Start the Aerosoft CRJ from cold and dark with the correct battery, APU, bleed-air and engine-light-off sequence, plus fixes when N2 stays at zero.
To start the Aerosoft CRJ from cold and dark, switch on the battery, establish external or APU electrical power, align the IRS units, configure APU bleed air with the packs off, then start each engine and move its thrust lever from SHUTOFF to IDLE at about 20% N2.
For the Aerosoft CRJ in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and for the older FSX and Prepar3D releases, this is the common systems flow. Panel labels, aircraft-state controls and checklist timing vary by edition, so follow the checklist supplied with your package if it differs.
How do I load a genuine cold-and-dark CRJ?
Spawn at a parking stand rather than on a runway, then select the Aerosoft Cold & Dark aircraft state where that option is available. Runway starts normally force the aircraft into a running or partly powered configuration.
A saved simulator flight may not restore every custom CRJ system correctly. In FSX, an FSX cold-and-dark cockpit setup can provide a powered-down base flight, but check every Aerosoft switch afterwards because generic state files cannot guarantee the add-on's internal systems are synchronised.
Aerosoft CRJ cold-and-dark start sequence
- Secure the aircraft. Set the parking brake or chocks, confirm the landing gear is down and place both thrust levers fully in
SHUTOFF, not merely at idle. - Apply battery power. Switch
BATTERY MASTERon and arm the emergency lights. Battery power is enough to begin, but use ground power for lengthy cockpit preparation when it is available. - Establish electrical power. If a ground power unit is connected and the external-power indication shows it is available, select it. External electrical power does not provide the pneumatic air needed to rotate an engine.
- Start the APU. Set
APU PWR/FUELon, operate theSTART/STOPcontrol and wait until APU speed and temperature stabilise. Put the APU generator online so the main buses are powered. - Prepare the navigation systems. Turn both IRS selectors to
NAVand initialise the FMS present position. Leave the aircraft stationary while the IRS units align. - Configure bleed air. Select APU bleed on and turn both air-conditioning packs off. Starting with the packs running can leave too little pneumatic pressure for reliable starter rotation.
- Complete the before-start checks. Verify fuel quantity, close the doors, set the beacon on and place the hydraulic controls in the positions required by the checklist for your CRJ edition.
- Start the right engine. Select the right engine
STARTswitch and watch N2 begin to rise. At approximately 20% N2, move the right thrust lever through the shutoff gate toIDLE. Confirm ITT rises, oil pressure appears and the engine stabilises normally. - Start the left engine. Repeat the same sequence for the left engine only after the right engine has reached a stable idle. Start one engine at a time to preserve bleed-air pressure.
- Complete the after-start flow. Confirm both engine generators are supplying their buses, switch the packs on, remove APU bleed and shut down the APU in the order specified by the checklist. Then configure hydraulics, flight controls, anti-ice and other departure systems as conditions require.
Do not remove APU power merely because both engines are running. Check the generator and AC bus indications first; otherwise, the cockpit may lose power when the APU is stopped.
Do I need to wait for CRJ IRS alignment before starting?
The engines can be started while the IRS units are aligning, but the aircraft must remain stationary until alignment is complete. Do not begin pushback just because both engines have reached idle.
Before taxi, verify that both IRS units show the expected navigation status and that a valid present position has been entered in the FMS. A blank map or missing navigation data after start usually points to incomplete alignment or position initialisation, not an engine-start fault.
Why will the Aerosoft CRJ engine not start?
The failure point is usually revealed by N2 and ITT: no N2 means the starter lacks air, while N2 without an ITT rise normally means fuel has not been introduced.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| N2 remains at zero | Confirm the APU is fully running, APU bleed is on and both packs are off. External electrical power alone cannot drive the pneumatic starter. |
| N2 rises but ITT does not | At about 20% N2, move the corresponding thrust lever from SHUTOFF to IDLE. Also check fuel quantity and any fuel-cut-off control assignment. |
| The lever will not stay at idle | A physical throttle axis or duplicate binding may be overriding the virtual lever. Put the hardware at idle, remove conflicting cut-off assignments and use the cockpit lever to test the start again. |
| ITT rises but the engine will not stabilise | Insufficient bleed pressure is the usual cause. Return the lever to SHUTOFF, let the engine spool down and temperatures settle, then retry with the packs off and only one starter engaged. |
| Engines stop when the APU is shut down | The engine generators have not connected to the AC buses. Restore APU power, check the generator switches and indications, then remove APU power only after both buses are supplied. |
| Switches move by themselves | Disable automatic engine-start or AI assistance and check duplicate controller bindings. Using an automated start midway through a manual sequence can leave custom Aerosoft systems out of sync. |
Does this sequence apply to every CRJ add-on?
No. It applies to the systems-modelled Aerosoft CRJ family, with small differences between simulator generations and aircraft variants. Tablet controls, state loading and individual switch behaviour are not identical across Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX and Prepar3D.
A CRJ-200 from another developer may use a simplified or entirely different start model. For example, the freeware FSX CRJ-200 package details describe a separate aircraft rather than an Aerosoft CRJ variant, so its clickspots and startup requirements should not be assumed to match.