My humble impressions of the 767

[Guest bonjourmoi44]

Well I could not resist the temptation to fly a heavy. I made my maiden voyage today. My first flight was disappointing. The airplane would not climb correctly and it took forever to get to cruise altitude. I did not realize that the config tool did not control the actual fuel in the plane (must be changed in FS itself). Ok, second flight, from Denver to Salt Lake. Perfect. No problems (other than the pause-no sound issue). I know there are other problems that users are having, and thus I look forward to the day of the patch, although I had no problems on my flight. I am sure I may encounter some in the future. I must say, I did feel like I was in a 767, especially with those wing views. Coming into Salt Lake was great. Descending fast from the mountains in a plane like that is quite fun and heart pounding, as one must think fast. I like the complex and realistic style add-ons and I knew this plane would be both. How complex? To let anyone out there know, my only experience with complex add-ons has been the Feelthere CRJ and ERJ. I feel I have a decent understanding of those planes and this is all I needed to begin the process with the 767. My first few times trying to start everything up took hours. Now I can do it in 5 - 10 min max. If you have any experience with these types of add-ons and the FMS systems, then it won't take too long with this plane. Of course if you already have a good understanding of the PMDG 737 or the Wilco 767, then it should take no time at all. If you have no experience with these types of planes, than it will take a little longer, of course. However, the manual is extensive if you choose to read it. Also, there seems to be a good FAQ in the support forum that answered many of my questions (like the pause-sound issue fix to come). They have already posted a bug list (small right now) that is to be fixed Like I said however, these bugs listed did not plague my computer as of yet. Sure it is complex, but not too bad (if I can understand it, anyone can). It is a good complex that makes it fun to try to master. Not too bad on frame rates, but I have not used it with active sky yet and I am sure this scenario will drop my rates to a personal unreasonable limit. I love active sky and I love wing views. I am going to suggest to include a 2d+wing view mode. I never use the VC, but this is the only current option that includes a wing-view. The support seems good, we'll see what happens with my above suggestion. They do seem to treat most with great respect. I thought it was strange to close the support forum, but I bought the plane anyway, so I did not think it was strange enough. I think it was an idea that sounded good on paper and they did not expect the back lash. We'll see what they do to remedy the frustration of potential users with the potential for piracy. See what out weighs the other. The plane flies great. Some sounds are a little off, but it is a patch issue. Does not effect the enjoyably of the aircraft. Handles fine on the ground and I landed without incident my first time (I wonder if the real 767 is so friendly to pilots?). Worth the $40?? Well, I have only my opinion: Yes. But I believe money better spent on ActiveSky. A product that works all the time. However, the 767 PIC can not compete with this, as it is doomed (like all great A/C to become replaced with another great add-on at some point.) Its price is right around the average and I would say one for sure gets the most out of his/her money. But like always, buying it is completely up to you. You will live a long and happy life without out it, but it sure will be more enjoyable with it.

[StamPilot 4]

Cameron, thank you for detailed report. >>The support seems good, we'll see what happens with my above>suggestion. They do seem to treat most with great respect. I>thought it was strange to close the support forum, but I>bought the plane anyway, so I did not think it was strange>enough. I think it was an idea that sounded good on paper and>they did not expect the back lash. We'll see what they do to>remedy the frustration of potential users with the potential>for piracy. See what out weighs the other.>I have been waiting for good MSFS2004 767 for a long time, but now I'm not sure whether to buy it or not. One of the reasons is their closed forum. And what do you mean under "potential for piracy"? What can people steal using support forum? I think it's just a trick for potential customers.

[Guest Boone]

For anyone that reads this and with no disrespect to Cameron, I'd like to add that the only problems I encountered in the beginning were problems of my own making. Because of my - near 2 years - with PMDG's 737 I thought I could just power up and go. Not so. This is an even more complex add on. All the hick ups (minor really) I've encountered thus far have been due to incorrect procedures on my part and corrected by my searching through the manual. LevelD 767 is without doubt the single greatest addon for FS9. I can't understand why anyone - who loves heavies - wouldn't get it, given the track record of the people who created it. (Don't get me wrong I still love my PMDG) Best RegardsBoone,BooneEIDW@hotmail.com"Flying a plane is no different from riding a bicycle. It's just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes."

[ahinterl 1]

I own all of those great add-on airplanes, and the Level-D 767 seamlessly integrates into the row of these famous planes.Admitted, it is complex, but the handling is not so demanding as the RFP 747 or DF 727 because of the fewer switches it has.But I can handle the complexity well, I'm used to fly Aerowinx' PS1 from time to time. And those who are sceptic here: you can always fly all birds by hand, and the FMC is not over-complicated at all. Worth learning how to handle the FMS since for Boeings, there are many common elements between the different series. If you understand one, you probably need much less time understanding any other.A MUST BUY for every serious simmer, there are only so few REALLY GOOD planes around, and this definitely is one without a good collection would be more than only incomplete!Andreas

[Guest vas_yan]

The reasoning behind the closed forum is that they don't want people who have obtained the product illegaly to get any support. After all if a "pirate" faces a problem with the product, chances are a paying customer has also faced it, posted a message in the forum, and, possibly, received an answer. I find this a valid tactic, together with making any Service Packs available to customers only, like others do (e.g. feelthere). One thing I would do, If I were LDS, and wanted to be totally open to people, would be to put a sticky in the open part of the forum with the current list of verified bugs and what they are planning to do about them, but I can see that this may not make commercial sense.Regards,

[Guest]

By closing support forums and downloads to everyone except paying customers pirates have no access to product updates and support.Companies I know people in and/or have worked with get a lot of requests for support from people who aren't customers.Sometimes they're even stupid enough to say something like "I copied XXX from a friend and now it won't work, I demand you help me", often accompanied by thinly veiled threats and swearwords.This takes time and resources away from the company as the forums have to be monitored and all the pirates downloading updates does cost the company money.

