How do I set a default starting airport and parking position in a flight simulator?
Set a default starting airport and parking position in MSFS, FSX, X-Plane, Prepar3D or FlightGear, with fixes for unwanted runway starts.
Across general-purpose civilian flight simulators, set a default starting airport by entering its ICAO code in the pre-flight location selector, choosing a specific gate, ramp or stand rather than the airport itself, and, where supported, saving that flight or scenario as the default. The exact save option varies by simulator.
If your simulator offers a home or favourite airport, that setting may be profile information only. It does not necessarily control where Free Flight opens or where the aircraft spawns.
Set the airport and parking position correctly
The reliable method is to define the complete starting location before loading the flight, then save the whole flight or scenario rather than only its route.
- Open the pre-flight screen. Look for Free Flight, Flight Configuration, Scenario or another location-planning screen.
- Search by ICAO code. This avoids similarly named airports and ensures that you select the intended scenery.
- Expand the airport’s starting positions. Choose a named gate, ramp, stand, tie-down or parking entry. Selecting only the airport marker commonly assigns a runway.
- Set it as the departure. In simulators that use a map, confirm that the parking position—not merely the airport—is marked as the departure point.
- Choose the required aircraft state. Parking starts usually load cold and dark, while runway starts normally load ready for take-off. Assistance settings and third-party aircraft can override this.
- Save the complete flight or scenario. Select the default-flight option if one exists. Otherwise, save it under a recognisable name and load it at the start of each session.
Where is the default-start setting in each simulator?
The airport selector is easy to find in most simulators, but only some provide a true automatic default flight.
| Simulator | Where to choose the start | How to reuse it |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020/2024 | World Map or pre-flight planner; select the airport, then its parking dot or stand entry and set it as departure | No dependable global default airport; choose it each session or load a saved flight where that facility is available |
| FSX | Free Flight location selector; choose the airport and starting position | Save the flight and mark Make this the default flight |
| Prepar3D | Scenario location selector; choose the airport and parking start | Save the scenario and set it as the default where the installed release provides that option |
| X-Plane | Flight Configuration; select the airport and then a ramp, gate or runway start | Save a situation and load it when required; do not treat the recently used location as a locked default |
| FlightGear | Launcher location fields or command-line options | Reuse a shortcut or script containing the airport and parking arguments |
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, our guide to selecting an airport and stand in the built-in flight planner explains the map workflow. In MSFS 2024, the EFB can prepare the route, but the gate, stand or runway still needs to be chosen before the flight loads; see our notes on setting the departure through the MSFS 2024 EFB.
FSX has the clearest permanent option: configure the location, save the flight and make it the default. Complex add-on aircraft can object to being embedded in an FSX default flight, so our advice on creating a safe FSX default flight uses a simple, reliable starting configuration.
FlightGear supports reusable arguments such as --airport=<ICAO> and --parkpos=<parking-id>. Parking identifiers depend on the installed airport scenery, so follow the exact stand name shown by that scenery; our guide to reusing FlightGear command-line options covers the launch syntax.
How do I start at a gate instead of a runway?
Select the individual gate or stand and make that point the departure; selecting the airport as a whole usually invokes its default or active runway.
- Gate: best for an airliner using terminal services. A gate start does not guarantee that the scenery includes an operational jetway.
- Ramp or tie-down: appropriate for general aviation, helicopters and aircraft that do not need a passenger bridge.
- Cargo or remote stand: useful for freighters, oversized aircraft or airports where terminal stands are too small.
- Runway: choose this only when you want the aircraft lined up and normally running for immediate departure.
Pick a position large enough for the aircraft. A parking start may exist in the scenery database but still place a wide aircraft through a building or beside unsuitable ground equipment.
Does a saved flight plan include the parking stand?
A route-only flight plan does not reliably preserve the parking position, aircraft state, weather or cockpit configuration.
Save a flight, scenario or situation when the simulator supports it. Even then, sophisticated third-party aircraft may restore their systems through their own panel or EFB rather than the simulator’s saved state.
Why is my saved parking position ignored?
The usual cause is that a later planning action replaced the stand with the airport’s default runway or the saved file contains only the route.
- The aircraft starts on a runway: reselect the parking entry after editing the route and confirm it remains marked as departure.
- The stand has disappeared: an airport scenery update may have renamed or removed its parking identifier. Select a new stand and resave the flight.
- The aircraft appears inside a terminal: check for two airport scenery packages covering the same location, then disable the duplicate or correct the scenery order.
- The aircraft loads with engines running: review the simulator’s assistance or aircraft-state setting. Some add-ons remember their previous state independently.
- The default does not load automatically: that simulator may support saved flights without supporting a permanent default. Load the saved situation manually or use a reusable launch shortcut where available.