I am reading about the 747 PMDG for FSX and it seems to have all sorts of stuff like CDU and much more button than the standard 747:s included in FSX. Is the PMDG a lot more complex and realistic compare to the standard planes? If so, why havent Microsoft made it this realistic to begin with? After all it is a simulator. Or are all the stuff in PMDG redundant? I want it to be as realistic as possible so if the standard planes are not even close, well then it is a great disappointment because I thought they were. Is it anywhere near the truth that if you can fly a 737 in FSX you could probably pull it off in real life??

yes fsx is realistic but your about to start a huge fight on here by asking that last question ;)

Yes the PMDG 747 is far more realistic then the standard 747. Most add on planes are much more realistic and thats all I use. As far as flying a real 737 in real life I'm not sure about that one. Kinda doubt it. I have flown a Cessna 172 and 182 in real life under instructor supervision and I found it easier then in fsx due to the fact u can feel whats going on in the aircraft. Also the controls are much more user friendly in a real aircraft.I forgot to add that a real airplane doesnt have stuttering, poor fps, freezing problems, and ctd's.

yes fsx is realistic but your about to start a huge fight on here by asking that last question ;)

Agreed, you could do some basic functions in the real thing but this is no where close to being the proper training for the real thing. Something as simple as the Cessna 172 still requires far, far more knowledge and experience than someone who has hundreds of hours in one in FSX.

Alright. So if there are more realistic add-ons, are there any free 737 add ons? I am kind of new to all of this. And while I am at it, may I ask why my 737 begins to stall and turn slightly to the right when I disconnect autopilot when closing in to runway? I suspect it is the elevators and ailerons that are set in a wrong position, but how can I know how to set them into their standard position (zero)?? I have no idea and it ruins every landing for me. Is there a key to zero them? Or am I doing something wrong here??Also, I have no idea how to extend the spoilers after landing. Can anyone tell me how to do that? And is it necessary?

Alright. So if there are more realistic add-ons, are there any free 737 add ons? I am kind of new to all of this. And while I am at it, may I ask why my 737 begins to stall and turn slightly to the right when I disconnect autopilot when closing in to runway? I suspect it is the elevators and ailerons that are set in a wrong position, but how can I know how to set them into their standard position (zero)?? I have no idea and it ruins every landing for me. Is there a key to zero them? Or am I doing something wrong here??Also, I have no idea how to extend the spoilers after landing. Can anyone tell me how to do that? And is it necessary?

Make sure everything is trimmed before using the auto-pilot. As to addon's and what's included with the program; it all has to do with complexity. A lot of people are not going to read through a good part of the manual in order to just start the engines. It would be foolish for Microsoft to go all out for realism, when the majority of buyers wouldn't be interested. Third party vendors have been producing addons that take many months or years to produce, for a long time. I'm not interested in learning to fly a 737 either. Yet I own and fly an aircraft that has dual auto-pilots, satellite weather; and is aerobatic capable. I have not bought any PMDG airplanes for any MSFS simulators. I'm just not interested, as I prefer single and twin general aviation............along with a few biz jets.L.Adamson

If you look in the Tutorial section on the AVSIM forums, you'll find a tutorial by me ( called 'fully automatic landing in an airliner') which takes you through doing a fully automated approach and landing in the default FS 737, so you might want to check that out. I'd also recommend looking at the built-in tutorials that FSX has, they can teach you everything you need to know from being a complete novice to being a competent IFR pilot.With regard to PMDG and other add-on makers, and how realistic FS is. It has pretty much always been the case that FS itself is a 'base package' which is intended to be augmented with add-ons (both freeware and payware), but in recent years as computers have improved and the capabilities of FS has improved with each version too. So we have come to expect more and more from add-on aircraft. It is now at a point where it is possible to put so much realism into an add-on, that it is indeed very close to the real thing. But it takes a long time and a lot of work to make a very realistic add-on aircraft for FS (PMDG's MD-11 add-on was in development for five years for example). What that means is, if MS had gone to the extent of making every plane that comes with it as real as they possibly could, we'd still be waiting for FSX to be released, and it would have cost very much more than it does.So you can regard the default aircraft in FS as 'a good starting point', rather than 'not realistic', because some of them are indeed fairly realistic in many ways.The debate about whether you could land a real 737 if you could fly a good add-on 737 in FS is one that comes up often. I think if you knew an FS airliner from top to bottom, and you could get some assistance over the radio, it would indeed be possible for an experienced simmer to land the real thing if using all the autopilot assistance. But whether that simmer could remain calm enough in such a situation to be able to manage all that, is another question! What is in no doubt whatsoever though, is if you fly FS a lot, you would find it very much easier to learn to fly a real aeroplane.Al

FS is basically just a platform for add-ons. No serious flight simmer is flying the default aircraft.

