I am sure this has been discussed before but I wonder how most of you like to start a flight with a plane like the Fenix A320. I myself somehow have the idea or feeling that in order to do things properly and realistically you just have to start in cold and dark. That's how the pro's do it. Period. But... I also know that real world flights more foten will start with some sort of turn around state. Now I am watching the latest video from 320 Sim Pilot and was amazed to hear that quite a few companies even let the power on (GPU) all night...!!! Also because modern airplanes don't like to be turned on and off all the time!

The odd thing is that somehow starting a flight in a turn around state feels a bit like cheating to me. I don't know why. Probably because I've read or noticed too often that 'real simmers' start with cold and dark. If a plane doesn't have a cold and dark state it's frowned upon and not taken seriously. And I can't bring myself to switching to a turn around state. Really odd.

So I wonder: how do you usually start a flight with for instance the Fenix? Cold and dark? Turn around? Or do you just pick whatever you like at that moment?

Just curious. 😉

First flight of the day, cold and dark. All the rest, turn around, just like it is done in real life. 

agree with @Bobsk8  Though I do each and every flight in cold and dark because I'm a sucker for switches, buttons and dials. 

I use turn around.  Even for first flight of the day, would the flight crew ever receive an aircraft completely cold and dark?  I thought I read before that most of the time it would at least be set up on ground power by the ground crew…maybe it makes a difference if you’re at a hub or outstation as to who else they have doing what to get aircraft ready to go?

1 hour ago, Bobsk8 said:

First flight of the day, cold and dark. All the rest, turn around, just like it is done in real life. 

Not everyone has the time to do multiple flights per day... Usually it's one for me. 😉

1 hour ago, micstatic said:

agree with @Bobsk8  Though I do each and every flight in cold and dark because I'm a sucker for switches, buttons and dials. 

LOL Yeah, me too, I like to do the flows but sometimes don't have the time. But even then using a turn around state doesn't feel right LOL

5 minutes ago, regis9 said:

I use turn around.  Even for first flight of the day, would the flight crew ever receive an aircraft completely cold and dark?  I thought I read before that most of the time it would at least be set up on ground power by the ground crew…maybe it makes a difference if you’re at a hub or outstation as to who else they have doing what to get aircraft ready to go?

I also wonder about this. Would make sense if the plane has power already when the crew arrives.

I start from Cold and Dark once in awhile for proficiency purpose.

Otherwise, I start from GPU/PSA more often.

 

Bill

25 minutes ago, tup61 said:

 

I also wonder about this. Would make sense if the plane has power already when the crew arrives.

I worked in Fleet Service for a US Airline. One of our responsibilities was to start the APU's on the originating aircraft in the mornings to make sure they were warmed up or cooled off depending on the weather. We also had to reposition aircraft from the hard stand to the gates which required starting the APU's. Depending on the price of fuel at the time would determine how long the APU's ran. It was rare that a crew got on the plane with it completely cold and dark.

4 minutes ago, mwilk said:

It was rare that a crew got on the plane with it completely cold and dark.

Very interesting...!

I might do just like Bill: only do a cold and dark for proficiency purpose but stick with a turn around state for my regular flights. (BTW The odd thing is that although I always start cold and dark (up to now) I seldom leave it cold and dark: I almost always leave it in a (sort of) turn around state. 😉 )

Since I replicate real life flights, I think about if it's (with all probability) a first or second (or later) leg flight and choose the appropriate panel state for it. So e.g. Easyjet, Tenerife to Gatwick, in the evening, will probably be a turnaround flight.

Like others, I typically have time for perhaps one flight per day. I find the cold and dark startup process with the flows and button presses to be a bit tedious and time consuming. I generally begin in taxi state at the gate, engage in flight planning in Simbrief, program the FMC and prepare the cockpit, then proceed with pushback, and then taxi to the runway to start the flight. Fortunately for me, this satisfies my simming cravings and curiosities fully, and I experience no guilt!

My situation is a little different.  For the past month I have been learning my first tubeliner, the FBW A32Nx.  Today was my first successful takeoff and flight to the destination after many many tries.

I crashed on approach so I don't have the option of a turn around.

What I would like to know is how I can start from the runway, without have to go through all that start up procedure, which I have totally memorized.  I just want to practice my takeoffs and landings.

Would save me a lot of time and frustration.  Any help would be appreciated.

Roy

1 hour ago, Roy Warren said:

My situation is a little different.  For the past month I have been learning my first tubeliner, the FBW A32Nx.  Today was my first successful takeoff and flight to the destination after many many tries.

I crashed on approach so I don't have the option of a turn around.

What I would like to know is how I can start from the runway, without have to go through all that start up procedure, which I have totally memorized.  I just want to practice my takeoffs and landings.

Would save me a lot of time and frustration.  Any help would be appreciated.

Roy

Simply start your flight on the runway and don't pick a gate. You will have to enter some basic stuff into the MCDU but you can skip the startup and taxi etc.

3 hours ago, regis9 said:

I use turn around.  Even for first flight of the day, would the flight crew ever receive an aircraft completely cold and dark?  I thought I read before that most of the time it would at least be set up on ground power by the ground crew…maybe it makes a difference if you’re at a hub or outstation as to who else they have doing what to get aircraft ready to go?

FDC a lot of times shows up after the flight attendents are already down, my station always lite up the overnighters anyway before crew

Just had a look at the turnaround state (with APU) of the Fenix A320 and well... the things you don't have to do take less than 10 seconds to do (if you don't count the waiting for ADIRS to align etc.) so... it's hardly worth it if you choose this state only to save time...! I counted 14 clicks to get from cold and dark to the turnaround state (again, if you don't count the waiting, but that's not a problem because you have to setup the MCDU etc. anyway).

I think I will let the time of my flight be the decisive factor which state to choose. It's fun to not do everything the exact same way all the time anyway. 😉

I'm lazy so I almost always start at ready to fly. I set up the FMC and then I roll.

Cheers, Pete