Getting started

Ordering the 4-DVD Edition For Easy Installing

The 4-DVD edition comes with all the data, manuals, aircraft and all-in-one easy worldwide scenery installer. You don't have to download anything from the members page.

It also includes an additional 100+ aircraft as well as the automatic all-in-one worldwide scenery installer. This allows you to install sceneries by simply running one single setup file. It is an automatic process and you do not need to install individual scenery files.

This offer is only available to existing members and it is an additional price, on top of the downloads.

>> Click Here To Place Your Order For 4-DVDs <<

Hardware requirements

For ProFlight to run smoothly, it requires a video card with OpenGL drivers. OpenGL 2.0 or higher is required for ProFlight 2.0 and later. Most modern PCs support OpenGL

ProFlight is known to have graphics problems and slow framerates with most laptops. Since laptops are smaller, the graphics card(s) on them are usually lower-end.

If you still have problems with your graphics, see troubleshooting problems

Installing ProFlightSimulator on Windows

Download and run the installer - ProFlightSimulator-Setup.exe. (If you have the DVD edition, simply run the installer from the disc). - Thereafter, please read the SuperQuickStart guide to learn how to fly and how to install aircraft and sceneries.

After installing ProFlight on Windows, our Flight Launch System menu will appear. See the instructions on the menu for the functions of each option.

Installing on Windows 7 8 10 / Vista

ProFlightSim works with all versions of Windows. If you're having problems, trying doing the following

Run as Administrator

Uninstall the game and re-install the game with administrator privileges: (Right Click on the Installer and click on Run As Administrator)

On Windows 10, if you're unable to see the menu bar in game, PRESS F10 on your keyboard and it will show up

Installing on Mac OS X

Installing ProFlight on Mac OS X is very simple. Just drag and drop the ProFlight icon to the /Applications folder. That's it. The first time you launch ProFlight, its icon on the Dock bounces for several seconds while loading aircraft and airport info. When the GUI launcher appears, select an aircraft and and airport by clicking the "Gear" buttons at the right of the names. Pressing "Start flight" will launch the simulator.

Note: Once you have installed ProFlight, mac users can locate their $FG_ROOT folder by opening their applications folder in Finder, right clicking on ProFlight, and clicking "Show Package Contents". This will take you inside the ProFlight folder. You are now able to access all files including Data/Aircraft for installing new aircraft.

Quick Start Guide - Running It For The First Time

Once you launch ProFlightSimulator, you will be presented with the start up screen as shown below.

"Start Flying" is the fastest way to launch the game. "More options" allow you to choose your aircraft/airports as well as install any additional aircraft/scenery.

"Start Flying" will load the default Cessna plane with a standard runway.

To learn how to operate the Cessna, click on Help and then -> Start Tutorial.

Note: If you're unable to see the menu bar in game, PRESS F10 on your keyboard and it will show up

Note For Other aircraft - If Tutorial is not available, click on "Aircraft Help" to learn the controls for the aircraft you're using,

For more help, take a look at our video section.

Configuring OpenGL

ProFlight runs best with current OpenGL video drivers. If you are having trouble running ProFlight smoothly, visit your video card manufacturer's web site and download and install the latest drivers for your card. If you're still having problems with graphics, see the troubleshooting section.

Installing scenery

GUIDE TO OPTION 1: (MANUAL INSTALLATION VIA DOWNLOAD)

To download objects and terrain for ProFlightSimulator, go to the members page and navigate to the World Scenery Downloads page.

On this page follow the link to download scenery from the map. Choose a block from the map where you will by flying.

Download the .tgz file onto your computer

At the Flight Launcher Menu click on the "More Options" button. You'll be presented with this screen:

Click on "Install Scenery" and the installer will pop up:

Click on "Browse" and choose the tgz files you've downloaded. You can choose multiple files by clicking on the mouse and dragging over the number of files. Thereafter, click OPEN. (scenery files are in *.tgz format.)

