Hi there, I was curious how you guys setup your Flight Plan in the beginning Do you setup in Cold and Dark Usually?..Sometimes I setup On the Runway and others I setup Cold And Dark…Just wondering what your preference is? Any information is greatly appreciated. TIA
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Always cold and dark.
And flight plans always created by hand (at first) including weight, fuel requirements etc.
Then transfer into Simbrief.
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Although I have set a Flight Plan as Cold and Dark (WTCJ4),
I usually set it up on a runway ready for takeoff.
Created via World Map.
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Same here 
(in single-player mode)
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depends on my mood… sometimes I like to research a route, use simbrief and navigrapgh, pull up my checklists and go through the whole cold and dark to touchdown and jetway connect thing… other times its just a takeoff even in ai mode… this sim is great that you can go as deep as your pockets and interest allow or just treat it like eye candy . Its fascinating on so many levels. geography history technics meteo… there is a nice satisfaction in following real world procedures, buts its a commitment
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Cold and dark, because I always fly on Vatsim. Depending on the plane I fly I use Simbrief, and if the plane allows me to import the flight plan I will. I do that in real life as well, no reason to waste time with avionics setup for “realism”. Full startup, taxi, engine runup, a PROPER flight control check (which almost nobody does, even professional pilots in real life), pre-departure briefing and then call for takeoff.
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When playing in VR or just having fun around a city or whatever, i’ll have a hot start on the runway.
My commercial flights however are generally cold and dark starts with my plan imported from Simbrief. I am simply lazy and do not wish to sit there for an additional 20 minutes inputting airways
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I set up on the runway ready for take-off.
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always cold and dark. AND I think it is good practice NEVER to start on a runway. It’s a pity MSFS won’t let you start at the holding point with engines running, but I think this may be being looked at for the future.
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Easy way in FS2020 is:
World Map.
Select your from airport.
Select a Parking Spot.
Click “Set as Departure”.
Go to Flight Conditions and set the time if needed.
Click FLY
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I operate side by side PCs. My FS PC in front, laptop to my left like an EFB.
Before I even open FS on my game box, I create a flight plan in SimBrief, and export to FS from my side box. When it loads up on my main box, I accept and open FS. While that’s happening, I copy and paste my route into SkyVector and open Navigraph Charts on my side PC.
While FS is loading, I setup all the charts for my plan, and wait. Once FS is up, I choose the livery I want, import the SimBrief plan, select a departure gate, verify live weather/time and CRZ, then Fly Now.
I spawn at a gate, cold and dark, and always set my A/C to empty and use the PMDG apron vehicles to load my bags, board using the jetway (if avail), and fuel I need as per SOP. Push back, power up, taxi, and go!
I try to follow as close to IRL as possible and fly only 3rd Party high quality airports, and only PMDG for the moment. Will give the Fenix a shot later when I feel like learning a new A/C (I own it but much easier for Boeing for me given my 5000+ hours prior experience in FSX).
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Yet another consequence of way too little real pilot input in the development.
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If its a decent aircraft which models systems to a decent level, I start cold and dark. PMDG 737 and A320NX are great for simulating the full flight lifecycle. The stock aircraft in MSFS, not so much. Started out pretty good, but along the way of patching and updating they broke a lot of switches and you couldn’t start cold and dark if you wanted to.
Now it is back to being pretty good, but still not great.
95% of the time start on runway. Cold and dark doesn’t interest me, I just want to get up in the air quicktime.
Always cold and dark, call ground service for fuel eventually, and flying essentially VFR, I set up my flight plan in game with land mark, and skyvector or other external irl support for VFR charts and informations and windy app for wind and weather
Step 1 : windy app for wind and weather
Step 2 : skyvector or other apps for information
Step 3 : set the In game flight plan
I love VFR and learn differents airplanes, actually I’m flying the D17 Staggerwind and WWII warbirds, absolutely efficient for apply VFR rules, cause you have only your map, land marks, your cap and your watch.
I love VFR and old airplanes
I’m on Xbox
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I primarily enjoy flying commercial aircraft, so I created my own pre flight procedure. So I always start at the gate, I always create a flight plan on sim brief and pull charts from navigraph. I really enjoy starting cold and dark, I like the realism it adds, including adding fuel, safety checks and little things like passenger boarding(option for PMDG 737, used with PACX). I use a PC, and have a samsung tablet and a stand to replicate a EFB. That is where I create my flight plan, pull charts and ATIS info, and check weather.
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I start cold and dark. Also create my flight plans via SimBrief! I enjoy the preparation and realism of preparing the plane from power to the flight plan programming into the MCDU!
There is no rule. You do what you want.
Sometimes I’m just going to fly around I start from the runway and jam the throttle forward.
Sometimes I do a full plan, bang it into simbrief and get vatsim running.
I’m not always in the right mood to be serious, sometimes I want to fly the H135 at 50 feet down broadway in New York as fast as I can. Sometimes I want to play airliner pilot.
You do not have to stay inside the lines. Do what makes you happy.
I go a step further, only first flight of the day (or when switching aircraft/airline) cold and dark, all following in a turnaround state at the gate/parking spot
I never start on the runway even if I just want to do some vfr
There is very easy answer to your question,
don’t be now confused or say that I’m not fly real procedures, this hasn’t nothing to do now. Simply, imagine you’re sitting at real aircraft and want as you said fill FPL on runway 
it takes some time correct? Really can’t imagine other traffic will be satisfied with your system Easy? Everytime in sim try imagine yourself at real aircraft and there in cockpit, what then you can do?
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