See which FS2004 landing-rate gauges measure touchdown FPM, add GPWS warnings or announce altitude, plus installation and fault fixes.
FS2004 has no dedicated default landing-rate gauge. Add-ons fall into three groups: touchdown-rate meters that record feet per minute, GPWS gauges with radio-altitude callouts and warnings, and simpler altitude-callout gauges. Choose a touchdown meter for scoring landings; choose GPWS or callouts for approach feedback.
Which FS2004 landing-rate gauge should I choose?
For a numerical score after touchdown, choose a dedicated touchdown-rate meter. Names and features vary between freeware packages, so confirm that the documentation explicitly says it captures vertical speed at touchdown rather than merely displaying live vertical speed.
| Gauge type | What it provides | Best choice when |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown-rate meter | Usually captures and retains descent rate as the aircraft changes from airborne to on-ground | You want a landing figure in feet per minute |
| GPWS gauge | Approach warnings, height callouts and other landing feedback | You want operational cockpit cues rather than a score |
| Altitude-callout gauge | Spoken height announcements during the approach and flare | You want callouts without installing a fuller GPWS package |
| Default vertical-speed indicator | Live vertical speed, with no retained touchdown result | You are monitoring the approach, not reviewing the landing afterwards |
For broader approach feedback, our downloadable GPWS package with landing warnings and altitude callouts can be added to FS2004 panels. If spoken approach heights are all you need, use the lighter altitude-callout package instead.
A panel gauge normally retains only the latest touchdown. If you need a permanent history of multiple flights, aircraft, airports and landings, a flight logger or debriefing utility is a better fit than a cockpit gauge.
Does a GPWS gauge show the touchdown rate?
A GPWS gauge does not necessarily measure touchdown rate. GPWS and altitude-callout packages may announce heights or issue warnings without recording the final vertical speed, so do not assume that a package provides an FPM result unless its documentation says so.
This distinction causes plenty of confusion: “fifty, forty, thirty” are height callouts, not landing-rate measurements. A true meter waits for the simulator's airborne-to-ground transition and stores the vertical-speed sample associated with that event.
How do I install a landing-rate gauge in FS2004?
Install the package according to its included instructions because FS2004 gauges may be supplied as XML, CAB or legacy binary gauge files.
- Back up the panel by copying the aircraft's
panel.cfgbefore changing it. - Place the supplied files correctly. Gauge packages normally belong in FS2004's
Gaugesfolder, while sounds and supporting files must go wherever the package documentation specifies. Do not unpack a CAB file unless instructed to do so. - Add the exact gauge entry to the specified
[WindowXX]or[VcockpitXX]section. A typical entry follows the formgaugeNN=Package!Gauge,x,y,width,height, but the package name, internal gauge name and coordinates must come from its documentation. - Create the popup correctly if the gauge uses a separate window. Add the window title and matching
[WindowXX]section exactly as supplied; otherwise the gauge may be installed but inaccessible. - Reload the aircraft and complete an airborne-to-touchdown cycle. Some meters will show zero if the flight starts on the runway because no airborne state has been recorded.
Watch for aircraft whose panel uses an alias= entry. Editing the aliased aircraft's panel can affect several aircraft, while editing an unused local panel folder changes nothing.
Why is the landing-rate gauge blank or stuck at zero?
A zero or blank landing-rate gauge usually means the touchdown trigger never occurred, the panel entry is wrong, or the package is incompatible with FS2004.
- Wrong simulator version: use a gauge explicitly marked for FS2004 or FS9. An FSX gauge is not automatically backward-compatible.
- Incorrect panel reference: the package name and internal gauge name must match the supplied entry exactly.
- Duplicate gauge number: every
gaugeNNline in that panel section needs its own number. - Invisible coordinates: incorrect position or size values can place the gauge outside the panel or reduce it to zero size.
- Missing dependency: some gauges require a supporting module or sound package. Install only the dependency specified by the author.
- No valid landing event: starting on the ground, using slew mode or reloading directly onto a runway may leave the reading at zero.
- Panel edit saved elsewhere: Windows permissions or a panel alias can cause FS2004 to load a different file from the one edited.
If other instruments are also invisible, work through our FS2004 blank-gauge troubleshooting steps before blaming the landing-rate logic.
What does the landing-rate number mean?
The figure is the aircraft's vertical speed at touchdown, usually expressed in feet per minute. A reading of -180 FPM means the aircraft was descending at approximately 180 feet per minute when the gauge detected contact; some gauges omit the minus sign.
Simple gauges may sample one simulator frame before or after contact, and a bounce may cause them to retain either the first or final touchdown. Frame-rate variation, time acceleration and slew can therefore produce misleading results.
Do not judge a landing from FPM alone. Touchdown zone, airspeed, bank angle, crosswind control and runway condition also matter, and an excessively soft touchdown is not automatically safer. Our explanation of how to interpret airliner touchdown rates covers the practical limits and why there is no single perfect number.