How do I change the default startup aircraft in FSX?

To change the default startup aircraft in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, select the aircraft in Free Flight, configure the flight, choose Save, and tick Make this the default flight before saving. FSX saves a complete startup situation, so the airport, weather, time and aircraft state are stored with it.

How do I set a new default aircraft in FSX?

1. Open Free Flight. Under Current Aircraft, select Change and choose the aircraft, model and livery variation you want.
2. Configure the starting location. Select an airport, runway or parking position. Set the weather and time as well, because these become part of the default flight.
3. Arrange the aircraft state. If you want to start parked, place the aircraft at a suitable gate or parking spot. Start or stop the engines and set cockpit switches as required.
4. Save the flight. Use Save on the Free Flight screen, or use the save command under the Flights menu after entering the cockpit.
5. Make it the default. Enter a recognisable title, tick Make this the default flight, and save it.
6. Restart FSX to check it. The selected aircraft and saved situation should now appear at startup.

The procedure is the same in the boxed edition and FSX: Steam Edition. Do not edit aircraft.cfg or rename aircraft folders for this purpose; the startup choice belongs to the saved default flight, not the aircraft configuration.

Why does FSX change more than the aircraft?

FSX has no separate default-aircraft setting: it uses a complete default flight containing the aircraft and its surrounding situation.

• The exact aircraft model and texture variation are recorded.
• The airport, position, altitude and heading are recorded.
• Weather, date and time are carried into the saved flight.
• Engine status and many cockpit or panel states are preserved, although support varies between add-ons.

To retain your existing airport and conditions, load the present default flight first, change only the aircraft, then save that situation again with the default-flight box selected. Saving while airborne will make FSX start there, so check the location before confirming.

Why does FSX still show the Free Flight screen?

The default-flight choice and the Show opening screen preference are separate settings.

With the opening screen enabled in FSX's general settings, the simulator stops at the menus and displays the saved aircraft as the Free Flight selection. With it disabled, FSX loads the default flight directly into the cockpit. Seeing the menu therefore does not mean the new default aircraft failed to save.

If the old aircraft remains selected, load your named flight manually and save it again with Make this the default flight checked. Creating a new default does not delete earlier saved flights; it only changes which one FSX uses at startup.

What if the default aircraft makes FSX slow or unstable?

A default or lightweight aircraft is the safest startup choice, particularly when a complex add-on has its own panel-state system.

Some add-ons initialise gauges and systems while FSX loads the default flight. Others expect a default Cessna or another simple aircraft to load first, and their documentation may warn against making the add-on the startup aircraft. If launch time increased after this change, follow our steps for diagnosing slow FSX startup and rebuilding a simple default flight.

• If an add-on or its selected livery has been removed, choose an installed default aircraft and save a replacement default flight.
• If the add-on loads with the wrong cockpit state, use its own state manager rather than relying solely on FSX's saved-flight state.
• If no named flight will remain saved, check whether FSX can write to the usual Flight Simulator X Files folder under Documents.

Can FSX start cold and dark by default?

Yes, provided the aircraft correctly restores saved switch and engine states.

Place it at a parking position, shut down the engines and required electrical systems, then save that situation as the default flight. Third-party aircraft may override it with their own panel-state loader. For a prepared alternative using a replacement startup situation, see our FSX cold-and-dark cockpit setup.