Start the AirCreation Trike and FSX floatplanes automatically or manually, then fix brake, mixture, fuel-selector and water-taxi problems.
In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, put the throttle at idle, set the parking brake if on land, and press Ctrl+E to start the AirCreation Trike or most floatplanes automatically. After the engine stabilises, release the brake with Ctrl+.. Manual floatplane starts also require fuel, battery, ignition, rich mixture and the correct starter controls.
What is the quickest FSX start procedure?
The automatic engine-start command is the simplest option for both the default AirCreation Trike and standard FSX floatplanes.
- Close the throttle with
F1, or move the physical throttle fully back. - Apply the parking brake with
Ctrl+.if the aircraft is on land. - Press Ctrl+E once and allow FSX to complete the whole starting sequence. On a twin-engined floatplane, this can take several seconds.
- Check the engine using its sound, tachometer and oil-pressure indication rather than relying only on whether the propeller appears to move.
- Release the parking brake with
Ctrl+., then increase power gradually with the throttle orF3.
If any command has been reassigned, check the simulator's Buttons/Keys settings. Our reference to the essential FSX key commands covers the throttle, starter and brake controls used here.
How do I start the AirCreation Trike manually?
The default AirCreation Trike has a simplified two-stroke engine installation, so it does not use the normal mixture and propeller-lever procedure of a conventional piston aeroplane.
- Set the throttle to idle and apply the parking brake.
- Turn on the electrical master and both ignition circuits using the cockpit switches.
- Operate the starter until the engine catches, then release it.
- Let the engine settle at idle before releasing the brake and adding power.
A common mistake is trying to find a mixture lever in the trike. If its engine is already running when the flight loads, no start is required: release the parking brake and advance the throttle gently. If keyboard power changes are immediately cancelled, a throttle axis is probably overriding them; move the physical lever or remove the duplicate assignment.
How do I start a floatplane manually?
A floatplane uses the same engine-start procedure as the equivalent wheeled aircraft; floats do not change what the engine needs to run.
- Secure the aircraft as far as possible. Wheel brakes can hold an amphibian on land, but they cannot stop an aircraft drifting on water.
- Set the engine controls. For a conventional piston aircraft, use full-rich mixture, high-RPM propeller and a slightly open throttle unless its checklist specifies otherwise.
- Open the fuel supply and select a tank containing fuel. Use the primer or electric boost pump only as specified for that aircraft.
- Switch on the electrical system, ignition or magnetos and required fuel pumps.
- Engage the starter until the engine fires, then adjust the throttle to a stable idle. Start each engine separately on a twin if its panel requires individual selection.
Radial engines and downloaded aircraft may model primers, boost coils, fuel valves or custom starters that Ctrl+E cannot operate correctly. The aircraft's supplied checklist takes priority; for the conventional principles behind the sequence, see our complete cold-and-dark FSX starting procedure.
Why does the engine crank but not start?
An FSX engine that turns without firing usually lacks fuel, mixture or ignition rather than starter power.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| No cranking | Check the master switch, starter assignment and any aircraft-specific start logic. |
| Cranks but never fires | Move the mixture from idle cut-off to full rich, open the fuel selector and switch on the magnetos or ignition. |
| Starts and immediately dies | Crack the throttle slightly and check mixture, fuel-pump and fuel-selector positions. |
| Only one engine starts | Select both engines for automatic starting or use each engine's individual starter controls. |
| Engine runs but aircraft will not move | Release the parking brake and check for an inverted or continuously applied controller brake axis. |
When the trike remains planted despite rising RPM, the brake input is the first thing to inspect. Follow our steps for clearing stuck FSX brakes and controller-axis conflicts if the red brake message remains visible or the wheels refuse to roll.
What changes when starting and taxiing on water?
Starting is unchanged on water, but manoeuvring depends on water rudders, wind and careful power control.
- Toggle water rudders with the default
Shift+Wcommand when the aircraft is fitted with them. - Use water rudders only for low-speed taxiing; retract them before the take-off run and before landing on water.
- Use small power changes. Twin-engined amphibians can also turn with differential throttle.
- Keep an amphibian's landing gear up for water take-offs and landings. Gear down is for operating from a runway or ramp.
- Do not expect wheel brakes or the parking brake to hold the aircraft while it is floating.
A pure floatplane has no usable landing wheels and must begin from a water runway or seaplane starting position. An amphibian can start on land or water, but its gear position must match the surface before departure.