diff --git a/src/blackcore/context/contextsimulatorimpl.cpp b/src/blackcore/context/contextsimulatorimpl.cpp
index 6ac59b391..8b00001fe 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/context/contextsimulatorimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/context/contextsimulatorimpl.cpp
@@ -414,6 +414,12 @@ namespace BlackCore
 
             // try to connect to simulator
             const bool connected = simulator->connectTo();
+            if (!connected)
+            {
+                CLogMessage(this).error("Simulator plugin connection to simulator '%1' failed") << simulatorPluginInfo.toQString(true);
+                return false;
+            }
+
             simulator->setWeatherActivated(m_isWeatherActivated);
 
             // when everything is set up connected, update the current plugin info
@@ -626,6 +632,10 @@ namespace BlackCore
             if (to == INetwork::Connected && this->getIContextNetwork())
             {
                 m_networkSessionId = this->getIContextNetwork()->getConnectedServer().getServerSessionId();
+                if (m_simulatorPlugin.second) // check in case the plugin has been unloaded
+                {
+                    m_simulatorPlugin.second->setFlightNetworkConnected(true);
+                }
             }
             else if (INetwork::isDisconnectedStatus(to))
             {
@@ -637,6 +647,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
                 {
                     const CStatusMessageList verifyMessages = m_simulatorPlugin.second->debugVerifyStateAfterAllAircraftRemoved();
                     m_simulatorPlugin.second->clearAllRemoteAircraftData();
+                    m_simulatorPlugin.second->setFlightNetworkConnected(false);
                     if (!verifyMessages.isEmpty()) { emit this->driverMessages(verifyMessages); }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/blackcore/simulator.cpp b/src/blackcore/simulator.cpp
index 8b0bb00f6..53338666d 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/simulator.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/simulator.cpp
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ namespace BlackCore
         }
     }
 
+    void ISimulator::setFlightNetworkConnected(bool connected)
+    {
+        m_networkConnected = connected;
+    }
+
     void ISimulator::reloadWeatherSettings()
     {
         if (!m_isWeatherActivated) { return; }
diff --git a/src/blackcore/simulator.h b/src/blackcore/simulator.h
index e39040a05..b1f72b271 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/simulator.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/simulator.h
@@ -169,6 +169,14 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! Activates or deactivates simulator weather
         virtual void setWeatherActivated(bool activated);
 
+        //! Flight network has been connected
+        //! \remark hint if network connected and we expect any planes
+        //! \sa ISimulator::isFlightNetworkConnected
+        virtual void setFlightNetworkConnected(bool connected);
+
+        //! Is the flight network connected
+        bool isFlightNetworkConnected() const { return m_networkConnected; }
+
         //! Reload weather settings
         void reloadWeatherSettings();
 
@@ -538,18 +546,24 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! Display a logged situation in simulator
         void displayLoggedSituationInSimulator(const BlackMisc::Aviation::CCallsign &cs, bool stopLogging, int times = 40);
 
-        bool m_blinkCycle = false;            //!< used for highlighting
-        qint64 m_highlightEndTimeMsEpoch = 0; //!< end highlighting
-        int m_timerCounter = 0;               //!< allows to calculate n seconds
-        QTimer m_oneSecondTimer;              //!< multi purpose timer with 1 sec. interval
-        BlackMisc::Aviation::CCallsignSet             m_callsignsToBeRendered;             //!< callsigns which will be rendered
-        BlackMisc::CConnectionGuard                   m_remoteAircraftProviderConnections; //!< connected signal/slots
-        BlackMisc::Simulation::CSimulatedAircraftList m_highlightedAircraft;               //!< all other aircraft are to be ignored
-
         // statistics values of how often those functions are called
         // those are the added counters, overflow will not be an issue here (discussed in T171 review)
         int m_statsPhysicallyAddedAircraft = 0;   //!< statistics, how many aircraft added
         int m_statsPhysicallyRemovedAircraft = 0; //!< statistics, how many aircraft removed
+
+        // highlighting
+        bool m_blinkCycle = false;                //!< used for highlighting
+        qint64 m_highlightEndTimeMsEpoch = 0;     //!< end highlighting
+        BlackMisc::Simulation::CSimulatedAircraftList m_highlightedAircraft; //!< all other aircraft are to be ignored
+
+        // timer
+        int m_timerCounter = 0;                   //!< allows to calculate n seconds
+        QTimer m_oneSecondTimer;                  //!< multi purpose timer with 1 sec. interval
+
+        // misc. as callsigns
+        bool   m_networkConnected = false;        //!< flight network connected
+        BlackMisc::Aviation::CCallsignSet m_callsignsToBeRendered;             //!< callsigns which will be rendered
+        BlackMisc::CConnectionGuard       m_remoteAircraftProviderConnections; //!< connected signal/slots
     };
 
     //! \brief Interface to a simulator listener.
diff --git a/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.cpp b/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.cpp
index 6eba88acf..1f9e3c246 100644
--- a/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.cpp
@@ -343,6 +343,17 @@ namespace BlackSimPlugin
             CSimulatorPluginCommon::resetAircraftStatistics();
         }
 
+        void CSimulatorFsxCommon::setFlightNetworkConnected(bool connected)
+        {
+            if (connected == !this->isFlightNetworkConnected())
+            {
+                // toggling, we trace for a while to better monitor those "critical" phases
+                this->triggerAutoTraceSendId();
+            }
+
+            ISimulator::setFlightNetworkConnected(connected);
+        }
+
         CSimConnectDefinitions::SimObjectRequest CSimulatorFsxCommon::requestToSimObjectRequest(DWORD requestId)
         {
             DWORD v = static_cast<DWORD>(CSimConnectDefinitions::SimObjectEndMarker);
diff --git a/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.h b/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.h
index e36f67c13..dd8c84b42 100644
--- a/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.h
+++ b/src/plugins/simulator/fsxcommon/simulatorfsxcommon.h
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ namespace BlackSimPlugin
             virtual BlackMisc::CStatusMessageList debugVerifyStateAfterAllAircraftRemoved() const override;
             virtual QString getStatisticsSimulatorSpecific() const override;
             virtual void resetAircraftStatistics() override;
+            virtual void setFlightNetworkConnected(bool connected) override;
             //! @}
 
             //! \copydoc BlackMisc::Simulation::ISimulationEnvironmentProvider::requestElevation