My second flight today...and it was So so..

[Manny 1,293]

OK..My second flight from KSEA to KSFO (PMDG 747)selected a DP from Seattle and a STAR to Sfo there was discountinity.Issue 1. I tried connecting it by entering the waypoint that was at the start of the STAR in the work area and L clicking on the square boxes..it took it there. Now I had the same way point twice..and a discontinuity in the middle. Hmmmm... so that did not do it.. I still don't know how to connect it. OK.. no problem, I simply skipped the discountunity.. I learned to do that at least. I went direct to the second waypoint in the STAR.Issue2. I had 10,000 ft and and I had 250kts a on the MCP. s I was approaching the start of the STAR, I pressed LNAV and VNAV and reduced the MCP altitiude to 0.But it was maintaining 10,0000ft and 310kts. then I saw a couple of blinking t/d's which I assumed as Top of descened? :) when it reached that point, it reduced the speed to 240 kts but it maintained the 10,000 ft... That got me worried. when I looked at the legs.. it had 240/4960 which means 240 kts and 4960 ft altitude? It took that speed but didn't take the altitude. (Mind you the MCP was on LNAV and VNAV I knew I was too high.. and when I was close to the localiser course... I pressed on the LOC and it took it...and then when I clicked on PROC, then it made a dive..to capture the Glide slope..and it asked me to add drag... so I added flaps. and it maintained 240 kts and was on the slope..kinda.Issue3.Since I had ActiveSKY weather I forgot to get the Pressure for SFO? (I t was not 29.92) I had adjusted the pressure earlier...but not near SFO.. that may have been my next problem.. I wanted the Auto pilot to do the flare and land. And it did..it started the flare..but too late.. nose wheel first...and (I had turned off CRASHES).. it did a purpoise.. (that was surprising)... and in the excitement I forgot to take over the throttle at touch down ...until I was almost 70% of the rwy, and I overshot and landed.Oh well ...that was exciting.:)I learnt some..I forgot some.. I realize I need some more learning.tomorrow is another day.Manny

[Manny 1,293]

Issue 1 : My fault I think, that happens when the aircraft can't calculate a good turn to the way point I am trying to connect I suspect.. Is that true?When there is discontunity in the route... and I enter the first waypoint of the second set of legs of the broken route into the boxes, it should connect them. It happens sometime.. but other times it doesn't removed the discontunity. I haven't figured out the logic of that yet.Issue 2 was my fault again.. I have to manage Altitude when I have VNAV. OK. It won' take it from the plan like it does air speed.My third flight today from KPVD (Providence) to KLGA (La guardia).Went pretty good... Auto land worked nice... I had 29.92 all the way. That made it easier.... Except I am not sure a 747 can land at La Guardia. RWY 13. :)I had max brakes set and everything... Not a chance.. it flared nicely, but couldn't reduce the speed to 150 kts at touch down. OK.,.I have some more reading to do.But I think... I am getting the hang of it.Manny

[Manny 1,293]

I did the same flight again...and managed to land at LGA Rwy 13. But this I managed the airspeed.I still haven't figured out..what the airspeed/Altitude in the route section of FMS does. How do I tell the FMC to take those two paramters from the Route section?Manny

[Manny 1,293]

OK my 5th Flight was almost Perfect (It would have been perfect if I had started from cold rather than starting FSim with the engines all running).KHOU-KDFW (KHOU LOA4.LOA.DUMPY2 KDFW).Crz = FL240.Everything went by the book. I also simulated a devation enroute.. like of ATC had vectored me around for traffic...then I intercepted my LNAV and go back on track... the system used VNAV as per the whats on the rte... just before the t/D I changed the altitude on the MCP to 0 without clicking on the select. just as I got the Loc I clicked on the SPD and changed the speed to 162kts... and did a nice Autolanding.I love the PMDG's option to save the entire thing including the PMDG 747 state and get it back. I have saved it at various stages.. so Now, I can go back and experiment with different things..keeping many things constant...for me to learn. This is aboslutely marvelous.You know.. I have been using Flight sim for a while and since I am a real GA pilot, I have mainly stayed within GA and avoided the heavies. But I have bought many payware...including your PMDG 737, and the Captain sim's 727. But after a couple of flights.. I usually park it and thats the end of that.I bought this PMDG 747 the week it came out.. It gave me a little trouble at that time... like my FS9 freezing or something and I put it away too.But just last week, I thought I'll give it nother try and I am glad I did.Manny

[crvm 0]

Hello Manny, Remember that on final you will leave VNAV at a point. Your goal is to be at the final approach fix altitude to capture the glide slope. You could keep VNAV till this point but I find it better to be in ALT HOLD, manual speed prior to this point so you can config for landing. LOC will be engaged well before G/S and you can even set V/S until you reach the FAF altitude. You can also go to the FIX page on the FMC and type into LSK L1 "XXXX"

[Manny 1,293]

Good Idea about putting the DA in the MCP instead of 0.Yeah.. I unserstand about getting away from the VNAV at some point... moreoever..in the Terminal area, I would be doing what the ATC is asking me anyway...but the purpose of that excercise was for me understand the VNAV and how the Auto Throttle works...or basically how the system is doing it.. so I am doing as little as possible for now.:)Manny