Brief feedback after first flight

[vc10man 732]

Have you tried from a cold dark state?

No, I don't do C&Ds like I used to prior to this being made available, as per Bryan's manual for the pax versions.

[Wothan 173]

Why is the FO's FMC turning off?

 

The problem is the SDK does not give us direct control over the ground equipment.

 

So we literally have to press buttons on the FO's FMC (the same way you would) to connect the ground equipment.

 

If the FO's FMC is not on, it won't work.

 

I´m not the one to aks why the FO FMC is turned off after the crew reports "Connected" :-)

 

Just like some other people say - the GPU is reported connected, but isn´t on the PMDG 777.

I don´t get the "Avail" light(s).

 

I use the button version and try to get connected via the Ground Crew panel.

 

 

FinnJ

[Falconfly 61]

Hey Bryan,

 

Just bought it and took it for a spin from OMDB TO VABB. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

 

Just a quick question. The Cfg option States door control and disarm/arm doors. I understand the arming part, via the PA panel. However what doors does it control? The reason I ask this is cause I use gsx. So I need to open and close the doors, so could I command the FO to open the left or right door 2nd or 5th?

 

Another question I have related to this is, the manual states that If I open any door after loading a panel state it would start the Pmdg default flows, but I want to use the fs2crew flows, however with gsx opening the doors would be required . So any tips for that?

 

Thanks.

[DT506 9]

No, I don't do C&Ds like I used to prior to this being made available, as per Bryan's manual for the pax versions.

 

Rick,

 

Fancy giving it a go with cold and dark and see if you find the same as me.

 

Beginning to wonder if this has more to do with how PMDG have coded the FMC and power states rather than FS2Crew. After all Bryan has said FS2Crew only interacts with buttons of the FMC.

[vc10man 732]

Will do, Darren. Was just about to load a Garuda pax flight from Jakarta, but sure, I'll give it a swirl,and report back.

Darren

 

Okay, loaded the FedEx cargo version -300ER at same airport, in Cold & Dark panel state. Switched BATT on. Right and left-clicked on the MENU on both MCDUs/FMCs and got zilch. I then fired up FS2Crew. Asked for the GND to connect the GPU. Then I got the F/O's FMC to light up, and from the FS Actions menu---Ground Connections there, was able to connect the GPU power which was confirmed by the overhead's External Primary & Secondary switches illuminating. Only then, was power available to the busses.

 

Hope this is what you wanted confirming.

 

In all my previous C&D's prior to FS2Crew, I used to go BATT-APU then powered up the busses.

[DT506 9]

Cheers Rick,

 

 

 

Then I got the F/O's FMC to light up, and from the FS Actions menu---Ground Connections there, was able to connect the GPU power which was confirmed by the overhead's External Primary & Secondary switches illuminating.

 

Do you mean FS2Crew connected the GPU or you clicked the buttons yourself.

 

From C&D i can get FS2Crew to open the FMC to the actions menu. But thats where it stops. It wont connect the GPU and goes to the ALTN NAV LEGS page.

 

If there's no way round it then so be it. I'll just have to hit the button myself.Be nice for FS2Crew to do it though.

[vc10man 732]

Hi Darren

 

Sorry, late responding as I was on that FedEx flight from WIII-YPPH. Just landed.

 

Rest assured, that I can confirm, when asking the FS2Crew GND to connect the GPU, monitor it on the F/O's FMC Ground Connections, as it takes a few seconds, and their action is visualised in the F/O's FMC as the Ground Connections as confirmed. There is absolutely no need to touch any of those LSKs on the F/O's FMC. I found it a totally immersive and seamless exchange between the native PMDG Ground Connections interface and the FS2Crew interface. All I had to do was head for the overhead, and sure enough the Primary & Secondary external Power buttons were illuminated green(available).

 

Hope that answers all your questions, problems, etc.

[MarkW 1,493]

Finally had a chance to try it out.  Very well done version of FS2Crew !!!

 

I think the challenge is more that with such an automated aircraft there is not that much to do as Captain with the FO taking care of most of the button pushing.

