Hello!I recently bought the 737-6/7, and I am having trouble with the approach hold.I enter my route information into the FMC, and it puts the ILS frequency into the NAV radio, but when I press the 'APP' button on the MCP, either the FMC reads back 'NAV invalid,' or it lights up, but the plane does not follow the course.Also, how do I find what number to put in the COURSE display, and what does it do?Please try to put your answers in as simple as possible, as I am not as experienced as most.

Hi Spader,Not sure if this will solve your problem or not but here goes.1) Make sure the ILS Frequency is dialed into the Nav radiosand that they are in the active window.2) When you are on base leg or on an intercept heading tothe ILS press LOC button. The when fully established LOC/GLIDEpress the APP button.3) If you have FS Nav or fightsim map (I think) you can getthe runway course from the required Airport.Hope this helps a bit.CheersPaul

1) Both NAV Radios?2) By the LOC button, do you mean the VOR/LOC button? What is a 'fully established LOC/GLIDE' and what does that mean?3) But it isn't possible to access the flightsim map from the PMDG 737-6/7, isn't it?

He is talking about the 2 Autopilot buttons required to perform an autoland. VOR/LOC and APP is what they are called. You will need to push both of these. The LOC/VOR will get you on the runway track, the APP button will pick up the glide slope. As you can see working together they fly the approach. And yes both nav radios need to be set with the ILS approach freq.

So what about the fact that when I am 2000 NM away, and I push the APP switch, the plane doesn't do anything?Also, what about the map? Can I access it when I am using the 737?

Spader,Why? would you press the APP button when you are 2000 NMfrom the destination airport.------------------------------------------------------------2) When you are on base leg or on an intercept heading tothe ILS press LOC button. The when fully established LOC/GLIDEpress the APP button.------------------------------------------------------------These tasks are carried out at very close range to thearrival airport (eg: 10-15 miles)or less in some cases.As for the map, i meant that you could check/getthe runway headings for your destination airportbefore you actually departed on the flight.Meaning you would have them to hand, to enter intothe course window when you new which runway was active.CheersPaul

>Spader,>>Why? would you press the APP button when you are 2000 NM>from the destination airport.OH!! So the APP switch isn't like the APP switch in the other FS9 planes? If that doesn't track and follow the course on the GPS, then what does? What is the PMDG equivalent of flipping the NAV/GPS switch to GPS, then hitting the APP and BC switches?

You first have to create a flightplan in the FMCincluding Arrival & Destination airports,pick the active runway for the departure & SID if there is onethen execute it. Once the flightplan is executed there should be a magenta line drawn on the HSI panel, this is your routing.Once the plan & the rest of the FMC procedures have been completed(Various other things like ZFW,FL,Thrust settings etc)you are ready to fly.After you pass 400ft or there abouts you can activate the autopilot by pressing button A or B on the main panel (Top right),followed by LNAV & VNAV. If everything has been set up correctlyin the FMC the aircraft should fly selected course (LNAV)& if you wish, the aircraft will also climb to the selected FL (VNAV)Paul.

>>Spader,>>>>Why? would you press the APP button when you are 2000 NM>>from the destination airport.>>OH!! So the APP switch isn't like the APP switch in the other>FS9 planes? If that doesn't track and follow the course on>the GPS, then what does? What is the PMDG equivalent of>flipping the NAV/GPS switch to GPS, then hitting the APP and>BC switches? You will most likely need to forget ALL about the default aircraft while using this plane, it is because the PMDG is modelled after the real 737's autopilot and the default is not.APP means APPROACH. You can use this to ARM both the glide slope and localizer prior to you intercepting either. But there are rules and one must know what those are to use the auto correctly. Best,Randy J. Smith

> (Various other things like ZFW,FL,Thrust settings etc)what does ZFW mean?

Jamie,No offense but it seems you need to do some homework. Forget everything you ever knew about the default aircrafts in FS and open up the NG manual page 1 and start to read.Do some advanced searches on this forum for things you don't understand that you encounter in the manual. Most topics has been covered during the three plus years (or is it four now?) the NG has been out.The NG needs to be flown by the book. No shortcuts. Forget Ctrl+E.Hope it helps,

None taken.>Jamie,That's a quote from my sig, not my name.

So what is your name???Before digging into the manual, you should take a look at the forum rules. You need to sign your posts with your real name.Thanks in advance,

It is Jackson Miller.I just flew a flight, and (1) the FMC got all screwed up, saying that KBOS was always 45 degrees from my position, which it wasn't, and (2) when I tried to engage LNAV, it would either (a)point towards my course and go past it, pointing me in a wrong direction, then disengage, or (b)not engage, and the FMC would tell me something like, "Heading not a 90 degree intercept" or something like that. What did I do wrong?

EDIT: Oops! sorry! Double post!