I've noticed that a lot of people are very realistic when it comes to flying the NGX. Some people go on the airline they are going to fly's website then look up their route, then see which aircraft they use on that route and which callsign to use. For me, I go as far as going on Wikipedia, looking up the airport, then seeing if XXX airline flies to where I want to go. I started using real callsigns a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think I'm going with the real aircraft thing since I don't have a lot of payware airplanes. How about you?

I generally stick with my preferred airline along with their SOPs as much as possible with the exception that I pick the route and when I fly it. I use flightaware to get my route and turn on LiveATC.net on another computer so I can hear what procedures they're using in the real world, plus it adds nice ambiance. I don't want to go overboard, because at the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun.

I don't want to go overboard, because at the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun.

 

+1!!!

I don't want to go overboard, because at the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun.

++........... Simism

Hahaha thats the kind of Topic that i love Diego. I like flying real routes from specific companies... and follow the procedures step by step, (AS2012, FSbuild, IVAO, Topcat....: this set up helps a lot).

I got myself registered to Transavia Virtual which is just fantastic. Today was my first day in that VA. You have a timetable with several flights: you just pick the one you like depending on the plane assigned to the leg, destinations etc... There also is a dispatch center (which is actually a software) where you got your load sheet, weather charts, ACARS, brochures about your Dep/Arr airport , some statistics etc.....AWESOME ! So today i was assigned a flight from EHAM to LGKO and way back on the 738 ! Left at 08.30Z and Just landed ! Once the flight is over you send a report .

Chose Transavia because i love their destinations and routes: Especially Gran Canaria and Banjul (close to Dakar lol). I also have a bunch of sceneries to fly to so....Life is beautiful, isn't it !

My daughter is a flight attendant at TUIFly (No.3 in Germany). If she's on duty I sometimes fly the same route at the same time. Yesterday EDDF-GCTS, today EDDF-LTAI

So when I fly within Europe I mostly use callsigns and routes from the TUIFly-Virtual website, which is very much near real ife operations.

 

Flying on IVAO Tours, like the Australian IFR Tour 12A, I switch between QFA and VOZ with callsigns depending on the date i fly. Nothing in common with reality at all.

 

But I always use recent NAVIGRAPH FMS Data and Charts for flying "as real as it gets" ;-)

 

R@lf

It's a bit funny to me because there seems to be a prevalent mindset that if you take things to TOO high a level of "realism" in PMDG that it stops being fun :)

 

It seems counterintuitive NOT to equate high realism, and adherence to realism with PMDG products of all types; Isn't realism with these add-ons the intent? If flying around and having fun with something more free-form is the definition of fun then why not just go to MS flight where you never have to look at the instruments at all :)

 

I'm not saying that maybe "fun" isn't something inbetween MS Flight and NGX 737, but on it's own NGX 737 is about as overboard as you can get in a PC flight sim, Its that "overboardness" that I actually find fun and engaging... I know I'm a bit insane sometimes, but very often I have the IRS set to realistic so that it takes the full "real life" amount of time to align... I actually wait for it to align while I am looking over the STAR and Approach plates and checking real world weather at my origin and destination airports, and enroute. A lot of the time after the preflight has run in FS2Crew, and I am in that alignment time, The IRSs will finish aligning while I am still pouring over charts, weather, fuel calculation double checks and FMS double checks...

 

There is just something very visceral and engaging about turning a flight from absolute start to finish, especially with FS2Crew... To run thru every single solitary step from battery switch on, to the final step in shutdown procedure at the destination with no shortcuts and no time advances. It makes it feel like you've actually "flown" the route, and not simply executed it.

 

In an outwardly boring excercise, I fly the KSFO/KLAX route back and forth constantly, because it is so short that I can concentrate on repeating the departure and approach procedures without an overly long delay inbetween, the actual cruise portion of the flight is only about 10-14 minutes, and its wonderful practice especially when using the real world weather changes so that the runway in use at both airports will sometimes change enroute or before departure and you have to make adjustments on the fly... I find it fun to execute the change flow before the descent into KLAX when the active will suddenly change from 25L to 7R because of weather. It's like a little instrument dance where you strive to make adpative changes in your flightplan not only quickly and accurately, but with methodical grace absent of any hurried stress...

 

I wonder at times if anyone else here approaches the sim in this same way... where the views outside the windows and the graphics of the weather are great, but the real excitement is in the tiny details and interactions that go on 2 feet in front of your face :)

David, I pretty fly with the same philosophy.

 

I don't emulate any real airline, but I do have my own set of routes I follow, using the procedures in the FCTM and using the checklists. I fly on VATSIM, use all the real charts, etc.

I fly with a virtual airline, so I use their routes/callsign/timetables/routes.

