How do I select and load an aircraft in FSX?

To select and load an aircraft in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, open Free Flight, click the current aircraft preview or Change, choose a manufacturer, model and variation, click OK, then select Fly Now. During a flight, press Alt to reveal the menu bar and use Aircraft > Select Aircraft.

How do I choose an aircraft from Free Flight?

Free Flight is the simplest place to select an aircraft before choosing your airport, weather and time.

1. Open Free Flight. If FSX has opened on another section such as Missions, return to the main screen and select Free Flight.
2. Open the aircraft selector. Click the current aircraft picture or the Change button in the Current Aircraft panel.
3. Check the filters. Clear restrictive manufacturer, publisher or aircraft-type filters if the model you want is not visible. Enable Show all variations to display additional liveries and configuration entries.
4. Select the aircraft. Click its thumbnail, then choose the required variation. A variation is usually a different paint scheme, although an add-on may also use variations for different models or equipment.
5. Confirm and load it. Select OK, check that the chosen model appears in the Current Aircraft panel, then select Fly Now.

A missing thumbnail does not necessarily mean the aircraft is broken. Some freeware packages omit the preview image but still load correctly when selected.

Can I change aircraft during an FSX flight?

FSX can replace the aircraft without ending the active flight.

1. Pause the simulation if you are airborne or parked in a confined space.
2. Press Alt if the classic menu bar is hidden.
3. Open Aircraft > Select Aircraft.
4. Choose the replacement model and confirm the selection.

The new model enters the existing flight, so choose a sensible location before swapping a light aircraft for an airliner or helicopter. Add-on-specific systems, views, fuel and payload may initialise differently rather than transferring cleanly from the previous aircraft.

Why is my add-on aircraft missing from the FSX list?

A missing add-on is usually being hidden by a selector setting or has been installed at the wrong folder depth.

• Filters are active: reset them to show all manufacturers, publishers and aircraft types.
• Only one livery appears: enable Show all variations. FSX normally treats each valid [fltsim.x] section in aircraft.cfg as a selectable variation.
• The folder is nested incorrectly: for an aeroplane, FSX must be able to find aircraft.cfg directly inside its aircraft folder under SimObjects\Airplanes. Our folder-by-folder FSX installation walkthrough shows the expected structure.
• The configuration is damaged: duplicate titles, malformed variation sections or missing files can prevent an entry from appearing. Compare the installed structure with the package documentation before editing the configuration.
• It is not a user aircraft: some packages contain AI traffic models only. Others were built for an older simulator and need an FSX-compatible conversion.

Boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition use the same internal SimObjects layout, but their main installation folders are usually in different locations. Do not install a Steam add-on into an old boxed-FSX directory left behind on the same computer.

What if the aircraft appears but does not load correctly?

If stock aircraft load but one add-on fails, the fault is normally within that aircraft package or one of its requirements.

• FSX closes or returns to the previous model: reinstall the aircraft from a clean copy and check that it explicitly supports your FSX edition.
• The model is invisible or incomplete: check the model and texture folders using our diagnosis for invisible or incomplete add-on aircraft.
• The aircraft is completely white: follow the texture-path and compatibility checks for white aircraft.
• Gauges or features are missing: the package may depend on extra modules or the Acceleration expansion. Check what FSX Acceleration adds and which installations already include it.

Test a default FSX aircraft after any failure. If the default model also refuses to load, the problem is broader than the selected add-on and may involve the saved flight, simulator configuration or installation.

Can FSX start with my chosen aircraft?

You can make a saved flight containing your preferred aircraft the default flight.

Select the aircraft, airport and starting position, save the flight, then use the option to make it the default when available. Test complex add-ons normally before making one the default; an aircraft with a faulty gauge or missing dependency can otherwise cause trouble every time FSX starts.