MSFS 2024 · Fighter

F/A-18E Super Hornet Startup Checklist

F/A-18E Super Hornet Startup Notes

The Rhino follows the same family logic as the legacy Hornet: battery on, APU on, crank the right engine first, then use crossbleed air to start the left. In MSFS the systems depth is far shallower than a study-level module - there is no full INS alignment to babysit and many switches are simplified - but flying the real flow still pays off, because the jet comes alive in the correct order and the habits transfer straight to the DCS Hornet.

The biggest mistake is leaning on auto-start (Ctrl+E) forever and never learning the flow - the Super Hornet is one of the easiest jets to start manually. Beyond that, pilots skip the APU step and wonder why nothing cranks, take off with the wrong flap setting (HALF is standard for the Hornet family), and forget takeoff trim. Run the console flow deliberately, watch the crank switch sequence, and set flaps and trim before the runway.

Common mistakes

  • Relying on Ctrl+E instead of learning the flow
  • Taking off with the wrong flap setting
  • Cranking engines before the APU is running

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