Hi Everyone,

 

First I do apologise if this has been discussed previously, but I cannot seem to find some direct answers regarding this beautiful aircraft. So please don't bash me!

 

I fly the PMDG 737-800 NGX with FS2Crew sound on Vatsim.

 

I have 3 questions:

 

1- When taxing from gate to runway or vice versa, I do have the charts, but it gets a bit unclear if you are on the default airport and at night, is there any add on that can help? Apart from buying airport add on, something that could say you enter the taxi ways and it kind of directs you like a GPS or something? What do you guys usually do, only printed charts?

 

2- Planning.. I have only been properly flying few routes, I tried Sim Routes but it doesn't have all the routes, Is there any tutorials I can find/buy to get more details about routes and waypoints? I like the tutorial 1 that came with PMDG, very clear, EGKK - EHAM.

 

3- This is pretty random, say you are at FL 230, could you get wind speed up to 98knots?

 

Again I do apologise if the has been discussed before (which am sure it has)..

 

I do appreciate any input.

 

 

Khaled

When taxing from gate to runway or vice versa, I do have the charts, but it gets a bit unclear if you are on the default airport and at night, is there any add on that can help?

 

I use my own head sometimes. Or I get help from ground.

 

Is there any tutorials I can find/buy to get more details about routes and waypoints?

 

FSBuild for now. It will autogenerate routes between airports or you can manually build the route yourself. PFPX, developed by the same company that brought us TOPCAT, is nearing the end of development and should be out soon. That program will get us as close to realism as possible.

 

For routes (city to city (no waypoints)), I use the .pdf timetables available from AA, Delta, and United.

 

could you get wind speed up to 98knots?

 

I've seen higher winds than that (100 knots or more) over New York and Chicago.

On the taxying question, I use an airport diagram (I use the AOPA on-line charts, but there are other sources for charts as well). The hardest thing I find is to translate your FSX position to the airport diagram, although looking down from an overhead perspective can help. But if you're trying to replicate the most difficult phase of real flight (ground movements), you have the correct approach. Even small airports with a control tower become intimidating especially when a non-standard clearance is issued because of construction or other reasons- and adding night-time or bad visibility to the mix and it gets real challenging.

 

Thanks, Bruce.

I use my own head sometimes. Or I get help from ground.

 

 

 

FSBuild for now. It will autogenerate routes between airports or you can manually build the route yourself. PFPX, developed by the same company that brought us TOPCAT, is nearing the end of development and should be out soon. That program will get us as close to realism as possible.

 

For routes (city to city (no waypoints)), I use the .pdf timetables available from AA, Delta, and United.

 

 

 

I've seen higher winds than that (100 knots or more) over New York and Chicago.

 

Thanks for the info PHXMD-11, Will look into FSBuild and keep an eye PFPX.

 

Appreciate it !

 

On the taxying question, I use an airport diagram (I use the AOPA on-line charts, but there are other sources for charts as well). The hardest thing I find is to translate your FSX position to the airport diagram, although looking down from an overhead perspective can help. But if you're trying to replicate the most difficult phase of real flight (ground movements), you have the correct approach. Even small airports with a control tower become intimidating especially when a non-standard clearance is issued because of construction or other reasons- and adding night-time or bad visibility to the mix and it gets real challenging.

 

Thanks, Bruce.

 

Thanks Bruce

I don't play Vatsim, to keep it realistic, if confused, why not ask tower for directions?

1- When taxing from gate to runway or vice versa, I do have the charts, but it gets a bit unclear if you are on the default airport and at night, is there any add on that can help? Apart from buying airport add on, something that could say you enter the taxi ways and it kind of directs you like a GPS or something? What do you guys usually do, only printed charts?

 

There's DBS' Airport GPS add-on: http://www.dbsim.com/aptgps/dbs.aptgps.htm

 

The Aivlasoft EFB moving map on a second display is a particularly nice tool for ground movement situational awareness. http://www.aivlasoft.com

 

2- Planning.. I have only been properly flying few routes, I tried Sim Routes but it doesn't have all the routes, Is there any tutorials I can find/buy to get more details about routes and waypoints? I like the tutorial 1 that came with PMDG, very clear, EGKK - EHAM.

 

The Routefinder website has a very useful route planner on the free area of the website. http://rfinder.asalink.net/

 

3- This is pretty random, say you are at FL 230, could you get wind speed up to 98knots?

 

I've been eastbound on the North Pacific Track system between Japan and Alaska with over 200 knots of tailwind before (real world). 98 knots isn't unusual at all.

