Make it impossible to spawn on runway in Live mode

[CptLucky8]

NB: I’ve posted this follow up in another forum and I believe this information is further documenting the context, the problem and explains easy to implement solutions using what is already there in the game.

Context

We can expect lots of new simmers and newcomers alike. Some might not be willing or comfortable to start playing with a cold and dark aircraft and the only way to be “ready to fly” is to spawn on the runway.

There is also a long standing wishlist item about “making it impossible to spawn on the runway”. It has lots of votes and is opened since August 2020: Make it impossible to spawn on runway in Live mode - Self-Service / Wishlist - Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums

There is a lot of good suggestions in my opinions there but in the end this would be imposing a limit of some sort to the users.

Problem

How to make it easier for new comers while preventing the runway encumbrance which will be annoying more seasoned players?

Solution

It didn’t occur to me before but in fact there is a very simple solution, which the game code is already supporting. It “just” requires adding a UI option for it:

• At a minimum it is letting the user choosing Apron or Taxi presets when starting outside the runway
• At most it is also adding the capability to spawn on taxiways, or at least in at the runway threshold.

Please note both of the above (user choice and runway threshold) are not coupled and therefore could be added at different time. The first one, which is offering the choice to use the Apron or the Taxi presets, seems easy to implement quickly because the game code is already supporting loading presets, but it is hard-coded to always use “Apron” only.

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@CptLucky8

There hasn’t been much support for this one but it is really simple to do and very convenient in practice.

In effect, the different aircraft states are already preset in a specific file already:

• Apron.flt
• Taxi.flt
• Runway.flt
• Climb.flt
• Cruise.flt
• Approach.flt
• Final.flt
• Hangar.flt

The game is automatically loading Apron.flt when starting at a gate, or Runway.flt when starting on a runway. In other words, the game logic and code is already doing this dynamically and the aircraft settings for each is already setup in external files.

The idea here is to let the user select for example Apron or Taxi when selecting a gate/ramp starting position instead of the game selecting pre-defined Apron only.

In other words this is nothing more than adding a UI interface drop down or check mark for the user, and loading the corresponding file instead of the hard-coded Apron.

A small change which might help a lot newcomers and make some place on the runway too.

PS: alternatively, adding a 3rd category of spawning point could help the same:

• ramp/gate: use Apron.flt like it is doing now, or Taxi.flt with the new UI option.
• runway: use Runway.flt like it is also doing now.
• any taxiway point: use Taxi.flt.

And you’re done with both C&D and spawning on runways in one go!