Hi to all,I'd like to share with you my last experience at a fixed base training B737 sim and what I've learned from that...On last Saturday togheter with a friends of mine (quite unexpert but really good boy with a lot of desire to learn about B737 piloting) came to the sim where I used to rent some hour when I can. Nowadays, to earn more profits and cover the huge initial investment cost (proprietor claims about 250.000 euros = about 330.000 USD) they have bought a lot of hours (discounted) to people never involved in flight simulations but also the failures and problems are growing up...In fact our first problem of that unlucky day was they had to "recycle" the system 4 time before it was correctly working: the first three times not all the systems were powered and working...the result, considering every system start took about 6 minutes and 10 to make again the preflight procedure we lost one hour...the programmed flight was a Zurich Milan-Malpensa (LSZH-LIMC FL210 route: GERSA UN850 ODINA) overflying the Alps, ZFW =56,0 tons+5,2 tons of fuel)I decided to give to my friend the opportunity to execute the takeoff I doing the PNF duties to show him the pnf tasks: during takeoff roll I'd, anyway, helped him by rudders in case of veering from the centerline (I though quite impossible having disabled the wxr conditions) and rejected the takeoff in case of problems (being the Captain) as well defined during our takeoff briefing...But during the takeoff roll I had to use the rudders being an asymmetric acceleration of the engines...(takeoff power was set up on both engines but throttles remained unpaired being the left one about 5-10 degrees forward the right one)...So I began to understand that wouldn't have been a lucky day...(BTW also during preflight I discovered that Fmc database SID/STARS didn't show the altitude constrains and didn't accept my manual inputs...so no constrains...) My friend performed takeoff very well, following the FD etc. at 400 ft I selected LNAV..at 1500ft AGL and CLB thr I insert FL CHG and asked to my friend to gimme the controls: I need to "feel" the trim for selecting the A/P but, feeling the yoke "heavy" I was trimming "up"...but the nose remains heavy...in spite of I was trimming up more and more..and A/P couldn't be engaged giving me an "out of trim" warning light condition...I manually executed all the climb and levelled of at FL210...at that point I call the proprietor (the sim is "open" in the back) asking him why I was having troubles with my trim. He replied me that after the last software update the system hadn't been recalibrated and/or tested and I had to follow a point on a "trim cross" on the EICAS put the trim in the middle of that cross and engage the A/P but I replied to him I was fying with an attitude about 2.5 degrees above horizon, levelled following the FD and that (stupid) "trim reference" said to me to trim down!!! He insisted saying "sorry but nowadays is the only way.." I had to point the nose of the plane TEN DEGREES UNDER THE HORIZON to get the A/P engaged..loosing about 1500 ft (during the manouver v/S arrived at -4500 fpm!!!) and seeing the Alps becoming bigger and bigger... (during cruise phase autopilot mantain a 11.5 nose up trim...absurd considering that C.G. is automatic no chanche to make a mistake in aircraft loading and that we're flying at normal speed 0,68-0,70 Mach FL210 ISA)Considering the kind of unlucky day I told to my friend during the landing briefing "Considering it's appear we're having an unlucky day also if FMC is showing my a TOD I don't believe too much in it so I'd like to execute a descent by using FL CHG and V/S modes and manually deciding my TOD controlling by miself all the approach phase and we'll perform an autoland approach so I will be able to explain you about the approach duties and, in case of some malfunction, I'll disengage the automatics landing myself"...So we did but bad surprises wasn't over...I configured the bird for the approach but when I lowered the landing gear nothing happened...gear lights off...no drag..no gear noise...my friend called me "gear not down"..we recycled the gear lever three times...no results..I asked to the proprietor..he replied.."Ah yes..I forgot to tell you..you must push hard the landing gear lever down 'cause we've a problem with an electric contact...". Not finished...at 20 ft AGL I realized our A/T wouln't have retarted the engines so suddenly I disengage it and retarded manually but the engines idle was higher than normal ground idle so automatic brakes didn't engage and I had to manually brake via toe-brakes...Conclusion: me and my friend have spent 65 euros each (about 85 USD) to fly in a "half-ill simulator" with uncalibrated controls etc.etc. in spite of 1 server plus 6 computers and a software giving flight dynamics that costs about 3.000 euros (about 4,000 USD) but I've thought: I'm not an expert of IT and have no idea of how many servers, computers, monitors and softwares (project magenta, FSX, NGX and than?) are necessary to build a fixed base training but if I were an expert and had enough money to build it instead of those "unrealable programs", if legally possible (I've no idea if it's possibile to contact PMDG and buying a NGX licence to be valid in a public fixed base training sim without violating copyright etc. etc.) but if it was possible I'd make it: Folks we're lucky our ngx software it's better and more realistic of many "professional softwares" so God bless PMDG ! (and longlife to his members!!!)Sorry for my long message. Best RegardsAndrea B.

:)

Be open, name names. Company of that caliber definitely deserves that it would be publicly known for what it is. These kinds of problems would be unthinkable in a proffessional company.

Folks we're lucky our ngx software it's better and more realistic of many "professional softwares" so God bless PMDG ! (and longlife to his members!!!)

Amen!! God bless PMDG.

Andrea B - please let me know what city the 737 simulator was located in, no need to name names if you dont want to :) I am a simulator tech myself and just curious.Thank you.Robert Hall.

You really want us to read this??Bert Van Bulck

You really want us to read this??Bert Van Bulck

I read it, I thought it was well written.