Learn how to start cold and dark in MSFS 2024, choose a parking stand, fix hot spawns, and power up piston, turboprop and jet aircraft.
To start cold and dark in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, create a Free Flight, select your aircraft and airport, then choose a gate, ramp or parking stand as the departure point—not a runway. Start the flight there; the aircraft should load parked with its engines and most systems switched off.
How do I choose a cold-and-dark start position?
Choose an individual parking position rather than the main airport marker or a runway.
- Open Free Flight. Career missions, challenges and other activities can impose their own aircraft state, so use Free Flight when you want control over the spawn position.
- Select the aircraft and departure airport. Zoom in on the airport until its runways and parking positions become visible, or open the available departure-position list.
- Pick a gate, ramp or parking stand. General aviation spaces may be labelled as ramp, GA parking or by a stand number. Any defined parking position should normally produce a cold-and-dark state.
- Confirm the departure field. It should show the chosen parking identifier, not a runway number. Selecting only the airport marker often leaves a runway as the departure point.
- Start the flight. Keep the throttle at idle and allow the aircraft to finish loading before operating switches.
The procedure is the same on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro, although map pointer controls differ. Cold and dark describes the aircraft's shutdown state rather than a time or weather setting; our explanation of what cold and dark includes and how spawn states differ covers that distinction.
Why does the aircraft still start with its engine running?
The usual cause is a runway departure, but activities, aircraft-specific logic and controller bindings can also produce an apparently hot start.
- A runway is still selected: return to flight planning, zoom into the airport and assign a named parking position as the departure.
- You launched an activity: missions and training flights can prescribe a ready-to-fly state. Recreate the flight in Free Flight.
- The aircraft manages its own panel state: some detailed aircraft preserve their previous condition or provide cold-and-dark presets through an EFB or cockpit menu. Select the aircraft's shutdown preset where available.
- Assistance is operating the controls: disable any assistance option that automatically handles checklists, engines or aircraft systems.
- Physical switches are synchronising: a throttle quadrant or switch panel left in the battery, magneto or engine-run position can change the cockpit state immediately after loading. Set the hardware to its off positions before starting the flight.
- The airport has no defined parking spaces: incomplete airport data can leave only runway starts. Choose another airport or a different stand if no parking entries are offered.
Not every aircraft models a completely unpowered cockpit. A basic aircraft may load with a few switches or displays in default positions even though its engine is stopped.
What should I switch on first from cold and dark?
For a powered aircraft, secure it first, establish electrical power and then configure its fuel, ignition and starting systems in the order specified by its checklist.
| Aircraft type | Initial power | Typical engine preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Piston | Battery or master switch | Select the fuel tank, set mixture and throttle as required, prime or use the fuel pump if specified, then engage the magnetos and starter. |
| Turboprop | Battery or external power | Set propeller and condition controls correctly, engage the starter and introduce fuel only after the gas generator reaches the checklist value. |
| Jet | Battery, external power or APU | Configure navigation systems as required, establish bleed air, switch on fuel pumps and beacon, then use the start selector and fuel control. |
Before engaging a starter, set the parking brake or chocks, confirm the throttle is idle and check that the propeller or engine area is clear. During the start, monitor oil pressure, engine speed and turbine temperature; stop the attempt if the engine fails to accelerate or exceeds its operating limit.
We recommend using the aircraft's own cockpit checklist because switch order and limitations differ substantially. Airliners add dependencies such as inertial-system alignment, APU bleed air and fuel-pump configuration; the full A320neo power-up and engine-start sequence shows a representative example.
Can Ctrl+E complete a cold-and-dark startup?
Ctrl+E can automatically start many aircraft on the standard PC keyboard binding, but it does not perform a complete operational cold-and-dark setup.
The command may switch on enough systems to run the engines, yet it will not necessarily configure avionics, flight planning, navigation alignment or all after-start items. Detailed add-on aircraft may support it only partially or ignore it. Our guide to automatic and manual engine-start methods in MSFS 2024 explains when to use the shortcut and when a checklist start is required.