Buying PMDG 737 NGX - some questions and concerns

[g_precentralis 191]

www.SimBrief.com is excellent flight planning tool. It's freeware, and it can export FP in both NGX and FSX.

 

I think if you add sid/star into your simbrief flight plan and export it to FSX, you will be able to fly with default ATC, but I strongly advice some 3rd party ATC program or some of freeware online servers with ATC like VATSIM.

[Mephic 129]

I want to stay offline with this. What other ATC software would fit PMDG best? And the one which doesn't have issues because I read that a lot of 3rd party ATC is not too good? And as a side question should I add any other soft to make the game look even better? I was thinking about getting MyTraffic 2013 as it seems to e nice software and not an FPS killer

 

Thank You very much for the flight planner!

[g_precentralis 191]

Cannot help you with atc and ai traffic as I fly online exclusively. IMO, when you feel a tension and adrenaline in some large online event with hundreds of pilots and controllers participating, everything other feels like "nah".

[Mephic 129]

K. What I decided to do for now is get 737 Pmgd, learnto fly it without ATC fully by using its features (already got tutorials so I will read through them before getting the plane and than just repeat few times), than get myself fs2crew to make it more real and less "point and click" demanding and after I will get to know how to use it, will think about 3rd party ATC and good AI traffic software. And so - this is my plan for the whole 2014 because I suppose this will be a long journey. But I will make it.

[Sportsfan23 2]

FS2crew makes it more real in the sense you have a co-pilot doing about 90% of the work which is great. You can though just setup the plane to be fully on where you don't have to do anything I don't think and just put your plane on the runway and take off. 

 

I haven't done that yet because I have been trying to learn the systems and everything so I have been doing it from a cold and dark state. 

[DeskPilot518 15]

I like Vroute Premium, but the top dog for flight planning is probably Professional Flight Planner X. The paid planners are helpful in that they supply more information about SIDS and STARS that free planners do not. Atleast that is what I have found, unless someone knows of a free planner that gives this information.

 

B.

[g_precentralis 191]

I like Vroute Premium, but the top dog for flight planning is probably Professional Flight Planner X. The paid planners are helpful in that they supply more information about SIDS and STARS that free planners do not. Atleast that is what I have found, unless someone knows of a free planner that gives this information.

 

B.

This is off topic, but I have to say I disagree here. Imo, planning departures and arrivals is not something that dispatch software should do anyway. It's really enough to build a route via correct exit and entry points. Btw, sid/star plates, published in AIP are definite source of data, other companies might reformat data in this or that way, but that's really it.

 

It's worth to say that PFPX and Simbrief at one side, and all other planning software at the other, are completely different kind of beasts, not really comparable.

[Mephic 129]

Once again thank You for all the answers. I decided to check further, googled 737 PMDG with default ATC and after reading over 20 topics I am even more confused than I was before I started to read the first tutorial (dont have the plane yet) and it looks really fun, cool and simple (especially fmc programming in tutorial 1 seems to be full of obvious things.

 

And in the matter of default ATC - I found a thread when some guy suggested to load flight plan to fsx than programm or load it to fmc but without star/Sid and use ATC guidance until "rely on your own nav", than switch lnav/vnav on and fly according to data programmed into FMC and whenever ATC takes over - do what they say, and than repeat procedure if they tell me to rely on my own nav. Than after getting close to the airport, switch off lnav/vnav, put ils frequency to nav radio 1, use headings provided by ATC and during final approach switch VOR/loc button on and app button to intercept ils and right before landing switch off autopilot and do manual landing for most fun. Can some of the owners confirm that it really works like this in the sequence mentioned above? I know it is boring that I'm asking and asking but want to be fully aware that this beauty can be flown as I want it to fly and in the description above this is how I imagine.

[Sportsfan23 2]

Yes the default ATC will let you do that. It's the added stuff that a program like RC4 gives you in that it can handle you flying sids/stars if you have them programmed in. The problem with default ATC is it can have you landing at totally the wrong runway for the conditions which I found kinda silly. Maybe that doesn't bother you but it bothered me enough to go get RC4 and all the added instructions that it gives has been a fantastic upgrade over the default ATC. 

[Mephic 129]

No, it doesnt bother me as I usually have no issues like that. Tbh I'm a casual simmer who is in urgent need for a complex but vanilla compatible plane.

 

I believe I can still use this plane with no Sid nor star in flight plan. I will just use fsbuild, cut out Sid/star and fly according to ATC and when they don't guide I will use FMC.