 

Only question is

CAPT'S BEFORE TAXI FLOW:

         FLIGHT CONTROLS CHECK

 

I thought that the preferred method is to have the display show up on the Captains ND so you are not looking down when checking the controls.  Is this something that can be implemented in a future update?

 

Also, I would be really nice to have an option in the CFG for a 30 minute countdown.  I am sure on some of the shorter 777 flights they are running much shorter setups (examples being CYYZ-CYUL or CYYZ-CYVR for Air Canada).  When I have been on those they seem to get on just minutes before pax and then we are off pretty quickly.  I know you can click the timer but a preset timer is better.

 

Thanks Bryan, outstanding job....again!

[byork 2,259]

 

 

From C&D i can get FS2Crew to open the FMC to the actions menu.

 

If using Cold and Dark, you should connect external power manually if desired in the very beginning.

 

 

I thought that the preferred method is to have the display show up on the Captains ND so you are not looking down when checking the controls.  Is this something that can be implemented in a future update?
 
Also, I would be really nice to have an option in the CFG for a 30 minute countdown.  I am sure on some of the shorter 777 flights they are running much shorter setups (examples being CYYZ-CYUL or CYYZ-CYVR for Air Canada).  When I have been on those they seem to get on just minutes before pax and then we are off pretty quickly.  I know you can click the timer but a preset timer is better.
 
Thanks Bryan, outstanding job....again!

 

Glad you like it!
 

Regarding the flight controls page, do you have a source for that?

 

Shorter time... possible... but you can click down the 55 minutes very quickly using the down button.

[vc10man 732]

 

 

thought that the preferred method is to have the display show up on the Captains ND so you are not looking down when checking the controls. Is this something that can be implemented in a future update?

I like the method used in Aerosoft's Airbus A320/321 & the recently-released A318/319 where the PF actually moves the controls, they are visualised on the ECAM.

[MarkW 1,493]

 

Regarding the flight controls page, do you have a source for that?

 

 

 

I thought this was in the PMDG tutorial but I went back and checked and it  was not there.  I definitely read it somewhere.  I will keep looking.

This is not where I read it originally but here is an copy of the procedure from a Continental 777 manual.  I also read this on a different airline manual I found.

 

 

Sec. 3 Page 64 777

Rev. 11/01/02 #9 Continental Flight Manual

 

Flight Controls...............................................................................CHECKED

Select the FCTL synoptic on the Captains MFD.

Captain will fully displace rudder, control wheel, and control column in

both directions while verifying proper flight control movement on FCTL

synoptic display as depicted in Section 6.9, Flight Controls. When the

control check is complete, the Captain will select the MFD to the ND

position.

Note: Hold the nose wheel steering tiller stationary during rudder check

to prevent nose wheel movement.

[DanM 1]

So Brian just to clarify, once you click off the voice button you can then only fly button only, we can't toggle back-and-forth.  Not to be critical but why is that? I would love to have the benefit of both.  Again thanks for

fantastic program.

[byork 2,259]

 

 

Sec. 3 Page 64 777
Rev. 11/01/02 #9 Continental Flight Manual
 
Flight Controls...............................................................................CHECKED
Select the FCTL synoptic on the Captains MFD.
Captain will fully displace rudder, control wheel, and control column in
both directions while verifying proper flight control movement on FCTL
synoptic display as depicted in Section 6.9, Flight Controls. When the
control check is complete, the Captain will select the MFD to the ND
position.
Note: Hold the nose wheel steering tiller stationary during rudder check
to prevent nose wheel movement.

 

 

That's an interesting way of doing it.

 

I'll consider it for V1.1.

 

 

So Brian just to clarify, once you click off the voice button you can then only fly button only, we can't toggle back-and-forth.  Not to be critical but why is that? I would love to have the benefit of both.  Again thanks for
fantastic program.

 

You shouldn't toggle back and forth because unloading and unloading the voice recognition system all the time in flight won't be good...  you could make FSX crash.

 

If you want to override that 'lock', right click on the "Voice Button".

[DanM 1]

Thank you Bryan for  the answer.,

 

Dan