Loading a saved flight is a drama

[northridge 2]

I have had the 747 for only a short while but understand the concept from another high-end Boeing sim; I got the engines running the second time I tried, and have successfully completed the Tutorial flight to KSFO. When I load a saved flight the whole thing goes haywire: I have only one engine for at least twenty seconds, and because the flight loads without the AP and Vnav (though Lnav remains engaged)I lose masses of height and speed. Then I hear an awful clacking sound - like a film projector with the reel flapping through it, and NO speed increase for a loooong time.To get back to my height I dial in a higher alt and it will eventually get there, but it takes MINUTES to start increasing speed and stop that awful noise. (in the time it's taken me to write this, including corrections and checking punctuation, the speed has increased by 25kts - and we're flying level.)From then on CLB is shown on the top of the...........rather than the CRZ that I saved with, and nothing I do will change it. Where might I be going wrong?

[Guest SKireyev]

Well, it's a known issue that PMDG QOTS does not support resuming saved flights. Your effects are not unique and are practically identical to those that I experienced when I tried to do the same thing. THe horrible 'clacking' is the pre-stall warning stick shaker.

[Guest beans]

I think we all have this problemThis is what I do-maybe it will help.After reloading a flight ,immediately press V,vertical climb,than quickly press the speed ,S and increase the cruise speed to the desired speede.Than adjust the climb rate-sometimes it shows 5000+,to the required level.Wait few seconds than press vnav-this than sorts the speed problem.The lnav sometimes does not activate-fmc will say 'no intercept course'I than dial in a flight course to intercept the flight route magenta line,and keep trying to activate lnav-eventually it clicks.total time to put all these less than minute and your 747 is back on track tryiing to get on the planned route line,Hope this help somebody.Beans

[northridge 2]

Bit of a disappointment, really. That and not being able to input from the keyboard into the FMC. Thanks for the tips.

[Guest Chris1973]

The buggy / incomplete implementation of the SavePanelState function of the 747 was one of the many reasons why I stopped using that product. The developpers were not able to fix the function and seemed to ignore all bug reports.When you want to see how this function should be done, use the Level-D 767. It works there, flawlessly.

[Chaos81 110]

> That and not being able to>input from the keyboard into the FMC. Huh? Are you talking about using the keyboard to type in the FMC? You can do that, you just click on what I believe is the FMC annunciator. To top that off, the 747 is the only payware plane that I have, that I can use the keyboard for the FMC, alt-tab out, go back in, and not have to click again to get it back into keyboard mode. VERY handy to me when entering routes.

[Tabs 2,790]

Are you guys positive you're not loading the saved flight with different weather settings or something like that? The plane will not respond well at all to suddenly having different pressure/temp/wind than what existed when you created the saved flight.We're aware of the issues with the AP/AT sometimes getting thrown out of the mode it was in when you created the save, but I don't think I've ever seen these other problems indicated unless there was a big change in the environment the plane expected to see vs. what was there when the panel state was opened.How are you guys loading these save flights? Through the Select a Flight menu or through the PMDG panel state menu? The correct way is to save the flight in FS from the File/Save Flight menu just as if you were in any other plane, then load it from FS's Select a Flight screen at start up. You should not try to do this without starting FS clean - ie, don't fly another complex addon and then try to jump immediately to the 744 without restarting FS to clear out the other plane's stuff.As for the AP/AT problems when loading, they're a limitation with the way the AFDS modelling interfaces with the sim and there's really nothing we can do about it. I've never had a problem fixing it real fast - just flip off the F/D and A/T switches, then reactivate LNAV and VNAV.

[northridge 2]

I had replied to Chaos'post about keyboard input thanking him for the heads-up, but it has mysteriously disappeared.Tabs - I'm saving and reloading exactly as you said, which is the way I always save and load complex aircraft/flights. The 747 gets its' thing together eventually, and sometimes it's quicker than others, but it's not what I had expected, especially seeing as the LDS people got it so right a good while ago.But thanks for the input anyway.

[craig_read 43]

I think everyone has saving problems.. I put a post up about saving being unreliable in the 747.. but it's unreliable in EVERY aircraft on FS2004.. not just that one.. it's mainly the FS2004 saving and the way it recovers..FS2004.. when starting a flight up.. puts the engines at idle and then ramps them up.. (bit of a problem when you're close to stall speed as I have had a saved flight which is totally unrecoverable now due to this.. loads.. stalls.. by the time you have control.. CRASH).. I find some strange behaviour with the aircraft.. it's not weather.. I've used the clear skies setting to try to stop it and it's just the same.. Just like you the nose points up and I get a stupid climb rate.. I find the best option is to reduce the sim speed to 1/2 and then wait for the MCP to come to life and set it as fast as possible..LNAV not on intercept.. is a bit annoying when you're almost on the track.. I would expect LNAV to engage if the Track error is small enough and you're practically on the right heading anyway..I've found LNAV can do some really strange things too.. a few times I've had the aircraft roll to the right.. and just not stop until the angle is critical and I just fall out the sky.. Don't know why it does that.. can the real LNAV bank beyond the safe limits? Surely it can't.BUT.. I would affirm here.. MOST of these problems are MSFS related and not PMDG related.. The restriction here is the platform and not the product itself.. I imagine the weird climb rate is a MSFS thing.. to do with the engines, and perhaps the natural tendancy of the aircraft to fly nose up.. MAYBE.. it's the standard trim setting? This causes the climb..then once the panel is loaded the actual trim setting is applied and it stops.. I think a lot of issues are caused by the time it takes the PMDG panels to become active when recovering a save..What we REALLY need.. is PMDG panels to come alive while the sim is paused, right now they don't.. That would help.. load the sim.. pause right away.. wait for the panels to come alive.. sort them out.. then unpause.. I imagine that is again.. an MSFS trait and not PMDG though.It's a pain though.. this saving thing REALLY needs sorting out.. if you're like me and like to practice manual approaches etc.. it's such a pain in the butt having to fly there to practice and loading saves make the plane go crazy..Oh.. one more thing.. I am sure PMDG can do something about this.. when loading a save.. DO NOT.. reload the fuel onto the aircraft.. can we ONLY do this when we specify a new amount in the pull down menu OR.. when the aircarft has the engines powered down? OR EVEN.. have an option that either resets the fuel or leaves it alone? Sometimes you need to shift fuel around in a flight so get a nice TANK/ENG condition.. if you save and reload your fuel distribution is always perfect.. A bit annoying when you're trying to demonstrate it.. lolI hope FSX is better when it comes to saving!Craig