My 2 hours in a 737NGX LevelD Sim

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

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".

Yep for sure, I learned that from the moment I took up the 172.

[mikea76 184]

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.

Nice! I would love to go fly the level-d sim someday.

[JokersWild 34]

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".

+1 Feeling the "weight" of the aircraft as it moves out of trim is the most memorable part of my Level D experience....that and the fake motion playing havoc with my inner ear.

[rocketfs 2]

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

That might be true. However, nice weather, little wind and everything functional.When you loose an engine and weather becoms bad, the story will change I'm afraid.Good weather, good pilot. Bad weather,....1000 USD for 2 hours....In Belgium it costs you 1200 Euro per hour.That's about 3 times as expensive Bert Van Bulck

[Devinci 0]

That might be true. However, nice weather, little wind and everything functional.When you loose an engine and weather becoms bad, the story will change I'm afraid.Good weather, good pilot. Bad weather,....1000 USD for 2 hours....In Belgium it costs you 1200 Euro per hour.That's about 3 times as expensive Bert Van Bulck

Well, It should be possible to land the aircraft in normal conditions or at least perform an autoland... I think at this cost it's better to build your own NG cockpit at home; I've once seen it on youtube.

[Tomaz Drnovsek 440]

Nice post!

[Rocky_53 1,594]

Nice one Paul, thanks for posting. Glad you had a good day!

[martin-w 3,256]

Just like our 737, it is indeed slippery and the instructor said "It doesn,t like to slow down".

Paul... what about the individuals who have complained about the sim version floating upon landing, and difficulty slowing down on approach.I take it you regard these aspects of our PMDG add-on as accurate then, after your experience?

[davierosoft 13]

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.

[davierosoft 13]

PS: I used "waste" because here with FF devices we are not to much, feature like that are for not a lot of people. But I also think that with it, some hardware producers may take it in mind to create their own products.

[KriVa 307]

One little pet peeve of mine... There's no such thing as an NGX in real life. There is an NG though Anyhow, nice report! I'd love to do that too some day, but I can't really justify the money...

[paulyg123 135]

Paul... what about the individuals who have complained about the sim version floating upon landing, and difficulty slowing down on approach.I take it you regard these aspects of our PMDG add-on as accurate then, after your experience?

Well on my 737NGX - sometimes I have real problems slowing down,and sometimes I don't. I always fly with the same weight so I am still trying to figure this out. In the LevelD sim, slowing down seemed easier, apply9ing the speed brakes cause a nice rumble and slowed me down, when this was not enough, the Instructor had me lower the gear. My flights were all less than 15 miles. I took off leveled off at 4,000 ft and than started ny approach. I knew not to exceed 230 kts. I was fast on only 1 approach and was indeed able to get me to 140 kts on final. I ran out of time to do the 19,000 to 10,000 decent test at 1800 fpm and 250kts. At home I usually wind up at 297 kts at 10,000. I would love to get that data. Maybe next time.

[JokersWild 34]

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:))

That's a deadly assumption.

[DrumsArt 270]

That might be true. However, nice weather, little wind and everything functional.When you loose an engine and weather becoms bad, the story will change I'm afraid.Good weather, good pilot. Bad weather,....1000 USD for 2 hours....In Belgium it costs you 1200 Euro per hour.That's about 3 times as expensive Bert Van Bulck

In France it's 800Euros for 1/2 hour briefing + 1 hour flight on A320 or B737 full motionRegards,Richard Portier

[PIC007 82]

That's a deadly assumption.

+1