How do I add static aircraft to FS2004 airport scenery?

To add static aircraft to FS2004 airport scenery, place an FS2004-compatible aircraft scenery object with an object-placement tool, compile the placement into a BGL, install that BGL plus the model library and textures in an active scenery area, then check its heading, ground height and separation from AI parking spots.

Should I use static scenery objects or AI aircraft?

Use a scenery object for aircraft that must remain permanently parked; use AI aircraft when they should occupy gates, taxi or fly.

Static objects have no traffic logic and do not reserve parking. If the aircraft should arrive or depart, use our instructions to set up moving and parked AI traffic in FS2004 instead.

How do I place static aircraft in FS2004?

The safest workflow is to keep the static-aircraft placement in its own scenery layer while retaining every library and texture dependency.

1. Create a separate scenery area. Under the FS2004 add-on scenery directory, create a parent folder such as My Airport Static, with Scenery and Texture subfolders. Keeping the work separate makes it easy to disable while troubleshooting.
2. Choose an FS2004 scenery object. Use an aircraft supplied as an FS2004 library object, not merely an aircraft installed in the simulator's Aircraft folder. FSX models and ordinary flyable-aircraft models cannot be placed directly as FS2004 scenery objects.
3. Install an object-placement tool. The FS2004 RWY12 object placer and scenery library provides a suitable placement workflow and a collection of compatible objects. Preserve the package's library BGL files and textures because the resulting placement file may depend on them.
4. Position the aircraft over the finished airport. Load the same add-on airport scenery that you intend to use, then set the object's latitude, longitude and heading with the placement tool. Start at ground level using AGL placement, and keep the model clear of active taxiways and AI stands.
5. Compile and install the placement. Compile the placement into a BGL and put it in the new area's Scenery folder. Keep the required object-library BGL in an active scenery folder and place its supplied textures in the corresponding Texture folder. The placement BGL usually contains a reference to the object's GUID, not the complete aircraft model.
6. Activate and reload the scenery. Add the parent scenery area to the FS2004 Scenery Library and restart the simulator so it rebuilds the required scenery data. Our FS2004 scenery-folder and Scenery Library walkthrough covers the activation and priority process.
7. Inspect the result in the simulator. Check the model from several angles, confirm that all textures load, and test with the Scenery Complexity setting used for normal flying. Adjust heading or vertical offset and recompile if necessary.

Simply copying a flyable aircraft's model into a scenery folder will not make it placeable. Creating an original static aircraft requires source geometry, an FS2004-compatible scenery export and a unique library entry; the original author's permission is also required when adapting someone else's work. Our FS2004 scenery-compilation tools and documentation are useful for that source-based workflow.

Why is my FS2004 static aircraft missing or untextured?

A missing static aircraft usually indicates an absent library dependency, an inactive scenery layer or an incompatible model rather than a bad airport.

• Nothing appears: Confirm that the placement coordinates and hemisphere are correct, the scenery area is active, and the model was made for FS2004. A placement BGL cannot display anything if its referenced library BGL is missing.
• It appears only at higher settings: The object was compiled with a scenery-complexity threshold above your present setting. Lower the object's assigned complexity or raise FS2004's Scenery Complexity setting.
• The shape appears without the correct livery: Restore every supplied texture using its original filename and place it in the relevant Texture folder. Do not assume that textures from the flyable version of the aircraft will match the static model.
• It disappears at an add-on airport: The airport may contain an exclusion that suppresses objects in lower-priority scenery. Give the static-aircraft layer higher priority than the scenery containing that exclusion, then reload FS2004.
• It floats or sinks: Use an AGL ground placement first. If the airport has a custom flatten or the model has an unusual datum, apply a small vertical correction rather than entering the airport's elevation as an arbitrary MSL value.
• Two aircraft appear in the same place: Search active scenery areas for an older copy of the placement BGL. Renaming a duplicate BGL does not disable it; move it outside every active Scenery folder.

Will static aircraft block FS2004 AI parking?

No—FS2004's AI parking allocator reads the AFCAD parking layout and does not recognise a visible scenery aircraft as occupying a stand. AI can therefore spawn inside the static model or taxi through it.

Place static aircraft on closed or non-operational stands. If one must occupy a gate permanently, remove that parking position from the active AFCAD and verify that a second AFCAD is not restoring it. Some static models also have collision geometry, so keep them away from routes used by the user's aircraft.