[Guest bonjourmoi44]

Thank you all for the responses. However, my last intention was to start another discussion on the closed forum issue. I think this has been done to death. Some disapprove, some don't care. I don't care. I just want people to know that this plane is well done, not too complex for anyone and a fun ride. Let us leave it at that. Thank you.

[Guest jcomm]

Cameron,thank you for your very interesting "review". I would rush buying it after reading your text, but I had already done it a few hours before.Anyway, I reinstalled fs9 just for the sake of LevelD767! Just like you, and after just around 15' testing it (thanks to my previous experience with other add-ons like that *** STILL *** great PMDG737, Wilco's 767, PSS's A340, RFP 2nd Generation, but above all, because of being a looong time PS1 user too) I think exactly like you. I look forward for patches, but I am sure that a team like the one behind this "aircraft" will not let us down.Great your mention of the FeelThere ERJ145 because just after installing fs9 + fs9patch + ActiveSky 2004.5 + ActiveSkyPatch + LevelD767 (Ah! and that mighty FSUIPC of course...) it just came accross my mind that the ERJ145 I see every day from my office window in the colours of Portugalia would be a great addition too. My only doubt is that I never bought anything developed by FeelThere... Can you help me deciding, by making a text about the FeelThere ERJ145 in the same way you wrote this one about the 767?Thx in advance!!!Keep the blue side UP!

[Guest firehawk44]

I have flown several flights now and have never suffered this "pause-no sound" issue. I don't think many other people have had this problem either reading this forum and the forums over at LevelD. What I'm concerned about is whether the patch will mess up my system and enjoyment of this aircraft or not. If it's not affecting everyone, then why patch it? What I would like to see patched is the FMC so that it operates in the same manner as the Flight One's ATR 72-500. One of the neat features of the ATR's FMC is the ability to import the MS flight plan w/o doing it manually. Perhaps the FMC on the 767 is an actual replication of the real 767 FMC and they want to keep it that way but I found this FMC more difficult to handle than those on the ATR or PMDG's 737's.Jim

[Guest bonjourmoi44]

j.c:The Feelthere ERJ is very special to me and I could not write a review like the one on the 767. Just know that the support there is top notch. The plane is top notch. Patches have been issued making the plane a dream to fly. It is nice because unlike the 767, the ERJ is meant to do short hops when we have little time. Check out their forums before you buy and you'll see it is a great place. But once again, this topic does not include the ERJ so I must let it go now.Moving on...First of all I have to let everyone know that my opinion is humble and not always right. For instance, the wing view is included in the 2D model, I just did not check all my options. So my only real problem so far has already been solved, due to the support forums and me smartening up. Jim, the pause no sound issue comes up if you have to switch tasks (e.g., go back to Windows to activate Active Sky, or print something out) and then come back to the game. The sound is gone. The way to get passed this until the patch is issued is in settings, general, unclick the box for pausing on task switch. Again, this was in the forums. I am going to fly some more and some more and some more. BTW, I am going to test Active Sky with the 2D + Wing View. I am sure the FPS will be fine, unlike what I though before. I am very pleased with this.

[brucewtb 247]

That idea for a sticky is an excellent suggestion, perhaps a compromise that will make most people happy. In the mean time what am I to make of the original post and others like it, talk of a patch already - chinese whispers - who knows!Bruceb

[Bob Scott 7,714]

J.C.; Thumbs up on the FeelThere ERJ. It's well done, and so far, the only good Honeywell glass flight deck I've seen for FS.CheersBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300

[Guest jcomm]

Thx Bob!BTW - I lost the link to your precious page... I no longer use any PSS products, but just in case you upload something for the LevelD, ERJ or whatever... Could you remind us of the URL?Thx in advance!Ah! Enjoying LevelD?

[krylite 0]

Well I'm very pleased with the levelD767. The sounds are some of the best I've ever heard. I am also a PMDG 737 and 767PIC owner so I started up the plane without any need to read the manual. The main difference between the 737 and 767 startup that could cause a difficulty I think would be that the 767 requires the IRU's to start up and align before the EADI guage can even work. In the manual it says the real IRUs need several minutes to align while 767PIC and levelD speeds up its align duration to only 2 minutes. It really ranks up there with PMDG737. The only major gripes I had was no virtual cockpit and lack of a SID/STAR preset database! Otherwise it was dream to takeoff land and manuever. Like the feeling of "heaviness" that the PMDG lacks in some aspects especially in taxiing. Photorealistic textures for VCockpit available too.I have the FeelThere CRJ , and while good , I wouldn't rate it as great as the PMDG/levelD addons but I guess I prefer the heavies over the regionals in general. As for the support forum, I thought it was a normal policy. You wouldn't get warranty or tech support for most mundane products without actually buying it first. If you hadn't bought it, there's nothing secret about the forums. Just people reporting bug problems or something while levelD staff respond. Though maybe levelD could have put those private forums to a different site just to make it look better.

[Guest jase439]

No virtual cockpit?? Did you mean virtual cabin? Because there is most definitely a virtual cockpit!!BTW, there is an option which allows for a full 10 minute IRU alignment cycle that is off by default (because most simmers just aren't that patient :) But it is featured.J