If this is by design, then the problem is that MSFS still thinks the menu is open after it self closes (the GSX button up top is still lit) and I have to press it twice for the menu to open again.
the problem is that MSFS still thinks the menu is open after it self closes (the GSX button up top is still lit) and I have to press it twice for the menu to open again.
GSX Manual, Pages 79-80, where the correct usage of the menu is discussed. I won't quote the whole page, which explains the reasons why the menu works that way, which I strongly suggest to read. Here's the most relevant part:
This is now your normal workflow should be:
• Open the GSX menu from the Toolbar icon when first starting Ground services .
• Don’t close it from the Toolbar while Ground services are performed, always use the Hot-key or the X icon to close the menu.
• Close the menu using the Toolbar icon when you are done with Ground services, usually before take-off.
In brief, the Toolbar Icon should always be left Active while Ground services are required.
I'd rather have it remain open to avoid constantly having to do the spinny loady thing for 5-10 seconds and wait on that every time.
If the problem is just that wait time, that is fixed by using it correctly as explained in the manual ( leave it Active, close it only with the X icon or the Hotkey, open it always with the Hotkey, except when it's not Active yet ).
Of course the menu auto-closing after choosing an option is by design, and it's like that so it won't take precious space on screen for any more time than strictly necessary. But if you follow the suggested workflow, you won't have to click twice to open it again, that's precisely what being active and having an hotkey is preventing.
If you wanted a PINNED menu instead, one that stays open, it's something we are considering, which might be useful in certain cases, like dual screens, but it's not something easily done, and it has some impact on performances.
When you are in flight, the menu would need to periodically request all the airports around you, and update itself with the entries containing only the one in range, this processing takes some time and adds traffic over Simconnect, which won't happen if you just close it from the Toolbar ( that's why the manual suggest to close it before take-off ), because when it's not active, no menu code runs at all, and that's why it must be active to intercept keys.