Are there any downsides to removing the default aircraft from the game other than losing the multiplayer 'default to' option when two players don't have the same plane?

I never use them, and I've removed and replaced the default traffic.bgl, so to me, they're just dead weight in the sim, but I wanted to ask some experts before messing about. 

I also don't use any planes the are aliased to the defaults in anyway, and those that did, now have custom sound sets & panels.

Thanks for the help. 

ShaneG wrote on Jun 15^th, 2010 at 5:47am:


Be sure you keep the default Cessna - in case you ever rename your FS9.cfg file so it is rebuilt.  The default flight (FLTSIM.FLT in your Flights/other subfolder) calls for that aircraft and if it is "missing" the sim will not start.

The same would hold true if you just remove the data on the situation= line in yiour FS9.cfg file. That forces FS to start with the default flight also.

Also be sure you do not have any "saved" flights which call for any of the default aircraft. If FS cannot find the aircraft a CTD is likely to occur.

I have seen numerous recommendations - usually associated with complex aircraft - to start with the "default flight" (rather than the default flight flight you may have set up) and then change to the complex aircraft. This is apparently "required" with some aircraft in order for all their systems to work correctly. I do not have any of those so am just passing on what I have read.

Any time I have needed to do a fresh re-install of FS2004, the first thing I have done after the install is to create a copy of the default aircaraft folder and squirrel it away for safe keeping - just in case I need any elements from it.

Hope these ramblings thoughts are useful.

It would appear as though I should just leave well enough alone then.   

See, I'm glad I asked the experts. 

I'm glad you mentioned the default flight issue Opa, as I wasn't aware of that, and I've come close to replacing that particular plane on many occasions. 

Thanks to all three of you. 

Shane, you wouldn't earn anything but a small amount of megabytes anyway. I understand that you never use them, but who knows. Perhaps one day you'll want again to check their fantastic virtual cockpits

PS: of course I was not referring to the default liners. I was more thinking about the vintage planes, as well as the default Cessnas. In fact, they were all transferred into my FSX hangar and I fly them a lot:
- C182 (very often)
- Vega (from time to time)
- Vimy (from time to time)
- Comet (very often)
- Trimotor (very often)
- Jenny (very often)

..and, as you know, the default Aircraft are absolutely vital for Pilots flying together in on-line Multiplayer sessions, and wishing their aircraft to show up correctly to each other*!

Flight Sim "Multiplayer" was designed around using the default Aircraft, and works very successfully in that Mode.

Paul..G-BPLF...FS 2004..FS Nav...and my trusty default Beech Baron 58..(I wouldn't be without it!.. ...!).

* (For the benefit of newcomers to on-line Multiplayer)

P.S. I think most of my extended loading times are more due to additional scenery and various additional effects I keep including in the Sim!.. ...!

The AI is probably the large hit, but I only use a couple WOAI packs.

I'm running:

-ALL of the available PAI packs
-ALL of the available MAIW packages
-ALL of the VOZ 1.8 AI planes
-And several others that came with various scenery.

My problem is, is that my Aircraft folder is larger than the entire initial install. 

There are 875 individual aircraft folders, inside the FS9/Aircraft/ folder, with almost 700 of those being AI planes.

It may seem like overkill, but no matter where I fly in the world now, I have real world traffic, civilian, commercial, and military. 



One of my favorite FS past times is to just sit and watch the AI do it's thing at various airports around the world. 

My wife would prefer I stick to aircraft.    

I'll have to let you do that kind of spotting for both of us.   

Wow, now that's some serious AI you got there Shane o_0'
Could be the source of your problematic loading times for sure. But deleting the two-three useless default liners won't really help compared to the 800 other aircraft remaining there