Recently I've been utilising SceneryConfigEditor to turn off and on various areas of my collected sceneries in FSX - I'd been using it for months to organise my scenery library.

The premise is to save VAS by switching off sceneries you don't need...

So... my recent cargo haul from Nairobi to Doncaster - Tri-Holer FTW unless it OOMs !! - I had the UK switched off (all photoreal and populated with UK2000 airports) because it would take me some time to transit Africa and Europe,  even with saved flights . Once I'd got past Paris, I saved the flight and then re-started FSX with all my UK sceneries added in addition to France (numerous airports, but no large photoreal areas). The error came up whilst loading the flight and sure enough, once it was running, there was no flight plan in the sim - nothing on the FMS. I ended up fudging an IFR flight from somewhere in France to Doncaster so that I could at least get to my destination.

I believe the problem stemmed from me not having the UK scenery switched on when I began the flight and loaded the plan in Nairobi.. no doubt due to payware airport and scenery corrections?

In future I presume I need both departure & destination scenery loaded prior to loading the flight in the sim?

Thanks in advance.

3 hours ago, HighBypass said:

there was no flight plan in the sim - nothing on the FMS

Depending on the aircraft some features won't be retained during a save.  The contents of the FMS is one of those with my iFly 737.  You're aircraft may be the same.

So, I would agree that it's best to have both the departure and arrival airports loaded and try to avoid a reload during flight.

 

 

 

When saving a flight, not only does it the reference the flight plan itself but it saves the current GPS WP status and other factors.
Of course all nav data that the stock GPS system uses comes from the scenery files. 
I am assuming the Tri-Holer uses the stock GPS system in the FMC. Other high end aircraft may use their own proprietary nav data & nav system.
Therefore, when the flight was loaded and the nav reference (in scenery) was not found - Voila!  "GPS-engine will not be loaded"
Here's an excerpt from a saved flight showing all the data required for a successful GPS plan load, what it all means is beyond.. : 

 