If you have a slower computer or you do not have a lot of memory, do not select a huge number of files at one go.

After selecting the file/files, click on Install and wait for the program to install the sceneries.

If you've selected multiple files or you've a slower computer, please be patient as it may take a while. After the sceneries have been installed, you can browse more files or simply end the program

NOTE: When you install new sceneries, some scenery might NOT contain airports. As such, no new airports will show on the screen. This is normal.

However, if you fly to that area, you'll see objects and landscapes. Only certain scenes do contain airport runways so you'll see new airports being loaded on the screen.

This option only applies if you've purchased the 4 DVD edition .

It contains the all-in-one continent scenery installation so you can install the entire world scenery in just 10 minutes or less.

Lets run through the scenery installer process for the Europe Continent.

The DVD will contain a single exe file for Europe like this:

Run the file to start the installation process and you will be taken to this screen:

Click the INSTALL button.

After installation, you will be shown this screen:

Click on Finish and you're DONE!

The sceneries for the entire EUROPE continent will be visible in VirtualPilot3D

Even better, all airports in Europe will be available for selection in the Flight Launcher's "More Options" button as shown below:

NOTE: When you install new sceneries, some scenery might NOT contain airports. As such, no new airports will show on the screen. This is normal.

However, if you fly to that area, you'll see objects and landscapes. Only certain scenes do contain airport runways so you'll see new airports being loaded on the screen.

Get the all in one scenery installer with the 4-DVD edition and save time downloading.

INSTALLING AIRCRAFT

To download additional aircraft for ProFlight individually, go to the members area and navigate to the Aircraft downloads page.

Download the aircraft you want from the page. (do note that you can only download 1 at a time. The server does not allow simultaneous connections).

At the Flight Launcher Menu click on the "More Options" button. Click on "Install Aircraft " and choose the file which you've downloaded to install it. (aircraft files are in *.zip format.) Then, click on "Refresh"

All aircraft are included in the 4-DVD edition

Note: If you get this error: "Failed to install resource" when you're trying to add aircraft in the launcher:

1. Ensure that you're choosing the .zip file of the aircraft

If it still fails, try an alternate method:

Locate where the game is installed on your computer. Find the aircraft folder within the game folder Eg: C:/Program Files (x86)/ProFlightSimulator/data/Aircraft

Extract the zip file to get the FOLDER of the aircraft files and copy the folder in /ProFlightSimulator/data/Aircraft

Once you load the flight launcher, you should see the aircraft listed

Starting ProFlight

Click On "Start Flying" at the launch control to run the game immediately. It loads up the Cessna with a default runway. The Cessna is easy to fly and for you to learn the controls in the shortest time.

Click on HELP -> Start Tutorial and follow the instructions.

Online multiplayer flying

Using the Keyboard and Mouse

Users with limited access to a joystick or other controllers sometimes use the keyboard or mouse to control their aircraft. Using the keyboard to fly can be difficult and the mouse is recommended over the keyboard. Other adjustments may be made with the keyboard.

To get help with keyboard commands, with ProFlight running, go to the Help menu, look under Basic Keys (for simulator related commands) and Common Aircraft Keys (for commands universal to all aircraft) and Aircraft Help for key commands specific to your aircraft. A chart displaying what each key does will display.

To use the mouse to fly the aircraft, right click and move the mouse to direct the aircraft, right click again to look around, click again to return to normal.

First time in the cockpit

Finding your way around the cockpit can be daunting the first time.

Where is the 'virtual cockpit?' Not all ProFlight aircraft come with an interior, including a virtual cockpit. (Due to ProFlight being used by various research projects, some aircraft may not even come with an exterior model. Remember, ProFlight is very flexible.) A 2D panel may display over the 3d cockpit if one exists. You may turn this off using the View menu. Otherwise, you should be sitting in the virtual cockpit when ProFlight starts, as long as the Cockpit View is selected.

