MD-11 always startet with engines on.

[Guest policeman]

Hi, I bougth your great MD-11, but I have one problem. Every time I startet the FS9 and use this MD-11, when I stand on the apron, the engines are still running in idel and after some second the rpm goes up. I tested it with save a flight with engines off as default flight an so one, but it is always the same. When I use after that the panel status in the PMDG-Menue, everything works fine.Roland

[downscc 1,327]

I don't understand the question.All PMDG products default start with engines running. To set up a saved flight without engines simply put her where you want her and shut down the engines. Then configure the panel for the state that you want to save (cold and dark or maybe on ground air/power with IRS ready such as a turnaround). Save this flight then you can use it next time starting from that state.

[Guest dtoensin]

I don't understand the question.All PMDG products default start with engines running. To set up a saved flight without engines simply put her where you want her and shut down the engines. Then configure the panel for the state that you want to save (cold and dark or maybe on ground air/power with IRS ready such as a turnaround). Save this flight then you can use it next time starting from that state.

I think he's saying that if you save a flight, with the engines off, as the default flight in FSX, when it's loaded the engines are always running, even if you saved, as the default, a panel with the engines off. That's the way it works for me, at least. Then you must wait for the default flight to load and initalize, during which time the engines are starting up, and then reload the saved flight or load one of the default panels like cold and dark, or short turnaround, or whatever.Donald

[downscc 1,327]

I prefer to always select something other than a complex add-on for the MSFS default flight. I quit having problems on startup.

[F.Schmid 0]

Hi!With 747 I always start on cold and dark, which is the way I like to do.I have made many tests with MD-11 like exiting flight after shutting down engines and turning off all switches and so on. The next time I load the aircraft, it has engines and all systems running.Saving a flight on MSFS menu means to restart on that specific airport. I'd like to start MD-11 on any airport I wish on cold and dark panel.Does anybody knows if this is possible and how to do it?RegardsSchmid

[Guest dtoensin]

Hi!With 747 I always start on cold and dark, which is the way I like to do.I have made many tests with MD-11 like exiting flight after shutting down engines and turning off all switches and so on. The next time I load the aircraft, it has engines and all systems running.Saving a flight on MSFS menu means to restart on that specific airport. I'd like to start MD-11 on any airport I wish on cold and dark panel.Does anybody knows if this is possible and how to do it?RegardsSchmid

It worked for me on the 747 also, but not the MD11. I'd like to have the default flight that loads when you start FSX to be one with the panel set the way I saved it. I've not been able to do it, either.

[bob34 124]

I prefer to always select something other than a complex add-on for the MSFS default flight. I quit having problems on startup.

Dan - if that's your answer you don't understand the question.The question put more simply is:Can one start the MD-11 with a cold and dark panel?It seems even if the default flight is saved with the engines shut down, next time FS is started, the MD-11 has the engines running.So - is there a CFG file somewhere a panel-state file can be specified or is there a way to designate a certain panel state to be the default when launching the MD-11?If your solution is start with the Cessna - then the PMDG answer must be no. Seems some have tried to save the panel state along with the flight after shutdown but that doesn't work.So it's either: no the PMDG doesn't start with engines off, or it does and many of us are looking for the procedure.Is there an answer?BobKMEM

[Guest abulaafia]

This has been discussed a few times in different threads. The gist of it is - as far as I understand and I hope I am not misleading anyone: The MD-11 must run through the Initialization sequence, which ends with RUNNING engines. The only way to enter cold and dark is to manually load a Cold and Dark panel state. I too would like to see the option to initialize the aircraft ending in C&D state, regardless of where I fly, which flight I load, etc. It takes away a bit of realism to load a fully powered aircraft and then selecting C&D panel state. The 744 handles that much better.M@RCTP

[downscc 1,327]

I've got several saved flights of the MD11F on a cargo ramp with engines shut down, ground air/power on. I am wondering why this is difficult?To set up the saved flight, I put her where I want her and put everything in the state I want to save (engines off, doors open, ground AGE connected etc) then save the flight. When I select the saved flight it goes through the initialization, and within a short time the engines quite spinning (they really are not running but MSFS visuals being what they are the simulation cannot force the engines to appear stationary on startup... it is just a visual thing). We tried to work this during beta but had to let MSFS have its way.I personally don't like reusing saved panel states, although I think they work better in the MD11 than they do in the 747. I prefer to create the panel state each time with the flight I am saving.

[Guest]

I also have a flight saved as default: I used the tutorial state, used the load manager to load the plane, changed some settings in the VC and saved it as default. Works like a charm... Every new flight starts the way I want to. It's not cold and dark but in transit state, but the engines are off!

[Guest dtoensin]

I've got several saved flights of the MD11F on a cargo ramp with engines shut down, ground air/power on. I am wondering why this is difficult?To set up the saved flight, I put her where I want her and put everything in the state I want to save (engines off, doors open, ground AGE connected etc) then save the flight. When I select the saved flight it goes through the initialization, and within a short time the engines quite spinning (they really are not running but MSFS visuals being what they are the simulation cannot force the engines to appear stationary on startup... it is just a visual thing). We tried to work this during beta but had to let MSFS have its way.I personally don't like reusing saved panel states, although I think they work better in the MD11 than they do in the 747. I prefer to create the panel state each time with the flight I am saving.

But I think the point is, if you do everything you say, it doesn't work as the default flight that loads when you start FS. I saved a flight, parked at the gate at KMCI with engines off, and made it the default flight. When I start FS, it loads the default flight and when I click "fly now", the engines are running. On the 747, the default flight would load with whatever panel state I had saved with it.Donald

[Guest]

Hey, well, that's weird... As I said I setup a flight with the MD-11: I did so this afternoon and after making it, I restarted FSX, tested it and it worked. I am almost 100% sure it worked. But now it doesn't and indeed my saved default flight starts with the engines running...! Weird...I now saved a new panel state. That's the easiest solution for now I guess.

[downscc 1,327]

I do not like making a complex addon the default, seems to work better if I put the hang glider in that role then select saved flights for my favorites/often used. That way if there is a problem I have a safe start to work from.

[Guest]

Yes, but it's a pity you can't change saved flights... You can only load them (Fly now) and after that you have to change things (time, place, etc. etc.) which means you usually have to load things several times. I have to say so far (although I didn't have much time to test it yet) using my default MD-11 flight and then loading my personal panelstate works great. Since most of my flights are about the same length and use the same payload, I don't have to alt-tab anymore to use the load manager too. All is setup the way I like it (millibar instead of inches, stuff on the FCP, fuel, radio's, etc. etc.). Of course it would be better if the default flight worked as it should, without the need to load a state, but so far that simply doesn't work. It must be some kind of bug, I think, because I compared the various panel states (with Notepad) and I did notice differences between states that have the engines off and the engines on (you can clearly see if an engine should be on or off). But apparently that information in the engine off states is ignored or overwritten somehow as soon as you save a flight as default... Saving a flight NOT as default saves almost everything the way it should, it seems.

[F.Schmid 0]

What I'd like to have is to always start on C&D whatever is the airport, using the already existent Cold and Dark Panel State. This feature is possible on LVLD and Wilco add-ons.To save a flight is not quite a solution for me at all. I usually fly IVAO tours and depending on the leg - distance, airport and so on - I choose different aircrafts for each one. I'd not like to take off with the MD-11 to a 40 minute flight...CheersSchmid