Of course this is a subjective choice but their are basically two "real as it gets" companies out there. PMDG & Level-D (large airliners) These addons basically set the standard for all other company's to reach. If you are interested in making your hobby much more realistic there is only one option and that is to get your credit card ready. You will end up being in the same predicament I was in years ago. I thought, naively, what could the difference between the default and an addon really be? Well it is night and day. You have to analyze what kind of flying you wan to do. If you are happy with flying from point A to point B then the default may be fine. If you really enjoying programming the FMC managing your climbs and descents and flying SIDS and STARS and the general complexity of the systems then consider purchasing these airplanes. You will be entering the point of no return like I was. I purchased the PMDG 737 NG and I could no longer fly anything that was not up to this standard. I would never look back though and I thoroughly enjoy this hobby.

If you're interested in learning to fly any of the boeings..I recommend that you start with the 767 from level-d distributed by flight1. It's a great add-on from top to bottom..as realistic and as complex as the PMDG 747. It is the plane and add-on that taught me the general systems and flows of the boeing, especially the FMC. The included tutorial is one of the best. Furthermore, if you have the money, couple this with the Angle of Attack DVD and you're set. Then you can go for the PMDG and the 747. The transition should not be that difficult. I love both products..flying one or the other for months on end...still am not brave to tackle the MD-11.

Make sure everything is trimmed before using the auto-pilot. As to addon's and what's included with the program; it all has to do with complexity. A lot of people are not going to read through a good part of the manual in order to just start the engines. It would be foolish for Microsoft to go all out for realism, when the majority of buyers wouldn't be interested. Third party vendors have been producing addons that take many months or years to produce, for a long time. I'm not interested in learning to fly a 737 either. Yet I own and fly an aircraft that has dual auto-pilots, satellite weather; and is aerobatic capable. I have not bought any PMDG airplanes for any MSFS simulators. I'm just not interested, as I prefer single and twin general aviation............along with a few biz jets.L.Adamson

HelloI have just found the antidote to all of this talk of complexityhttp://www.lionheartcreations.com/Tailwind.html2 different models + Dual installers for FSX and FS9 all for 16 dollarsNow is there anyone around here who enjoys Homebuilt aircraft :-)

One very important thing that must mentioned about PMDG reality is this.If you are looking for as real as it gets and you are ready to spend up to weeks reading plane manuals before you can make a complete flight, then PMDG is for you.If on the other hand, like me, you dont have much time for simming, but like to fly nice looking planes, then maybe you should try Wilco products. Cause they are less complex, and still more real than the defualt FSX a/c.That said, if you are lucky you could trial and error your way thorugh the PMDG controls and make your flights without weeks of reading manuals. This is what i did. For example to start engine of pmdg MD11 i just load pre engine start mode and use FSX key to start enignes.All am saying is, dont underestimate, the amount of time so called realistic aircraft could demand from you before you can make a flight. Add this to FSX ctd's stutters, blue screen etc, and then time to read 400 pages of manuals its a bit much.Again PMDG is cool, but learning curve is steeper than many have time for, and this point is not mentioned often enoughThat said you could also buy PMDG, and just play around witrh it till the day you know enough to get it off the ground and back again.Maybe we need planes that have the realism, but also allow you to cheat in parts where you could not the bothered to spend a whole day reading the manual. And i have to say PMDG MD11 does offer something similar in the panel states, but not quite the same.

One very important thing that must mentioned about PMDG reality is this.Maybe we need planes that have the realism, but also allow you to cheat in parts where you could not the bothered to spend a whole day reading the manual. And i have to say PMDG MD11 does offer something similar in the panel states, but not quite the same.

It's not that difficult you seems to make it actually the opposite :(

Make sure everything is trimmed before using the auto-pilot.

But that is the thing, I don't know how to nake sure the rudder, elevator and ailerons are trimmed. Do I have to do it with some sort of visual check or are there displays for it in cockpit? I havent seen any.

It's easier to tell on smaller planes (imho) but you'll know if you need trim based on whether or not you can let go of the yoke/stick and the plane will stay at a fixed angle or altitude.I hardly ever touch rudder or aileron trim but elevator trim heck yes all the time. (elevator trim = pitch trim, rudder = yaw, aileron = roll)I think some cockpits have trim indications (like neutral trim etc) but won't tell you where it should be. Most smaller GA have wheels between the front seats for elevator and little knobs for aileron and rudder trim. Lots also have thumb switches (electric) on the yoke or stick.The big iron have a combination of both and they are electric (I think)You'll want a yoke or joystick to trim the aircraft the easiesthttp://saitek.com/uk/prod/x52pro.htmhttp://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/p...55&cl=us,en