On our PMDG 737NGX, the FMC - the menu key allows you to configure the displays (flight director type, call outs, gauges etc). Is that a real option on the 737NGX? Can the pilot configure the displays like we can - or are they stuck with the 1 configuration from the factory?

That is something that PMDG came up with. It's not real. That menu was a way that you could fly on the fly without having to leave the sim just to change payload, fuel, or options.

 

The pilots are stuck with whatever the company chose and Boeing installs what the company wants.

It's hard to believe our $69 plane has more options than the $100 million one. Even my 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 has a configurable display.

We're spoiled. But don't mention that to PMDG. They may jack the price up. :LMAO:

 

But seriously. How many people drive your car? Just you. How many people fly Delta's (for example) 737s? Gotta keep things standardized.

It's hard to believe our $69 plane has more options than the $100 million one. Even my 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 has a configurable display.

 

You really wouldn't want a ton of pilot selectable options from a safety and standards standpoint though - I could definitely see it leading to issues if you had information being displayed in an inconsistent way or the systems operating differently based on pilot preference.

Most of the options can be changed only by maintenance personnel, most of them are program pins, terminal blocks, they are discrete inputs when you could have a ground signal (1) or an open circuit (0) or something similar depending on the option. Also the aircraft ID is obtained in this way, a set of wires will be connected or disconnected to obtain the hex code of the aircraft ID. Nothing that a pilot can do.

Pilots have no access to the MAINT pages in the FMC, maint pages are used also to check the status of these options, discretes, program pins and so on, rarely you find something that is selectable (I have no one in mind)

Well thanks for answers. So is there really a MENU button on the real 737 NG FMC then?

There is a MAINT section (where pilot are not welcome) in the FMC that includes a lot of tests and history for some aircraft components, this is useful to troubleshooting faults.

Some types have it, some don't. Sometimes the menu button is replaced by DIR/INT

 

Bert Van Bulck

It's hard to believe our $69 plane has more options than the $100 million one. Even my 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 has a configurable display.

 

Actually the real 737 has a ton more of options than the PMDG, but once you pick them you cannot change them ;)

Yes the 737 has ton of options, few (or noone) selectable by pilots. But, inside the company an option can be changed if the airline wants. All requires an avionics technician, an extracting tool for the wires, and inserting tool for the new position or a cap if the cable will not be connected again.

An example in this picture (this is from a classic, there are difference with the NG but not too much)

Here you can see a terminal block wich contains some options like AT and FMC engine rate settings (in some classic it is the only way to choose the derate like 23,5K, 22k...) and a lot of more options.

By moving a wire from A to B, remove a wire from a ground connection or put it in a ground condition will change options in the FMC, autopilot, displays...