Gentlmen,Where is both EXT1/2 serviceable airport spot for PMDG 747-400 and 747-400F?Please let me know.Sincerely,Kan-ichiro Fushihara

There is no special spot at each airport. It is randomized. Sometimes there is one availalbe, sometimes 2, and sometimes none, in which case you will have to rely on battery and APU power. Andrew

I think it is random, SOmetimes ground will connect 2 and sometimes it will only connect 1.It isn't "smart" enough to look in a database and figure out which gate your closest to, THEN decide one or 2 ext power connections.

Thank you for both replies.I understand it's random.Sincerely,Kan-ichiro Fushihara

Kan ichiro-I described this in detail in the manuals...it was enclosed in a shaded box to help it stand out, even!Basically- we took a survey of wide body gates in use by one global airline and found that they had dual EXT PWR capability 15% of the time for widebody aircraft. As such, the 400Pax will give you EXT1/EXT2 approximately 20% of the time. For the 400F, our technical advisors were heavily weighted to cargo pilots- and they were quick to point at the based upon this airplane's dependency upon EXT2, it is almost always available to them.So in the 400F, you should get EXT1/EXT2 approximately 80% of the time.If you need to load/unload cargo and your ground crew didn't plug you in- it's time to start that APU!We felt that modeling this "inconvenience factor" would help improve the simulation value- as we don't always get everything we want from our ground crews....

Gentlemen, I cannot get the APU2 or EXT2 power to display "AVAIL" on the O/H panel as the manual states regarding power required for operation of the main deck cargo doors. That's fine, I assume there is no plug in at that spot at the airport, in this case KSEA Cargo Ramp 14. But my problem is, in this case I would have to rely on the APU. Now, my engines are running, could that be my problem, the APU will not be active until I shutdown? Then at that point the key commands assigned for "Cargo Nose. or Loader Nose etc." will work, because at this time the key commands are not working except for the "Pax Stairs" and "Tail Jack Stand". Or is there a way of starting the APU with the engines running?Regards,Tom

Dear Robert,Thank you very much for your detailed instructions.Sincerely,Kan-ichiro Fushihara

Tom,while such engines are running, no equipment or personnel should be placed anywhere near the wings. It would likely be sucked into them, destroying both equipment and engines, and killing bystanders, which would then require more than external power for help. Jet plane logic.>Now, my engines>are running, could that be my problem,