PMDG 737NGX - Unlucky for some!

[ianalm 0]

Hi folks

 

I have to laugh really. I must be either the most unluckiest or stupid owner of the PMDG 737 NGX!

 

I have been simming for years. I only fly passenger jets including all the usual suspects (737 747 A319 A320). So I decided to trade up to the realistic PMDG 737 NGX.

 

Having spent hours and hours researching Youtube videos on the NGX in conjunction with the training videos, I still cannot fly the first tutorial flight (EGKK to EHAM). I have tried to set the FMC up a dozen times. Although the information entered seems to be ok there always seems to be a problem with the SUGOL waypoint (and yes I did over copy the right one).

 

The Instructions are very poorly written. They fail to explain how the LNAV and VNAV operates fully and which buttons to press to activate at what point of the take off. On the few occasions where I did manage to get airborne I had no idea what to do next and when. Again this is attributed to the poor instructions provided by PMDG.

 

This aside, my main beef with the 737 NGX is that if you do manage to master this fine software you will be stumped by the "route" programing! At the time of writing (December 2014) I have decided to invest in a copy of PFPX so that (hopefully) I can avoid this messy and long winded requirement. Lets hope that PFPX is easy to use and the instructions actually make sense.

 

On the subject of instructions, I would also like to comment on another recent purchase. I purchased FS2CREW for the 737NGX after a good few hours research (again on Youtube). This has turned out to be another computer programmers nightmare to set up! I am using the "button" option as I don't like speech commands (my wife looks at me like an idiot). Once again the instructions are complex and don't actually explain how you communicate with the FO. If anyone has any idea how to communicate back to the FO in button mode please let me know. Would be handy if he asked the question and you could click an answer button that he would want to hear like "check" "checked" "set" etc.

 

I have also ordered Aerosofts new A318/A319/A320/A321 package which I hope is not as confusing as the PMDG. I know it's going to be complex. Lets hope the instructions have the same functionality as the aircraft simulations.

 

To conclude. I love my flight simming and have a lot of patience when it comes to learning these new complex and realistic aircraft. I just wish that the organisations that create them spent a bit more time with the instructions! After all, we are sim pilots not real world pilots.

 

Happy Christmas folks

 

Ian

 

[Pastaiolo 1,686]

I didn't find your difficulties with the tutorial back then. I would suggest you however to use FS2Crew later on when you are more confident with the plane, otherwise it will be a little confusing.

 

 

As for VNAV and LNAV, you can activate them on the ground. Once airbone after 1500 (or 1800?) feet you turn the autopilot on and that's it.

 

If LNAV doesn't activate, either you messed something up or you need to move your heading closer to the first waypoint then activate again LNAV

[Andrea1 6]

To conclude. I love my flight simming and have a lot of patience when it comes to learning these new complex and realistic aircraft. I just wish that the organisations that create them spent a bit more time with the instructions! After all, we are sim pilots not real world pilots.

 

Hi,

(not criticism here), I don't agree...

to conclude to well pilot your NGX and have a lot of satisfaction you're requested to study and learn that plane LIKE a pro-pilot...and you've a LOT of documets to do it: original FCOM volumes 1 and 2 and the most useful of them: your FCTM . Tutorials are awesome just question to spent the right amount of time in practaising..practaising..practaising..like real one thing..I know that at the beginning learning curve is very steep for this plane but, as in real life, you arrive to this plane after having simflown smaller and easier plane it's not a problem..just study and application..

The big satisfaction is that after having learned and mastered your ngx you can go i.e. on a fixed base trainer B738 Sim (see my pic) or a FFS B738 sim if you're more lucky and you can fly it w/o any problem..(in my case the fixed base trainer I've never tried a FFS) and say "ok it's a piece of cake"...

BTW LNAV/VNAV is not so mysterious they work like NAV and vertical managed mode on Airbus...

Ciao

Andrea B.

[Sbacchini 15]

Hi folks

 

I have to laugh really. I must be either the most unluckiest or stupid owner of the PMDG 737 NGX!

