Flightplan commands

Group

Arguments

Description

'

This starts a comment line in your flightplan

//

This starts a comment line in your flightplan

again

play last selected mp3 title again

autoruddder

[on/off]

set autorudder on or off

aileron [ail]

left <num>

set aileron rudder left <num> %

aileron [ail]

Neutral

explains itself

aileron [ail]

right <num>

set aileron rudder right <num> %

bank

- or + <num>

bank vessel to <num> positive or negative degrees. Once started, this function will bank until the stop apa command is used.

block

timeacceleration [timeacc]

with this command you can block other spacecraft in the sim to accelerate time. Use deblock to reverse.

burn

main <num>

burn main engines at level <num> % ; use wait function and then 'stop engines' to finish the burn. You can wait for a time (s), an altitude (m), a climb or a sink rate (m/s). Still included for Orbiter compatibility.  For the FS, use 'set speed xxx' and 'maintain speed' instead.  

cls

Erase all text (and select console mode on the EFIS) on the EFIS

deblock

timeacceleration [timeacc]

dir

ap <string> -d -r=xxx

local airport directory on EFIS. Options: -d for detailed, -r=xxx for range in nm, -h for help

dir

nav -r=xxx

local navtarget directory, options see above

echo

<expr>

Echo the text <expr> on the text display window of the EFIS. Efismode will be automatically switched. Use the 'cls' command to erase any text on the EFIS.

efismode

<expr>

Switch the four EFIS modes to <expr>:
nav  = nav mode
status = status mode
flightplan = flightplan mode
console = text mode

 

elevator[elv]

down <num>

set elevator rudder down <num> %

elevator[elv]

Neutral

explains itself

elevator[elv]

up <num>

set elevator rudder up <num> %

end

always the last line of flightplan

farselect

<expr>

Fly directly to the target defined in <expr>. <expr> should be an airport namer (ICAO). Try using this for a very long distance flight (EGLL to KSFO). Entering 'farselect KSFO' just after London takeoff will bring you to California direct GPS. No need to define waypoints in between.

find

<string>

search the ICAO database for a string / substring

find

Bestrunway <expr>

Find the best ILS runway at an airport according to rw length and wind, where <expr> is the ICAO code of the airport. Approach and ILS entry points will be generated and the runway will be preselected. ALWAYS use this command first before using 'select approachentry', 'select ilsentry','select bestrunway'

flaps

down <num>

set flaps down by <num> %

flaps

Neutral

flaps

up <num>

set flaps up by <num> %

flaps [flp]

down <num>

set flaps down (in) <num> %

flaps [flp]

up <num>

set flaps up (out) <num> %

flaps [rud]

Neutral

explains itself

follow

glideslope

Instructs the ILS landing routine to make use of the vertical glideslope. You can disable the vertical glideslope for difficult ILS approaches by 'ignore glideslope'

ge

<expr>

Google earth airport; <expre> = ICAO (not to be used from flightplan)

gear

Down

gear

Up

gpswaypoint

<alt> <spd> <lat> <lon>

similar to the waypoint command. lat and lon must be given

gt

Google earth the complete flight track fown so far in the session (not to be used from flightplan)

head

<num>

fix a permanent vessel heading in a flightplan (use stop apa) to discontinue.    

headtarget

fix a permanent target heading. Use stop apa to discontinue ...

ignore

glideslope

Instructs the ILS landing routine to ignore the vertical glideslope. This can be useful in a difficult ILS landing approach (see Zurich-Lugano flightplan)

inverse

Controls

Inverse autopilot controls (for inverted flight), swich back with 'normal controls'

joystick

[on/off]

set joystick on or off

landinglights

Off

landinglights

On

load

flightplan <fp> <name>

load flightplan <name>. A file <name>.txt (your flightplan) must exist in the subdirectory "flightplans" in the orbiter main directory.

loop

restart the flightplan at item 1

loop

<num>

restart the flightplan at item <num>

loop

<num1> <num2>

restart the flightplan at item <num1> for <num2> times

maintain

Speed

Will control speed as defined by a 'set speed' command throughout the flightplan.

metar

use this command to receive the local weather information as a METAR string, displayed in a messagebox.

