Score:0

Ubuntu

Are there some simple steps that one can apply with the standard flightgear Cessna aircraft to get it off the ground?

Stephen Elliott

6/8/24, 8:44 AM

I installed the standard Flight Gear (flightgear) flight simulator on Ubuntu. I want to use it to test graphics cards.

However, I am struggling with it after it launches, even with the latest version.

I am able to see the scenery at the airport nicely. But I cannot get the airplane to launch to fly!

I tried referencing the online help. I am able to toggle interesting things, like getting the propeller to turn on. Setting the brakes with B seems to do nothing. Also, m seems to do nothing, as recommended in the Flight Gear on-line help.

I would appreciate some simple steps (with a mouse, and keyboard - no joystick) to get this standard Cessna aircraft off the ground. Please also let me know what airport to select.

Some additional links that I have found are as follows:

Cessna 172P

A Basic Flight Simulator Tutorial

FlightGear.org Chapter 6 Tutorials

Thank you to the community in advance for any help!

1 + 8

mouse

keyboard

graphics

games

24601

6/8/24, 8:49 AM

why not ask [here](https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/flight-simulator)

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 8:50 AM

Did you have a look at the [official manual](https://flightgear.sourceforge.net/manual/2020.3/en/getstart-en.html) and [wiki](https://wiki.flightgear.org/Main_Page)? I would assume this kind of information was to be found there.

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 8:51 AM

And I also think you'll have better luck on the Aviation SE, or on the Flightgear Forum.

Stephen Elliott

6/8/24, 9:09 AM

@Artur Meinild %graham: I tried to look at the Aviation SE briefly, but I did not see on the main page anything Flight Gear related. The official manual was a bit confusing for me. I do appreciate the links. I started reading the official manual. But it was very confusing for me. Because of this reason, I sought help here on the Ubuntu page where other games are also supported with the **games** tag. Per: graham - I can only reference one user to update an email with. I am sorry that I could not also include you with my comments.

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 9:26 AM

Stephen no problem - you are more than welcome to ask here. It was just my assumption that there would be a bigger audience for your question on the other sites. In any case, hope you figure it out eventually.

Rinzwind

6/8/24, 9:59 AM

You can't just use the road? :D do you know the keys to press? Maybe check if those are not set to something different?

Stephen Elliott

6/8/24, 11:12 AM

@graham and Artur Meinild : I tried a google search for "stackexchange aviation flightgear" and came up with nothing relevant on the first page. This is probably a meta question, but is there a search option within Stack Exchange to search across ** all ** of the sites using subject title that is more effective than a Google search with the listed keywords?

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 12:47 PM

Just double checking here: You read through the **startup checklist** on the Cessna wiki page, you also tried "autostart", and you read the FAQ section about "Why will the engine not start"? And after trying *all of that*, the you still can't get it to work?

Score:1

Ubuntu

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 12:50 PM

TL;DR: Choose an airport close to sea level, and use the "Autostart" option. Starting an aircraft is a little more complicated than starting an automobile.

This is a long shot - copy and pasted from Cessna 172P Flightgear Wiki:

Engine Start (manual and complex startup)

Priming: prime the engine at least 3 times

Mixture: Rich (red lever all the way in)

Throttle: Open 1/8 (black lever at 20%)

Parking Brake: Applied (⇧ Shift+B)

Prop Area: Clear

Master switch: ON (both)

Magnetos: Both (Press } three times)

Ignition: Start (S)

Engine Start (automatically with Autostart)

Click on the menu "Cessna C172P" and select "Autostart" in order to start the plane. Please note that the Autostart attempts to start the engine with the mixture full rich, so if you are taking off from a very high altitude airport you may need to manually start the plane.

From the FAQ:

Q: Why will the engine not start?

A: You can start the engine automatically by clicking on the menu "Cessna C172P" and selecting "Autostart". For a manual start, please follow the checklists available by clicking on the menu "Help" followed by "Aircraft Checklists". As seen above, the engine must by "primed" before starting. If oil management is activated, you must have enough oil for the engine to work (more than 5.0 quarts). If fuel contamination is activated, the fuel must be light blue in order for the engine to properly work. You must also make sure that the battery is charged enough (you can check and recharge it in the Aircraft Options dialog).
Or it might be as simple as not having the magneto[s] turned on (which provide electricity to the spark plugs), or the fuel mix is too lean (put it at 100% to start) or the throttle too low (put it about 10-20%).
Or even more simply make sure that the game is not paused by pressing p.

Q: Why does the Autostart fail to start the engine?

A: That's probably because you are attempting to take off from a very high altitude airport. Autostart always tries to start the engine with the mixture full rich, and if it fails to do that properly then you must manually start the engine after properly leaning the mixture.

+ 4

Stephen Elliott

6/8/24, 1:42 PM

Sorry to be confused, but: From your instructions **Priming: prime the engine at least 3 times**, how can priming be done specifically? Is there a priming button on the dash-board or what exactly? I did get **auto-start to start the engine**. But the plane veers off the runway, and I cannot steer it back on course. For now, I am referencing: **https://www.flightgear.org/legacy/Docs/getstart/getstartch7.html** in the section **7.3 The First Challenge - Flying Straight**.

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 1:53 PM

I think priming is done by activating the fuel pumps. I found [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGkQ2VGLJHE). Not sure how it works in FlightGear though..

Organic Marble

6/8/24, 2:43 PM

How to fly a plane is incredibly off topic here.

Artur Meinild

6/8/24, 7:11 PM

@OrganicMarble but it seems I have nothing better to do while the mod strike is going on ..

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