diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp
index 457a34578..9f6af1f9d 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return Private::isLikelyImpl(this->countPerSimulator().getCountForFsxFamilySimulators(), this->size());
         }
 
-        bool CAircraftModelList::isLikelyXplaneModelList() const
+        bool CAircraftModelList::isLikelyXPlaneModelList() const
         {
             if (this->isEmpty()) { return false; } // avoid DIV 0
             return Private::isLikelyImpl(this->countPerSimulator().getCount(CSimulatorInfo::xplane()), this->size());
@@ -1309,7 +1309,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return msgs;
         }
 
-        CStatusMessageList CAircraftModelList::validateFiles(CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped, bool alreadySorted) const
+        CStatusMessageList CAircraftModelList::validateFiles(CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped, const QString &rootDirectory, bool alreadySortedByFn) const
         {
             invalidModels.clear();
             validModels.clear();
@@ -1322,9 +1322,11 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
             // sorting allows to skip multiple files as once when a file fails
             CAircraftModelList sorted(*this);
-            if (!alreadySorted) { sorted.sortByFileName(); }
+            if (!alreadySortedByFn) { sorted.sortByFileName(); }
 
             const bool caseSensitive = CFileUtils::isFileNameCaseSensitive();
+            const QString rDir = caseSensitive ? rootDirectory : rootDirectory.toLower();
+
             for (const CAircraftModel &model : as_const(sorted))
             {
                 bool ok = false;
@@ -1352,10 +1354,20 @@ namespace BlackMisc
 
                     if (workingFiles.contains(fn) || model.hasExistingCorrespondingFile())
                     {
-                        ok = true;
-                        workingFiles.insert(fn);
-                        // msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(this).validationInfo(u"'%1', file '%2' existing") << model.getModelStringAndDbKey() << model.getFileName());
-                        break;
+                        if (!rootDirectory.isEmpty()  && !fn.contains(rDir))
+                        {
+                            msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(this).validationError(u"'%1', not in root directory '%2', '%3' skipped") << model.getModelStringAndDbKey() << rDir << model.getFileName());
+                            failedFiles.insert(fn);
+                            failedFilesCount++;
+                            break;
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            ok = true;
+                            workingFiles.insert(fn);
+                            // msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(this).validationInfo(u"'%1', file '%2' existing") << model.getModelStringAndDbKey() << model.getFileName());
+                            break;
+                        }
                     }
 
                     failedFiles.insert(fn);
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.h b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.h
index f9ab0ccff..1b6813928 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.h
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             bool isLikelyFsxFamilyModelList() const;
 
             //! Is this here a XPlane model list?
-            bool isLikelyXplaneModelList() const;
+            bool isLikelyXPlaneModelList() const;
 
             //! Set mode for all elements
             int setModelMode(CAircraftModel::ModelMode mode);
@@ -453,8 +453,8 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Validate distributors
             CStatusMessageList validateDistributors(const CDistributorList &distributors, CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels) const;
 
-            //! Validate distributors
-            CStatusMessageList validateFiles(CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped, bool alreadySorted = false) const;
+            //! Validate files (file exists etc.)
+            CStatusMessageList validateFiles(CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped, const QString &rootDirectory, bool alreadySortedByFn = false) const;
 
             //! To compact JSON format
             QJsonObject toMemoizedJson() const;
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.cpp b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.cpp
index b0e8c00f3..ba4613f67 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.cpp
@@ -140,12 +140,45 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return ok ? dir.absoluteFilePath(fn) : "";
         }
 
-        CStatusMessageList CAircraftModelUtilities::validateModelFiles(const CAircraftModelList &models, CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped)
+        CStatusMessageList CAircraftModelUtilities::validateModelFiles(const CAircraftModelList &models, CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped, const QString &simulatorDir)
         {
-            // specifi checks for XPlane/FG would go here
-            return models.isLikelyFsFamilyModelList() ?
-                   FsCommon::CFsCommonUtil::validateConfigFiles(models, validModels, invalidModels, ignoreEmpty, stopAtFailedFiles, stopped) :
-                   models.validateFiles(validModels, invalidModels, ignoreEmpty, stopAtFailedFiles, stopped);
+            // some generic tests
+            CStatusMessageList msgs;
+            if (models.isEmpty())
+            {
+                msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(CLogCategory::matching(), CStatusMessage::SeverityError, u"No models", true));
+                return msgs;
+            }
+
+            const int noDb = models.size() - models.countWithValidDbKey();
+            if (noDb > 0)
+            {
+                msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(CLogCategory::matching(), CStatusMessage::SeverityWarning, QStringLiteral("%1 models without DB data, is this intended?").arg(noDb), true));
+            }
+
+            const int noExcluded = models.countByMode(CAircraftModel::Exclude);
+            if (noExcluded > 0)
+            {
+                msgs.push_back(CStatusMessage(CLogCategory::matching(), CStatusMessage::SeverityWarning, QStringLiteral("%1 models marked as excluded, is this intended?").arg(noExcluded), true));
+            }
+
+            // specific checks for FSX/XPlane/FG
+            CStatusMessageList specificTests;
+            if (models.isLikelyFsFamilyModelList())
+            {
+                specificTests = FsCommon::CFsCommonUtil::validateConfigFiles(models, validModels, invalidModels, ignoreEmpty, stopAtFailedFiles, stopped);
+            }
+            else if (models.isLikelyXPlaneModelList())
+            {
+                specificTests = models.validateFiles(validModels, invalidModels, ignoreEmpty, stopAtFailedFiles, stopped, simulatorDir);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                specificTests = models.validateFiles(validModels, invalidModels, ignoreEmpty, stopAtFailedFiles, stopped, {});
+            }
+
+            msgs.push_back(specificTests);
+            return msgs;
         }
     } // ns
 } // ns
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.h b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.h
index 3e057be08..da6ad1864 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodelutils.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             CAircraftModelUtilities() = delete;
 
             //! Merge with vPilot data if possible
+            //! \deprecated vPilot parts might be removed
             static bool mergeWithVPilotData(BlackMisc::Simulation::CAircraftModelList &modelToBeModified, const BlackMisc::Simulation::CAircraftModelList &vPilotModels, bool force = false);
 
             //! Matrix airlines/aircraft ICAOs
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             static QString createIcaoAirlineAircraftHtmlMatrixFile(const BlackMisc::Simulation::CAircraftModelList &models, const QString &tempDir);
 
             //! Validate aircraft.cfg entries
-            static CStatusMessageList validateModelFiles(const CAircraftModelList &models, CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped);
+            static CStatusMessageList validateModelFiles(const CAircraftModelList &models, CAircraftModelList &validModels, CAircraftModelList &invalidModels, bool ignoreEmpty, int stopAtFailedFiles, bool &stopped, const QString &simulatorDir);
         };
     } //namespace
 } // namespace