Also I have just started using Active Sky 2012, using VATSIM weather when flying the NGX.

I was wondering if anybody else was experienceing any issues that make flying difficult.

 

Tonight I really tried to fly in to the destination airport nice and slow and easy.

 

The weather was very thundery and there was turbulance which I set to medium in AS.

 

At about 5000f the controlller gave me a decent of to 4000f and then quite quickly to 3000f.

The speed though just kept rising even with the spoilers out all the time.

 

I even put some flap out 10 knot to early (over the green marker) to try and slow things out. I know your not meant to slow the plane with flaps but I was interested to see if the thing would slow.

 

 

 

I had some difficulty the other night on the same flight trying to loss some speed, so this time I was more carfull.

The final vector on to the LOC was given but I was too high. And had to go through the LOC.

 

I have been flying this plane for quite a while without this problem, so I do suspect the problems arise from AS2012?

 

I would be interested to know what are the best settings for the PMDG in AS2012?

What modes where you using for descent?

 

Remember, the best speed brake is the landing gear. You can drop that first, if you need to.

Im having a similar problem that also depends on what instructions you get from your controller and the timing. Im using Voxatc and occasionally get descent instructions that I know are going to leave me a bit short.

 

all you can do is keep a close eye on your target airport and use the speed brakes very early and as mention drop the gear asap.

I honestly don't think it has anything to do with AS2012...I use it, and never have the problems you've encountered. I know there are some good post in this forum about slowing the airplane down because it can be hard to slow down sometimes.

I think what you see is normal. 737 isn't very easy to decelerate especially during app when the weight is quite low.

 

I may prefer to lower the gear to get rid of extra energy in that situation. Since it's the final vector and the plane is at 4000ft, it's not too early to lower the gear.

What modes where you using for descent?

 

Remember, the best speed brake is the landing gear. You can drop that first, if you need to.

 

When at that stage of fllight I use vertical speed and the speed hold. Which to me seem like the best options.

At one point I had the VS at -300 feet per min. The controller commented 'your descend rate is very slow'.

I still had the spoilers out at this point. I said, 'I can't seem to get the speed off, can you give me a long down wind leg?'

 

I think what you see is normal. 737 isn't very easy to decelerate especially during app when the weight is quite low.

 

I may prefer to lower the gear to get rid of extra energy in that situation. Since it's the final vector and the plane is at 4000ft, it's not too early to lower the gear.

 

My weight was about 30% However I have flown this weight many times.

Your spoilers are ment to reduce lift, not to increase drag. You would need speed brakes (like on military jets or fokker 100) to reduce speed quicker. The key is planning ahead, spoilers aren't a magical solution for reducing your speed. I have to use the spoilers in the air maybe once in 10 flights, and I use as2012.

Also I have just started using Active Sky 2012, using VATSIM weather when flying the NGX.

I was wondering if anybody else was experienceing any issues that make flying difficult.

 

...........................................

 

I have been flying this plane for quite a while without this problem, so I do suspect the problems arise from AS2012?

 

I would be interested to know what are the best settings for the PMDG in AS2012?

 

I'd bet $50 this is at the heart of the issue...why would you ever want to use VATSIM WX in a product that cost you in excess of $50 is beyond me.

 

I am an online flyer & I have NEVER had an issue flying online with ActiveSky WX...seen plenty of online flyers using VATSIM WX & landing/taking off from totally the wrong RWYs (in comparison to RL & the date/time in question)....for the record AS2012 WX downloaded from their own server (free I might add with a legit registered copy of the software) is within 95-98% or RW numbers 24/7/52/365 PERIOD.

 

Go into the AS2012 documentation.. ENSURE DWC is enabled & trawl the HiFi support forum & elsewhere here to get things running smoothly.

 

Best of Luck!!!!

 

Edit.............Queue some jobsworth (with about 10hrs online) to punt up now to tell me & you it's patently WRONG to fly on VATSIM/IVAO without using their WX input.

 

To them .... 80P & show me where it EXPLICITLY states as such in the VATSIM/IVAO code(s) of conduct.

edit

Hey Steve, how can you tell they are using Vatsim weather without asking them? I use active sky but download the weather from the Vatsim servers so my QNH matches what the controllers are giving me.

 

In all honesty I check both servers while enroute and Active sky and Vatsim don't differ too much, probably the most I have seen is a few knots difference on approach. People take off and land on the wrong runway's all the time on Vatsim/IVAO when no ATC is online, I've even departed with a tailwind (within limit's) if it's saved me a few minutes of taxi time.

 

 

Anyway's, to the OP - When descending on approach keep the aircraft at it's clean speed for as long as possible, as soon you start configuring the aircraft and get approach idle it's going to be even more of pain to slow down, it's all about energy management.

Hey Steve, how can you tell they are using Vatsim weather without asking them? I use active sky but download the weather from the Vatsim servers so my QNH matches what the controllers are giving me.

 

In all honesty I check both servers while enroute and Active sky and Vatsim don't differ too much, probably the most I have seen is a few knots difference on approach. People take off and land on the wrong runway's all the time on Vatsim/IVAO when no ATC is online, I've even departed with a tailwind (within limit's) if it's saved me a few minutes of taxi time.

 

I short Rob - they can't.

