J Kelley wrote in message ...
Thanks, Graeme. It probably will help those who are willing to spend the
time to search the avsim library, especially if they also have the time and
means to deal with unforeseen conflicts. Of course, the "guage" is probably
harmless. Still, although I like good upgrades and add-ons, I prefer to
avoid tinkering for small and questionable gains, especially when the stock
product provides a suitable means for obtaining the desired result.

Suitable, yes - ideal, no.

The game is marketed "As Real As It Gets", right ?

So you're saying that a real airline pilot will get into an aircraft, and,
handily, someone will have started up the engines for him ?

No! You get into an aircraft, and you go through the power up sequence,
start up the engines, and then lay in your course.

Now if I have 300 odd different aircraft, but always want to start up the
game environment in a cold dark cockpit, that involves having to save a
different flight every time. Which is a lame solution.

So this is why Matthias Lieberecht wrote "Cold and Dark Cockpit Gauge". The
file, which is called "mlcadgau.zip" is available on http://library.avsim.net
and is really easy to install in your aircraft panels, no matter who made
the aircraft/panel, whether the aircraft/panel is a jet, prop, helicopter,
or whether it is freeware/shareware/payware.

Once its installed, it stays installed, and I don't need to create loads of
flights for each aircraft/situation I might possibly want to fly. Just
install once in each panel.

Now I just put forward a piece of friendly advice, and made a comment about
a feature I think Microsoft should have put into Flight Simulator but didn't,
and you feel justified somehow in putting across a smartarse remark debunking
everything I've said and trying to make me look really ****ing stupid ?

**** off.

Ohmelads - you can use the gauge I mentioned above. It works really well,
and should give you what you need without mucking around too much.

Really, the gauge provides something that Microsoft didn't when they wrote
FS2002. I think there should be an option within the "Settings" - "Realism"
menu to allow you to start off in a cold dark cockpit. That way you can go
through the startup routines of any aircraft as a real pilot would do.

Cheers
Graeme