 

So let's imagine that I've put the route into the FMC consisting of 3 waypoints/vors. I start with the ATC and they keep heading me but because there is a lot of traffic they don't guide me to first VOR only but continue to guide me to second one and than tell me to rely on my own nav - now my question - if I will programm all 3 vors in fmc and switch to lnav,vnav after passing 2nd VOR will the plane want to come back to fly all the vors programmed in fmc and I will need to remove those two first or can I just press lnav, vnav and plane is smart enough to know that now it needs to fly only to third VOR?

[DeskPilot518 15]

 

This is off topic, but I have to say I disagree here. Imo, planning departures and arrivals is not something that dispatch software should do anyway. It's really enough to build a route via correct exit and entry points. Btw, sid/star plates, published in AIP are definite source of data, other companies might reformat data in this or that way, but that's really it.

 

It's worth to say that PFPX and Simbrief at one side, and all other planning software at the other, are completely different kind of beasts, not really comparable.

I don't know why you disagree. I am not saying you should use a SID or STAR, or not. Just that the information is usually not supplied with free planners. But on that topic, I do not believe there is any reason not to use SIDs and STARS in planning. Infact, if you can easily grab ATIS information and determine the likely hood of using a particular departure runway and use a SID accordingly. Obviously the use of a STAR is debatable.

 

Still as a beginner my point is that he will find the information useful.

 

B.

 

No, it doesnt bother me as I usually have no issues like that. Tbh I'm a casual simmer who is in urgent need for a complex but vanilla compatible plane.

 

I believe I can still use this plane with no Sid nor star in flight plan. I will just use fsbuild, cut out Sid/star and fly according to ATC and when they don't guide I will use FMC.

 

So let's imagine that I've put the route into the FMC consisting of 3 waypoints/vors. I start with the ATC and they keep heading me but because there is a lot of traffic they don't guide me to first VOR only but continue to guide me to second one and than tell me to rely on my own nav - now my question - if I will programm all 3 vors in fmc and switch to lnav,vnav after passing 2nd VOR will the plane want to come back to fly all the vors programmed in fmc and I will need to remove those two first or can I just press lnav, vnav and plane is smart enough to know that now it needs to fly only to third VOR?

I am pretty sure the AP will fly you to the next (closest waypoint in the flight plan)

You can check the NX. waypoint listed in the FMC.

 

Also, it is worth mentioning that you can get FS2Crerw Complete Set with Airbus, NGX, and RAAS (on sale for pretty good price this month). I would consider it as you might eventually get the Airbus Extended too.

[Sportsfan23 2]

 

 

now my question - if I will programm all 3 vors in fmc and switch to lnav,vnav after passing 2nd VOR will the plane want to come back to fly all the vors programmed in fmc

 

You just click the next VOR you want the plane to fly to and hit the exec button that will light up and the plane will fly to that VOR and disregard any previous VORS or anything. I did a flight yesterday out of KBZN and the SID is a bit wacky because of the mountains I am guessing. So there were a few way points that were just not necessary to fly to so I picked the next one that was in the Flight plan and not part of the SID and the plane flew right there and bypassed the other points that were originally in the flight plan.  

[Mephic 129]

@up and @upup - big thanks! That actually prooved I can use it with Sid and no ATC and without Sid with ATC whenever I want to.

 

I just started to watch YouTube tutorials for Pmgd with fs2crew but now I know I will not get fs2crew until I master PMDG systems as fs2crew is doing lot of work for you. Yes, this is realistic and you have to issue voice commands but tbh I feel that I need to know the plane inside out before I can command it.

 

PMDG - I am coming. PMDG pilots - please prepare to answer thousands of questions

 

Thank You all I hope that this thread will answer some of people who are like me - afraid to make a big step forward but not so hard to convince to actually do this and have fun in the meantime. What I stated in first post - I'm calling it off. I already started my WC sessions with PMDG tutorials.

 

Thank You all for being such amazing and helpful community! Sending You a virtual but tasty polish beer

[Sportsfan23 2]

FS2crew also has a button version so you actually don't even need to use the voice commands if you don't want to. 

[Mephic 129]

I want to. Although I am flying mostly a night and my girlfriend will kill me, she was just purely shocked when I showed her YouTube movie with fs2crew on. "will You talk to the computer and it will reply like a real pilot??? When will you buy me MY headset and joystick?!?!?!......... Is this pilot handsome?"

 

Women....