737 - simulation rate

[M. Kent 0]

One - perhaps the only - weakness of the 737-800/900 is that you cannot 'move it along' the flight path as you can with the MS aircraft in FS2004. Much as I enjoy taking off and landing in the 737, the intervening period can be rather tedious and if I were to spend six hours a day staring at a computer screen waiting for the point of decent to arrive, my family would probably have me certified.One way round it is to speed things up by using the simulation rate although even here, matters are far from straightforward since strange things happen! My experience might be useful to others however and thus it is:1. Take off and climb to cruise level and speed.2. When ready to alter the simulation rate, disengage LNAV and select HDG.3. Place the FMC at the progress page4. Go to the menu (Alt/Options) and select one of the simulation rates.This will speed the flight up by a rate selected but there do seem to be pitfalls. For some reason the FMC adds miles to the distance you are travelling instead of subtracting them and this brings up fuel shortage warnings. The only solution to this that I have found is to revert to normal rate and the FMC will then display the correct figures. Once this is done, return to the increased simulation and keep an eye on things!5. When the Start of Descent appears on the screen, return to normal speed and continue the flight as though nothing had happened. (You will have to reload the flight path since ATC will have given you up as lost some time ago).If you accelerate the simulation and keep LNAV engaged, the aircraft movements become wildly exaggerated in all directions.Hope this may be of use to someone