First off I am a new user and I have read the documentation on the FMS and also system operations and I was wondering if the FMC completely controls the aircraft by itself or do you have to interact with the MCP as well for Altitude heading etc. The reason why I ask is because I have created a plan using the FMC, but for the life of me I can't get my plane to follow the route at all. If I press vnav or Lnav the Plane just decides to go its own way. I would have thought the plane would automatically go to my desired cruise height which was in the FMC. I am also using the Default FS2004 Plane Generator and just inputting the waypoints by hand which I find a bit more realistic then having a tool build the plans and import them without you having any input. I also plan on getting the $28 add on. Congrats on the finest addon product I have ever purchased for FS2004.Thanks

Mr/Ms Thanks (please read the forum guidelines)Have you engaged the A/P? Apart from engaging the F/D modes VNAV and LNAV you have to engage the A/P to fly these modes for you. Done via the CMD A and CMD B buttons to the right on the MCP.Hope it helps,

>Mr/Ms Thanks (please read the forum guidelines)>>Have you engaged the A/P? Apart from engaging the F/D modes>VNAV and LNAV you have to engage the A/P to fly these modes>for you. Done via the CMD A and CMD B buttons to the right on>the MCP.>>Hope it helps,Hello, Yes I have engaged both AP and the FD as well as CMD A. I tried to engage CMD B, but unfortunately both won't stay lit. I guess its either one or the other. Does LNAV and VNAV require that these both be lit or just one or the other. ThanksBen

Ok Ben,Well. THen I'm out of ideas with no more information to go on. If you programmed the FMC correctly and engaged CMD A or B (Only one can be engaged at any one time except during autoland where both must be engaged) and engaged LNAV and VNAV it should follow. Hard to say what's going on without further information. A screenshot would be great!Cheers,

>Ok Ben,>>Well. THen I'm out of ideas with no more information to go on.>If you programmed the FMC correctly and engaged CMD A>or B (Only one can be engaged at any one time except>during autoland where both must be engaged) and engaged>LNAV and VNAV it should follow. >>Hard to say what's going on without further information. A>screenshot would be great!>>Cheers,Hi Mats:So it doesn't matter if its either CMD A or CMD B? Another question will the FMC Completely control the Altitude of this plane or is that something I have to do on the MCP panel. In other words is the FMC kind of used like a guide when it comes to this. ThanksBen

Hello Ben, This works just like the real one, the MCP and FMS work together. If you have a set altitude on the MCP and another higher altitude set in the FMC the aircraft will only climb to the MCP hieght. The FMC never is in control, the pilot is always in control, the FMC is only helping to make the workload a bit easier but never trust the automatics completely ;-)Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]http://www.rawbw.com/~bdoolin/shinault/Animation1.gifCaution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro | Windows Xp Pro 64 |

Just a thought? You should be able to view your inputed route in the ND (provided it is set to display MAP)? If you don't see a clear magenta line connecting your waypoints then perhaps you haven't executed the route properly in the FMC? Otherwise this bird should follow the route???

>Just a thought? You should be able to view your inputed route>in the ND (provided it is set to display MAP)? If you don't>see a clear magenta line connecting your waypoints then>perhaps you haven't executed the route properly in the FMC?>Otherwise this bird should follow the route???>>Hi Scott:Yes I do see a Magenta line connecting all of my waypoints. I noticed that in the FMC it gives the heading of each waypoint. Does the FMC automatically follow those waypoints or do I have to specify the heading on the MCP in order for it to follow it. ThanksBen

>Yes I do see a Magenta line connecting all of my waypoints. I>noticed that in the FMC it gives the heading of each waypoint.>Does the FMC automatically follow those waypoints or do I have>to specify the heading on the MCP in order for it to follow>it. >>BenOne more consideration. Check that you have power on. Got to the overhead panel Shft-5 (I believe) and ensure you've got juice, just click on the toggles and you'll get feedback one way or the other. Then go to main panel and select your speed to 250K, and ensure that the A/T is powered (green indicator). Once airborne, go to the main panel and select the A/P (just one of them will do), and at about 1,100', click the LNAV, and the VNAV switches - or fly ATC directives. You should then have the A/P controling all inputs from you MCP and your manual speed/heading set. If not, you're PIC (pilot in command) and trying to figure out what you DIDN'T program whilst hand flying the PMDG 737. ;-)Have fun, that's what it's really all about.- Ron McLeod CYEG

