This has probably been covered already, but I couldn't find it under any search parameters. I would like to configure my FS2004's aircraft to be OFF when I start up...in other words, I consider it unrealistic when I start my session and the plane's already running. I'd like to go into a session with a plane that's completely off: No lights, no engines on, masters all off. How do I go about doing this? I'm trying to make my experience as realistic as possible. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

This has probably been covered already, but I couldn't find it under any search parameters. I would like to configure my FS2004's aircraft to be OFF when I start up...in other words, I consider it unrealistic when I start my session and the plane's already running. I'd like to go into a session with a plane that's completely off: No lights, no engines on, masters all off. How do I go about doing this? I'm trying to make my experience as realistic as possible. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Very simple - just shut down all engines, lights, avionics, etc. manually prior to exiting Flight Simulator and make your previous flight the default flight in the menu options. Your plane will be exactly how you left it, where you left it.

This has probably been covered already, but I couldn't find it under any search parameters. I would like to configure my FS2004's aircraft to be OFF when I start up...in other words, I consider it unrealistic when I start my session and the plane's already running. I'd like to go into a session with a plane that's completely off: No lights, no engines on, masters all off. How do I go about doing this? I'm trying to make my experience as realistic as possible. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

It is fairly simple to do.Set up a flight with the engines off and all switches as you mention off - i.e. cold and dark. Save that flight (the semi colon is the shortcut) and on the Save dialogue, put a tick in the box near the bottom which says "make this the default flight".Exit FS and restart it. That newly saved flight should now be presented to you as the the default flight on the Create a Flight screen.Any aircraft which you now select to fly will have the "cold and dark" parameters passed on to it.Be aware that not all aircraft will have a master battery switch on the panel so it is possible for the aircraft you select to suffer a crash after 10 or 15 minutes as the battery (which never got turned on) has been drained.Hope this helps. :(

...and don't turn off avionics. There's quite a few freeware and payware add-ons out there that do not have an avionics switch and/or require avionics to be on in the default flight set-up.

...and don't turn off avionics. There's quite a few freeware and payware add-ons out there that do not have an avionics switch and/or require avionics to be on in the default flight set-up.

Good point!This can really be a "catch 22" situation.This entire subject is discussed at some length in Issues 17 and 19 of my Tips and Tricks for FS2004 series.http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...&DLID=77255andhttp://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...&DLID=80761Hope this helps. :(

...and don't turn off avionics. There's quite a few freeware and payware add-ons out there that do not have an avionics switch and/or require avionics to be on in the default flight set-up.

Easily remedied by assigning a keystroke/combo to the Avionics switch to compensate for panels without them. The OP indicated he wanted realism and realism to me means manual control of everything manually controlled or switched in the real aircraft - at least to the extent possible in Flight Simulator. I assign keys for avionics and also for generator/alternator as some panels don't have them either.

Easily remedied by assigning a keystroke/combo to the Avionics switch to compensate for panels without them. The OP indicated he wanted realism and realism to me means manual control of everything manually controlled or switched in the real aircraft - at least to the extent possible in Flight Simulator. I assign keys for avionics and also for generator/alternator as some panels don't have them either.

Good Tip !For the benefit of the OP (and anyone else who may want to know) those two items can be assigned a keyboard combination from the Settings/Assignments dialogue. :(

Thank you! I'll definitely do that.Now I'm at home, sitting and eagerly awaiting my new Saitek Switch Panel :(

Thank you! I'll definitely do that.Now I'm at home, sitting and eagerly awaiting my new Saitek Switch Panel :(

Oh - I thought the Saitek switch was only FSX compatible, not FS2004?