You may find it difficult to read some of the displays, dials and gauges on the instrument panel. Use the Zoom keys to zoom in on an instrument. The 'x' and Shift-X keys control eyepoint zoom in the Cockpit View. Use the joystick hat (or other controller assigned to this function) to pan the eyepoint to the instrument you wish to read. Then zoom in.

Alternate Method: Click the right mouse button until you get a cursor with two arrows (like this <=>). You can now move your view around the cockpit. Press 'x' and Shift-X to zoom in and out.

Note: Some functions, such as starter or magneto, may be difficult to use or lack "hotspots" to control with your mouse. Especially when flying an aircraft model that is still undergoing development. In this case, look for equivalent controls on a 2D panel or resort to the keyboard. The keyboard controls always work according to the assignments listed on the Help Menu (unless reassigned by an aircraft or configuration). Go to the main window menu, click Help, then click Basic Keys or Common Aircraft Keys.

One of the first steps I take on entering an unfamiliar cockpit is to press Ctrl-C to highlight all the "hotspots" on the 3d cockpit instrument panel. This enables you to easily see where to place the mouse to operate an instrument's controls, buttons, knobs, etc.

Many aircraft offer a help menu specific to that aircraft on the Aircraft Help menu (go to Help, then Aircraft Help.

Making your first flight:

One of the most frequent questions novice pilots ask about any flight sim, but more so to ProFlight, is "why is my aircraft turning left all the time?" Although it could be due to wind gusts crossing the runway, it is more likely due to the increased realism ProFlight provides. In a certain other flight simulator, some settings are turned down to make the aircraft easier to fly. This reduces effects such as propeller torque and p-factor, which may be the cause of the tendency to turn to the left (to figure out which effect, you may read more in Understanding Propeller Torque and P-Factor).

Despite marketing slogans to the contrary, some flight simulators are aimed at a casual game player market, and ship with their "realism" turned down. The realism is always turned up in ProFlight.

ProFlight offers a great deal of realism, which may be confusing to first time pilots.

• "Left Turning Syndrome" for the previously mentioned reasons.
• Compass Turning Error: A compass, when subjected to the forces of flight, tends to turn in the opposite direction for a brief period before settling on the correct heading. This is not a malfunction.
• The Vertical Speed Indicator is also subject to error.
• The Horizontal Situation Indicator is driven by a gyroscope (that is why it's sometimes called a Directional Gyroscope), which is subject to a phenomenon called gyro drift. For a number of reasons, the gyro will drift from its current heading and must be periodically (about every 15 minutes) calibrated to agree with the magnetic compass heading.

Many forces act on an aircraft in flight as well as on the instruments and systems used for control and navigation, and may be counter-intuitive. Pilots must learn to recognize these phenomena and compensate for their effects. ProFlight models instrument errors that exist in the real world.

Watch our videos to learn how to fly fast >>

Flying using navigational aids and the autopilot

To make this very clear for new users: Some aircraft require you to use the autopilot available from the Autopilot menu, which is the original ProFlight autopilot. This is a generic autopilot and as such, many aircraft come with their own specific autopilot, frequently a model of the real life one. For aircraft that provide their own autopilot in the cockpit, you must use the autopilot controls available in the virtual cockpit. This means clicking on the instrument panel in the virtual cockpit. The Autopilot menu will be grayed out and unavailable when the aircraft supplies its own autopilot (generally).

Learn To Use The Autopilot >>

ProFlight comes with a "built-in" autopilot. The Autopilot dialog accessible from the ProFlight toolbar in the main ProFlight window does not work with all aircraft. It only works with aircraft that either

• do not specify an autopilot
• use the default autopilot. When an aircraft does not specify an autopilot, the default is used.

For aircraft that supply their own autopilot, you must use the autopilot controls in the 2D or virtual cockpit. The Cessna comes with a KAP140 autopilot in its virtual cockpit. You cannot use the Autopilot dialog with this aircraft. It has no effect. You must use the autopilot device in the panel.

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