 

I have been simming for years. I only fly passenger jets including all the usual suspects (737 747 A319 A320). So I decided to trade up to the realistic PMDG 737 NGX.

 

Having spent hours and hours researching Youtube videos on the NGX in conjunction with the training videos, I still cannot fly the first tutorial flight (EGKK to EHAM). I have tried to set the FMC up a dozen times. Although the information entered seems to be ok there always seems to be a problem with the SUGOL waypoint (and yes I did over copy the right one).

 

The Instructions are very poorly written. They fail to explain how the LNAV and VNAV operates fully and which buttons to press to activate at what point of the take off. On the few occasions where I did manage to get airborne I had no idea what to do next and when. Again this is attributed to the poor instructions provided by PMDG.

 

This aside, my main beef with the 737 NGX is that if you do manage to master this fine software you will be stumped by the "route" programing! At the time of writing (December 2014) I have decided to invest in a copy of PFPX so that (hopefully) I can avoid this messy and long winded requirement. Lets hope that PFPX is easy to use and the instructions actually make sense.

 

On the subject of instructions, I would also like to comment on another recent purchase. I purchased FS2CREW for the 737NGX after a good few hours research (again on Youtube). This has turned out to be another computer programmers nightmare to set up! I am using the "button" option as I don't like speech commands (my wife looks at me like an idiot). Once again the instructions are complex and don't actually explain how you communicate with the FO. If anyone has any idea how to communicate back to the FO in button mode please let me know. Would be handy if he asked the question and you could click an answer button that he would want to hear like "check" "checked" "set" etc.

 

I have also ordered Aerosofts new A318/A319/A320/A321 package which I hope is not as confusing as the PMDG. I know it's going to be complex. Lets hope the instructions have the same functionality as the aircraft simulations.

 

To conclude. I love my flight simming and have a lot of patience when it comes to learning these new complex and realistic aircraft. I just wish that the organisations that create them spent a bit more time with the instructions! After all, we are sim pilots not real world pilots.

 

Happy Christmas folks

 

Ian

 

I've seen a lot of complaints about PMDG over the years, and I have some myself, but never about the instruction provided with the planes. First of all, you have the Boeing Manuals (FCOMs), where you have absolutely all the details you need about every procedure, flow and situation. It's a long read, but everything you need is there.

 

If you don't want to read them (you really should), PMDG also provides two simplified and complete tutorials, with step by step instruction on operating the plane on a normal flight. I can't see how you can have any difficulty with it, they are clearly written and organized. Just read them carefully, more than one time, before getting on the plane...

 

I think that's it... I feel like Kyle now (perish the tought.. ), but you really need to set aside some studying time if you want to really enjoy these planes...

 

Cheers!

[TheNerd 12]

No offense, but the NGX isn't really all that difficult. I'm not even old enough to have a driver's license and I still figured it out  .

But in all seriousness, it's pretty easy. Once you have your FMC set up (it's pretty much identical to all other Boeings with an FMC), put on the flight directors, engage auto throttle, and line up with the runway. Put the throttles to 40% N1, once their stable, hit the TO/GA switch, and when you're at least 300 feet above, engage LNAV, VNAV, and AP1. Look in the FCOMs if you need any help. They literally have everything you could possibly need... even stuff that's not modeled in the sim such as where to plug in headphones. Don't forget that you also have YouTube! I know it's a steep learning curve, but once you've mastered the NGX, many other planes will come a bit easier to you.

And about the Airbus... IMHO, the FMC (or whatever Airbus calls it) and autopilot in general is a lot more confusing.

 

Just remember, even though it's a simulator, you'll need to set aside a lot of time to master these birds.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I think that's it... I feel like Kyle now (perish the tought.. ), but you really need to set aside some studying time if you want to really enjoy these planes...

 

haha - for your own good, I hope not! 

 

...I do agree with you, though. I was about to post that I was very confused by the comment that the tutorials were not well written, but felt like I'd wait to see if anyone confirmed my thoughts. I recall them all being very explicit about what to do and when, though I don't have them right at the moment to look back at them. I was hoping others would chime in and confirm my thoughts - so thanks.

