Initial Spawning Video Sequence Shows Wrong Runway

[Wdseith]

---

ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Description of the issue: When spawning at a taxiway/runway intersection in free flight, the animation shows the aircraft taxiing on to the wrong runway.

ICAO, coordinates, or specific location: Any airport will have this issue, but for an example, select KARR.

[PC Only] Did you remove all your community mods/add-ons? If yes, are you still experiencing the issue? I have no mods or add-ons.

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

How often does this occur for you (Example: Just once, every time on sim load, intermittently)? Every time I load a free flight at an airport and select a runway other than the default runway.

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Please list clear steps you took in order to help our test team reproduce the same issue:

1. Select Free Flight
2. Select an airport, such as KARR (but this happens at every airport)
3. Select a runway other than the default runway. The default for KARR is runway 9, so select runway 27 instead.
4. Start your flight and watch the animation before you select “Start Flying.”
5. In the case of KARR, you’ll see the aircraft taxi out onto runway 9 rather than runway 27.
6. When you select “Start Flying,” the aircraft will be lined up on the correct runway.
7. Do the same thing in MSFS 2020 and you’ll see the aircraft taxiing onto the correct runway in the animation.

YOUR SETTINGS

What peripherals are you using, if relevant: Not relevant.

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it? No and no.

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use? EVGA RTX 3090.

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share? None are relevant.

MEDIA

Please add a screenshot or video of the issue occurring.

[END OF FIRST USER REPORT]

---

For anyone who wants to contribute on this issue, Click on the button below to use this template:

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
•

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
•

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
•

[DementedCorn327]

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
• yes but noticed a strange behaviour (see below)

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
• It seems issue is related to the “ATC enforce flight plan” option and wind direction
Using KARR:
Test 1:

• disable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• set wind/gust from 090
• select RYW 27
• ATC should spawn you at RWY 09 since it decides the RWY based on the wind direction
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows your plane at RWY 09 as expected
• click ready to fly
• your plane is moved to RWY 27 (what OP reported) → this is incorrect, it should stays at RWY 09

Test 2:

• enable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• set wind/gust from 090
• select RYW 27
• ATC should spawn you at RWY 27 since it enforces your RWY selection even if not correct based on the wind direction
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows your plane at RWY 27 as expected
• click ready to fly
• your plane stays at RWY 27 → this is correct

Conclusion: initial video sequence looks correct, it is more likely the “ATC enforce flight plan” option that is not working as expected when disabled

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
•

[Wdseith]

@DementedCorn327

• disable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• set wind/gust from 090
• select RYW 27
• ATC should spawn you at RWY 09 since it decides the RWY based on the wind direction
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows your plane at RWY 09 as expected
• click ready to fly
• your plane is moved to RWY 27 (what OP reported) → this is incorrect, it should stays at RWY 09

In step 2 above, instead of setting the wind manually, use Live Weather. Based on your explanation, the sim should spawn you to RWY 15 right now since the Live Weather wind direction and speed favors that RWY. (KARR METAR 171352Z 15010KT 6SM BR CLR M03/M06 A2979) It does not. It still spawns the aircraft to RWY 09 even when RWY 15 is selected from the drop-down and RWY 15 would be correct based upon the Live Weather winds.

So the issue appears to be the sim’s failure to spawn to the RWY favored by Live Weather. Manually setting the winds to favor the RWY of the user’s choice or selecting “ATC enforce flight plan” in the Settings menu does spawn the aircraft to the RWY of user’s choice. Again, notably, this issue does not exist in MSFS 2020. When a user selects a RWY from the drop-down menu, it is always enforced on the initial spawning video sequence.

[DementedCorn327]

Was not able to test earlier, so testing now:
Test 1:

• disable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• enable Live weather, Metar: KARR 180252Z AUTO 21008KT
• select RWY 18 based on Metar
• ATC should spawn me at RWY 18 based on wind direction
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows my plane at RWY 09 → incorrect
• click ready to fly
• my plane is moved to RWY 18 → correct

Test 2:

• disable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• enable Live weather, Metar: KARR 180252Z AUTO 21008KT
• select RWY 09
• ATC should spawn me at RWY 18
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows my plane at RWY 09 → incorrect
• click ready to fly
• my plane stays on RWY 09 → incorrect

@Wdseith

So the issue appears to be the sim’s failure to spawn to the RWY favored by Live Weather

Agree but this happens only if the “ATC enforce flight plan” option is disabled. I think you should update your steps to reproduce, mentioning how is set your "ATC enforce flight plan” option.
So seems there are 2 issues:

• sim’s failure to spawn to the RWY favored by Live Weather for the initial video sequence
• sim’s failure to move your plane to the correct runway after the initial video sequence if another RWY than the one based on wind direction has been selected

[Wdseith]

@DementedCorn327

So seems there are 2 issues:

• sim’s failure to spawn to the RWY favored by Live Weather for the initial video sequence
• sim’s failure to move your plane to the correct runway after the initial video sequence if another RWY than the one based on wind direction has been selected

Your second bullet here is misworded, in my opinion. The initial video sequence does not taxi you on to the runway selected by the user in the drop-down menu (unless “Enforce ATC Flight Plan” is selected), but DOES put you on the User Selected RWY when you click “Fly Now”. My expectation is that the RWY selection from the drop-down menu be enforced, without any other selection or change required, for both the initial video sequence and RWY alignment when “Fly Now” is clicked. This is the way it works in MSFS 2020 and there is also no option in 2020 to select “Enforce ATC Fligh Plan.”

