Yesterday when starting to play this game, I started somewhere on New Zealand in my Cessna 152. It was dark outside. So dark in fact that i couldn’t read any of the instruments. Now… i must have spent a good 20 min before i found the cockpit lights so i could see what i was doing. But i’m still kind of confused. Doesn’t this airplane have any instrument back lighting so i can read the dials?
Anyone with better knowledge about this?
Doesn’t the flight open with some sort of “flashlight” aimed at the panel? I have seen this, but don’t know how to aim it to look for the internal light switches.
There is indeed a flashlight you can switch on using ALT+L (i think it was?). There is also a reddish cockpit light, but nothing that would light up the actual instrument panels. This is just strange to me since i can’t read my speed or anything without having to switch on the flashlight.
To the right of the starting key. Hidden by yoke! You can increase the glare shield brightness and read the instruments etc
Coincidentally I too experienced this today in my first flight in the C152. The default interior cockpit lighting in this aircraft seems a bit “underdone” IMO. I had to use the Dome-light to see the instruments clearly enough for the flight on an admittedly dull, real weather day, but I agree the default could be better.
As a cheap training aircraft I doubt that the C152 had backlit instruments as standard fit, which would I imagine like most aircraft costs, be VERY expensive.
Bind a key to Cabin Lights, then pressing this key will toggle the cockpit lights on and off, it makes a world of difference.
Yeah thanks. Already did this but i just wanted to ask about the possibility of backlit panels. Seems that the Cessna 152 doesn’t have those. ^^
As far as I can tell the glare shield lights knob behind the yoke does absolutely nothing. No instrument lighting in the 152, only the super bright dome light. Kinda sucks during night flights. I imagine this is some sort of bug?
I can confirm this. None of the buttons or dials is switching on instrument lights. This aircraft isn’t approved for VFR-night currently. Which is a shame, as it is probably the best choice for semi-realistic flying right now.
I learned to fly on a C152. There was no lighting on the instrument. You just have a reddish flood light on the ceiling behind the seats.
I remember finishing a navigation just after the sunset, it was dark outside and this red lighting is all we had to read the instrument. Fun flight 
Maybe there is an option on the C152 for instrument lighting, but given the simplicity of this aircraft, mainly used for training, I doubt a lot of them are equipped.
Copy that, thanks for the information.