777F ATC..... No...NO...No.......... not THAT ATC!

[cavaricooper 2,615]

A careful look at this photo will reveal something heretofore unthinkable in my simming- 4x Speed- we will talk about the POS REP Page later. The world usually seems to get in the way most days, and I am not able to devote 12-14 hours to flight sim. Flying the NGX, I found bliss in the 1-3 hour Ryanair flight schedule. Several times a week, I could be found winging my way around Europe on Vatsim. I fell into a happy routine that seemed to fit my life. Chores had to be done, but fantastical flight was shoehorned in as well- Nirvana!

 

The 777 Beta brought all the trepidation that comes with a new type rating, as well as the concern that I would not be able to truly fly the aircraft as it was designed. I decided the 777F was going to be my salvation. Using this model I could fly RW flight plans that were less than the 777LR norm. Despite being in touch with PMDG, I had no idea that salvation was close at hand.

 

With our first Paine Field delivery came a short note explaining a new option- AUTO TIME COMRESSION. I read the email and filed it- archived appropriately I thought. I would NEVER use time compression- it was rubbish! Then came the onslaught of beta emails, all extolling its virtues, confirming that PMDG had pulled off another coup. This system, through Black-Box magic (read PMDG) manages to accelerate timeduring appropriate flight segments. It is smart enough to regroup and recover from Wx issues, and intelligent enough to slow to 1x for course changes, step climbs etc. What is even more brilliant is that it is completly adaptable to being turned on and off- by a single right mouse click on the CHR knob!

 

That meant I could immerse myself in flight prep (UAE9902 EGLL/OMDB), load the route and departure (LHRDXBN : EGLL/27L DVR4G DVR UL9 KONAN UL607 AMASI UM149 BOMBI UL984 RASPU UZ660 ROKEM UZ650 REBLA UL620 RIVOS UL620 DINRO L601 ODERO UP975 LESRI UP975 SIDNA DCT UKMUG UM688 SIDAD UP975 SESRA M677 RABAP UM677 DEGSO L308 DESDI OMDB/12R), fuel and load the aircraft (59.8T fuel and ZFW 237T), calculate performance, obtain clearance on VATSIM, taxi, take-off and reach TOC. This took a bit onver an hour and a half. In my NGX I would already be within 100 miles of TOD and after my descent brief, I would be mentally review the mundane that awaited me after landing. Stellar examples of post landing activities would be work, laundry, hoovering etc. In the 777 however, I had just now approached TOC- whatever was I to do?

 

DISCONNECT from VATSIM, select the CDU popup to PROG and right click the CHR knob- Presto 2x and then 4x cruise- all managed without a hiccup. As the STEP CLB counted down I deselected AUTO TIME COMRESSION (not that I had to, the system manages automatic step climbs as well) dialed FL350 in the MCP, selected vs +400 and off we went. At FL350 I reselected VNAV and AUTO TIME COMRESSION. I was able to read the Airport Briefing, select the Rwy, approach and STAR (DESDI 6B landing 12R), set the radios (some will remember hard tuning the ILS which does indeed PARK automatically) and set the BARO MINS as well as preselect the BARO. A quick fuel calc once more showed the fuel burn was on the numbers despite using AUTO TIME COMRESSION. Amazingly, TOD was now only 900 miles away and approaching FAST with AUTO TIME COMRESSION enabled.

 

All to soon it was here, next waypoint DEGSO. Time to wake the blokes in the back, drink some bunsen burner warmed coffee (remember Maria?) and then strap in. The nice thing about flying toasters is thatyou don't have to service them- the back had been quiet all through the flight- brilliant. RULAM, EVUTI and then the S curve all the way to PEDOV..... IDLE VNAV PTH . Lights went on at FL100 and I had to go outside to take a look.....captivating . We whispered down the rails. It was dark in the desert, but the Dubai skyline was ablaze and visible for miles and miles. The desert can be a fickle mistress, but she can be beautiful too!

