someone explain 'system time' in FS ?

[michal 44]

I have this option set at 'system time' (rather than flight time). My PC is set correctly to the Pacific time zone (now about 12:25 PM) which is GMT - 8. But how come when I start at my local airport (say KOAK or KSFO) the time shown is 8:25 AM ?? When I start at KJFK it is 11:25 PM. It makes very little sense to me. There is some mysterious shift of 4 hours which I can't figure out.Michael J.http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

[Guest]

I may be wrong but I think you are not experiencing an error.When you start up FS it begins normally in Chicago therefore it assumes that your system clock time is the time in Chicago, which is central time. You then move your plane to Oakland or SFO and FS adjust the FS clock accordingly moving it to Pacific Time, as it would be at that moment based on your system time now reflecting the time in Chicago.You would think that MS could fix this at a minimum allowing each user to define say one to four extra time zones for FS to store, that way one could set it for their home airfield or just allow the option for FS to set system time upon loading up a new airfield, also I wish FS would allow us to set the startup airfield to our personal preference w/o having to save a flight or save last flight.There is too much of a chance, especially if you are constantly adding and moving planes etc

[Guest Lindy]

JP.... set up your startup flight situation the way you want it and then save it as the default flight. Then whenever you start up FS, you'll automatically default to that flight. My "default" set up is with the Hughes 500D chopper at Avsim Base, an Alaska bush flying scenery.Mike.......I'm not so sure you're NOT experiencing some error. My machine is set for my local time, Eastern Standard. When I load up, my default scenery (as above) will reflect the correct time in Alaska even though my "local" ES time may be 5 p.m. Unfortunately, I don't have any advice for you, so I guess I'm not much help. Sorry :-shyMaybe someone else??? (she asks hopefully)-Lindy :-wave

[Guest UweR]

@JP "...also I wish FS would allow us to set the startup airfield to our personal preference w/o having to save a flight or save last flight."It does, just start up FS with "Show opening screen" in general settings enabled.@Michael I always start with the opening screen (default Meigs situation) and continue from there on. Flight time is 14.30 PM, system time is my local time (23.40 PM right now). If I switch to another departure from there on, my time is adjusted according to the applicable time shift. Works with any other start-up flight as well afaik.Regards, Uwe

[michal 44]

Uwe, Lindy, all ...You are all RIGHT.It has to do with the default scenario. Since my default scenario was at Prince Juliana's airport on the island of St.Maarten - therefore the 4 hour shift. The Carribbean time was synched with my "real" PC time but anything else (say San Francisco) was obvioulsy 4 hours earlier.OK, thanks everyone - mystery solved.Michael J.http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

[Guest Stamatis]

Well, mystery may be solved for you, but in my setup FS2002 is set to a day before the current day!No matter what I do, the FS calendar shows one day before current.Time is spot on, depending on where I happen to be of course.RegardsStamatis

[Guest]

It is a bug, lots of people have the same problem and I have never heard of a fix for it :-(http://www.geocities.co.jp/HiTeens-Panda/5...sig20021226.gif

[Guest Dean]

I used to think this function in FS2K2 was right until I saw Michael's post and decided to take a closer look. I'm in Dallas which is central time and my default airport is Meigs, also central time. At startup the setup screen at Meigs correctly sets the time to match my system time, say 10:30AM. If I choose SFO, the time changes to 7:30AM. If I then select DAL, it incorrectly sets the time to 9:30AM. At least I can figure out what time it is in FS2K2. Fly uses UTC time, I never know what time it really is. :-lol Dean

[Guest Stamatis]

Yeah, but what about the date? :-)Stamatis

[Guest Dean]

Stamatis,Both date and time are correct at startup on my system. It's only after changing to different time zones and then back to Central time within the FS2K2 flight setup page that the time changes incorrectly. However, now I'm really confused about how date & time are determined by Windows. I tried changing time zones in Windows setup from Central Time (GMT-6hrs) to Athens Time zone (GMT+2hrs) to see the effect that might have on FS. Neither the date or time changed from what I had previously set for my system time so I guess I don't understand the need to tell Windows what time zone you are in. Dean Karis

[Guest Stamatis]

Thank you Dean.My computer clock is showing the correct Date/Time, but inside FS, its own "calendar" is always one day back. My Startup Flight is in Nice, France (don't ask me why :-))Nothing serious, a trivial bug, but what intrigues me is how come some of us have it and others don't :-)"Neither the date or time changed from what I had previously set for my system time so I guess I don't understand the need to tell Windows what time zone you are in."My understanding is that when System Time is specified, FS will use your current system time, period. It will not calculate your local offset from UTC and either add or subtract the difference. It will simply use your System Time as the Local Time in FS (Emphasis on Local)If you now move to another location, FS will adjust the time to reflect the time difference.But at startup, as long as System Time is specified, it will simply and purely use your computer time as the Local Time at the location where your startup Flight puts you at.Stamatis

[Guest]

Stamatis is spot on,and that's why you better set your default flight at an airport that's located in the same time zone you are in real life