 

Whilst the surface winds may be pretty close I'd bet you a fiver the higher & further you travel the more inncacuracies you'd see from VATSIM/IVAO online WX in wind velocity, speed & the ambient SAT.

 

As you well know Rob it's the CRZ part of the flight regime that relies more closely on accurate winds aloft....& AS2012 have that box nailed pretty well closed.

 

My comment was just me 'aiming off' for what I suspected may have been an inevitable consequence of my statement about using a quality product that you fork out good money for only to then download VATSIM/IVAO online WX (which rarely matches up to AS) & then to deliberately go forth & fly online with it.

 

Hope my comment does not detract (too much) fm the OP.

 

Once again my left & right lobes have come up against an impossible number of zeroes & ones & have elected to disconnect as I can no longer add them up into a number I recogize!

 

Best to you Rob!

Just for the record I have been getting totaly different 'local pressure' and wind to VATSIM itself. With the VATSIM option on.

 

Also I have been experienceing some server issues with VATSIM itself which could be the reason.

 

I'd bet $50 this is at the heart of the issue...why would you ever want to use VATSIM WX in a product that cost you in excess of $50 is beyond me.

 

So you can have the ATC of VATSIM but with the nice aspects of AS, and be synched up.

So that we're reading off the same page.(In theory anyway :Thinking: )

 

It's definitely worth having a look at Active Sky, that and the fact the visuals look great. I had a older version of active sky and that was great. I think possibly there are certatin quirks to look out for in the settings. Potentially it looks like a very good programme. I have noticed a considerable change in flght dynamics since installing it.

 

Maybe the settings have to be turned down a bit in AS, because the PMDG development team has already taken into account the realistic conditions?

Any NGX-driver who set up ASE 2012 working perfectly smooth with the ngx and wanting to share their setting parameters?

 

Thanx

AS2012 settings and fsx.cfg Weather settings. Everything runs great on my rig.

 

Don't know your specs, but MaximumUpperVisibilitySM=110 in AS2012 options, and Cloud_Coverage_Density=12 and Cloud_Draw_Distance=7 in fsx.cfg may be too high for your system.

 

AS2012 FSXOptions.cfg

 

[Options]

fsVersion = FSX

AutoRefreshAI = False

DynamicRateofChangePercent = 25

VATSIMDownloads = False

AutomaticDownloadInterval = 10

AutomaticDownloads = True

CAVOKCloudGenerationPercent = 50

NoDataCloudGenerationPercent = 50

CirrusCloudGenerationPercent = 50

MaximumCloudLayers = 5

MinimumCloudTurbulencePercent = 0

MaximumCloudTurbulencePercent = 100

MinimumCloudIcingPercent = 0

MaximumCloudIcingPercent = 100

StratusCloudOccurrencePercent = 70

MinimumVisibilitySM = 0

MaximumVisibilitySM = 50

MaximumUpperVisibilitySM = 110

MaximumSurfaceWindSpeed = 100

MinimumWindTurbulencePercent = 0

MaximumWindTurbulencePercent = 100

MinimumWindShearPercent = 0

MaximumWindShearPercent = 50

DisableWindsAloft = False

WakeTurbulenceStrength = 25

CreateVirtualStations = True

EnhanceRouteCoverage = True

DepictHurricanes = False

EnableSkyScapeMode = False

UseSkyScapeforStratus = False

ForceHighPriority = False

UpdateRange = 500

EnableWindSmoothing = False

EnableVisibilityGraduation = True

EnableFogLayerSimulation = True

LocalSuppression = True

SuppressionRange = 200

StartupWave = False

EnableDirectWindControl = True

ShowSimMessages = False

SupressOnGround = False

ForceDestinationWeatherZone = False

VoiceATIS = False

ThermalGenerationRatePercent = 50

UpandDowndraftGenerationRatePercent = 50

MaximumDowndraftRate = 2000

MaximumUpdraftThermalRate = 2000

DisableHazeLayer = True

FogLayerGeneration = True

DatFileOverwriteUserEdit = 0

ForceWindLock = False

SuppressionCeiling = 10000

FSXDepictionMode = DWC

PreventFSXCloudRedraws = True

PreventTstormsWithCB = False

GraduationCeiling = 8000

UseStratusForFog = True

StratoCumulus = False

PostPlanGraphicsPrompt = True

 

 

FSX.cfg settings

 

[Weather]

AdjustForMagVarInDialog=1

CLOUD_COVERAGE_DENSITY=12

CLOUD_DRAW_DISTANCE=7

DETAILED_CLOUDS=1

DisableTurbulence=0

DownloadWindsAloft=0

DynamicWeather=1

MaxGustRampSpeed=200

MaxGustTime=500

MaxVarRampSpeed=75

MaxVarTime=50

MinGustRampSpeed=1

MinGustTime=10

MinVarRampSpeed=10

MinVarTime=5

THERMAL_VISUALS=0

TurbulenceDivisor=40,40,80,80

TurbulenceRate=0.5,2.5

TurbulenceScale=0.500000

WeatherGraphDataInDialog=0

WeatherServerAddress=fs2k.zone.com

WeatherServerPort=80

WindshieldPrecipitationEffects=1

One more suggestion is to make sure your N1 idle speed is correct. If you're on approach and it's stuck around 35-40%, there is a problem.