metar

[string]

use this command to receive the weather information of an airport in range [string = ICAO code] as a METAR string, displayed in a messagebox. Use 'GLOB' as the [string] parameter to get the global weather METAR.

navlights

Off

navlights

On

normal

controls

Switch back autopilot controls from inverted flight to normal

operate

gear

gear up or down

operate

wheelbrake

....

operate

wheelbrake

pause

pause flightsim

pitch

- or + <num>

pitch up and down <num> degrees

play[loop]

fssound <expr>

Play a wav sound file from the FS2004  sound directory, <expr> = file name (without the *.wav extension). Your sound file name may not contain spaces. Use 'playloop' optionally to play the sound forever. Use 'stop sound' to finish the sound.

play[loop]

sound <expr>

Play a wav sound file from the FSP sound directory, <expr> = file name (without the *.wav extension). Your sound file name may not contain spaces. Use 'playloop' optionally to play the sound forever. Use 'stop sound' to finish the sound.

play

mp3 <expr>

Play a mp3 sound file from your mp3 music directory. Use 'again' later to play the last title again. Use 'stop sound' to finish the track.

release

wheelbrake

....

release

wheelbrake

resume

flightplan

restart the flightplan at the current item position

rudder [rud]

left <num>

set rudder left <num> %

rudder [rud]

neutral

explains itself

rudder [rud]

right <num>

set rudder right <num> %

run

altprofile

enter ground profile mode

run

aph

run the horizontal autopilot.

run

apv

start the vertical autopilot. Set the target altitude and the climb/descend rate before.

run

flightplan <fp>

run the current flightplan from item 1. ONLY to be used from autopilot's command line, not  within a flightplan.

run

hold

bring the vessel to a near complete stop over ground. Hoverprogram.

run

land

Automatically vertically land a helicopter.

run

speed <num>

Accelerate /decelerate vessel to <num> m/s.

run

takeoff

takeoff and climb to 30 m over ground; hold there

run

takeoff <num>

takeoff and climb to <num> meters

run

target [tgt] vectorland

autopilot will compute the descend rate to a given target (select before, i.e. heliport) and set speed and sink rate to exactly hit the pad. Finally: flare and hover, land. Helicopter command. 

select

<name>

select target object; either NAV target, airport or runway. 'select EDDM 08l' would select runways 08l at Munich airport.Refer to the lessons for an automated ILS approach.

select

approachentry

Selects the FSP-calculated approach entry point as the current NAV target. Sets the target altitude to the value (ft) above ground defined in fspilot.ini.  Assumes that you have used 'find bestrunway <ICAO>' first.

select

bestrunway

Selects the calculated ILS runway as the current NAV target. Assumes that you have used 'find bestrunway <ICAO>' first.

select

ilsentry

Selects the FSP-calculated ils entry point as the current NAV target. Sets the target altitude to the value (ft) above ground defined in fspilot.ini. Assumes that you have used 'find bestrunway <ICAO>' first.

set

afcontrol <plane><helicopter>

atmospheric rudder control by user on or off. Set off if your flightplan wants to take the stick.

set

altitude [alt] <num>

preselect target altitude (m)

set

apcontrol <plane> or <helicopter>

Toggle autopilot modes between plane and helicopter

set

apmode airfoil

set autopilot control to rudder

set

approachentryaltitude <num>

Define the altitude above ground (ground is provided by FSP) to be automatically entered as target altitude when switching to the approach entry point

set

approachentrydistance <num>

Define the distance, at which the approach entry point is generated from runway start of selected runway. <num> is distance in nm

set

approachentryoffset <num>

Define the angle from runway inbound heading, at which the approach entry point is generated. <num> is offset in deg

set

climb [desc] <num>

preselect climb / sink rate (m/s)

set

climb [desc] autoclimb [ac]

preselect autoclimb; set climb rates automatically

set

climb [desc] autodescend [ad]

preselect autodescend; set descent rates automatically

set

climb wp

set the climb rate to a value that the predefined altitude is hit at the next waypoint

set

destination <ICAO>

set destination airport

set

distanceunits <miles><meters>

define units for distances in your flightplan

set

ils

Set vertical autopilot into the approach mode - equivalent to pressing the ALT and the APR button on the EFIS

