Aircraft selection menu

Open the aircraft.cfg of each vehicle in notepad and look for this section below:

[fltsim.0]
title=M1-A1
sim=M1-A1
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
checklists=M1-A1_CHECK
atc_id=M1-A1
atc_airline=Army
atc_flight_number=M1A1
ui_manufacturer=General Dynamics *
ui_type=M1-A1 *
ui_variation=Army *
visual_damage=1

* The ui variables will list the aircraft by manufacturer in the selection menu.

Nav2 radio

Add the following lines to the aircraft.cfg file of the vehicle you wish to have Nav2 active:

[Radios]
Audio.1=1
Com.1=1, 1
Com.2=1, 1
Nav.1=1, 1, 1
Nav.2=1, 1, 0
Adf.1=1
Transponder.1=1
Marker.1=1

Remove brakes sign

1. Using notepad or wordpad, open up your FS2004.cfg file
2. Look for the section named (Sim).
3. Find the section which says:

(SIM)
SYSCLOCK=1

4. Add the line

show_brake_message=0 below SYSCLOCK=1

Overspeed message

Go to the menu: \aircraft\realism settings and then unchecking 'aircraft stress causes damage'

Open aircraft doors

Press shift and E together. Not all models are equipped with this animation and some will use the variable to animate another object.

Blurry textures

Mip Mapping and texture size play a part in this but so can video card settings. To adjust these settings you can access the display properties and change the texture size and turn off Mip Mapping.

FS2004 some aircraft have no wheelset on AI

Older models compiled with earlier version of FSDS1 do not show the undercarrige properly. There is no fix for this other than to look for updated models built with GMAX or FSDS2.

Virtual cockpits and 2d panels

Virtual cockpits in Flight Simulator 2004 are not easily transferred or installed as they are a part of the compiled model file. The default 2d panels are available and you can modify them easily. They are found in the vehicles panel folder.

Can you increase fluidity by removing the FPS lock?

Not really. This setting allows the simulator to self-adjust to your preferences with out much user intervention. If you have the target frame rate locked at 30 fps in settings\display and your computer is giving you 28FPS consistently then your card will probably stay there regardless of the FPS lock you provide.

Installing 3rd party scenery in FS2004

Startup Screen > Settings > Scenery Library

Click Add Area button.

Browse to your scenery in your old FS2002 folder.

Click on it to open it BUT DO NOT highlight the scenery folder as we used to do (this would prevent it working).

Click OK

The scenery will now be at the top of the list and Enabled.

Click OK

Exit FS by clicking the X at top right corner of the Settings Screen.

Confirm that you wish to exit FS.

Now Re-Start FS and the scenery will be added and the indexes rebuilt during the start up sequence.

Be sure you have doubleclicked the scenery folder you are adding and that it is highlighted.
Config change for auto-rotation in default B206 and R22

1.) changed the two cyclic entries in the .cfg file to
2.0 from 1.0.

We now can get a right 360 in hover if not using the pedals.

No CD 4 for runtime

1.)Download this file to your hard drive.
2.) Copy and paste it into your root FS2004 directory saying yes to replacing the exsisting one. Note: BACKUP YOUR ORIGINAL .EXE FILE.

Is Real Weather working?

It seems as though the reporting stations for FS2004 has not changed since FS2000. The metar files are indeed always current but have a half-life of one hour. One user has suggested that shifting patterns are usually 10 -15 mins behind what happens in the real world. So, if the weather in FS2004 when loaded is somewhat fair when it should be cloudy or thunderous give it 15 mins or so before adjusting it yourself.

Runway and approach lights look

There are now scalars in the FS9 config file that will allow you to scale the size of each category of lights to your liking. The values have to be added to the [DISPLAY] section of the fs9.cfg file, they are set to 1.0 by default. This is a power user option and has no UI.

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_SURFACE_SCALAR (scales edge, center, end, and touchdown lights)

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_VASI_SCALAR (scales VASI lights)

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_APPROACH_SCALAR (scales approach light bars)

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_STROBE_SCALAR (scales RAILs and ODALs)

Pan the view in the 2D cockpit

In the fs9.cfg file add this line in the (CONTROLS) section:

pan_in_cockpit_mode=1

NVIDIA FX video card panels don't display

Use the 44.67 WHQL drivers or higher, if they have not been released yet on www.nvidia.com download them at www.guru3d.com

Pushback

With the push-back function: SHIFT+P to start going back, SHIFT+P then 1 (main keyboard) to back and turn left, SHIFT+P then 2 to back and turn right, and don't forget SHIFT+P again to stop moving!

Custom view options

Enter your different settings, such as fuel load, zoom, spot view position and distance, type of axis indicator etc, and save the flight and set it as the default flight.
 

AI aircraft

Press CTRL+W (key defined by default in the US version) to open a window showing your plane in spot view, press CTRL+W again to cycle between the ATC controlled aircraft in your vicinity, press ] or right-click on it to close that window.
 

OBS with the Boeing 747-400 panel

With NORM panel, switch to NAV. In the center glass you will see the current course setting in the upper right corner, click over the numbers to set the OBS...
 

Raise the seat in the cockpit view for an aircraft

Open the panel.cfg of the aircraft you want to modify the default point of view for the forward view, and edit/add the following line in the section: VIEW_FORWARD_DIR=X.X, Y.Y, Z.Z

Increase the Pan rate

This is in the fs9.cfg under:

(CONTROLS)
KBDAIL=46
KBDELEV=46
KBDRUD=64
PAN_RATE=400 <----------- increase this value