Tutorial 2 short cuts ?

[GKP 0]

I have tried to set up the cockpit prior too takeoff 3 times now and I inevitably ended up messing up by turning the APU off by accident (causing a never ending alarm) and the other time (i think) turning standby power off. Stupid mistakes , but I would like to fly the route without the hour of cockpit checks before hand just to see what the route is like.

 

I have loaded the 'takeoff' EMAM-LOWI flight, the CDU though is not setup at all. Did PMDG not included an already setup CDU to load ?

 

 

thanks..

[xxJohnxx 21]

No they didn't because it is a tutorial where you should learn how to set up the FMC properly.

[GKP 0]

thats understandable - the irony is , the FMC setup is what I get right , some of the problems with the overhead are just from me rushing. Saving panel state does not seem to save the FMC state, should it ?

[richardnobes14 13]

I have tried to set up the cockpit prior too takeoff 3 times now and I inevitably ended up messing up by turning the APU off by accident (causing a never ending alarm) and the other time (i think) turning standby power off. Stupid mistakes ,

 

It sounds like if you are making all these "Stupid Mistakes" then you shouldn't be worrying about trying to take short cuts. If you are "accidently" turning the standby power off which by the way is quite hard to to by mistake. And really an hour of cockpit setup- you have to be kidding me. That "endless alarm" was telling you that a battery drain condition is occurring and could quite easilly be fixed by establishing a source of power. Read the PMDG-737-FCOMv1 S.P 6.1-6.3 for step by step instructions on how to establish electrical power properly and safely, also read PMDG-737-FCOMv1 N.P 21.1-32 for instructions on how to set up the cockpit correctly.

[Rations 102]

Once you become familiar with the normal procedures flows (which are sequenced logically by columns in the overhead panel), the excessive/unintentional changing of cockpit items should occur less frequently (though you may still forget to complete certain actions).

 

When starting from a cold-and-dark state, I usually set simulator time to 20–25 minutes before the published departure time, depending on the congestion at the airport and my position at the gate relative to the runway in use.

 

IRS alignment takes approximately 10 minutes. After the first 5 minutes, I am usually almost finished with the preflight procedures, and (as the cabin crew) am ready to welcome the passengers. At 8 minutes, I will prepare for pushback by locking the cockpit door, setting the transponder appropriately, starting the APU, and turning on the beacon. A little after 9 minutes, I begin the pushback procedure, releasing the parking brake immediately after the IRS aligns completely. It takes another 5 minutes for the engine start and for me to double check everything.

 

I test the flight controls once before and once after extending the flaps, the latter of which occurs after I begin taxiing. Also after taxiing begins, I (as the captain) give a formal welcome to the passengers, and (as the cabin crew) discuss flight safety information. This leaves approximately 5–10 minutes for taxi.

Edited January 7, 2013 by zowen11

[GKP 0]

Sorted now Zowen. Saved panel state as start of runway so I can start flying immediately. Speaking of the transponder. Mine only goes up to 1700 ...not 2200 ?

 

Interesting you play the piano - do you think the patience that it required you to play ( and get the best out of) attracted you to PMDG /FSX rather than 'easier' games ?

[Fabo 213]

Hello,

 

to change the first two digits there are two knobs, differentiated in FS by white and grey hand. One knob turns the second number, other the first. You need to turn the other one

 

Also note that transponder works in oct-something (8 numerals) so you will not be able to put 8 or 9 in there.

[GKP 0]

Richard - are you usually so hostile to newcomers ?

[richardnobes14 13]

Richard - are you usually so hostile to newcomers ?

 

I really do try not to be, in fact it's great to see another person taking an interest in what is a fantastic simulation of a fantastic plane.

 

What you might benefit from though is doing the tutorial flights, each from start to finish as well as consulting the manual for quick answers to any queries you might have along. It's how I learnt to do things (even after making so many beginners errors!) I wish you the best of luck with all of your future flights! Might see you around on VATSIM or IVAO sometime.

[Rations 102]

Interesting you play the piano - do you think the patience that it required you to play ( and get the best out of) attracted you to PMDG /FSX rather than 'easier' games ?

I almost forgot to answer this interesting question, but suddenly remembered when I saw the piano in the living room. Thanks to Find, I have located it.

 

The short answer to your question is no. Here is the long answer:

 

I started playing the piano in third grade. It was not until sixth grade that I really began enjoying it. In retrospect, this enjoyment was of the shallow type, favoring non-limited emotions and pathos. Of course I liked Queen as well. . . . In ninth grade, my school's subscription to an online music library helped me expand my interest in classical music to areas including concertos and orchestral works. Of course Queen was still present in my music library throughout this time. . . .

 

My first encounter with FSX was in Target, but I did not purchase it due to its expensiveness. After living in East Asia and flying on many short-haul flights on large aircraft to and from large airports, I finally decided to purchase a copy of FSX and Windows XP for use on my 2008 Apple iMac. My initial knowledge about third-party add-ons was limited to Just Flight, but eventually, I found a bargain for the PMDG B747 on Amazon, and made it my first FSX add-on.

 

I rapidly became intrigued by aviation partially thanks to the YouTube channel of Cessna154. This led to my first (poor) purchases of CLS products. While I owned a few add-ons of various complexities, they were all the same to me, as all I would do were short flights between VHHH and VHHX.

 

Finally, after reading AVSIM, watching various FSX videos, and (most significantly) experiencing a fixed-base A320 simulator in Singapore, I began pursuing greater realism. One year ago, I began flying from the VC (I know—it was lame to fly from locked spot view). Last summer, I began seriously reading the training materials and trying cold-and-dark procedures. AVSIM was a good place to learn about aviation and participate with other flight simulator enthusiasts in discussions.

 

While being a good pilot is difficult, I do not think the FSX experience can compare to the intensity that is involved in appreciating and creating high-quality music. I am a serious perfectionist, and my experiences with playing musical instruments have often been filled with frustrations at my own musical and technical inaccuracies. In fact, due to the amount of intense memorization and polishing required, the mandatory biannual recitals hosted by my piano teacher are some of my most-dreaded times of the year.

 

So while I believe that flying realistically in FSX and playing musical instruments well both require concentration, a fervent interest, and patience (i.e., a correlation between these factors and both FSX and music exists), I do not believe that a strong correlation exists between FSX and music specifically, at least in my case. And I will not hide the fact that I also play Tribes: Ascend (which interestingly began two years after I started using FSX), a barbaric game by the intellectual standards of AVSIM.