Over the course of the beta there are a number of moments that really defined the simming experience for me. This is by no means a definitive list (everyone's would be different!) but I personally found these experiences really summed up what the 777 is all about. Try them yourself, and maybe even add your own to this list!

 

Cold and Dark startup.

 

Most people will try this out early on, but just in case you're in the "that's not realistic, the flight crew never receive the airplane cold and dark" camp, maybe give it a go just once. Armen has worked his magic on the sounds and it really shows during the power-up, with all sorts of self-tests going on. It really feels like a machine coming to life.

 

Failures.

 

Set up a failure, ANY failure really, and watch the ECL work its magic. The normal checklists on the ECL are but the tip of the iceberg. More than any other add-on, the 777 supports you through times of trial, and almost makes the airplane a one-crew proposition. (Almost!) That said, you're the Pilot in Command, so once you've completed the checklists, decide if pressing on to your destination is the right choice. Use the FMC to determine alternates, make use of all the information at your fingertips to make informed decisions.

 

KJFK-LLBG - Long haul departure at sunset.

 

To me there is nothing quite like the sense of occasion that comes with preparing for a long haul flight. I said in a forum-post during beta that the preflight preparation on the 777 feels like more of an occasion than on the humble (but still awesome) NGX. It's like readying a cruise liner for some voyage to far off lands.

East Coast US to the Middle East was one of my favourite test routes during beta, usually KJFK-LLBG or KJFK-OMDB. If you have a good airport addon for each airport and a good AI package, then you really get a sense of being part of the evening rush hour across the pond. Loading the flight plan into the FMC as the last rays of the sun stream in to the flight deck, the muted rush of air from the cooling fans, punctuated by the constant chatter of the radios. Sim-Bliss!

Taxi out amidst the hubbub of airplanes all readying for journeys of their own to places unknown, fly the SKORR departure off 31L out to YNKEE, then turn left and admire the greater NY area against the orange hue of the sunset. You now have several hours racing across Nova Scotia and the north Atlantic to keep you occupied.

 

(Or not. Just flick on the auto-time compression, go for a walk around the park and be back for TOD. Your call!)

 

If your timing is just right, the sunrise will greet you again about the time you make landfall over Ireland or thereabouts. All around you will be numerous other trans-Atlantic flights converging on various destinations. As you head into continental Europe, you’ll see the long haul flights thinning out as they descend into their various destinations. By the time you pass over the Baltic sea there’s normally only a few airplanes around. One flight, I watched as an Emirates A380 slowly overtook me 2000ft above and crept into the distance. So cool.

 

This is what simming is all about, the immersion, the suspension of disbelief!

 

Hand-flying.

 

Every time a new add-on comes out, people will inevitably declare that it is the best hand-flying airplane to date. I’ve fallen for this line countless times, and been disappointed, but honestly I think the 777 really captures what it is to manually operate a heavy jet. The FBW works with you, but you have to be on the ball. In good weather I normally hand-fly until I’ve reached the VNAV climb speed, and then again from 10,000ft down to touchdown. It’s harder work than sitting behind the autopilot, but you’ll improve your airmanship really quickly with practice. Not to mention that the sense of achievement is that much greater!

 

Low Takeoff Weight ops.

 

Ok so this isn’t something that happens in the real world, but at least once, you owe it to yourself to take an empty 777 with 10 tonnes of fuel sloshing around in the wings, and carry out the fastest, steepest takeoff and climb you’ve ever seen outside of a military jet!

 

Watch those wings flexing!

 

Encounter a spot of turbulent air? Switch over to the one of the wing view presets and admire all of that flexing metal!

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to offer these suggestions! I will give some of them a try.

 

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