V speeds and altitude text

[ofentress 0]

I've been flying the 777 ever since the 200 came out with no problems.  A couple of days ago, I decided to go back to the 737 NGX for a couple of flights.  What I found was that no matter what flight plans (Flight Sim Commander) I used or re did, I'm not able to show the altitude read outs (in the legs area) and the FMC continually says "V speeds  not available".

 

My first guess was that I'd forgotten something I needed but darned if I can find what that might be. It's tough getting old!

 

I'm hoping that someone has had this problem and could help me get a complete flight plan into the FMC.

 

Jack Fentress

[KriVa 307]

Are you waiting until the IRSs have aligned completely? That's my first thought...

[rsvit 16]

Have you executed PERF INIT entries?

[kevinh 409]

Have you executed PERF INIT entries?

This will get you the altitudes. You will also need to select a departure runway to get V speeds.

 

To get a descent point and descent altitudes you will need to choose a STAR for arrival or choose an arrival runway.

[MaDDogz 242]

departure runway selected?

[rsvit 16]

To get a descent point and descent altitudes you will need to choose a STAR for arrival or choose an arrival runway.

Right, I forgot to mension other things, but NGX knoweledge database shows that the most popular cause of not getting V speeds is not executing the PERF INIT.

 

Actually if STAR, trans and approach are not entered, NGX will calculate descend path assuming the direct route between the last waypoint of the route and the airport. So if the last leg waypoint is close enough to destination you'll get approximate T/D and altitudes for waypoints after that.

[kevinh 409]

Right, I forgot to mension other things, but NGX knoweledge database shows that the most popular cause of not getting V speeds is not executing the PERF INIT.

No need to be defensive. I acknowledged your advice was correct but thought it worth mentioning other possibilities. If you rule out things on the basis that they aren't the most common cause you won't fix every occurrence.

[ofentress 0]

Thanks to all of you who responded.

 

Here's what's selected:

 

IRS is aligned, perf entries done and executed, departure and ariival runways selected with sids and stars as necessary.

 

Still no v speeds but altitudes were there on legs page.

 

Next, a used a 777-200 using the same flight plan, same airports etc.  Everything was normal.

 

Then used a different flight plan and different livery with the 737NGX. V speeds showed up but only altitudes after the star area showed up in the legs page.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if something has gone bad within the 737 data and needs a delete and re-installation of the aircraft.

 

Jack

[kevinh 409]

Jack,

 

I don't have access to my FSX PC at present to check but you can switch off v speed prompts in the CDU. The takeoff page has a toggle input to disable the prompts and there may also be an option in the PMDG aircraft options settings too. It may have got disabled inadvertently.

[ofentress 0]

Well, I decided to try again. Still no V speeds but partial altitudes in the legs area.  I decided to "fake" the v speeds and off I went.  About five minutes into the flight, all of the altitudes "popped up" in the legs area and I had an uneventful rest of the flight to a perfect autoland.

 

Just for the record, the flight was from Regina,Saskatchewan to Calgary, Alberta. Is it possible that the Regina airport runways could be the culprit? Could a livery (as far fetched as that sounds)?

 

Earlier, as a test I used a flight plan from Calgary to Seattle and everything worked perfectly.

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

Jack

[TonyPitzicatta 2]

Check in the pmdg setup what kind of weight measure you have active. KG or lbs. Had a similar problem because i gave the FMC a way to high weight information.

[ofentress 0]

Tony..........

Mostly because of my age, I use pounds and other Imperial measurements and have those checked off.

The metric measurements, to me, have no relevance in my life.  A few years ago, it was tried in the U.S., but after a couple of years, the Government gave up trying to force the issue and we are where we are.

 

Please, those of you who are metric crusaders, don't use this as a new front.

 

Jack

[TonyPitzicatta 2]

@ ofentress

 

i was just trying to help, because i had a similar problem. i wasn't saying anything about what you should use. I was just pointing out that the pmdg 737 can handle both and if you have kg's active and enter your grossweight in lbs (e.g. 164000) the 737 thinks it's weight is 164000 kg.

 

and fyi: i'm using lbs

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Please, those of you who are metric crusaders, don't use this as a new front.

 

Jack - if you're coming to people for help, you should be a little more careful with how you respond to them.  I know that probably sounds rich coming from me, but I don't often ask for help.  When I do, I usually make it a point to be very nice to those responding, and ensure I take their responses into proper account because they are quite literally volunteering time out of their day to help me out.

 

Tony's suggestion is actually a very good one.  The different liveries use different weight values by default.  Sure, if I fly a UAL livery, it'll be in pounds, but if I switch to some other airline that uses KGs, the plane will load up with KGs selected by default.  If I then enter my weights all in pounds, then the plane thinks it weighs just about two times what it should weigh.  This will definitely lead to the plane both not being able to give you good v-speed (or v-speeds at all) along with some other odd behaviors.

 

Since you were flying up in Canada, and I believe at least some of the airlines up there use KGs (Westjet?), this could have actually been an issue.

 

I've found that users have run into this issue rather often, honestly, so your response to Tony isn't very well founded.

 

 

 

From the sound of all of your descriptions, it really sounds like you're entering something incorrectly, or not fully setting everything up on the PERF INIT page.

[ofentress 0]

Tony/Kyle......

I'm sorry if anyone took offense.  That was meant to be just a "tongue in cheek" remark. Nothing more. I should have added an (lol) after that sentence.

 

Tony, I really do appreciate your offer of help.

 

Jack

Kyle...........

That an interesting bit of news.  I've been flying in Canada fairly frequently for years and never had that problem pop up. It's possible that when it didn't I hadn't converted to the Imperial system.

 

I'll give that a try.

 

Jack