 

Active Sky2012 when melded with REX Overdrive HD textures can be a lovely thing, and gossamer thin slik sheets slid by as A6-EFJ headed home. The water rolled by below, with the brilliance of Dubai in the distance, twinkling like a D.H. Lawrence novel on a moonlit night. All too soon we were established and still gliding down the slope at idle and Flaps 5. Time for gear down flaps 20, watch the speed trend and pushthe throttles ever so slightly forward. The GE90s spooled up (with their pulse quickening woosh/hum) and the speed trend vector disappeared. I promise you the first time you shove the thrust levers forward in a hand flown approach you will overspeed the flaps (don't ask me how I know).

 

I look forward to manual flight in the 777 (loving the "secure disconnect" I spoke about earlier). She is a big girl and flies down the GS on a very stable flight path, cajoled along by precise yet almost constant control inputs. Never was "Four Squares" so much fun! i have articulated the joys of rotating the 777, but let me tell you what perfection it is to land. She crosses the fence at 100FT RA and I initiate the flare at 50FT RA, whilst simultaneously closing the thrust levers. In a long lovely slurp, energy bleeds off while Alpha increases, airspeed decays and the mains dangle waiting for asphalt. There's that final second where the wheels are rotating but yet that beautiful wing is still lifting. Then the wing looses its sublime flex and its over....time to fly that nose wheel down. As with the two step rotation, it's very much a two step flare. Land the mains, and then land the nose wheel- they quit flying at very different times . Idle reverse and Autobrakes 2 took us to K13 and we vacated right onto the high speed.

 

Let me tell you about the landing lights! Bright- well done! Remember my excitement at the NGX's lighting? This is better. The white light is brilliant from the flight deck. Never have I seen anything more realistic in appearance. They are bright enough that you will never forget to turn them off after you vacate. Pure stark all illuminating white- fantastic!

 

She turns and taxies beautifully (NO- I do not use any FSX ground friction mod) and half way back it was time to crank the APU. I love having the EICAS message again instead of having to look up . Turn on stand, reach up to shut off the taxi light before we were through the first 45 degrees and I could see the ramp manager waving (for the pedantic pundits, that really is my only exaggeration).

 

A6-EFJ was plugged in (twice) and we were home for the night.

[mosteen 111]

Wow mate, amazing, thanks

[squerble 300]

Nice write up. Really looking forward to this plane now!

[gman1986 14]

Yet another great piece of info on the PMDG 777 and very nively written. Thanks Carl!

[pinlifter 502]

Getting better and better :smile:

[bennyboy75 85]

Great read. I too don't do anything more than an hour or so due to boredom and time constraints. With this the world literally is your oyster. All those far flung places I've ignored because they are too far apart to do in an hour or so are reachable. Amazing stuff.

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

Lights sound Awesome - thanks for sharing this.

[IFR7700 228]

Methinks I shalt buy such craft.

[pilottj 198]

Just curious, does the 777F have freight loader and stairs as part of the ground equipment ala 747FV1.  I understand those things weren't included in the MD-11F for FPS reasons.

 

Cheers

TJ

[Airbusman330 300]

Just curious, does the 777F have freight loader and stairs as part of the ground equipment ala 747FV1.  I understand those things weren't included in the MD-11F for FPS reasons.

 

Cheers

TJ

 

I doubt it especially since AES and GSX provides such equipment. 

[Avantime 81]

I doubt it especially since AES and GSX provides such equipment. 

 

Are you sure about the freight loader?

[RiceySpicey 586]

Are you sure about the freight loader?

Yeh they do

[Avantime 81]

Yeh they do

 

Apologies me and pilottj was actually talking about the main deck cargo loaders. The Simcheck A300, the old PMDG 747F and most Captainsim products have them. AFAIK neither GSX or AES have them.

 

[perjen09 0]

AES wont provide a Cargo Loader for the left side, Not possible today. And not all airports has AES, so one really should not base on that.

 

The 744F had HighLoaders, so Im guessing the 77F will have it too. 

 

 

 

Per-Kristian Jensen

[CaptCraig 226]

For GSX I know they were working on left side loading for the Dash 8 Q4 from Majestic, so I bet they will also add functionality for this beast.  That's a guess.