set

ilsentrydistance <num>

Define the distance, at which the ils entry  entry point is generated from runway start of selected runway. <num> is distance in nm

set

maxbank <num>

Set maximum bank angle that FSP uses to turn into a target. 50 would be fighter style (small radius), 25 would be passenger jet style (big radius)

set

maxpitch <num>

Set maximum pitch angle that FSP uses to archieve a climb / sink rate

set

nav1 <num>

Set nav1 to <num> frequency in a flightplan, f.e. 118.70

set

origin <ICAO>

set origin airport

set

radarrange <num>

define the radarrange in the efis to <num> miles

set

speedunits <knots><meters>

define the units for speed in your flightplan

set

timeacceleration [timeacc] <num>

speed up or reduce time acceleration within a flightplan

set

userinput <on><off>

Enable userinput during a flightplan. Otherwise, pressing buttons on the EFIS will be disabled except the screenshot button.

set

wphitprecision <num1> <num2>

Define the distance at which FSP switches to the next target (waypoint) in flightplans. <num1> distance below FL 100 in meters, <num2> sistance above FL100 in meters. Both arguments mandatory.

smoke

<on><off>

Explains itself. Operate the smoke display  system during aerobatic flights.

spoilers

off

spoilers

on

stop

stop all autopilot functions

stop

all

stop all autopilot functions and the flightplan

stop

apa

stop vessel angle (pitch / bank / head) autopilot.

stop

aph

stop the horizontal autopilot

stop

apv

stop the vertical autopilot

Stop

sound

Interrupt any playing FSP sound.

strobelights

off

strobelights

on

ta

<num>

settimeacc to num

throttle

zero

Engine throttle to zero

timeacc

plus

increase simspeed

timeacc

minus

Decrease sim speed

toggle

afterburner

Switch afterburner on/off (Concorde)

toggle

pushback

toggle pushback state

toggle

view

Toggle through avaiilable views

unpause

unpause flightsim

view

<expr>

Set the view direction of the current simulation window according to <expr>:
forward
forwardright
right

rearright
rear
rearleft
left
forwardleft
up
down

wait

<num>

wait for <num> seconds, then resume flightplan

wait

abs <num>

wait until second <num>

wait

altclimb <num>

wait until vessel is climbing above <num> meters

wait

altdesc <num>

wait until vessel is descending to less than <num> meters

wait

anterograde

wait in flightplan until vessel is anterograde

wait

bankless <num>

<num> in deg. Only useful in a flightplan.

wait

bankmore <num>

<num> in deg. Only useful in a flightplan.

wait

climbrate <num>

wait in flightplan until vessels climbrate is <num> m/s or more.

wait

distin <num>

wait in flightplan until the vessel is less than <num> meters inbound the target

wait

distout <num>

wait (stop flightplan processing) until the vessel is distant <num> m outbound the current target

wait

groundcontact

explains itself

wait

inrange <name>

waits until <name> target (VOR, GPS, Airport) is in range

wait

intersection <num>

wait until we have an intersection <num> degrees with the currently defined target

wait

pitchless <num>

<num> in deg. Only useful in a flightplan.

wait

pitchmore <num>

<num> in deg. Only useful in a flightplan.

wait

retrograde

wait in flightplan until vessel is retrograde

wait

sinkrate <num>

wait in flightplan until sinkrate is <num> m/s or less.

wait

speedless <num>

wait in flightplan until speed is less than <num> m/s

wait

speedmore <num>

wait in flightplan until speed is more than  <num> m/s. Use this in combination with burn main command

wait

yawless <num>

<num> in deg. Only useful in a flightplan.

wait

yawmore <num>

<num> in deg. Only useful in a flightplan.

wait

zulutime <HH><MM>

wait until we have this UTC time at a given day

waypoint

<alt> <spd> <name> <lat> <lon>

simply define VOR, GPS, airport waypoints.

'waypoint 1500. 220. DME001' will make the vessel: (1) adjust climbrate to hit 1500 m altitude at 'DME001' (a GPS fix). will set speed to 220. Will wait in flightplan until: (air) 1000 m inbound the target or (ground) 30 m inbound the target. This is all in one command.  latitude and longtitude are optional.