Hello!!! 

 

I´m a big fan of the PMDG T7. Usually i´m starting this bird from cold and dark, but i red that no pilot will ever see a T7 in a Cold and Dark State, is this true? I red that aircraft mechanics checking the aircraft before every flight and they conecting the GPU, starting the battery and electrics. Hmm... i´m a little bit confused but it´s logical, i think. 

 

Can you tell me which panel state should i use to get the most real experience? Please tell me which systems are already on if the flightcrew enter the cockpit (GPU  - ON, Battery - ON....). 

 

Thank  you, 

 

maukro_1990

It depends how long the plan has been sitting for or how long the turn around time is.  The long and short states. I can't provide much information beyond that. 

It depends how long the plan has been sitting for or how long the turn around time is.  The long and short states. I can't provide much information beyond that. 

Ah, ok!!! So you say the long haul and short haul panel states are the most realistic/ common ones? What is the difference between both? 

Everytime i thought that pilots turn the battery on^^. 

I know for AC, they're usually in the "short" state, but with the APU off, if the turnaround is a couple of hours, but in the "long" state if it's longer than that.  If they're parked off a gate, they'll usually just turn everything off - the T7 is quite fast to start.  I read that Fedex planes are often cold and dark.  Rule of thumb is that if you start your flight at a gate, it'll be usually powered.

I always create my own saved flights/panels at a gate with door L2 open, on ground air and electrical, low fuel and no payload, nav lights on, cabin emer lights off, hydraulics and fuel pumps off and everything else pretty much as I would leave the cockpit after arrival. The logic is that the multi-million dollar machine is only going to sit at the gate long enough to unload, clean up and stock up with catering then load for the next trip. I enter the cockpit about 20-30 min before pushback. I have fun with it.

In real world operations, airlines try to keep their planes continually on the move, and generating revenue, so it is not common for them to be powered down during the course of a typical day.

 

One exception would be an incoming flight that is the final flight of the day for a particular airline at a specific airport- typically one that arrives late in the evening. These remain parked at the ramp overnight, often scheduled to be one of the airline's first outbound flights the following. These are usually powered completely down - though sometimes, during the winter months in cold northern airports, the aircraft may be left running on ground power to keep avionics from becoming cold-soaked, and (especially) to prevent lavatory and galley potable water storage tanks and supply lines from freezing up.

Talked to a Delta A330 captain about this a few years ago. dgraham and max are dead on to add to this, flight engineers board and have systems up and on ground power before the crew board. The idea being if there is an issue with the aircraft, they want to know sooner so they can try to fix it or swap it out as soon as possible. If you wait for passengers to board then find out there is an issue, airlines have to pay gate fees and not to mention the butterfly effect do to the delay. So a stitch in time saves nine.

 

I use short start during all flights except for early morning flights in which I use the long sequence to what dgraham and max are simulating.

Thank you all for your replies. Can someone tell me the difference between the short and the long start panel state? I thought that the only difference is the fuel value. So most of the time i should use the short panel state? I think that i'm gonna use cold and dark only on very early flights.

Short state works well for convenience and just enough immersion.

If you are really looking for immersion, do not forget about the "ground operations" options (selected from the CDU).  When you finish your flight and shut down the aircraft, save a panel state and flight from whatever state you choose to leave the plane in at the gate.  Then for your next flight load the flight and panel state, and then select short of long turn from Ground Operations, enter your flight plan fuel, and let the ground crew get started uploading gas.  In the mean time, check the weather, set your payload, program the FMC, and run your initial preflight.  If there is time left over, take a break and go make yourself a cup a joe, check your email, or make a phone call.  When you come back, check if the crew has shut the doors yet, and soon you should be ready to run the before start checklist and get going.  I find this really adds to making a flight feel more real.

 

Andrew Jones

Ok...thank you! Usually i´m starting at a gate, so ground power has to be conected and electrics has to be on etc, right? Very interesting. I just love starting from cold and dark but it seems to be unrealistic because no airline pilot will ever enter a cold and dark cockpit, right? Beeing an aircraft mechanic must be very cool, because they´re able to start these awesome airplanes from cold and dark and they make the first cockpit preperations etc. AWESOME

Might as well get rid of the APU then.

 

Either start the APU 5 minutes before engine start or do an external air start (ie. without the APU).

 

 

Very interesting. I just love starting from cold and dark but it seems to be unrealistic because no airline pilot will ever enter a cold and dark cockpit, right?

 

Freight pilots at outstations usually don't have much ground support to that degree, so they do it often.

 

As far as the differences between long and short, they're pretty obvious if you simply try them...

... Being an aircraft mechanic must be very cool, because they´re able to start these awesome airplanes from cold and dark and they make the first cockpit preparations etc. AWESOME

 Cough cough - Flight Operations Engineers with MS degrees in some cases :mad: not mechanics. Most of which make more than pilots.

 

 

Flight Operations Engineers with MS degrees in some cases not mechanics

 

I'm not a flight operation engineer, I'm just a lowly bag smasher who has to start APU's and breakride airplanes from remote parking to the gate every morning. Not as difficult as some would make you think. Airbuses are especially easy. EMB-170/175/190's not so much.