[GPS_Engine]
Filename=D:\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\GREEK ZIG ZAG
position=N40° 7.88', E26° 25.19', +000027.46
Time=40375
TimeWP=429670
ArriveTime=5215
CountWP=9
NextWP=8
PlaneStarted=True
WpInfo0=252, 0, 5, 0, 20805, 2539.8, 0.0, 0.0
WpInfo1=129, 237, 3048, 1329, 22987, 150.0, 389.3, 1615.8
WpInfo2=224, 7, 3048, 6174, 47567, 540.0, 21.6, 41.9
WpInfo3=506, 38, 3048, 3699, 51266, 584.0, 39.0, -138.0
WpInfo4=514, 0, 3048, 0, 0, 0.0, 25.6, 0.0
WpInfo5=526, 106, 3048, 1331, 52597, 416.6, 31.3, -437.3
WpInfo6=525, 222, 3048, 1657, 54254, 346.8, 77.1, 416.6
WpInfo7=518, 18, 3048, 4886, 33939, 241.1, 29.6, 68.7
WpInfo8=613, 0, 71, 0, 0, 0.0, 14.0, 0.0
CountFP=120
FP0=2029fac6,1104a53e,20389457,110b4a89,202c38f9,1106806e,1ff67a3a,10db41a4
FP1=1fb31143,10a4c2b0,1f898fba,1076128f,1fbee8b4,10b84dcf,20047fad,10e88384
FP2=20534df0,111a6ccf,2031f54b,110b1e25,200d68e1,10f06e1f,1fbe6ebd,10c08d0b
FP3=1f940dd5,10a86952,1f45ea1e,1081db80,1ef1a6db,106b4011,1ec497df,105db67c
FP4=1ec331c7,105d2d89,1ec5d61f,105e42a3,1ecc3f9d,105fdf96,1ed6384b,10620ade
FP5=1eea5c8e,10656d6f,1f01b4a7,1068f866,1f16209b,106c1708,1f2b2a83,106f4a01
FP6=1f4088dd,10728a25,1f3bce05,1073f55d,1f1feb50,107053f0,1f08833d,106d8ddc
FP7=1ef31cf1,106b1678,1eddc428,1068a49b,1ecf6f01,106467bd,1ec8372d,105f4a46
FP8=1ec24c69,105ccf31,1ec988f2,105fd9b6,1ee00f04,1069694c,1ef9fef9,10747436
FP9=1f12e6c7,107f151b,1f25e1f0,1087337d,1f3932b8,108f819e,1f4ca768,1097dd12
FP10=1f602549,10a03df8,1f74514b,10a8ec42,1f87add7,10b143cc,1f9b6889,10b9c674
FP11=1faf45ca,10c25a97,1fc2a739,10cabbf2,1fd63eb6,10d3374b,1fea4d7f,10dbe905
FP12=1ffd7afd,10e43bae,200edc6b,10ee149f,2015cf81,10f5411c,201c571a,10f9be65
FP13=2022e009,10ff1149,20288f34,11039433,202957dd,11042fa8,20342041,110bff14
FP14=20437fec,1118134c,204cd717,1123b252,2053fddd,11293050,205984a5,112d61c6
FP15=2061d7bb,1133a354,2073284e,1140ca7d,2085c6ef,114eefbc,2095aebd,115b065c
FP16=20aa5c57,116ae872,20c045da,117bbe80,20d47774,118b4d7c,20e8288f,119a7db7
FP17=20fd8fdb,11ab0722,21122638,11baf7e2,212722ea,11cb3fee,213c0598,11db7694
FP18=214723fc,11e41a27,215574a1,11ef3bd3,216b6542,1200509b,218022b7,12108361
FP19=21953b5f,12211027,21ad143c,1233ca24,21c417a4,1245e34c,21dbe63d,1258a3af
FP20=21f3b699,126b6d21,220abf6a,127da086,2222cd3d,1290a9ee,2237386d,12a0d914
FP21=2248f4cc,12aeec8a,225b36c0,12bd6e9a,226d42f5,12cbca88,227f0081,12dbf334
FP22=2289d18b,12f14e3d,227def3e,13010084,2268d7d1,12faf317,22540dab,12f0d3e4
FP23=223f6845,12e6186d,222a6bb8,12dccf64,221ac8b6,12d897c0,22143831,12d5ace5
FP24=220e0f9d,12d0a1cd,2208e630,12cbc6c4,22074261,12ca3738,22060dca,12c90f5a
FP25=2207c36a,12ca854f,22095fa1,12cbb2de,220b3535,12cd12d3,220ba468,12cd6470
FP26=220837af,12cacbb8,22079aac,12ca8ce7,2207c2cb,12cab0e8,2207eadc,12cad60a
FP27=22081867,12cb0009,220842c2,12cb26e5,22087619,12cb5600,2208b662,12cb92ad
FP28=220902bd,12cbdea1,2208b968,12cb970b,22085ef8,12cb0e41,22080081,12cad196
FP29=2207a413,12ca8e5c,22064cbc,12c94c84,220672f2,12c971f7,220698a2,12c9979b

19 hours ago, airernie said:

Depending on the aircraft some features won't be retained during a save..

Hi Ernie, No, the flightplan is actually saved. I just have to press the flightplan button on the FMC to get it to display on the FMC and the MFD. What isn't saved is the cabin altitude and pressurisation, the air temperature settings (Frozen and suffocated pax and crew until the bleed air kicks in and the cabin repressurises - I watch it counting up from zero feet!), the Mach or knot setting on the display although the autothrottles themselves stay put so the plane does continue to fly. The emergency light arm switch is reset too, as is the flight director (off).

14 hours ago, spokes2112 said:

all nav data that the stock GPS system uses comes from the scenery files. 
I am assuming the Tri-Holer uses the stock GPS system in the FMC. 

Your are correct, spokes. The Sky Sim MD-11 uses a custom EasyFMC install which uses the stock GPS. Apparently you can enter a flightplan in it, but I've so far failed to add a waypoint in between departure and destination - only AFTER the destination... giving me a mother of all u-turns! 

Thank you very much for the info, people!