Therefore, I believe my steps to reproduce in the OP are correct.

[DementedCorn327]

@Wdseith

My expectation is that the RWY selection from the drop-down menu be enforced

Not true if “ATC enforce flight plan” option is disabled and you select and RWY that does not corresponds to the wind direction. To enforce your selection, “ATC enforce flight plan” must be enabled.

@Wdseith

there is also no option in 2020 to select “Enforce ATC Fligh Plan.”

Yes there is:

I will test in FS2020 but I think it works as expected there.

[DementedCorn327]

Just did a test in FS2020.
Test 1:

• disable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• enable Live weather, Metar: KARR 181352Z 34017G27KT
• select RWY 15
• ATC should spawn me at RWY 33 based on wind direction
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows my plane at RWY 33 → correct
• click ready to fly
• my plane stays on RWY 33 → correct

Same test in FS2024:

• disable “ATC enforce flight plan” option
• enable Live weather, Metar: KARR 181352Z 34017G27KT
• select RWY 15
• ATC should spawn me at RWY 33 based on wind direction
• start the flight
• initial video sequence shows my plane at RWY 33 → correct
• click ready to fly
• my plane is moved on RWY 15 → incorrect

I’ve checked other airports in FS2024 with Live Weather ON and “ATC enforce flight plan” disabled:

• it seems the proposed runway is correct based on the wind
• if you select a different runway, that is where you have a discrepancy between the inicial video (that is correct) and the runway you start after having clicked on “ready to fly” since it enforces your runway choice and it should not.

[GeeStoerty]

Never paid attention to this yet because I usually start cold&dark.

But now I started a free flight and watched the “loading sequence intro”, and you are right.
I chose and start on Runway 3 EDSB, but the intro showed the aircraft holding at runway 21.

Let’s put it on bug list item no. 1782

[DementedCorn327]

Seems to be fixed in SU2:
Continuing the discussion from Sim Update 2 Beta (1.4.10.0) Release Notes - April 2, 2025:

@SeedyL3205

Fixed incorrect runway used for spawn when the assistance option ‘ATC enforce flight plan’ is disabled and another runway was selected as departure.

[TimidestFoil458]

This is not fixed as far as I can tell. Free flight KPTK. MSFS ALWAYS defaults to runway 9R regardless of weather. Setting preset Clear Skies, it still shows live weather. Select runway 27L. Lineup animation still shows 9R.

[DementedCorn327]

Are you under SU2 v1.4.7.10 and have that option enabled ?:

Just did a test at KPTK (I am under SU2), clear sky, select 27L and correctly spawned (video too) at runway 27L.
If you are under SU2, please provide your feedback here: Aircraft pre-positions at wrong end of the Runway

[xPhoenixDecept]

With ATC enforce flight plan OFF and in SU2 1.4.10.0.
From my testing it does now appear to choose an appropriate runway based on Wind Direction, and the Aircraft is pre-positioned in the right place prior to Ready to Fly and when you press Ready to Fly. If you originally chose the other end of the Runway in the flight planner though, ATC still tells you that you are cleared for Takeoff from that Runway which is incorrect. I tried it at Heathrow, where current live weather is a fairly strong Easterly. Choosing 27R results in being positioned for 09L (which makes sense), with ATC clearing you for take off from 27R.

[TimidestFoil458]

I am on su2 1.4.7.10, that option was not enabled (although I fail to see why it should make a difference? if i pick a runway why would it “line up” on a different runway in the animation?). i’ll do another test and report back in the proper thread. granted this is all “cosmetic” in that the aircraft ultimately does end up lined up on the proper runway, but it’s still weird and indicates underlying issues IMO.

[TimidestFoil458]

As an example, here is what comes up with ATC Enforce On, Clear Weather Preset selected. So num 1 the preset clearly isn’t impacting the conditions that the planner thinks are active (clear doesn’t have that kind of wind) and 2 the wrong runway is selected for what it is showing as the wind.
Please advise if this feedback is helpful here or if a new thread/bug needs created. It’s all kind of blurred together for me, and this issue has been present afaik the entire time I’ve used 2024 (pre su1).
Thanks, happy to help any way I can.
Jon

[DementedCorn327]

Thank you for your feedback !

@TimidestFoil458

Please advise if this feedback is helpful here or if a new thread/bug needs created

If I am not mistaken that point in the SU2 Release Notes refers to that issue and it was supposed to be fixed:
Continuing the discussion from Sim Update 2 Beta (1.4.7.0) Release Notes - March 25, 2025:

@SeedyL3205

Fixed an issue where the weather data on the worldmap cards was inconsistent with other data shown in the game

I don’t find a report in the SU2 category so I would recommend to create one in Sim Update 2 Beta | MSFS 2024 > User Interface & Activities (using the provided template )