Aerofly Startgerät - Manual set-up and import of flight plans

Hi Armitage

This is a great initiative and looks very promising, I'll be looking forward to test it out soon.
One question though, will the dmg/app be released for INTEL Macs too? I was only able to find the ARM/Silicon version GUI dmg in your Github.

Thank you in advance for the work and dedication to this project.

Thanks Frank for the new app! I will test it soon.

Quote from Armitage

AeRodri Good point, I check how to modify the compilation process - or I will ask Claude. 😁

Update: Obviously it can be compiled as universal build. I will fix this tomorrow.

Hi Frank,

Thats fantastic news! Thank you very much 👍

Hi Frank, is this tool built in JavaScript? How do you compile it for different languages?

How does flight plan work with the outdated airac cycle in the simulator?

I use Onlineflightplanner.org which allows me to ‘sync’ the outdated AIRAC 1301 of the sim with the flightplan that i create, hence giving me a 99% succes rate with any route.

Choose your flightplan export format, choose your departure, choose the destination, choose AIRAC Cycle 1301 and choose the aircraft type. Keep SID/STARS enabled and mark NAT routes too, then hit “Create Plan”.

This will solve all your routing problems in 99% of the cases, as the route will be adapted to the outdated cycle inside the sim. (Some problems will occur with newer airports like LTFM or EDDB, but i use alternates for those routes, eg. the older LTBA or EDDT, then adapt the arrival waypoint to connect with the STAR)

Thanks Frank, the interface looks very nice, maybe I should start working on typescript and JavaScript too, since by now all the code is written by the AI, and it is not necessary for me to understand it as I did with Python. Sad but true!

Hi Frank,

Great to hear you managed to get the StartGerät converted for both ARM and Intel Machines on MacOS.

I’m downloading the dmg as we speak, i will test it out in the next days and give you my feedback accordingly.

Thank you for your work and contribution.

Hi Frank,

As I mentioned to you previously, my plan was to send you a full report in a few days, however while waiting for my upcoming flight simulation video to finish exporting for my channel, I simply couldn’t resist and started experimenting with the tool right away.

I’ve been testing it thoroughly on my macOS Intel system, focusing primarily on importing .fms files (X-Plane 11/12 format) generated via OnlineFlightPlanner.org, which in my opinion currently offers incredible flexibility for routing. While I haven't fully explored the SimBrief integration yet, I have downloaded its manual and plan to study its features and capabilities over the coming weeks.

I must say, I am incredibly satisfied with the functionality integrated into this interface. It is beautifully simple and wonderfully independent, particularly when handling route injection, weather, clouds, and time/date synchronization.

Consider this an Interim Report containing my first-hand observations and impressions from a user and technical standpoint:

1. The Core Architecture: Direct Ingestion vs. The "Aerofly Mission Problem"

The absolute triumph of Startgerät is how it interacts with Aerofly FS 4’s core structure. As we all know, the simulator has a notorious issue when handling native .tmc files from the "Custom Missions" menu: it often spawns the aircraft wherever it pleases, frequently mid-air or directly on the runway with engines running. If a user then wants to change the livery, the aircraft, or the starting position, they force the simulator to load and unload heavy 3D assets multiple times in a single session. On macOS, this consecutive rendering loop is a prime recipe for a Crash to Desktop (CTD).

By modifying the main.mcf directly while the simulator is closed, Startgerät solves this entirely. It acts as a "cold room" or pre-flight lounge. When Aerofly is launched, the route and environment are already cached in the menu system before the 3D world renders. Users can safely adjust their parking positions, select liveries, and fine-tune their navigation without wasting system memory. This drastically reduces the probability of CTDs and streamlines the entire loading process to a single, stable load.

2. Streamlined UX: Autosave and Real-Time Fetching

I absolutely love the lack of a manual "Save" button. The fact that the interface dynamically reflects changes into the main.mcf on the fly means there is zero risk of forgetting to save a complex route or a weather preset. (I always keep a backup of the main.mcf file nearby inside a zip file) Furthermore, the Fetch METAR feature is an absolute masterpiece. Being able to inject real-world weather, precise winds, and multi-layered clouds globally with just one click, and having it go exactly where it belongs in the configuration file, is a massive quality-of-life improvement.

3. Smart Separation of Tasks

I noticed the interface does not dynamically detect manually installed user liveries, but to be completely honest, this is not a problem at all. The philosophy here is perfect: Startgerät automates and pre-configures the most tedious and time-consuming tasks (the route planner, coordinates, and weather layers). The remaining minor steps, such as changing the airline skin or selecting the exact active runway, SID, and STAR based on the injected METAR, can be done in seconds within the Aerofly menu before clicking "Fly". It strikes a flawless balance.

4. Payload and Load Manager Potential

Introducing a dedicated payload manager that differentiates between Freighters and Passenger Aircraft is a brilliant touch. It adds a much-needed layer of immersion for airliner operations. I see immense potential for this specific feature to be expanded even further in future iterations of the tool.

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

This tool is a massive milestone and an extraordinary initiative for virtual pilots and route planners who, like me, specialize in long-haul commercial airline operations. Eliminating the need to click hundreds of times on the route planner map just to set up an ultra-long flight (like an OMDB-KLAX route, which spans the globe but fits into a mere 4 KB text file) completely changes how we experience Aerofly FS 4.

The fact that Startgerät remains a lightweight, zero-fuss, independent companion app makes it the perfect right-hand assistant to the simulator right now.

In short: My congratulations on this fantastic achievement! I strongly encourage you to keep developing and expanding this tool. Continue breaking through the brick walls where Aerofly has native limitations, and let your creativity guide you to unlock new horizons for the virtual pilot community.

I will continue testing on my Mac and will keep you updated as I dig deeper into the SimBrief workflows.

Hi Frank,

Following up on my Interim Review from yesterday from your newest tool, I have spent the last 24 hours conducting exhaustive testing on the newly released Startgerät v2.0.1 for macOS, focusing strictly on the SimBrief API integration under macOS.

Below is the technical breakdown of how I found that the tool handles automated Operational Flight Plan (OFP) ingestion, alongside a critical analysis of external data constraints.

1. The Core Integration: Pure Efficiency

The user experience of the SimBrief connection is exceptionally streamlined.

• One-Click Ingestion: Entering the SimBrief username and clicking "Fetch" retrieves the latest active OFP instantly.
• Zero-Click Saving: The immediate, automated injection of the fetched data straight into main.mcf eliminates any secondary save actions.
• Time Savings: This workflow reduces a process that previously took 40 to 45 minutes of manual, error-prone map clicking down to a mere 50 to 60 seconds. It completely shifts the user experience from tedious screen-clicking to actual flight piloting.

2. The AIRAC Paradox: SimBrief vs. Aerofly FS 4

During testing, several waypoint and routing anomalies were observed. It is critical to pre-inform users that these discrepancies are not faults or deficiencies within Startgerät. Instead, they are the direct result of a systemic data mismatch between the two platforms.

[SimBrief OFP] ────────────────────────► [Startgerät v2.0.1] ────────────────────────► [Aerofly FS 4]
Current Nav Data                        API Data Ingestion                            Legacy Nav Data
(AIRAC 2503/2607)                                                                     (AIRAC 1301)

• The Data Gap: SimBrief operates on modern aeronautical data, (such as AIRAC 2503 for free users or the current AIRAC 2607 for paying users) while Aerofly FS 4 utilizes an outdated native database. (AIRAC 1301 - nothing new here)
• Waypoint Attrition: When Startgerät parses a modern SimBrief route, points missing from the simulator's legacy database are dropped. Testing reveals an average waypoint loss of only 5% at the most, and this does not apply to all routes. This minor omission is negligible on standard routes and only visible under close scrutiny.
• The "Loose-Loose" Scenario: Attempting to force backwards compatibility by crafting routes via third-party planners (like OnlineFlightPlanner.org using legacy AIRAC 1301) causes SimBrief's internal validator to reject unrecognized modern waypoints, breaking the automated link entirely.
• Terminal Environment Disconnects: Due to structural changes in aviation charts over the years, the final en-route waypoints connecting to SIDs and STARs do not always align perfectly, occasionally requiring minor in-sim adjustments.

3. Oceanic Routing & Track Parsing (NATs/PACOTs)

The harsh reality of this database mismatch becomes apparent when planning intercontinental flights utilizing North Atlantic Tracks (NAT) or Pacific Organized Track Systems (PACOT).

• The Issue: SimBrief compresses daily oceanic tracks into a single designator (e.g., NAT U) within the text string, dynamically expanding the underlying geographical coordinates (e.g., 5050N, 5040N) in its own mapping software. Because Aerofly’s main.mcf format cannot interpret the modern track designator such as NAT U, the entire oceanic segment is left blank upon export.
• The Workaround: For high-fidelity route planning, the current solution requires copying the expanded coordinates directly from the SimBrief map interface, writing them manually into the route text box, and re-validating the route before exporting the flightplan and letting Startgerät fetch it entirely. This minor manual intervention adds roughly 20 seconds to the workflow, an entirely acceptable trade-off.

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

If both platforms shared synchronized navigation data, such as the current AIRAC cycle 2607, the translation between SimBrief and Startgerät would be completely flawless.

Even with these external platform limitations, Startgerät functions beautifully as a rapid data injector. By maintaining a routine backup of the main.mcf file, virtual pilots can safely use the tool to instantly configure long-haul routes, weather, winds, cloud layers, and global coordinates. Minor steps, such as confirming the aircraft livery, active runways, or terminal procedures, remain easily manageable within the native simulator menu prior to choosing to fly.

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to you, Frank, for driving this project forward with such dedication. Regardless of whether a development process utilizes AI or traditional programming methods, it is the tangible, long-term utility of the final product that matters to the community. You identified a massive workflow bottleneck in Aerofly FS 4 and engineered an elegant, independent solution.

The community owes you an immense debt of gratitude for this tool. I trust that this final assessment, combined with yesterday's report, provides the operational data needed to continue expanding this excellent project.

Hi Frank,

For the SimBrief import dialog and user documentation, I recommend providing a clear, balanced choice.
This empowers users to prioritize either pure speed or absolute waypoint accuracy.

Here is a structured format you can use directly for the UI or manual:

How to Import Flight Plans into Startgerät

You have two excellent workflows to choose from, depending on your preferences:

Option A: The SimBrief API Workflow (Fastest & Automated)

• Best for: Speed, ease of use, and real-time operational integration.
• How it works: Enter your SimBrief username and click Fetch. Startgerät automatically injects your active/latest flight plan directly into Aerofly FS 4 in less then a second.
• Important Navigation Data Note: As previously explained, SimBrief utilizes the modern AIRAC database 2503 for free users, whereas Aerofly FS 4 relies on a legacy internal AIRAC 1301. Because of this data gap, roughly up to 5% of modern waypoints might be automatically dropped during import. This is completely normal and rarely impacts standard routes. You may simply need to adjust your terminal procedures (SID/STAR) inside the native Aerofly menu before clicking "Fly".
• Oceanic Routing (NATs/PACOTs): Aerofly cannot parse compressed track designators (e.g., NAT U). To fix this, take the expanded latitude/longitude coordinates manually from SimBrief's map above, write them by hand into the route text box, re-validate the entire route, generate the Flgihtplan and then fetch the plan via Startgerät, which takes literally seconds to do.
• More detailed information on the procedures on how to use Simbrief, I recommend everybody to download the Simbrief User Guide here.

Option B: The OnlineFlightPlanner Workflow (Highest Route Accuracy)

• Best for: Achieving a 99% route success rate without missing waypoints on legacy routes.
• How it works: Create your route on OnlineFlightPlanner.org, and crucially, manually select AIRAC Cycle 1301 from the dropdown menu to perfectly align with Aerofly's native database. Export the plan as an X-Plane .fms file and import it into Startgerät.
• Note on Newer Airports: For hubs constructed after 2013 (like LTFM or EDDB), plan your route using their older equivalents (like LTBA or EDDT) and adapt the final arrival waypoint in the simulator to connect with the STAR.

Personally, I plan to stick with the primary solution of Simbrief, which for me is the fastest workflow, but if that deceives me in more than 5% of failures on long-haul routes, the natural backup option would be to use OnlineFlightPlanner.org with AIRAC 1301 and export to the .fms format, then import it manually into Startgerät. The difference is: by fetching your OFP from Simbrief, the weather is fetched as setup in Simbrief, when importing the OFP manually from OnlineFlightPlanner.org Startgerät must be retriggered manually to fetch the airport metars. Nothing to time-consuming, but it just takes a few extra clicks, thats all.