Can anyone explain why even though I have 'use system time' checked FSX is ignoring it? i.e its dark during my day and vice versa?

It adjusts based on the time zone of the airport you choose. For example, the default flight is set at Friday Harbor which is a different time zone from mine (EST). However, it will use your current time. So when you choose a new airport, it changes to that time zone's time. Note that everything is based on UTC. 

 

Hope this didn't make you more confused 

Right.  Generally, when you start a flight in FSX, it first gets local time from either your system time or the time stored in a saved flight.  Once it has local time it applies the timezone offset for the airport in the saved flight and uses that to determine GMT/UTC.  Once it has UTC it uses that regardless of where you position your aircraft, unless you manually change it.

 

So what's important is that "use system time" only refers to your local time, not whatever timezone your have set up in your OS.  Thus the computed UTC may or may not be the "actual" UTC.

 

scott s.

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MMM   I'm in London so you would expect it to follow my time anyway which is GMT aka UTC. Must be friday harbour interfering but pmdg say always start with that as default

 

Len C

MMM   I'm in London so you would expect it to follow my time anyway which is GMT aka UTC. Must be friday harbour interfering but pmdg say always start with that as default

 

Len C

I'm pretty sure you're misundering what PMDG mean. They like you to start FSX based on a default AIRCRAFT. I'd be VERY surprised if they want you to start at Friday Habour;-)

ah OK. So I make the default microlight at an airport in London. I will give that a try Thank you all

 

Len C