I treated myself to 2 hours in a 737NGX full motion LevelD Simulator in a Miami Flight School. It cost me $1,000 but I wanted to see how my flying the PMDG 737NGX prepared me for the real thing. Here are my observations:I did started in a cold dark cockpit for a flight from KLGA to KEWR. I did a pretty comprehensive start -up. APU, IRS alignment, program the FMC, etc. Due to the time limit I had to skip some check list items- but did a pretty much complete overhead panel configuration. I started at the gate- taxied to the runway and flew from KLGA RW 4 the KEWR RW 22L, then KEWR 4L to KJFK Parkway Visual 13L (awesome approach). then KJFK 22R to KLGA Expresway Visual 31 approach. After that I did KLGA to KBOS with 400' ceilings 1/2 mile forward and did the ILS 4R approach. I am not a pilot and never flew for real, but did do the 767 simulator 5 times a this facilty already.Here are my observations ( I use the PFC yoke, Saitek combat pedals and PFC throttles and joystick for a tiller):1. The PMDG 737NGX is EXACTLY like the real thing. I was so at home and every button was just like the real thing - that we all know already. I breezed thgrough start-up, the FMC was a snap, taxing was also very easy - though I never used a tiller the has a push - pull rotation for left right turns.2. If you mastered the PMDG 737, then flying the 737 sim was easy. The ILS landing wa real easy even with a 8 kt crosswind. We do this all the time, and using the Flight Director makes this a simple operation. I did not use autopilot at all - for $500/hour - I hand flew everything.3. The yoke controls and rudder pedals required a lot of force. Even when properly trimmed. And if your are out of trim, the forces are VERY hard to over come.4. The scenery on the $17 million dollar sim was nothing to be desired. FSX default scenery set at LOW beats the Level D sim by far.5. The flight instructor with me and the other ones I spoke with could not understand how much I (we) know. They could not comprehend the detail our little $69 sim has. And the concept of VATSIM flying was totally unimaginable to them.My landings were pretty good (these approaches were difficult ones - I practiced them 100's of times), and I did very well - but I could have done better - I got stuck with a 11:00 PM to 1AM time slot and I was fatigued and not as sharp as I wanted to be.I basically proved my theory again in that we can learn a real lot our FSX sims and if you mastered your plane - you can land the real thing.

Awesome post, Paul. How much "realism" did the full motion aspect add?

The motion adds nothing for me. I hardly noticed it. It only made me sea sick despite the Dramamine I took before the flight. I am trying to upload a photo os the sim.

Let's see if this photo works. Me in the sim at 1 AM.<a href="http://s1111.photobucket.com/albums/h475/googles7/?action=view&current=737NGX.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h475/googles7/737NGX.jpg" border="0" alt="737NGX sim"></a>

Nice job. I also believe that anyone who mastered the NGX can land the real thing! I gotta save a 1000$ and prove it also

Cool man!, my opinion has always been that if you can master the PMDG NGX on Vatsim, you shouldn`t have any trouble flying it IRLNice pic by the way:))

Very nice.

Nice story and pics... I have done the same thing in the past... in real sims, before my career let me do the real LEVEL D sims every six months for free... but then, you're needing to do well to keep your job, it's just not as fun as when you do it for "fun"....

Thanks for the post. Wouldn't mind hearing more! Great of you to share your experience.

Cool pics, thanks for sharing.

Two things missing from the Level D sim was the HUD (I was told it is optional on the NGX) - and there is no ATC. How good do we have it with FSX? Also hand flying the entire flight with no autothrottles and no co pilot is manageable - but if we throw in ATC, looking for traffic and all the other stuff, I would say it would be impossible. Also I see the effects on pilot fatigue - I was dead tired and lost focus at times and got a little too fast on 1 approach. Just like our 737, it is indeed slippery and the instructor said "It doesn,t like to slow down". So the LGA 31 Expressway Visual approach can be tricky. I did it twice - The first time was sloppy and I was high and off on the turn. I did pull off the landing. My seconds try was right on as I used my instruments (turning cue) to predict the turn to final - rather than visual cues -It is such a tight 135 degree turn so close to the runway. This is how I fly it at home. The JFK 13L is much easier - espically with the lead in lights - I nailed that landing. The ILS landing was right on until the runway was in sight - upon going from instruments - where I was dead perfect to visual cues, I over corrected my decent rate for that split second and had 3 reds and crossed the threshold at probably 40 feet - rookie mistake. I re-did this approach and got it a bit better the next time.

It is nice to hear your comparison with the PMDG NGX and the level D sim.I now work in simulators most days, both level-D and fixed based trainers.It is hard for me to get a yoke that feels realistic.As you noticed, the controls in the sim are the same as the real aircraft.........tight and heavey.I am used to this feel so when I use the NGX at home I mostly fly using all the automation.I only use the keyboard to lift the nose during a TO/GA takeoff.The pics are very nice.It looks like it is very new.Fred.

Awesome, I wanna try that sometime.

Cool Pics.Thanks for the post.

Trimming and yoke force is probably the most immediately noticeable difference between FS and real aircraft... even in GA aircraft you're like "wow, this is harder than my joystick at home".