>>Ben>>One more consideration. Check that you have power on. Got to>the overhead panel Shft-5 (I believe) and ensure you've got>juice, just click on the toggles and you'll get feedback one>way or the other. Then go to main panel and select your speed>to 250K, and ensure that the A/T is powered (green indicator).> >>Once airborne, go to the main panel and select the A/P (just>one of them will do), and at about 1,100', click the LNAV, and>the VNAV switches - or fly ATC directives. >>You should then have the A/P controling all inputs from you>MCP and your manual speed/heading set. If not, you're PIC>(pilot in command) and trying to figure out what you DIDN'T>program whilst hand flying the PMDG 737. ;-)>>Have fun, that's what it's really all about.>>>- Ron McLeod CYEGHi Ron:I have verified that I am getting power and there are no warning lights etc in the Overhead Panel. I have verified that the A/T is enabled and it has a green light. You didn't mention the Flight Director Switch. Do I have to enable this or just leave it disabled? I didn't think both the VNAV and LNAV switches could be enabled at the same time. I tried to enable both, but when I do one of them just goes off.

Oh boy! VNAV controls verticle navigation, i.e. your altitude along your route as defined by constraints set in the FMC. Don't forget what Randy mentioned about the MCP altitude limiting what VNAV will do. To repeat his wise hints, the plane won't go higher on climbout than what the MCP altitude is set to and won't go lower on descent than what the MCP altitude is set to. LNAV controls lateral navigation. So, the answer to your question is they can both be on at the same time, but don't necessarily need to be; that depends on what you're trying to get done. Tim Metzinger's tutorial provides further info on when you might want to just use VNAV or just LNAV.One other hint not mentioned so far is that after you take off and are trying to engage LNAV, make sure your plane is on a heading that will be able to intercept your LNAV-desired track. For example, if LNAV wants the plane to track a heading of 180 to get to your next waypoint and your plane is currently on a heading of 000. LNAV probably won't engage, which can be frustrating. Just turn this gorgeous bird, with MCP heading if you want, to get to a heading which will intercept your magenta 180 course line. Then engage LNAV.

>Oh boy! VNAV controls verticle navigation, i.e. your>altitude along your route as defined by constraints set in the>FMC. Don't forget what Randy mentioned about the MCP altitude>limiting what VNAV will do. To repeat his wise hints, the>plane won't go higher on climbout than what the MCP altitude>is set to and won't go lower on descent than what the MCP>altitude is set to. LNAV controls lateral navigation. So,>the answer to your question is they can both be on at the same>time, but don't necessarily need to be; that depends on what>you're trying to get done. Tim Metzinger's tutorial provides>further info on when you might want to just use VNAV or just>LNAV.>>One other hint not mentioned so far is that after you take off>and are trying to engage LNAV, make sure your plane is on a>heading that will be able to intercept your LNAV-desired>track. For example, if LNAV wants the plane to track a>heading of 180 to get to your next waypoint and your plane is>currently on a heading of 000. LNAV probably won't engage,>which can be frustrating. Just turn this gorgeous bird, with>MCP heading if you want, to get to a heading which will>intercept your magenta 180 course line. Then engage LNAV.>Ok now this is all making sense now because I noticed when I tried to engage Lnav I got a message on my FMC saying that there is no intercept heading. I guess I will have to turn the bird around and get the correct heading. Thanks alog guys for all of your help. Where can I find this tutorial?Ben

There are lots of tutorials, just take a gander in the AVSIM Library.Take Fred Clausen's wonderful tutorial..File name: pmdg_flight_tutorial_v2.zip:)

Ben: One clarification... I'm not saying to turn the bird to the same heading as the magenta line; I am suggesting you turn the bird to a heading that will INTERCEPT the magenta line.