If I have enough time and I'm flying an airliner ... sometimes. Lately I've been thinking that a totally cold and dark cockpit is probably not all that common, so I've been setting up my flights (if possible through a config program, for example) to a point just before engine start.For GA aircraft ... yes.

Generally, I'll already have some systems running, so I just set up my flight plan and autopilot, push back, and start the engines.

I try to simulate the flight schedules of the companies I 'fly' for.. Siberia/Aeroflot/British Airways.. So I would sometimes just shut down the LDS 767 completely before I start my next flight depending on the schedule, or I would leave it on External power and air and have most systems off.Starting in cold and dark is always fun, though I prefer to simulate situations to the max. :D

Cold and dark or what ever, here's something that can not be done in Flight Simulator: the preflight walk-a-round; the methodical, visual look-see before you get on board. In the real flying world this is serious and very important.Roger

Cold and dark here as well. But since i fly GAs 90% of the time, it's not a very long procedure.I do wish FS would simulate more failures, or stuff that make checklists actually worth the time (i know there is a failure setting, but you can't spot those using the checklist). Most of the checklist stuff IRL are for safety (such as checking flight controls, nuts and bolts on flaps, water in the fuel, lights, etc. The actual starting of an engine is pretty fast (in GAs that is)...the other stuff (safety) can take up to 15-20min to check and double check. In FS however, all the safety stuff is pretty much useless. It'll be so cool to miss a safety check list, to only find out at 5,000ft that your pitot heater isn't working, or that you forgot to check the oil level in the engine...-feng

nope. i always start with isystems on

I always do cold and dark if I'm only doing a single flight. If I plan on flying an entire sequence, I do cold and dark for the first flight, then leave everything running for the next legs.

Cold and dark here as well. But since i fly GAs 90% of the time, it's not a very long procedure.I do wish FS would simulate more failures, or stuff that make checklists actually worth the time (i know there is a failure setting, but you can't spot those using the checklist). Most of the checklist stuff IRL are for safety (such as checking flight controls, nuts and bolts on flaps, water in the fuel, lights, etc. The actual starting of an engine is pretty fast (in GAs that is)...the other stuff (safety) can take up to 15-20min to check and double check. In FS however, all the safety stuff is pretty much useless. It'll be so cool to miss a safety check list, to only find out at 5,000ft that your pitot heater isn't working, or that you forgot to check the oil level in the engine...-feng

You mean like this?

wow..is that X-plane? pretty extensive failure list! impressive...now i might have to go try it...thanks for sharing...i had no idea it had such features-feng

Good grief, Geofa, which addon is that?(If only the real world worked that way too. :( )

wow..is that X-plane? pretty extensive failure list! impressive...now i might have to go try it...thanks for sharing...i had no idea it had such features-feng

Yep-it is xplane.Lots of things fs doesn't have though lots of things xplane doesn't have either that fs has. I find when I want to simulate just flying the plane-especially twins, xplane shines though. You do have to have patience to find what it can do though-I almost gave up a few times at first...

Good grief, Geofa, which addon is that?(If only the real world worked that way too. :( )

You mean-not costing any money when something fails and just clicking a mouse to fix? :(

Always.Except for MD-11, which makes it easy to start with different panel states and has a lot of stuff to entertain me to get ready for pushback even without a cold and dark start.

You mean-not costing any money when something fails and just clicking a mouse to fix? :(

Almost. What I meant was a desirable ability to rule out in-flight problems.

Cold and dark or what ever, here's something that can not be done in Flight Simulator: the preflight walk-a-round; the methodical, visual look-see before you get on board. In the real flying world this is serious and very important.

I'm almost pretty sure that add-ons are available that can allow you to do the preflight walk-around.

If I am doing a long haul, then I start with cold and dark. But for something like KORD to KMCO, then why bother with all the knob games.