Yesterday I bought FS2Crew for the PMDG 737NGX. I am used to doing short flights and I know FS2Crew takes a lot more of your time so before I bought FS2Crew I had decided to fly the 737NGX with FS2Crew only when I really had the time for it and this morning I gave it a first try.

 

I am using a checklist from NyxxUK and although most things did seem to go well, I did have the idea a few things didn't happen in the right order. Specially the secondary FS2Crew screen showed a few things at the wrong time, it seemed. I had to use the up and down arrows to get back to the pushback commands and a few things seemed to be skipped completely. But well, of course this all takes some time to get used to, I guess. I did manage to get into the air though but there I was greeted with a CTD after only a few minutes, which was the first one in a long, long, long time, I can honestly say. Not nice. Not nice at all.

 

Because I didn't want that CTD to ruin my day I decided to give it another try (even though most of my 'flying time' had passed already) and went through the entire procedure again. This time all kinds of things didn't work: the PFD and ND showed odd things, I didn't have to copy the GPS coordinates myself in the FMC, flaps stayed at 0 while they should be at 5 (the PNF should set those, right?) and when I was ready for taxi and the systems still weren't in order I decided to load a taxi state... forgetting that would erase everything I entered in the FMC. So I quit FSX in a slightly angered mood...

 

And now my time to fly is over... and I am left with a bad feeling about it all. Don't know when I will have time again to give everything another try but I am not looking forward to doing the entire procedure again only to end with another CTD.

 

Ok, sorry for moaning but I had to get this of my chest. ^_^ The main reason for posting this all is that I have no clue what state to load if I skip the RUN PF part. If I skip that (or better said, if I don't enable it) where do I start? How much time does that save me? But also how much will be skipped (like messages from the crew about load sheets and boarding)? I don't like to skip RUN PF because then it feels like I payed for something I don't use completely, but well, I have the idea that RUN PF takes the most of the time and I'd like to get in the air a bit quicker so I can finish a flight also when I do not have all the time of the world...

 

P.S. Full real name: Jeroen van Engelenhoven

 

EDIT

Had a few minutes left so I decided to load the Short state and skip RUN PF. I indeed missed all cabin stuff like load sheets etc. which is a shame... Anyway, I managed to get in the air again but now the left FS2Crew window showed LNAV and then VNAV (or the other way around) but activating those commands did nothing and I had to enable both and the AP myself manually... (I think I armed both but maybe not...?) Then I got LVL CHANGE on the right window...?!? Should I enable that or skip it? Then my time was up and I had to quit FSX quite confused... and quite disappointed. More luck next time I hope.

Hi Jeroen,

 

First, please use the FS2Crew Checklists from the original manuals (support.fs2crew.com).

 

There are a lot of 3rd party tutorials, manuals, floating around out there, and I can't guarantee how accurate they are.

 

 

CTDs: Please search for the forum. CTDs are usually the result of bad scenery or pushing your system too hard. Turn down your LOD a bit.

 

Also, always run "Event Viewer" in Windows after a CTD to get more info. Then google what you find.

 

Generally, with FS2Crew you should get no CTDs.

 

If your PFD and ND show weird things, that suggest something is wrong with your NGX.

 

I suggest doing a clean install of the NGX and FS2Crew... that can often clear out weird gremlins.

 

 

If you Skip the Run PF events, you can use any state you like.

 

If you select Cold and Dark, you can setup the plane by yourself.

 

If you select engine running, you can skip direct to Before Taxi.

 

 

Best,

I decided to forget about what I have to do this afternoon and give all this another try. I started all over again and now made sure to NOT skip time in any way. The great thing was that everthing now happened in the right order. So things not happening in the right order was due to me skipping time. Another cause for things not happening in the right order is that you can see things in the left window while it's not yet time for them. The right window only shows you something when you actually have to do it. I wonder why this isn't the same for the left window?

Anyway, the PFD and ND were perfectly fine now.

 

After half an hour of going through everything by the book I was ready to start the engine. And then the PNF said we were not configured for that yet... Bummer. This didn't happen the first time around. I searched the forums for a solution but nothing helped (setting the altimeter, turning on ground myself, etc.) and since this all worked the first time I don't feel like following the other solution: reinstall the 737NGX and FS2Crew. In the end I quited FSX once again.