 

-PMDG/LDS for the Aircraft, VA for the paint/livery

-Flightaware and Vroute for the route

-FSCaptain for the payload/ETA/Dispatcher

-FS2Crew and FSPax

-FSDreamteam or FlyTampa airports with GSX & AS2012 weather updating

-RadarContact4 for the ATC with UT2 for the Traffic

 

The end result is a simulation so fluid and realistic the developers of FSX would have a heart attack if they saw a Off-to-On the blocks video of my flight.

 

As an aside, I usually do 5+ hour flights, and I will often take off and let my FO do the climb/cruise. Meanwhile, I'll almost always do a flight in FSX at the same time I do a X-Ctry or flight in real life. So After departure I'll head out to the airport and do a real flight, for example, from Vegas to St.George or Long Beach and back - then by the time I get home I'm at the TOD in my PMDG aircraft and I'll land that one.

 

Good times.

In reading these posts I guess I'd say I'm moderate in the "hardcore" simming.

 

What I do:

* Check flightaware for the preferred route

* Move the text to paywayre flight planner (Still waiting for PFPX)

* Save it in PMDG/LDS format

* Rotate between the 747, 767, MD11, NGX, Emb 175 and ATR72 (VA flights) as desired

* Load AS2012 and import ther FP for weather planning (install textures for the flight)

* Plan for fuel usage and alternate fuel

* Start EFB and with the step above, visually select the SID from the runway

* Load Shade/FSX

* Pick A/C and random flight number

* Load up at gate/begin GSX

* Turn on FSX ATC and go to flight following after deperature

* Begin following all procedures

* IRS align to real time

* Look up charts

* Flight as per procedure flow I downloaded and printed online

 

The arrival and landing are similar as far as chart gathering, procedures, EFB and use of GSX.

 

I don't

* Look up RW flight #s

* Use RW dept times

* Do flights over 3 hours without acceleration (After all I'm not getting paid! :Money Eyes: Its just for fun!)

* Use VATSIM. I might go back to it but my first experiences weren't so nice

* Use autoland. Approach to 1500 then hand fly.

 

It's fun to me and a funny sense of "accomplishment" in something I enjoy immensly (sp). I've had people watch and be a bit judgemental. I like what I like. Just like those who adore MS Flight. We each have our own preferences, but we all sim. Thats why we're all here. (When the hell did I get on the soapbox?!)

It's a bit funny to me because there seems to be a prevalent mindset that if you take things to TOO high a level of "realism" in PMDG that it stops being fun :)

 

It seems counterintuitive NOT to equate high realism, and adherence to realism with PMDG products of all types; Isn't realism with these add-ons the intent? If flying around and having fun with something more free-form is the definition of fun then why not just go to MS flight where you never have to look at the instruments at all :)

 

I'm not saying that maybe "fun" isn't something inbetween MS Flight and NGX 737, but on it's own NGX 737 is about as overboard

 

Fun is subjective. And if my idea of fun becomes "overboard" before yours does, that does not mean I'm attacking the way you do things. It varies with the individual and how much time they have to devote to the hobby.

 

I'll never forget a poster telling someone they should uninstall their NGX because they wanted to fly under a bridge. I never got that to make sense in my head why someone was undeserving of the product because they didn't follow SOPs and fly scheduled flights on VA's. It shouldn't matter. Enjoy yourself!

I actually look up the pax loadout for the real flight on the airline's website. I then use FSBuild and AS to compute an accurate fuel burn for the route/wind/payload condition. I then file a full ICAO FP on VATSIM. And half the time, the real fight is delayed so I sit a the gate for an extra 20 minutes. If you doubt any of this, look at my Vataware. I also probably need a life.

 

I'll never forget a poster telling someone they should uninstall their NGX because they wanted to fly under a bridge. I never got that to make sense in my head why someone was undeserving of the product because they didn't follow SOPs and fly scheduled flights on VA's. It shouldn't matter.

http://youtu.be/3EoD-1hS6SM

I just use my Iron Maiden 700 all the time and fly to random destinations.I am based in Belgrade (LYBE) and destinations are usually something like EGAA, EGGD, LGKO, LGKR, UUEE, LPMA. Other than that, I use real checklists, real procedures, online ATC (vatsim), real align times, service based failures, etc...

I just use my Iron Maiden 700 all the time and fly to random destinations.I am based in Belgrade (LYBE) and destinations are usually something like EGAA, EGGD, LGKO, LGKR, UUEE, LPMA. Other than that, I use real checklists, real procedures, online ATC (vatsim), real align times, service based failures, etc...

 

If your going to bristol you should fly the extra 20 miles or so and pop in and see us in EGFF. Mind you if your doing it offline I wont be there as i am a VATSIM EGGF Approach controlller. hahahahahahaha lol

I use Bristol because I've been there last summer. I must say that the uk2000 scenery for the airport is absolutely amazing. I'll get the uk2000 cardif eventually so I might pop in