Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

The Low Wing Wonder
VH-MAL
Senior Airman
Posts: 243
Joined: 14 Nov 2010, 16:48
Location: Up the road from YGWA

Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by VH-MAL »

I always start FSX with the default C172 before loading any of my A2A aircraft.

Does it matter where the 172 is in relation to my A2A aircraft location?

For example, I have loaded the 172 at Parafield, then loaded the Cherokee. I have undertaken a short flight down to Goolwa, and tied down the Cherokee there.
When I start my next flight in the Cherokee, do I need to load the 172 then relocate it to Goolwa, or just load it at its 'default' airport Parafield, then load the Cherokee which is sitting on the ground at Goolwa?

I'm probably over-thinking this, but I would like to follow the right procedure.

Thanks

Malcolm

User avatar
LZ-WIL
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1370
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 13:59
Location: LBSF

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by LZ-WIL »

Hi Malcolm,

It is best to keep the default flight in FSX - Trike Ultralight at Friday Harbor. Before I start each of my flights, I choose the aircraft, then the location.
I have noticed that when you put a different plane for the default flight, especially non FSX native one, the sim behaves erratically or even crashes at some point.

Cheerz,
Will
Bonanza, Skylane, Skyhawk, Cherokee, Cub, Texan, Mustang, Warhawk, Spitfire, Flying Fortress

User avatar
Nick - A2A
A2A Captain
Posts: 13734
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 13:06
Location: UK

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Nick - A2A »

LZ-WIL wrote:It is best to keep the default flight in FSX - Trike Ultralight at Friday Harbor.
I'm going to disagree with Will, and say that there's no problem at all with having a different default flight where the aircraft is parked on the ground at your chosen airport in a respectable manner. I guess Microsoft choose the 'hey! - let's start in mid air' approach for FSX because they felt it made the software more accessible to casual users without the tedious business of actually having to take off! :mrgreen: At any rate, I've always used the default Cessna, parked on the ground, as my default flight in FSX with no problems.

However, it's correct that the default flight shouldn't include one of the A2A aircraft or any other complex add-on. (I always used the default C172 in FSX/FSX-SE with no issues.)

In your case Malcolm, I'd say it's best to load the default 172SP on the ground at Goolwa (i.e change the airport to Goolwa in the 'Free Flight' screen) and once it's loaded, switch to the Cherokee.

Cheers,
Nick

VH-MAL
Senior Airman
Posts: 243
Joined: 14 Nov 2010, 16:48
Location: Up the road from YGWA

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by VH-MAL »

Thanks Will and Nick - always great help here!

I'll follow your advice Nick, and wherever my A2A aircraft end up, (whether it's the Texan, B-17 or any of the fleet), I'll load the default 172 at that location then swap over to the A2A plane that I want to fly that day, from that spot.

Malcolm

User avatar
LZ-WIL
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1370
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 13:59
Location: LBSF

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by LZ-WIL »

Yes Malcolm,

Nick is right, the location (Friday Harbor midair spawn :mrgreen: ) is not that important, but the aircraft needs to be FSX native, not a complex one. :wink:

Cheerz,
Will
Bonanza, Skylane, Skyhawk, Cherokee, Cub, Texan, Mustang, Warhawk, Spitfire, Flying Fortress

VH-MAL
Senior Airman
Posts: 243
Joined: 14 Nov 2010, 16:48
Location: Up the road from YGWA

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by VH-MAL »

Thanks Will.

Yes, I'll always load a default aircraft, usually the native C172, as it's easier to get into a C&D state than some others.

Always appreciate your input!

Cheers
Malcolm

J van E
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 372
Joined: 28 Aug 2013, 15:46

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by J van E »

It's a shame though... I always used to save my flight as default after landing my A2A plane and then when I started up P3D the next time, everything was exactly as I left it! But I did indeed run into problems with this with P3D v4 so now I have a default flight with a default plane and so I have to select my A2A plane everytime and also the location, which obviously never is the exact same one as the day before. That's a pity because saving a default flight every time made me feel I really had a plane out there. :wink: I still always take off from the airport I was the previous flight but it's always another location because the spots you can pick to put your plane on never are the same as the ones I parked my plane on. Having to select the A2A plane everytime is a chore too.

As VH-MAL said I could indeed replace the A2A with a default plane at the end of a flight and THEN save the flight as default... That way I would only have to select the plane the next time before actually starting the flight. But this also is a bit immersion killing...

Yes, real shame you can't save a default flight with an A2A plane.
Image

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Oracle427 »

Saving over the default flight is the risk factor. The underlying sim engine does not save all parameters and more importantly does not initialize the state of the parameters in a consistent fashion.