 

Regards

For taxiing i use the combination of charts (printed, or on the laptop or tablet if you can afford it) and top-down view (some combination of S and A keys, I'm sure you know it). Sometimes I stick my nose in the screen trying to see the taxiway names :-)

 

For planning: Besides popular FSBuild there is Real-World Flightplan Database (http://www.edi-gla.co.uk/fpl/login.php?go=/fpl/index.php)

but I use mostly Vroute. The free version gives you route, waypoints, METAR, and the payware adds winds, fuel, export to FMC etc.

 

DS

if you fly in europe i can recommend http://vatroute.net/

(1)EFB

(2)EFB

(3)Opus

Here are some instructions I wrote for using FlightAware or the Real-World Flight Plan Database with SimRoutes to create company routes for PMDG aircraft.

1. Determine your route by searching a realistic database such as FlightAware or the Real-World Flight Plan Database. The latter requires a free registration, but is preferable due to its flexibility (you can personally request flight plans).
   
2. Copy the route, preferably in the format WAYPOINT AIRWAY WAYPOINT . . . .
   
3. Once you have determined your route, go to SimRoutes, click Generate Routes, and complete the fields appropriately. It is unnecessary to input SIDs and STARs, as they often vary depending on traffic and weather restrictions.
   
4. Click Generate Route. Use the map to verify the accuracy of your route.
   
5. From the drop-down list, select PMDG as your export format, and click Download Flightplan. Other fields on this page are optional.
   
6. Copy the downloaded route, and move it to your FLIGHTPLANS folder, which should be in the PMDG directory of your FSX root folder.
   
7. Enter the file name in the company routes field of your FMC when you wish to retrieve the flight plan. You can then select SIDs and STARs from the FMC to complete your route.
   

I don't play Vatsim, to keep it realistic, if confused, why not ask tower for directions?

 

An excellent suggestion. Most of us look at the FSX version of "progressive taxi" and know that in RL a blue line doesn't magically appear on the ground to lead you where you want to go. But progressive taxi is an excellent RL tool if you are unsure or have any doubts about your route clearance. I have requested RL taxi clearances at airports I am new to, and added the word "unfamiliar" to my transmission- this is one of those "key words" that controllers are always listening for. And actually requesting "progressive taxi" (or actually said more like "November 5023A is at Flight center, requesting taxi to the active with progressives"). Progressive taxi instructions are usually "byte size" in that ATC won't give you the entire clearance but just pieces of it, and will usually follow up with "turn right next taxiway" to reinforce the clearance in case you didn't hear it or understand it correctly. Of course, at a busy airport, progressives are a pain to controllers and may be even denied.

 

The quoted text in my reply is correct- if you (the OP) is using VATSIM, why not tell them that you are unfamiliar and need help. I would imagine that any VATSIM controller, like ATC, would assume that you at least have an airport diagram though.....

 

Thanks, Bruce.

There's DBS' Airport GPS add-on: http://www.dbsim.com.../dbs.aptgps.htm

 

The Aivlasoft EFB moving map on a second display is a particularly nice tool for ground movement situational awareness. http://www.aivlasoft.com

 

 

 

The Routefinder website has a very useful route planner on the free area of the website. http://rfinder.asalink.net/

 

 

 

I've been eastbound on the North Pacific Track system between Japan and Alaska with over 200 knots of tailwind before (real world). 98 knots isn't unusual at all.

 

Regards

 

Thank you thank you thank you!!! EFB is exactly what I needed.. Will get it and give it a try! Thanks a lot mate!

Most of us look at the FSX version of "progressive taxi" and know that in RL a blue line doesn't magically appear on the ground to lead you where you want to go. But progressive taxi is an excellent RL tool if you are unsure or have any doubts about your route clearance.

Some airports use something similar. The taxiway centre line is usually green (edge is blue). Although I don't fly to Heathrow, I am aware that they utilise selective lighting with an instruction to the effect of 'follow the green'. In real life, ground will often send a follow me car to guide you in if you even sound unsure of the clearance. Quite a few airports seem to use follow me cars for every arrival.

 

Thinking that follow me cars would be a great idea of an addon, I found this: http://secure.simmarket.com/dbs-studio-follow-me-service-for-fsx.phtml.

Thank you thank you thank you!!! EFB is exactly what I needed.. Will get it and give it a try! Thanks a lot mate!

 

You can also give FlightSimCommander a try. Works fine for taxiways, and it's cheaper than EFB.

 

http://en.shop.aeros...anguage=english

A quick look at the taxi signs should get you sorted. They may initially look confusing, but a quick study online of what the different colors and arrows mean will do wonders. You won't need top down views, or EFBs, or anything (though still having a taxi chart handy will help).

 

As far as routes go, have a look at the first link in my signature for a tutorial on making your own plans. If you're flying US Routes and you want to use the most up to date route, use FlightAware.