Change aircraft, airport, runway, gate or parking stand in FSX Free Flight, with fixes for missing choices and incorrect spawn positions.
In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, open Free Flight, use Change beneath Current Aircraft to choose an aircraft and variation, then use Change beneath Current Location to search for an airport and select a runway, gate, parking stand or active runway. Confirm both choices and select Fly Now.
How do I choose the aircraft, airport and starting position?
- Open Free Flight: Return to the main FSX screen and select Free Flight.
- Choose the aircraft: Under Current Aircraft, select Change. Pick the manufacturer, aircraft model and variation, then confirm with OK. Enable Show all variations if some liveries are hidden.
- Find the airport: Under Current Location, select Change. Searching by the airport identifier is usually quickest, although FSX also lets you search by airport name or location.
- Select the starting position: Highlight the airport, then choose an entry from its runway or starting-position list. Available choices depend on how that airport is defined in the scenery.
- Start the flight: Confirm the location, review the weather and time if needed, then select Fly Now.
Current Location sets your departure point; it does not create a route or destination. For that, use the steps for building and loading an FSX flight plan. If the planner changes your departure, set Current Location afterwards to force the exact gate or stand you want.
Which FSX starting position should I choose?
| Starting position | Best used for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Active runway | A quick departure | FSX chooses an operational runway using its airport and weather data. ATC may choose differently if conditions change. |
| Specific runway | Runway practice or a planned departure | You spawn on the chosen runway even if its wind direction is unsuitable or FSX ATC prefers another. |
| Gate | Airliner and terminal operations | Choose a gate suitable for the aircraft size. A large aircraft placed at a small gate may overlap buildings, vehicles or nearby stands. |
| Parking or ramp | General aviation, cargo and remote starts | This avoids occupying a runway and is often better for start-up and taxi practice. |
Does choosing a gate create a cold-and-dark start?
No. A gate or parking selection changes the aircraft's position only. Engine and system states come from the selected aircraft, the default flight, a saved flight or the add-on's own logic; many default FSX aircraft still load with their engines running.
Can I change aircraft or airport after the flight starts?
You can change both without returning to the Free Flight screen. Press Alt if the menu bar is hidden, then use Aircraft > Select Aircraft to switch models or World > Go to Airport to load at another airport and starting point.
Changing aircraft during a flight normally retains the existing situation rather than creating safe conditions for the replacement. Switching from a light aircraft to an airliner at low speed, or fitting a larger aircraft into the same parking stand, can produce an immediate stall or scenery collision.
For a position not listed by the airport, FSX's map can alter latitude, longitude, altitude, heading and airspeed. Our explanation of repositioning an aircraft with the FSX map covers those controls.
Why is an aircraft, airport or gate missing?
A missing choice usually comes from filtering, FSX's legacy airport data or the airport scenery itself.
- Missing livery: Enable Show all variations in the aircraft selector.
- Missing add-on aircraft: Check that it was installed as a complete aircraft rather than only a texture set. If the selector works and you want additional models, browse our FSX freeware aircraft library.
- Airport code not found: Try the airport name or an older identifier. Code changes and newly built airports may not exist in the stock FSX database.
- No gates or parking stands: FSX can offer only the starting points defined in that airport's scenery. Small stock airports may contain runway starts only.
- Aircraft appears in the wrong place: Conflicting or duplicate airport scenery can make starting positions disagree with the visible layout. Disable the conflicting airport add-on or choose a different stand rather than editing the stock scenery files.
Loading a saved flight can also override the aircraft, airport, weather and system state selected on the Free Flight screen. Make the new selections after loading the saved flight, or save a new flight once the setup is correct.