[Andrea1 6]

Hi Kyle,

Thamks to my NGX training when I went for the first time in that fixed base training B738 I've found that "a piece of cake"...(and certainly passing from a joystick with a few centimetres of travel to a heavier yoke help a lot...)

 

Cheers

 

Andrea Buono

[pete_auau 1,152]

Yea that's what I thought  the 2  tutorials given are  well done  and  the same goes with  the fs2crew  tutorial   havnt seen many complaints on how  they are written up, and iam sure  that if the op would post his issue at the fs2crew forum  Iam sure Byran will surely put him in the right direction.

 

 

There are plenty of other use full links on how to fly the ngx or  set up  the fmc etc   one by Kyle himself think I have seen  one or 2  or the op can get  the AoA  training package

[scandinavian13 5,192]

There are plenty of other use full links on how to fly the ngx or set up the fmc etc one by Kyle himself think I have seen one or 2 or the op can get the AoA training package

If tutorial one is a problem then my bet is my supplementary tutorial won't do any good, especially with my rants and tangents thrown in.

[MarkW 1,490]

I wonder if the route issue is because of a different Airac cycle installed for the NGX than was used in the tutorial?

[stephenbgs 169]

Again this is attributed to the poor instructions provided by PMDG.

 

I can't even begin to imagine the effort Ryan put into providing those instructions.They are certainly not "poor instructions" also PFPX is only going to help with the FMC in a very limited way i.e your main flight path, you're still going to enter your STAR and SID information and make sure it all checks out.

 

Trust me half the fun in any PMDG product is learning from the tutorials and instructions.BTW when you complete tutorial one do it a few more times before moving on to tutorial two.

 

+1 on peter's comments also, there is a wealth of knowledge on kyle's youtube channel  

[thepilot 565]

I'd recommend getting one or two JustPlanes BluRays where they film on 737NGs. They're a great piece of edutainment. Most of the time the pilots will explain the aircraft's systems rather extensively but demonstratively. Plus the programs feature plenty of take-offs and landings, so you get to see how it's really done in real life. I think this is more what you're looking for rather than reading FCOM 1 and 2 with its deep explanations of the aircraft at hand.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

I wonder if the route issue is because of a different Airac cycle installed for the NGX than was used in the tutorial?

 

Perhaps the SUGOL issue, but I'm not sure about the rest.

[MarkW 1,490]

ianalm....I suggest you try it again with another route.  Here is a current route:  CLN L620 REDFA.  See if that works and report back. 

[ianalm 0]

Hi guys and thanks for all your comments :rolleyes:

 

I did finally succeed in flying the EGKK - EHAM tutorial! I had a few mishaps with the RNAV / LNAV but eventually fathomed it out.

 

My copy of PFPX turned up yesterday so I spent some time boring myself to death with Youtube tutorials. Kyle your tutorial was interesting but rather long winded and too in-depth for a novice (no offence chum). I did watch my old mate Frooglesims Video and that was right to the point :mellow: My only concern with PFPX was it only gives you the main route but I had to fill in a g0od few waypoints to the STAR myself which was confusing. I did a route EGKK to EDDF departing runway 26R and arriving 25L at Frankfurt but the route on PFPX ended at UNOKO. I then had to enter waypoints IBVIL > MANUV > RAMOB > ROKIN > CHA > REDGO then finally RW25L using UNOK1G not UNOK1B as per the PFPX flightplan. So either I am missing something here or the flightplan doesnt include final STAR instructions to the point of arrival runway. I have only spent a day on this so excuse my lack of skill here.

 

So far I like PFPX although I suspect that for the majority of simmers would have just liked a simpler version that just planned a route A to B with optional SID and STAR choices. I guess I am saying that my first impression is that its a bit OTT but then I guess you don't have to use all the options.

 

Anyway guys sorry for rambling here and once again feel free to fill me in with your suggestions and learned guidance.

 

Best wishes

 

Ian