 

EDIT

Right now I am doing yet another flight.... so far things are good, only when I 'said' (using button version) TAXI & TAKEOFF BRIEFING the PNF said something like 'Are you sure?' Well, I was so I simply proceeded. I just took off and I'm climbing as I type.

 

One (new) question: I didn't arm VNAV and LNAV this time so I had the PNF do that by pressing the button for the right window. I understand now (I think...) that I have to choose between the left and right window...? Only problem: after choosing VNAV, LNAV and then COMMAND A (all right window) I got CLB thrust in the left window (ordered that and nothing seemed to change) but then I got LVL CHANGE and the only way I could get to the FLAPS order was to skip LVL CHANGE manually in the FS2Crew interface OR to order it... Is this correct? Shouldn't that option be skipped automatically when I chose to follow the 'right flow'...?

BTW I guess it's about time for a positive note... ^_^ First of all I forgot to thank you for your VERY quick reply! Secondly: it was a lot more fun than I expected to let the PNF do various things after takeoff...! One of the reasons I waited so long before trying FS2Crew was that letting 'someone else' do everything seemed to defeat the purpose of having all those buttons and knobs you can use yourself... but it actually felt quite good to 'say' to the PNF to raise the gear and flaps and enable the AP while I was watching my yoke and the FD. It felt more... real! ^_^ The experience (in the end...) was a lot more fun then expected. I now begin to understand why everyone is so excited about FS2Crew. (Yes, it took a few hours and I'm not there yet completely, but it's getting better... ^_^ )

 

O, one tip I came up with (after reading a lot of topics here): when you use OpusFSX also for views, don't start it until you have actually loaded the 737NGX. I remember that during my previous flight (that went wrong) I didn't get the 2D VC at first! So the last time I started FSX I first setup and started the flight and only after I was in the 2D VC and the cold and dark state was loaded, I started OpusFSX. Apparently on my system it is indeed mandatory to make sure I load the 2D VC first and OpusFSX camera's prevent this from happening.

 

And another one: make sure you have the FMC setup completely before the PNF starts his 5 minute flow at 17 before start and pushback or things may go wrong during engine start.

 

One more question (sorry!): when I skip time during preflight (by clicking on the time in the FS2Crew interface or by using time accel), does that ruin the work the PNF is doing...? I know I can't skip time or use time accell when the windows shows WAIT but in all other circumstances I can skip time but I wonder if that may screw up things.

Hi Jeroen,

 

Glad you're coming around and things are getting.

 

The NGX is FS2Crew's most successful and well liked product to date, and it's that way for a reason!

 

 

Yes, you want to ensure the plane loads by default into the 2D cockpit.

 

You can use the VC, but just make sure the 2D loads first, then switch to the VC.

 

OpusFX... I'm not even sure what that is.

 

 

Fast forwarding time does not ruin the FO's work during pre-flight... "WAIT" is visible when the FO is doing his major pre-flight flows. You can't fast forward the time down when WAIT is visible.

OpusFX... I'm not even sure what that is.

 

 

Fast forwarding time does not ruin the FO's work during pre-flight... "WAIT" is visible when the FO is doing his major pre-flight flows. You can't fast forward the time down when WAIT is visible.

 

OpusFSX: http://www.opussoftware.co.uk/opusfsi.htm (Maybe you should visit the FSX forum more often: OpusFSX is the talk of the town lately. ) It's a weather engine (according to more and more people the best one yet) and it also has a camera option (to easily create views, like EZDOK but then easy! ^_^ )

 

Ok, good to know about fast forwarding not doing any harm, thanks!

Ahhh, I use Active Sky.... I'll request a copy of OpusFX so I can see if there is any issue with it.

Just for completeness sake (for anyone who may be reading this topic in the future):

 

- the problems with my PFD and ND looking funny were due to me not entering the IRS info in the FMC (I didn't have that option right away and forgot about it later on, probably due to a different realism setting in the 737NGX itself): entering that information when they looked funny again immediately solved the problem. My bad..

 

- the problem with the PNF saying 'Are you sure' when I 'said' TAXI & TAKEOFF BRIEFING COMPLETE was due to me not actually playing the briefing: you CAN skip that briefing without any harm (so it seems) but then the PMF will say 'Are you sure' or something similar. (I found that briefing a bit too long and that's why I skipped it...) My bad.

