flight, got the engines idling and then exited and saved the flight"

 

Save the flight WHILE IN THE AIRCRAFT using the ; key.

 

-Pv-

Make sure you check the box "make this the default flight".