How do I stop FSX loading the default flight at startup?

To stop FSX or FSX: Steam Edition from loading the default flight automatically, let it finish loading, open Options > Settings > General, tick Show opening screen, and select OK. Exit the simulator normally. On the next launch, FSX should display its startup menu instead of placing you in the cockpit.

How do I restore the FSX startup screen?

The Show opening screen option controls whether FSX displays its front-end menu or immediately loads the default flight.

1. Let the flight load: wait until FSX has finished placing you in the cockpit.
2. Open the menu bar: press Alt if the menus are hidden in full-screen mode.
3. Open General settings: select Options > Settings > General.
4. Enable the opening screen: tick Show opening screen, then select OK.
5. Close FSX normally: use the simulator's Exit command so it can save the changed preference.
6. Test the normal shortcut: launch FSX again from its usual desktop, Start menu or Steam shortcut.

Why did FSX start loading the default flight automatically?

FSX loads directly into the cockpit when Show opening screen is unticked. Some users disable it to shorten the apparent launch process, and the setting can also change after replacing or resetting FSX.cfg.

This option does not select the flight itself. It only decides whether FSX shows the menu before loading that flight. If startup speed is the underlying problem, use our steps to troubleshoot slow FSX startup without bypassing the opening screen.

What if Show opening screen will not stay ticked?

The setting usually fails to persist because FSX cannot update the active FSX.cfg, or because a saved flight is being opened directly.

1. Check how FSX is launched: double-clicking a saved .FLT file can load that flight directly. Test with the simulator's standard shortcut instead.
2. Exit normally: avoid ending FSX through Task Manager immediately after changing the option, because the preference may not be written.
3. Find the active configuration: close FSX, then inspect %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX\ and, for some Steam Edition installations, %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX-SE\. Steam Edition can use either folder depending on the installation history; the active FSX.cfg normally has a modified time matching your last normal exit.
4. Remove read-only status: open the file's Properties and clear Read-only if it is enabled.
5. Inspect the startup value: after making a backup, open FSX.cfg with FSX closed. Under [STARTUP], SHOW_OPENING_SCREEN=1 enables the menu; a value of 0 disables it.

If the file remains corrupted, rename FSX.cfg and launch FSX to generate a clean one. This resets many simulator preferences, so keep the renamed file as a backup and restore any required add-on entries carefully.

Can I keep direct loading but choose another flight?

Yes. Leave Show opening screen unticked, configure the aircraft, airport, weather and time you want, then save that situation with Make this the default flight selected in the Save Flight dialogue.

Our guidance on saving and reloading flights in FSX covers the underlying flight files. If only the aeroplane needs changing, follow the separate procedure for changing the aircraft used at startup. The opening-screen preference and the default-flight selection are independent settings.