Learn how to start an aircraft cold and dark in a flight simulator, including power, fuel and engine steps plus fixes for failed or hot starts.
To start an aircraft from cold and dark in a flight simulator, secure the controls, switch on the battery, establish electrical power, configure fuel and ignition, start the engine or APU as the aircraft requires, confirm stable indications, then bring generators, avionics and aircraft systems online using that model’s checklist.
What does cold and dark mean?
Cold and dark means the aircraft is parked with its engines shut down and most electrical, fuel, hydraulic and avionics systems switched off. It is more complete than merely loading with the engines stopped.
This general sequence applies across Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX, but switch positions and starter logic vary by aircraft. Some add-ons also remember the previous cockpit state or provide a cold-and-dark preset through an electronic flight bag, tablet or configuration panel.
For Microsoft Flight Simulator, our beginner walkthrough of cold-and-dark aircraft states explains how the process changes across default piston, turboprop and jet aircraft. X-Plane users can follow the corresponding X-Plane 11 power-up and engine-start procedure.
How do you start from cold and dark?
The safe order is power, fuel, ignition, engine start, stabilisation and post-start configuration. Use the aircraft’s own checklist whenever it disagrees with this general flow.
- Load a genuine cold-and-dark state. Start at a parking stand rather than on a runway, then select the aircraft’s cold-and-dark preset if one exists. Confirm that engines, batteries, generators, fuel pumps and avionics are off.
- Make the cockpit safe. Set the parking brake, place throttles at idle and move mixture, condition or fuel-control levers to the checklist’s pre-start position. Check that connected throttle hardware has not silently moved a cockpit lever.
- Establish electrical power. Turn on the battery master and check voltage. Connect external power if available, or start the APU in an airliner when electrical power or pneumatic starter air is required.
- Configure the fuel system. Check fuel quantity, open the required shut-off valves, select the correct tank and operate boost pumps as specified. Piston aircraft may require mixture rich and primer use, while turbine aircraft normally keep fuel cut off until the starter has produced sufficient rotation.
- Prepare for engine rotation. Switch on the beacon or anti-collision light, select the required ignition system and verify that the propeller or engine area is clear. For jets, configure APU bleed, isolation valves and air-conditioning packs exactly as the checklist directs.
- Engage the starter. In a piston aircraft, crank using the starter or magneto switch. In a turboprop or jet, engage the starter first and introduce fuel only after reaching the model’s specified cranking speed.
- Monitor the start. Look for rising RPM, oil pressure and a controlled temperature increase. Cut fuel and abort if the engine does not light, temperature rises excessively, RPM stagnates below idle or the starter remains engaged beyond its limit.
- Complete the post-start flow. Confirm a stable idle, switch the generator or alternator online, configure bleeds and hydraulics, and disconnect external power when the aircraft is supplying itself. Start additional engines one at a time in the prescribed order.
- Bring avionics online. Power the avionics, navigation equipment and displays, then configure radios, transponder, flight instruments and navigation systems. Inertial reference alignment and flight-management programming are separate from the physical engine start.
How does the sequence differ by aircraft type?
| Aircraft type | Key starting requirements | Main indications to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Piston | Battery, fuel selector, mixture, primer or boost pump as required, magnetos and starter | Oil pressure, RPM and smooth running |
| Turboprop | Electrical power, starter rotation, fuel or condition lever introduced at the specified point | Gas-generator speed, turbine temperature, oil pressure and propeller behaviour |
| Jet | Battery or external power, APU or ground-air supply, fuel pumps, bleed-air path, starter and fuel control | Core RPM, exhaust temperature, oil pressure and starter cut-out |
Complex jets should not be started by copying another type’s switch positions. The 737 electrical, APU and engine-start sequence, for example, differs materially from regional-jet logic.
Why will the engine not start from cold and dark?
Most failed starts come from missing electrical power, unavailable fuel, insufficient starter air or a hardware control overriding the virtual cockpit.
- The starter does not turn: Check the battery, external power, starter circuit and any required APU or pneumatic supply. Some add-ons make ground power unavailable unless the aircraft is parked with the brake set or chocks fitted.
- The engine turns but does not fire: Check the fuel selector, shut-off valve, mixture or condition lever, boost pumps and ignition. On a turbine, fuel may still be at cutoff even though the starter is running.
- A jet has no starter-air pressure: Confirm that the APU is running and its bleed is open. Pack and isolation-valve positions are aircraft-specific; an incorrect bleed configuration can leave the starter with no usable pressure.
- The engine starts and immediately dies: Recheck fuel availability, mixture or condition position and idle detent. A physical throttle quadrant can repeatedly force a virtual fuel lever back to cutoff.
- The start becomes hot or hung: Cut off fuel and follow the aircraft’s abort procedure. Let temperatures fall before trying again; repeated immediate attempts usually reproduce the fault.
- Switches move by themselves: Remove duplicate bindings and synchronise hardware switches with the cockpit. Battery, magneto, mixture and fuel-cutoff assignments are frequent offenders.
Regional jets can be especially sensitive to bleed-air and fuel-control configuration. Our Aerosoft CRJ starting and troubleshooting guidance covers the starter failures commonly encountered with that design.
Can I use automatic engine start instead?
Yes, if the simulator and aircraft support it, but automatic start may only get the engines running. Microsoft Flight Simulator installations commonly assign auto-start to Ctrl+E, although bindings can be changed and sophisticated add-ons may ignore the command.
Auto-start can be useful for a quick departure or for confirming that an aircraft is capable of starting. It may not align navigation systems, configure the flight-management computer, set hydraulics correctly or complete every before-taxi item, so it is not a replacement for the aircraft checklist.
When is the aircraft ready to taxi?
The aircraft is ready to taxi only after the engines are stable and the complete post-start and before-taxi checks are finished. Verify oil pressure, electrical generation, flight controls, brakes, trim, flaps, radios, navigation equipment and warning indications.
Ensure the starter has disengaged, external equipment is removed and the APU is either shut down or retained as required. After releasing the brake, move at idle power first and perform a gentle brake check before continuing across the apron.