 

- And as I said earlier on: the problem with things not happening in the right order was due to me skipping time too soon and too fast: when you skip time and arrive at a time where something should happen, it can take a second or two before it actually happens. And you can also skip things completely this way and hence make a mess of the flow. So use skip carefully. (I made a note of what happens when so I know exactly when I can skip tme now and when I shouldn't). My bad.

 

So as you all of course already knew: FS2Crew is fine: I was the problem. B)

 

@Bryan: yes, you should try OpusFSX: to see if there are any issues (as I said it prevents loading the 2D VC on my PC which is the only issue I can see but quite an important one on my rig) but also to check out the beatiful weather: it's becoming a popular addon very rapidly! ^_^

You will get there mate, it's all a learnig curve but it all works great and it will for you. You just need to get use to how it all works togeather.

 

You will get faster at what you do and you will get use to useing the FSCrew2 interface to advance the time. The big one if after you get the load sheet at 8 mins after that and doing the few things you have to do, then goto 2 mins.

 

Keep asking away for any help.

 

BTW

Take off

That's sort of open becasue you could be following ATC or flying a SID etc etc, so you sort of have to work thought that the way you want to, choose to.

 

HF

You will get there mate, it's all a learnig curve but it all works great and it will for you. You just need to get use to how it all works togeather.

 

You will get faster at what you do and you will get use to useing the FSCrew2 interface to advance the time.

 

Very true! Just finished my very first complete flight and it was great. Messed things up at the end (during taxi) but nothing serious. ^_^ The CTD I had yesterday apparently just was bad luck... All went fine and it's fun indeed!!! Now let's hope there will be a christmas sale for GSX... B)

Great news, very happy for you.

Hi J van E, it's Phil from over at opus forum, I've been following your experience with FS2Crew with great interest as I've just purchased it my self and like yourself I haven't taken the first tentative steps to using it yet. I think your experiences will aid my learning curve when I start. As you know I am an avid opus user. I always start up NGX straight into VC view and start opus sometimes as the aircaft is loading ie on the black screen, sometimes after the 20sec countdown. I have read with interest that it is necessary to start up the NGX in 2d mode. I may be missing something can any of you guys explain the theory behind that.

Regards Phil

Hi Phil. This topic is quite old ^_^ and as it is now I am having not a problem at ALL with FS2Crew. It works perfectly. You just have to know how to use it LOL. But er... what exactly is your question? Why FS2Crew wants you to load the NGX in 2D? I don't know. I just know it's like that. ^_^ In OpusFSX I created a new default view for the NGX which is 2D view, so now I can start OpusFSX before I start FSX, start FSX, load the NGX and it will automatically load with the 2D view. After that I switch to my preferred 3D VC view and all is fine.

 

The main thing to watch out for with FS2Crew is to do things too soon. I use the button version and it has a left and a right window. The right window only shows you things when it is time to do them, but the left window shows you things you should NOT do until a certain moment! What that moment is... you have to figure out with the tutorial. I myself made a rather extensive sort of checklist with every step I have to take in FSX, the NGX, FS2Crew (and ProATC/X) so by now I know exactly when to do what and that I can skip and what I shouldn't skip.

 

It takes some time to get used to it all but in the end you'll make it. Like everyone else. First advice: do the tutorial and do NOT skip time, so sit out the entire 30 minutes preflight... When you are used to everything and know how it works you can skip time if you feel like it: I can do the entire RUN PF flow now in 8 minutes (which is the exact total amount of time that FS2Crew cannot be skipped).

 

Hope this helps a little. Feel free to ask anything you want to know!

Hi, J van E, you've answered my first question re the 2D view I saw your post about it on opus, and was wondering why. So it's FS2Crew that needs it. I haven't installed mine yet I've just been reading some of the posts on this forum. That's when I came across this thread.

I did try a version of the old fs crew a few years back for the wilco airbus but I couldn't get along with it. It's only after using the new Aerosoft airbus extended that I thought I'de retry the newer version.

How do you get along with pro atc by the way? That's another one I have been considering. I've been lurking on their forum for quite a bit now watching the progress.

 

Phil

ProATC/X is getting better and better but still lacking a few things (like vectors to finals or requesting another approach). I really like it, I have to say, but can't yet recommend it without having to add a few but's. The devs are working hard on it though so I have high hopes.