How do I start an aircraft cold and dark in FS2004?

To start an aircraft cold and dark in FS2004 (FS9), load it at a parking stand with the engines and electrical system off, apply the parking brake, then power and start it using that aircraft’s checklist. FS2004 can preserve this state in a saved flight, but complex add-ons may require their own panel-state loader.

How do I create a cold-and-dark flight in FS2004?

FS2004 has no global cold-and-dark mode; it normally inherits engine, electrical and switch states from the flight that was loaded or saved. The most reliable method is to prepare and save a separate cold-and-dark flight for each aircraft you regularly use.

1. Choose a parking position. Place the aircraft at a gate, ramp or parking stand rather than on the active runway. Apply the parking brake.
2. Shut down the engine correctly. In a piston aircraft, use the mixture control to stop the engine, then switch off the magnetos or ignition. In a turbine aircraft, move the condition or fuel-control lever to cutoff. Wait until the propeller or turbine has stopped.
3. Switch off the systems. Turn off avionics, lights, pitot heat, pumps, generators or alternators, and finally the battery master. Leave the throttle at idle and the fuel controls in their shutdown positions.
4. Save the flight. Use FS2004’s Save Flight command and give it an aircraft-specific name such as Cessna cold and dark. Select the default-flight option only if you want FS2004 to open with that aircraft, location and weather as well as its system state.

For a quicker starting point, our ready-made FS2004 cold-and-dark flight file loads aircraft with their main systems switched off. If you would rather prepare the aircraft already on screen, an automatic aircraft shutdown utility can perform the initial shutdown for you.

What is the correct FS2004 cold-and-dark startup sequence?

The correct sequence comes from the aircraft’s checklist because FS2004 panels differ greatly in what they simulate. A default Cessna, a turboprop and a detailed jet add-on cannot be started with one identical procedure.

For most aircraft, use this broad order and substitute the exact controls specified by its documentation:

1. Secure the aircraft. Set the parking brake, check that throttles are at idle and confirm that enough fuel is loaded. Keep the mixture, condition lever or jet fuel control in its shutdown position until the checklist calls for fuel.
2. Establish electrical power. Switch on the battery. Use external power or the APU when the aircraft models it; many simpler FS2004 panels do not.
3. Configure the fuel system. Select the required tank and turn on the pumps specified by the checklist. On a piston aircraft, set mixture and primer as required for the engine and temperature.
4. Prepare for engine start. Switch on the beacon if fitted, verify that avionics remain off, and select the appropriate ignition or starter controls.
5. Crank and introduce fuel. Engage the starter. For turbines, wait for the specified engine rotation before moving the fuel or condition lever out of cutoff. Start multi-engine aircraft one engine at a time in the order given by the checklist.
6. Complete the after-start checks. Confirm oil pressure and stable engine indications, then connect the generator or alternator. Switch on avionics and configure bleeds, lights, flight controls and other systems for taxi.

Detailed add-ons may model starter limits, hot starts, battery depletion and ground-power requirements. Default FS2004 aircraft are generally less demanding, but their visible switch positions still need to agree with the saved flight state.

Can I use Ctrl+E from cold and dark?

Ctrl+E runs FS2004’s automatic engine-start command when the default assignment has not been changed. It is useful when you simply need the engine running, but it bypasses much of the procedural startup and may not operate custom systems in complex add-on aircraft.

If automatic start fails, restore the fuel selector, mixture or fuel-control lever, battery and engine selection before trying again. Some add-ons intentionally ignore the simulator’s automatic-start command and must be started through their cockpit controls or supplied state manager.

Why does my saved cold-and-dark state not load properly?

A saved FS2004 flight reliably records many standard simulator variables, but custom gauges may initialise themselves after the flight loads. That produces several familiar problems:

• The engine loads running: shut it down, wait until it has stopped completely, and save the flight again. Check that FS2004 is loading the intended saved flight rather than an older default.
• Switches return to different positions: save a separate flight for that aircraft. If the add-on provides panel-state presets, use its cold-and-dark preset instead of relying solely on the FS2004 flight file.
• The cockpit stays black: the battery alone may not power every bus. Check the avionics master, generator, external power or APU controls supported by that panel.
• The starter turns but the engine does not fire: check fuel quantity, tank selection, mixture or condition lever, fuel pumps and ignition. Turbine fuel must remain at cutoff until the correct point in the start cycle.
• Only one engine responds: confirm that the intended engine is selected in FS2004’s control assignments, or operate each starter and fuel control directly on the panel.

How do I make FS2004 always start cold and dark?

Save the prepared flight as the FS2004 default flight. Remember that this also makes its aircraft, airport position, time and weather the default; it does not create a universal system state that every aircraft will interpret correctly.

For mixed fleets, keeping named cold-and-dark flights for each aircraft is safer. Load the required aircraft-specific flight first, then change the airport or weather without replacing its saved cockpit state.