Well, after days of work getting my FS environment setup I've finally completed the 737NGX tutorial #1! What a beautiful plane! It was tough going at first. I had quite a bit of trouble getting everything setup and adjusted. I'm using Saitek X-65F HOTAS along with the SST software and have the basic functions mapped out but that took awhile and I still have work to do. I'm using TrackIR V5 (w/o Pro) for the first time and I had a dickens of a time getting it setup to work properly for me. I really had a hard time with the profiles. I found that the default profiles didn't work at all for me. I had setup a completely new profile that is much more sensitive to my movements. I finally have it setup so that I don't have to move my head too far to see everything I need to see in the cockpit. I had a few crashes at first and found that replacing the UIAutomationCore.dll has helped. At first I was running FSX in windows but I just completed the tutorial in full screen mode (but only using one of my two monitors). I'm not sure what final monitor configuration I will end up with. I'd like to be able to use both screens at some point. Last night I had one screen freeze in the first part of the tutorial... I thought it had crashed but after about 5 seconds it started up again and I was able to complete with no further problems. I'm using FPS Framelimiter 2.0 and ran my configuration file through *******' site. I pretty much followed all of the advice and settings recommended in the NGX Introduction document. I'm getting great frame rates, though I don't trust what FSX is telling me (15fps?). It looks and feels much higher than that. The included documentation is excellent and most appreciated. However a panel layout for all of the screens showing all switch locations and functional areas would be appreciated. Yes, this information can all be pieced together from the FCOMs and other sources but I think a simulation of this quality deserves a few pages of switch/layout information. Thank you to Ryan for the great tutorial... looking forward to part 2. And thank you to all of the PMDG crew for the most realistic, and beautiful, FSX aircraft I've seen. The challenge now will be how to find the time to learn and fly both the 737NGX and DCS's A-10 (another beautiful airplane). John

Hey, Bubblehead ... were/are you a Nuke? Congrats on the flight. Served 9 years in the Nuclear Navy back when, as Rickover used to say, men were made of steel and ships were made of wood.

Hi Dennis... no, I'm not a nuke, thank God. I'm a retired Strategic Weapons System Navigation ET. I served on four boomers and two submarine tenders. I love submarines and I love the engineering spaces. But I always used to tell the nukes 'it's a nice place to visit but I'm glad I don't have to work here'. lol 8-) ~John

Yeah, I know what you mean. ET1(SS) Reactor Operator ... medically retired. I just stopped glowing green a couple of years ago. Served on 2 fast attacks. Gato and Jacksonville. Got out in '83.

I was a Rickover missile firing dude. SSBN 642 and 644. Ray

Seems as if we've got quite a few submariners here. I've had a couple PM me as well. I was on George Bancroft (SSBN 643), Henry Stimson (SSBN 655), USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN 644), and USS Henry Clay (SSBN 625). If it weren't for the 3 on/3 off schedule I think I would have preferred fast attacks. I got medically disqualed for kidney stones and then went to USS Holland (AS 32) and USS Canopus (AS 34). Tenders suck. I'm back into the cockpit!

I've got Das Boot on DVD. Does that count? Can I be in your gang please?