I would consider it a "Must" to start out with Captain Mike Ray's books. He not only is an excellent teacher, he is a humorist and will keep your interest high in a rather dry subject by adding humor.

Also, Cpt. Ray will start you out with the bare necessities, then work you up to more complex inputs.

http://secure.simmarket.com/utem-737-classic-pilot-handbook-pdf-version.phtml

 

Then, I found the tutorials released for the 737NGX very informative in taking me to the next level.

Stan if you go that route remember you cant use FSX ATC if your using sids/stars

You will need a 3rd party atc programme

If you have the PMDG 747, this is the simplest start off tutorial..

 

Don't bother understanding anything... just Moneky see, Monkey do for the frist time.

 

http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/

 

After you have started and landed following this.

 

Go back and see what was done. Even on that tutorial, you can skip the first part by already starting the engine and then skpt the how to start and shut off the engines... and just eat the cream part of the Orios. LOL

 

After this

 

 

Take up each sections and get into detail. particularly the FMC in detail. First take a simple plan and see how to add the way points manually. There are quite a few You tube for that... then how to insert way points and delete way points and jump ahead of waypoints.

 

What you learn here would apply to almost all the Boeing aircrafts for the most part.. then747 the 737 etc. But leave the Airbus out completely for now.

 

Manny

 

As far as STARS and SIDs are concerned...put this to the last. They are just small flight plans to transition from Enroute to your IFR approach plates.

Loading a FP directly from FSX makes it very simple to learn, then you can move up later

 

No it doesn't help you learn anything.... people do it the easy way all the time and then have no idea why the plane is turning (or isn't)...

 

Enter everything manually for practice. In real life pilots get FP's off ACARS but not always...

 

It takes me about 3 minutes to program the NGX FMS for a short flight...

No it doesn't help you learn anything.... people do it the easy way all the time and then have no idea why the plane is turning (or isn't)...

 

Enter everything manually for practice. In real life pilots get FP's off ACARS but not always...

 

It takes me about 3 minutes to program the NGX FMS for a short flight...

 

Just for record every PMDG product I have ever used can use the default .pln files to load flight plans. Also, it is much easier to do so than loading a flight plan by hand and you know exactly how it is going to work before you get it loaded. I know my plane is turning because it's in the flight plan I created and is doing exactly as it was programed to...

 

Of course I also dislike FSBuild and use Virtual Dispatch but I always seem to be the odd one out anyway. I never seem to "go with the crowd" regarding these things. Just like I don't like the LDS767 but everyone here loves it. Go figure.

 

to the OP;

I think the QW757 is a great way to get into the idea of using a FMS but I digress. I also think the PMDG MD-11 is also a pretty good first choice. It's easy to learn but hard to master and can really grow with you as you get more and more proficient.

No it doesn't help you learn anything....

 

If I had teamspeak running right now Ryan... I would have asked Stan to join me... and one thing I would have done would be have a .rte file ready to be accepted by the FMC.

 

You don't need to learn everything at once... there is such a thing as "blocks of learning".

 

In fact... I started this way several years ago. A fellow racer (Buzzbee) stepped me thru the pages of programming the 747 FMC. Route programming I did later (and wasn't that difficult with the help of the manual)... at least I knew how to use much of the FMC after a few minutes.

 

-Rob

Could I also recommend VatSim? There is such a wealth of information on their forums and in the sky. I have not yet ran across an ATC that is not willing to help a pilot. I hear them all the time while I am online for another pilot to PM them and they will help out, give a quick lesson, send some good Nav links or what not.

 

I had a step up on the basics and the lingo as I have a PPL, but it did nothing for me when I started to play with the heavies. YouTube and actually having the sink or swim mentality flying online in a large event helped me learn fast.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just do the tutorial in the manual and the tutorial flight... it will help you learn 99% of flying the NG.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will not go into the year 2013 without being confident in programming this instrument. I will take your suggestions and devote the time necessary to learn this. I have 2 Masters Degrees and own my own business, yet I have not been disciplined enough to learn this process.

You've all given me the confidence to move forward with this.

 

ps.

 

How different is the Airbus FMC from the Boeing FMC?

 

Stan

 

Hey Stan!

Nothing makes my eyes/brain fog up more than pushing mouse clicks on a fms for countless minutes. I've tried many times but found paint drying as exciting. I've tried several times but always gone back to flying. Good luck-and if you make it hopefully I will get inspired to follow :lol

One publication I have, and can thoroughly recommend,that is specific to the 737NG FMC:

 

http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1600

 

Covers everything from basic to advanced procedures.

Personally I preferred to learn instrument flight on GA before moving to an FMC, I used the Reality XP and Flight1 Mustang for this, then the old VOR to VOR planes (707,727,A300)

 

I'm not rushing into the NGX, I'm still flying the J41 with FS2Crew and now the excellent Avro RJs. 

 

To learn reading charts I signed up to Angle of Attack Aviator Pro for a month and only did the Instrument Approach videos they are nice and short. I flew every kind of approach multiple times in simple planes at night with only 1-2 mile visibility setting, flying by hand from the charts guidance only. That was REALLY fun actually. 

 

I still have my excel training worksheet I created, if anyone wants to fly my approach practice flights let me know and I'll find the spreadsheet for you. 

 

FSInstantApproach is an excellent tool I used. 

 

Get the approaches sorted first, SIDS and STARS are not so important, if you can read an approach chart then these become easy. Also ATC can vector your arrival or departure anyway. 

 

The FMC itself is just a matter of flying the tutorial flight after you have the basics down. 

 

Then also remember - automation can also increase workload. If we fly short flights, try and keep things simple. Remember how to actually fly! Watch this video and see there is more to flying jets than using an FMC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3kREPMzMLk

I learned using the original 767 when it first came out, talk about confusing and new (Level D today) , and just taking a few weeks to walk through the manual and various inputs. You will find that after you learn one, others come fast, and once you start using them, you will never go back to the old ways of doing things..LOL Oh what a joy it is and has become..good luck :blink:

 

Airbus vs. Boeing....both pretty straight forward, I like the flow of Boeings, but that is probably because that is the one I learned first.

I have to echo what Ryan and others have said - just follow the tutorial, it's absolutely the easiest way and I would also encourage you to enter the routes manually. If you do long flights it does involve quite a bit of work, but take a short route like KDEN - KLAX a real world route is: ROCKI7 DBL J60 RIIVR, it takes 10 seconds to enter it (in either a Boeing/AIrbus/MD FMS).

If you have the PMDG 747, this is the simplest start off tutorial..

 

Don't bother understanding anything... just Moneky see, Monkey do for the frist time.

 

http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/

 

After you have started and landed following this.

 

Go back and see what was done. Even on that tutorial, you can skip the first part by already starting the engine and then skpt the how to start and shut off the engines... and just eat the cream part of the Orios. LOL

 

After this

 

 

Take up each sections and get into detail. particularly the FMC in detail. First take a simple plan and see how to add the way points manually. There are quite a few You tube for that... then how to insert way points and delete way points and jump ahead of waypoints.

 

What you learn here would apply to almost all the Boeing aircrafts for the most part.. then747 the 737 etc. But leave the Airbus out completely for now.

 

Manny

 

As far as STARS and SIDs are concerned...put this to the last. They are just small flight plans to transition from Enroute to your IFR approach plates.

 

Brilliant tutorial on the 747, thanks for that, has he done a similar one for the PMDG 737 ?

You most certainly can NOT import from the FSX default planner

 

You can if you save them with the correct filename format.