Hello fellow Captains,This is my first post @ Carenado forums and I wish I didn't start it with a complain... C'est la vie!Ok, the problem is when I start the aircraft in Cold & Dark Mode by starting default Cessna first, disengaging all gauges, and then saving and starting this flight with C185F, the panels work for several seconds as soon as I push Nav and Beacon lights on, then everything goes black.Can anyone help with correct way of starting this aircraft in Cold&Dark Mode?Thanks you!Rustam

I would suggest starting and ending the flight with the Cessna 185. Load up the 185 in the sim at your preferred airport and parking space, then go through and turn everything off...radios, mags, etc. Then save the flight and make sure that you have it set as the default flight so that next time when you load up the sim it will automatically load up the aircraft in the cold&dark situation at the airport of your choice.

Ok, thanks Beech85, I'll try and report back!!!

Could be that you are leaving the battery on.I just save my default flight as the C172. I pull the mixture to cutoff, have power idle, turn off all lights, the battery, the mags (the key switch), the alternator, pitot static etc. I only leave the Avionics switch(es) on. Make sure you are in the VC view looking straight ahead. Save your flight (ALT>FILE>SAVE FLIGHT) and make sure you check the "set as defualt box".Then, you load the default flight at whatever airport you want. After FSX loads with the C172 default, Hit ALT to bring up the menu bar, go to AIRCRAFT, SELECT AIRCRAFT and then choose the C185 you want.Saving a flight with an aircraft other than default can REALLY screw up some certain addon's. I have used the above method for loading flights and planes since early FS9.Hope this helps!

It helps if your default flight is saved with one of the generic FSX aircraft. That might be what PD400 meant when he said the 172, but I found making your default flight with an add-on aircraft doesn't work as well.