Captain B,My jealousy continues to increase...nice pics! You could eat your meal off that 757 it's soooo new.Couple quickies...1 - I noticed -19 on the DH ref display, is that an illusion?2 - Not sure if you are new to PIC767 or not, but IF you are using it out of the box, you will want to install the FS2002 patch and then merge it with a POSKY visual model (much prettier and better frame rates than the wilco default) using Lee Heatherington's merge utilty. I only say this because (a) you may be new to the PIC and it has evolved a lot since inception (:( there was a review by a pilot of the PIC767 some time ago who was somewhat negative...turned out the r/w pilot was using PIC767 without the patch and with the wilco default set up. There are many carrier and realism options to play with with the patched version.I am sure you have already been there and done this, but I axiously await your review of the product and just want you to see the PIC767 for all it has to offer us desk pilots ;-)Post more pics!!!!!!! Fantastic stuff.Happy Landings,Rob.PS - Did you say you were considering going to Airbus...say it ain't so?

That is not an illusion. In northwests preflight you set the DH to normally -20, but anything below -6, because when you sit on the ground the radar altimeter indicates -6 and if the DH is set above -6, when on the ground the ADI will show that you are below minimums when taxing. It is mainly just an annoyance, but that is the reason why it is set to negative numbers. Also unlike PIC, the real 757's DH can be adjusted in one foot increments, not 10 like PIC.Luke Alcorn

OH $$$$$$$$$ LOL!!! OK !!! You aviation seller...LOL!!! Take care.Roberto

Understood - thanks for the info!Rob.

>Also unlike PIC, the real 757's DH can be >adjusted in one foot increments, not 10 like PIC. >Obviously it is hard to grasp the benefit of it. Which pilot can fly (or make DH call) with 1 foot accuracy ?. On normal approach 1 foot is worth less than 0.1 sec. Even 10 foot is hard enough.Michael J.

The one foot increments are for cat II approaches where Radar altimeter can be used. Some airports have approaches with RA minimums and others just baro minimums. For example the cat II ils 30L into MSP does not allow RA, so according to northwests SOPA you enter 100 into the DH. If you are flying the cat II ils 1L into MKE you set 98 into the DH because RA is allowed, since the terain is pretty flat. The numbers only look like very small differences, but you have to remember that RA is based on terain, not height above touchdown. Hope this helps and does not confuse more people.

>flying the cat II ils 1L into MKE you set 98 into the DH >because RA is allowed, since the terain is pretty flat. That's ok, you set 98 but how does it change anything comparing to say leaving the number at 100 or 102 ?? Human reaction time, eye blinking, muscle twitching, brain speed, etc. is certainly responsible for more error than 2 ft difference. At least this is my own thinking - I am a practical person.Michael J.

Well, the 98 feet is the number calculated from readings around the runway, where the aircraft will be exactly 100 feet from touchdown. This difference, as you say is only a blink of an eye. It is only that exact because of cetification standards from the FAA and procedures set forth by the airline. When the DH becomes important is when RA is not authorized. If RA is not authorized on an approach, such as MSP, and you set 100 just as a rough number, you will never reach that number until you are below minimums, because there is a 100 foot valley right off of the end of runways 30 L and R. So I agree with you that 98 and so on is not nessecarily important, but at airports with rising and descending terrain, that number could be significantly different, such as 160 and so on. So if pilots ignore that fact and always set 100, you may be 60 feet low on an approach, and I don't know if you've shot and approach to 100 foot minimums in an airliner, but if you pop out 60 feet low, you have big problems. If I can help clear this up any more, let me know. Thanks

>cetification standards from the FAA and procedures set forth >by the airline. My argument is not with you - rather with the FAA. I have no doubt this is the case as you describe, I have for example an approach plate showing DH = 219. Why not then 220 ? On the other hand I am yet to see an IFR plate with MDA being anything but a multiple of 10. So clearly FAA is of 2 minds. For non precision approaches they work in multiples of 10 for precision approaches - anything goes. My only argument and my only claim is that there is no pilot in the world who could perform decision to abort or continue approach with 1 foot accuracy regardless what numbers FAA puts on the paper. Michael J.