My 2 hours in a 737NGX LevelD Sim

[Devinci 0]

For those in The Netherlands (or Belgium for that matter): SimcenterLelystad also has a full motion NGX where I've been in a couple of times.Link: http://www.simcenter...nl/leisure.htmlTheir prices are very nice indeed!€ 259 for 1/2 hour instructions and 1 hour flight with instructor from Athens (this is a package)If you want to fly solo without instructor (you have to have a remark behind your name or else they won't allow you to fly without instructor) costs € 189 per hour.

I don't understand why it's so expensive? Because of it's cost? Or do they use real fuel too?

[Tallguy 9]

It's actually cheap when compared to the US costs like the TS stated. Even in Belgium is more expensive. Do keep in mind they have to pay the bills too

[Jigsaw 8]

Nice report! Thanks for sharing!

a full motion NGX

NG. The NGX is the NG for Flight Simulator X.

[DrumsArt 270]

Practicising with FSX will help you land a Level D FFS without doubt. But the real thing is a different matter. In good conditions using autoland perhaps. Kevin Hall

Sure at 100%, and further provided that a pilot guides you from the ground...Regards,Richard Portier

[Louis8 6]

This is a really good post, well done and real positive comments i might add. I'm running pretty well the same equipment as you Paul -PFC throttles and yoke and the Saitek pedals. Thinking about getting the PFC pedals what about you? and how do you have you PFC set up, with FSUIPC or just using the PFC setup to confiqure them? I can't seem to set up JUST for the spoilers with FSUIPC. And that force feed back tool you guys are talking abbout i don't have a clue and never heard of it. I also spent time in the real sim with a major airline cause my kid was captain and got me in but i was so over welmed that i actually should go back again. But i cut power at 30 ft above the deck on landing and man did it come crashing down - i thought i bent the hydraulic rams there for a sec.

[Chrisv007 0]

Man!!! My dream would be to do a ride along in the right seat one day. In the real thing of course. Too bas that's impossible.

[rsperge 182]

glad you had a good time and this illustrates on how closed the ngx is to real flying, and by the way nice pic in the cockpit

[Guest beckerm13]

Here is a less expensive option, although the time in the sim is less.http://www.b737.com/mission.htm

[SWVA4420 8]

I did this at Boeing's Alteon training facility at KLGB several years ago, once in their Level D B717 sim (while the last B717 was being built across the street), and again in their Level D B737NG sim a year or so later. It was a BLAST both times!! Unfortunately, Boeing decided to remove all of their Level D sims from there and put them up in Washington....an inconvenience for the airline crews that used them in SoCal, no doubt! My instructors were both very impressed with my knowledge and skill levels, and I hand flew 100% both times. (Even flew through bad weather into KLAX ILS24R - a snowstorm w/thunder and lightning in January, lol.) This was before I began PPL training in 2007. And yes, FSX scenery is far better than a Level D sim! If anyone here can get the chance to do this, DO IT!

[paulyg123 135]

Great write up and picture. It is always good to hear that flying the gorgeous NGX is so close to the real thing. Sure there are going to be things that fall short, especially in the "feelings" category, but the NGX is great entertainment and its realism is what makes it especially enjoyable.I just set up my new G737 throttle quadrant from Throttletek, and did about three flights so far today and, for me, it is an amazing upgrade. I bought it especially for the NGX and I'm so glad that I did.The virtual cockpit of the NGX is so real looking that,(when using TrackIR) in my opinion, a home cockpit is pointless. On the other hand, to have a realistic 737 throttle quadrant under you hand adds so much to the experience. Especially on take offs and on final approach when you're landing manually.It has the TO/GA switches and auto-throttle disconnects where they are supposed to be and also has working start switches, reversers, realistic flap and spoiler handles. It really feels great and puts me in that NGX cockpit.I believe the only better experience would be like the one you had. Maybe someday I will feel confident enough to try that. I'll bet two hours went quickly.

I ordered the 767 Throttletek over 5 months ago. I gave $750 to them and still am waiting for the throttles. I sometimes thjinkI am getting scammed. Please tell me they are a real company.

[MrKen 3]

I ordered the 767 Throttletek over 5 months ago. I gave $750 to them and still am waiting for the throttles. I sometimes thjinkI am getting scammed. Please tell me they are a real company.

I would definitely contact them and make sure the order wasn't misplaced. I've swapped pm's with a couple of people who've ordered/received throttletek tq's recently, so it's definitely still in business.

[XPX64man 130]

I ordered the 767 Throttletek over 5 months ago. I gave $750 to them and still am waiting for the throttles. I sometimes thjinkI am getting scammed. Please tell me they are a real company.

You're definitely not getting scammed. You can be confident of that.Roberto takes a while to get them built. I probably waited about that long for mine. I ordered mine long before the NGX was released.Contact Roberto (viro_online@hotmail.com) and ask him to update you on the status of your G-737 that you ordered. Ask him to continue to keep you updated as it gets close to being shipped.He will keep you informed. I probably wrote to him about once a month until mine was done and he would answer my emails right away. I know that he had some kind of breakdown that caused him to get behind.Bob

[FSMP 95]

I made my own setup for FSforce to simulate more forces to my joystick for both axis, and the elevator force changes when increasing speed.The only limitation of FS force is the trimming function not compatible as it trims only the elevator or when you push "Shift" in the NGX you cannot move stab trim.As you experienced either mach trim and stab trim movement reposition the control column center, I wonder that someone will do that for the sim, for who uses forcefeedback to increase the reality of the simulation. I know, maybe we are few...I don't know if at PMDG someone want to waste time adding Force Feedback effects like with Hyd power off, centering and feel, trims and so on, but this could add more and more realism to it.

There is no need .. there is a addon called FSFORCE, that will add most of those Yoke Force Feedback effects, including, MOST IMPORTANTLY, correct trimming technique. ( You obvioulsy need a Force feedback Joystick -- Force feedback Yokes are few and far between, but can be got, at a price !! )

[davierosoft 13]

There is no need .. there is a addon called FSFORCE, that will add most of those Yoke Force Feedback effects, including, MOST IMPORTANTLY, correct trimming technique. ( You obvioulsy need a Force feedback Joystick -- Force feedback Yokes are few and far between, but can be got, at a price !! )

As I wrote, FSforce is good for trim tabs equipped aircrafts, not for Stab trim aircrafts.When you use trim in a liner you move the stab trim, AND the centering changes in accordance to how much stab trim you do.FS force re-center only the joystick (or the stab if shift is pushed) but no both. Also, there is no automatic centering change when at high speed (mach trim).Also again, the FSforce software does not simulate in its default settings the feeling of the flight controls of a hydraulic powered flight controls of the 737.With default settings you have increased forces with speed,and no forces wit no speed.737 has the same aileron forces for all the flight and different forces for elevator, but, on ground, with pumps on, there is still need to use force to move the column and you can feel the center.I have microsoft FF sidewinder 2 with FSForce, I'm still playing with settings to have the correct one tat is so close to the real one, obviously in te limits of my joy, but, the trim function for a stab trim is not correctly simulated. I think it could be added easily in FSforce software, just a new profile and a voice that lets to leave active both FStrim and FSforce trim together and a setting on how much the FStrim must move the column (voice already present).It will not solve the mach trim problem, but solves the major ones.Big planes must use stabilizer to trim, elevator alone is insufficient.Another nice addition to the above software would be about hyd pressure forces. If hyd pressure is removed, it could be possible to add more force to the stick to simulate the loss of pressure.