Captains,How do you load the 744 properly? When I load it from the CREATE A FLIGHT menu at the start of FS9, the a/c is up and running. Then, I use the default Cold and Dark scenario from the menu, and the a/c shuts down (lights out, etc... overhead panel switches are shutdown mode)... BUT:1. The engines are still running; (when looking from external view)2. When I start up the a/c using normal start up procedures, and when initializing the FMC, I notice that on the PROG-2 page, that the TOTALIZER figure is missing.Is there another way to start her up without using the Cold and Dark scenario that came with PMDG?Regards,Tom

There is a bug in the cold and dark scenario. For best results start up a flight with the PMDG 744, then shutdown everything. Now go to the PMDG panel state menu and save this as your cold and dark startup. The next time you do a flight, you can then go to the panel menu and select that panel status. It will set everything to off like you want. The only thing that never starts in the off position are the IRS switches. They always seem to be in the NAV position. Also, if you change your fuel using the fuel menu in the options menu, the fuel pumps are automoatically turned on. But those are minor things that can be corrected along the way.

Hi Dan,You can make the IRS switches in OFF everytime by this little tip I noticed.As the 744 loads up hover your mouse over the PMDG menu option, and as soon as it lets you, load up your Cold and Dark Panel from the menu.If you do this quickly then all saved settings will be correctly recalled every time.Best regards,http://www.bootus.co.uk/pilotinfo.gif

>There is a bug in the cold and dark scenario. For best>results start up a flight with the PMDG 744, then shutdown>everything. Now go to the PMDG panel state menu and save this>as your cold and dark startup. The next time you do a flight,>you can then go to the panel menu and select that panel>status. It will set everything to off like you want. The only>thing that never starts in the off position are the IRS>switches. They always seem to be in the NAV position. Also, if>you change your fuel using the fuel menu in the options menu,>the fuel pumps are automoatically turned on. But those are>minor things that can be corrected along the way.As far as I remember, the only bug was the LVL_CHG variable ( or LVL_CHANGE, something like that ). Tehnically it wasn't even bugged there, it was in the saved .FLT file that the 'situation' used.What else was bugged in it?

Gents,Thank you for all your replies. It's interesting how you came to that observation (re: the hovering of ones mouse over PMDG menu)! How resourceful of you.Thanks for the tips. I will do that from now on. The bug we are talking about is really weird when using the default C&D is that if you look in your FMC's PROG-2 page, the TOTALIZER item is missing.AND, another annoying thing is upon landing, sometimes, one gets a FUEL DISAGREE message, and the TOTALIZER/CALCULTED values are screwed up.Thanks again gents,Tom