Hello fellow simmers, I need help with something, I am new to simming and have an embarrasing question. I would like to know how do you achieve cruising speed. I've tried AT on and off..Manual full THR. but I can not reach cruising speed. In fact when I try to approach anywhereabove 25fl I steadily decrease in IAS, slowly decreasing to a max of 154 IAS. Is this normal, I understand that at 30fl the air is thinner and the aircraft moves faster more easily, what should my IAS be. I also tried switching to Mach .80 once at cruise ALT, but still the same.PLEASE help a newbie.........Thank-you all.:-hmmm

What you see is normal. As the air thins, the IAS drops. That is one reason that mach numbers are used at higher altitudes.To see how fast you are really going, use your GPS. It will give you the speed that you are moving across the ground. R-

Hi Lexxone, welcome to the forums.You didn't give us much information to go on, and I think that's why you have only a few responses. For example, it would help to know which aircraft you're flying because each one has a different climb speed and cruise speed.My first suggestion is to look into the on-disk program Library, specifically the Aircraft Handbook. That will give you a good starting point for each aircraft: How to taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, descend, approach and land. It provides specific info for some phases of flight and general info for other items.My hunch is that you're trying to fly the B747 or B777. With little experience, they are difficult to fly because they require careful attention to airspeed (KIAS) and climb rate. The rate of climb for these birds can be very high at sea level, because the engines are developing far more thrust than is needed to maintain airspeed. As the aircraft gains altitude, the thrust level is reduced because of lower air density. So, to maintain the correct airspeed all through the climb, the pilot must periodically reduce the climb rate. This can be done by pushing the nose down a little with the stick or dialing a lower number into the VSI on the autopilot.Maintaining the correct airspeed (or Mach number) becomes more and more important as you get closer to the initial cruise altitude. If the airspeed is too slow because of an unrealistic climb rate, the angle of attack will have to increase. This, in turn, will increase drag and slow the aircraft more. In short, you ain't going to make it! It's similar to trying to climb a steep hill in an old VW Beetle.The only way to succeed with these large jets is to continually practice until you get to some level of comfort with them. Then practice some more. Remember, it takes two or more real pilots with tons of training and practice to keep these birds in the air.Good luck with your flight training. Don't be afraid to step down and become competent with the smaller aircraft first. Then gradually work your way up to the heavies.Regards,JerryH