Some parameters will be loaded as was saved and others will be set to sim defaults and the mix may lead to unusual and unpredictable situations. External add ons only have so much control over the underlying engine.

So best to avoid saying over a known good default flight last it get corrupted and staend things begin to happen.

I to wish it wasn't that way, but hope that this helps to understand why it should be avoided.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

User avatar
Nick - A2A
A2A Captain
Posts: 13734
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 13:06
Location: UK

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Nick - A2A »

One thing to bear in mind with 'default' flights in FSX is that even if you do create your own to replace the original one with the Aircreation Trike, this flight won't be overwritten or anything (it's stored separately within the FSX directory structure, not in "My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files"). This means in the event of any serious issues, you can always delete a new default flight and the sim will start with you back in the air over Friday Harbor. :wink:

Cheers,
Nick

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Oracle427 »

I did not know that, thanks Nick!
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

VH-MAL
Senior Airman
Posts: 243
Joined: 14 Nov 2010, 16:48
Location: Up the road from YGWA

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by VH-MAL »

J van E wrote:It's a shame though... I always used to save my flight as default after landing my A2A plane and then when I started up P3D the next time, everything was exactly as I left it! But I did indeed run into problems with this with P3D v4 so now I have a default flight with a default plane and so I have to select my A2A plane everytime and also the location, which obviously never is the exact same one as the day before. That's a pity because saving a default flight every time made me feel I really had a plane out there. :wink: I still always take off from the airport I was the previous flight but it's always another location because the spots you can pick to put your plane on never are the same as the ones I parked my plane on. Having to select the A2A plane everytime is a chore too.

As VH-MAL said I could indeed replace the A2A with a default plane at the end of a flight and THEN save the flight as default... That way I would only have to select the plane the next time before actually starting the flight. But this also is a bit immersion killing...

Yes, real shame you can't save a default flight with an A2A plane.
I agree - I guess that's the price we pay for excellence on the part of A2A!

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

J van E wrote:It's a shame though... I always used to save my flight as default after landing my A2A plane and then when I started up P3D the next time, everything was exactly as I left it! But I did indeed run into problems with this with P3D v4 so now I have a default flight with a default plane and so I have to select my A2A plane everytime and also the location, which obviously never is the exact same one as the day before. That's a pity because saving a default flight every time made me feel I really had a plane out there. :wink: I still always take off from the airport I was the previous flight but it's always another location because the spots you can pick to put your plane on never are the same as the ones I parked my plane on. Having to select the A2A plane everytime is a chore too.

As VH-MAL said I could indeed replace the A2A with a default plane at the end of a flight and THEN save the flight as default... That way I would only have to select the plane the next time before actually starting the flight. But this also is a bit immersion killing...

Yes, real shame you can't save a default flight with an A2A plane.
You can still do what you want, just don't click the default flight box and save as a normal flight. Make sure your sim is launching with the GUI and not direct into the sim and then the default flight with the trike over Friday harbour of the f22 or f35 at some random runway is essentially loaded at the menu, and no immersion is lost as you are not loading direct into the sim, you'll find your sim loads quicker too.

thanks,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

J van E
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 372
Joined: 28 Aug 2013, 15:46

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by J van E »

Lewis - A2A wrote:You can still do what you want, just don't click the default flight box and save as a normal flight. Make sure your sim is launching with the GUI and not direct into the sim and then the default flight with the trike over Friday harbour of the f22 or f35 at some random runway is essentially loaded at the menu, and no immersion is lost as you are not loading direct into the sim, you'll find your sim loads quicker too.

thanks,
Lewis
Ok, so it is not actually needed to select the plane: you can load any saved flight you want with the A2A in it. I had the impression you really HAD to load a plane into that default flight. In other words, that every flight saved with an A2A plane might be problematic.

But ok, I'll try that. Only little problem then is that you can't set the time of day (and date) before you load the flight (it instantly loads as you press OK) so you will have to do those changes after the saved flight has been loaded, which will cause another reload, I think. But anyway, I will give this a try. Finding the plane on the spot where I left is quite important to me! :wink:
Image

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Oracle427 »

Lewis,

That is interesting, I was under the impression that any saved flight with an A2A aircraft would potentially lead to problems.

I did not realize that the requirement is to launch the default flight to initialize the platform and then load any saved flight, even if it is with an A2A aircraft.

Good to know and I'll be sure to pass that along in the future.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Loading default aircraft - does the location matter?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

Yes you should be good to go with that. But always remember the more software you have installed the more complex your flightsim is the more chance of things not initialising correctly and or in the right order.

Rule of thumb is load the default first, be that in the sim or at the GUI. I never ever have P3D or FSX set to launch right into sim, I always load to the main menu first.

thanks,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

new reply

Return to “Piper Cherokee 180”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests