Discover the Easter egg functions and advanced training capabilities
Hidden features inside software are often called "Easter Eggs". The G1000 software has a set of these kinds of hidden features, but they are not hidden because they are secret, but rather, to avoid having them distract a pilot who is flying and using the various normal functions of the avionics.
The hidden features are activated by pressing softkey #2 on the MFD. This is the unlabeled softkey position between the ENGINE and MAP softkeys.
These hidden features can be disabled using a setting in the G1000.INI. By setting the following value in the [G1000] section of the G1000.INI, you can disable this softkey from activating the hidden features:
But even if the hidden features (easter eggs) softkey has been disabled using the G1000.INI setting shown above, you can still activate the hidden features by tuning your COM-2 radio to 121.5 (the emergency frequency), then press the COM frequency flip-flop button 6-times within 2 seconds.
This is a fairly fast pressing of the flip-flop button, but we wanted to make it unlikely that this action would be triggered by accident. Once you flip-flop the COM2 radio 6-times, the hidden features will become available for the remainder of the flight.
Accessing the hidden features is accomplished by pressing the associated softkey. All the hidden features are grouped under the following top-level menu items. The top level menu is first displayed when you press the blank softkey indicated above.
Note: If you are using FS2004 (FS9), then some features will not be available and displayed in a "grayed out" state.
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| FAIL | Simulate various G1000 system failures and LRU failures. |
| WX | Change weather conditions to predefined settings. |
| TIME | Change time of day. |
| APPR | Relocate the aircraft to positions along an approach loaded into the G1000 flight plan. |
| AI | Artificial intelligence options. Creates traffic, populates airports. |
| AERO | Aerodynamic settings. Simulate stall/spin behavior in extreme CG loading configurations. |
| POS | Save aircraft positions and relocate aircraft to saved positions. |
| CTRL | Activate controls that typically require hardware interface. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
The failures menu has multiple pages. The softkey titled MORE will go to the next page of options.
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| AHRS | Fails the primary AHRS. In aircraft with multiple AHRS units, you can only fail the other AHRS (AHRS #2) using the failure events in the G1000.INI. |
| HDG | Fails the magnetometer, causing the magnetic headings on the HSI to go blank. |
| ADC | Fails the air data computer LRU. |
| IAU | Fails the integrated avionics LRU unit. |
| EAU | Fails the engine and airframe LRU unit. |
| XPDR | Fails the transponder. |
| PFD | Fails the PFD display, the MFD will auto-switch into reversionary mode. |
| MFD | Fails the MFD, the PFD will auto-switch into reversionary mode. Note that this failure will cause you to lose access to the menu that can clear the failure. In this case, cycle the master switch off, then on again. This action will clear all failures. |
| GS | Fails the glideslope display on the PFD. No effect if there is no glideslope being received on the active NAV frequency. |
| MORE | View the second failures menu. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| GPS | Fails the GPS system. Maps will go blank, and GPS-related fields will either be inop, or colored yellow to denote that dead-reckoning mode is in effect. |
| TAWS | Fails the terrain awareness and warning system. This is only an audible warning and in some cases, an annunciator on the PFD, since there is no TAWS system available in the simulation. |
| RAIM | Causes failure of the satellite redundancy check. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| MIN-X | Minimums - extreme. This setting attempts to detect the elevation of the runway for the currently loaded approach, and attempts to set the cloud ceiling such that you will not break out of the clouds in time to make the landing, forcing a missed approach. |
| MIN-N | Minimums - normal. This setting attempts to detect the elevation of the runway for the currently loaded approach, and attempts to set the cloud ceiling such that you will break out in time to make a landing. |
| CEIL-X | Low Ceiling - extreme. |
| CEIL-N | Low Ceiling - normal. |
| RAIN | Activates rain showers in the region. |
| FOG-X | Activates extreme fog in the region. The fog layer is not very thick, so you can climb on top into VFR-on-top conditions. But on the ground and during approach, you may or may not be able to see enough of the runway to make a successful landing. |
| FOG-N | Activates normal fog in the region. The fog layer is not very thick, so you can climb on top into VFR-on-top conditions. You should be able to make a landing during an instrument approach. |
| VFR | Return to VFR conditions. This is not a "clear all weather" setting, it leaves some number of cumulus clouds in the weather system. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
Self-explanatory - quickly change the time of day for different lighting conditions during training.
The approach options will display all the waypoints of the instrument approach currently loaded into the G1000 flight plan. Pressing the softkey associated with a waypoint will immediately relocate the aircraft to that waypoint, at the altitude specified by the navigation data for that waypoint.
As an example, this is what you would see if you loaded the KJYO ILS 17 approach into the G1000, and then activated the APPR hidden features menu:
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| TRAF | Toggles the Mindstar Aviation traffic system on and off. The traffic system will populate the nearest airport with airplanes in most, if not all, the parking spaces. It will also release two aircraft at a time into the traffic pattern. The aircraft will take off, circle in the pattern, land, park, and shut down. Then two more aircraft will release. There is also an airliner that will orbit overhead above the traffic pattern altitude. In addition to aircraft, two fuel trucks will move around the parking ramp, moving from aircraft to aircraft, to simulate fueling operations. DC SFRA Interceptor: If you are located in the Washington DC area, and you take off from an airport inside the SFRA while still squawking 1200, a small civil-air patrol aircraft will intercept you on the left side, and direct you to follow him, and exit the airspace. In the simulator, you will not be faced with criminal charges! |
| RWINC | This function is only available if the TRAF option is activated. This function activates "runway incursion" mode. It only works after the airport is populated by the TRAF option, and the fuel trucks are visible and roaming around the airport. Pressing this button will cause the trucks to leave their refueling activities and both drive directly to the active runway. Each will take a position in the center of the runway, and drive to opposite ends. They will continue to occupy the runway until the RWINC option is turned off. Once the option is turned off, the trucks will resume their refueling activities on the ramp. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
The aircraft and vehicles used for this feature come from the aircraft containers loaded on the sim. We attempt to use the ones that are always present on all versions of flight simulator, but if any of these aircraft are not present in these exact names, the airport population may not function properly.
These are all default FSX aircraft. The names used here are the names as specified in the aircraft.cfg file for each variation in the associated aircraft container.
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| CG F | Simulates stall behavior if the center-of-gravity was too far forward. This option will cause the aircraft to roll uncontrollably in the direction of the slip-skid indicator and/or direction of bank if the aircraft approaches the critical angle of attack. |
| CG R | Simulates stall behavior if the center-of-gravity was too far back. This option will cause the aircraft to roll uncontrollably opposite the direction of the slip-skid indicator and/or direction of bank if the aircraft approaches the critical angle of attack. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| SAVE | Displays a list of "slots" into which the G1000 will save the aircraft's current position, speed, altitude, heading, and bank angle. The slots are numbered SAVE1, SAVE2, etc. There is no text description available for the save slots, only the numeric identifier. You must remember what the slot means when you use the GOTO option. When saving, a confirmation message is displayed on the MFD. |
| GOTO | Displays a list of "slots" into which the G1000 has previously saved the aircraft's position, speed, altitude, heading, and bank angle. The slots are disabled unless something has been saved into that position. Pressing the associated GOTO button, like GOTO 1, GOTO 2, etc, will display a confirmation message on the MFD, and then relocate the aircraft to the position previously saved into the selected slot. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
These options are miscellaneous options that didn't fit into the other categories. Usually, this is where you can activate functions that would normally require a piece of hardware to utilize.
| Softkey | Description |
|---|---|
| CWS | Simulates the pressing of the control wheel steering button on the yoke. |
| NOEVT | Blocks the G1000 from receiving any events programmed into the G1000.INI. |
| BACK | Go back to the previous menu. |
These features are intended for training and entertainment purposes. They should not be used in professional flight training devices unless specifically authorized by your aviation authority.