So, I created a landing platform for my helicopter: A simple circular disk. I created a hard landing surface following the instructions in the AttachTool Doc in the SDK. No problem, surface is landable. BUT: If I save the situation and reload, the Helicopter is always positioned on the ground, half burried in the platform. How can I tell FS that, on the startup, I am above the ground in the amount of the thickness of the platform?

Hi Misho,Yes, I have also noticed this.In case you are using a separate AFCAD/XML file for the heliport, have you tried to give it the altitude of the platform and not of the ground around it?EDIT: Humm, that is when talking about goto aircraft menu, just reread your post and you talk about saved flights. In that case I have no idea :(.

Howdy,well, you could always edit the SimVars.0 section in the corresponding *.flt file but that doesn't explain why the issue is happening.However, comparing the parameters saved in the flt with the aircraft's position/altitude at the time of the save operation might give you some clues as to what's going on.Cheers, Holger

Hi Misho.The problem is that the sim thinks the platform is the ground level. My TCalc utility reacts the same way, thinking the platform top surface is the ground altitude. When the sim loads up after clicking a FLT file, it gets the FLT data, then loads the terrain and LWM flattens, then it locates the helicopter, then it places the objects. In this case, it thinks you're at ground level, which is apparently resolved before the object placement.If you use the menu reset for the flight, it will correct the elevation to the platform.Holger's answer is the best. Alter the FLT file ( SimVars.0 section )Change 'SimOnGround=True' to 'SimOnGround=False'Dick

Thank you everyone - you guys are the best! Getting closer - now the sim loads with the helicopter on the pad, but this generates a crash righ away. Upon reloading the situation, everything is fine. Now, I haven't removed any crash boxes from the pad thinking it was unneccessary. Could this be the problem?

Hi Misho.There is an attachtool SDK ( in the gamepack, I think )...Basically, you need to use the attachtool to remove crash from the polygon faces that are near the platform. If you have multiple LODs for the object, each LOD needs to have the nocrash applied. select the faces, and run the attachtool, and select no crash.Alternately, if you use MDLCommander, you can select no crash for the entire model's export.Dick

Thanks, DickI have done everything outlined above, I removed crash boxes from all of the objects, one by one (I checked the "Properties" Dialog, the XML stream for each one of them is there allright) and I still get a crash on the situation startup, but only on the initial FS startup. When it reloads after the crash, all is fine. Any other ideas?Thanks,