Install AFCAD airport files in FS2004 correctly, activate them in the Scenery Library, set priority, and fix missing or duplicate layouts.
To install an AFCAD airport file in FS2004 (FS9), extract the download and copy its supplied .BGL file into an active scenery folder, preferably a dedicated folder with a scenery subfolder. Add that folder to the Scenery Library, restart FS2004, and remove any competing AFCAD for the same airport.
What does an AFCAD file change?
An AFCAD BGL changes airport data such as runways, taxiways, parking positions, start points, radio frequencies and AI traffic routing. It normally does not add terminals, ground textures or other visible scenery models.
Read the package instructions before copying anything. A simple AFCAD may contain one BGL, while a larger airport package can include companion exclusion files, scenery objects and textures. Preserve the supplied folder structure; packages containing a complete airport should be handled using our FS2004 scenery installation walkthrough.
How do I install an AFCAD file in FS2004?
The safest method is to place each airport or related AFCAD collection in its own scenery area.
- Close FS2004. Scenery files can remain loaded while the simulator is running, so do not install or replace them during a flight.
- Extract the download. Unzip it to a temporary folder and find the readme and BGL files. Do not leave the BGL inside the ZIP archive.
- Confirm compatibility. Use files explicitly intended for FS2004 or FS9. Do not assume an airport file compiled for another simulator is compatible.
- Create a dedicated scenery folder. Inside the FS2004 installation, make a structure such as
Flight Simulator 9\Addon Scenery\My AFCAD\scenery. Add a siblingtexturefolder only when the package supplies textures. - Copy the supplied files. Place AFCAD and related BGL files in the
scenerysubfolder. Keep all companion BGLs named in the instructions together. - Activate the area. Start FS2004, open
Settings > Scenery Library, chooseAdd Area, and select the parent folder that contains thescenerysubfolder. Make sure the new area is enabled. - Check its priority. An AFCAD modifying a default airport must sit above the default scenery. The top of the Scenery Library has higher priority. If the AFCAD was designed for a particular add-on airport, follow that package’s priority instructions instead of automatically placing it above everything.
- Restart and test. Allow FS2004 to rebuild its scenery database, then load the airport and check runways, parking positions and AI movements.
Where should AFCAD BGL files go?
A dedicated scenery area is our preferred location because it makes individual AFCADs easy to disable, prioritise and remove.
| Location | When to use it | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|
Addon Scenery\My AFCAD\scenery | Most individual airports and AFCAD collections | Requires Scenery Library activation, but conflicts are easier to trace |
Addon Scenery\scenery | A simple BGL whose instructions specify this shared folder | Normally already active, but becomes difficult to manage when many files accumulate |
An airport add-on’s existing scenery folder | Only when the AFCAD was made specifically for that airport package | Back up the original layout file before replacing it |
Do not put the BGL in the root Addon Scenery folder, a texture folder or an aircraft directory. For a practical example of the shared-folder method, see this AFCAD pack’s direct-to-folder instructions.
Why is my AFCAD not showing in FS2004?
An installed AFCAD usually fails to appear because FS2004 cannot see its folder or another airport file has higher scenery priority.
- Wrong folder level: the activated parent folder must contain the
scenerysubfolder directly. ZIP archives often add an unexpected outer directory. - Inactive scenery area: confirm that the area is ticked in the Scenery Library. Files copied into the shared
Addon Scenery\sceneryfolder also depend on that area remaining enabled. - Lower priority: move the new area above default scenery or any older generic AFCAD for the same airport.
- Wrong airport or simulator: check the ICAO code and confirm the package is for FS2004. Filenames often include an ICAO code, but this is not guaranteed.
- Expected visual buildings: a layout-only AFCAD will not replace terminal models or airport textures. Check parking, taxi routes and runway data instead.
- File written elsewhere: protected Windows installation folders can cause permission problems or split files between the real FS9 directory and a VirtualStore location. Confirm that the BGL is physically inside the installation FS2004 is using.
How do I avoid duplicate AFCAD files?
Keep only one add-on airport-layout AFCAD active for each airport unless the readme explicitly identifies other BGLs as required companions. Duplicate layouts commonly produce overlapping parking stands, AI aircraft taxiing across grass, mismatched runways or an older layout appearing instead of the new one.
Do not delete FS2004’s default AP*.bgl files; one default BGL can contain data for many airports. Move suspected add-on files outside every active scenery folder, restart FS2004 and test again. Our explanation of airport BGL conflicts and scenery priority covers the same problem when updated airport or navigation data refuses to appear.
Do I need AFCAD 2.21 to install the file?
No utility is required to install an AFCAD BGL; FS2004 reads it directly from an active scenery folder. Use the AFCAD 2.21 utility download only when you need to inspect, edit or compile airport layouts.
Keep an untouched backup before opening and saving an existing file in an editor. Recompiling a layout can introduce changes, and moving airport elements without matching the visual scenery may leave runways, taxiways and buildings visibly misaligned.