Tutorial #1 - In general, saving settings

[Nick Dobda 24]

I've just scratched the surface on my NGX 737. I ran through the introduciton manual and saw things about saving flights, saving panel states. I am about to dive into tutorial 1.

 

I expect to spend a significant amount of time doing these tutorials over the next few weeks. With 3 young kids and a wife, though, I only have about an hour per night before bed I get to play with this toy. Therefore, I expect to only take out a few pages of the tutorial per night, and will have to save frequently.

 

I would like to pick up right where I left off every night. On the NGX side, will this require me to save the panel state at the end of each night... and re-load the next night? Will this reload everything, including info put into the FMC?

 

On the FSX side, do I simply save the flight as whatever, then load it the next night? So - Ill have to save and load two things every night, the panel, and the flight.. is this correct?

 

Am I missing anything?

Thanks!
Nick Dobda

[pcubine 143]

One save per night should take care of it. Right click on the sky and a menu will appear. Left click on Hide Menu Bar. Across the top of the screen you will see various categories. Left click on Flight then left click on Save. Enter in a name in the box for the flight and left click OK. All settings are saved. You will see 3 files in Flight Simulator X Files under Documents and 3 files in Panel States under the NGX. All the settings are in those six files. The next night from Free Flight select Load. Highlite the flight you want and click Fly Now. And you are back where you left off the previous night.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

A shortcut for the Flight Save feature is the semicolon key ( ; ), by default.

[Jimm 437]

Nick,

 

Thank you for asking this and thank you to Michael and Kyle for the response.  I believe we tend to get so engrossed and pulled in to flight simulation that even the easiest commands and processes elude us for the longest time.  I would have to lump myself in with Nick on this one, where a hectic or busy lifestyle tends to hamper our wishes of being able to engage in long haul flights, so these answers are very handy.

 

I have found that if and when you master the startup sequence of the B737 NGX, your time from ground to air and back to ground will be in line with real life pilots so for us newbies, tutorial #1 can take about an hour and a half total to complete, which is about what it took for me.  YMMV of course.

 

Kyle, how much different is the B777 time compression feature in comparison to the default flight sim time compression?  I know the B777 has it built in but the NGX does not.  Can people get away with using the default Flight sim time compression with it or will the sim crash out?  Just curious.

 

-Jim

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Kyle, how much different is the B777 time compression feature in comparison to the default flight sim time compression?  I know the B777 has it built in but the NGX does not.  Can people get away with using the default Flight sim time compression with it or will the sim crash out?  Just curious.

 

The important part of the 777's compression feature is the ability for it to sense a loss of control (or impending loss of control). It will automatically drop out of time compression (or lower the rate) at any time it sees that it is unable to cope with what it is being asked at that rate. It's not just a way to use compression without going through the menus.

 

There is a better description in the intro manual.

[Jimm 437]

The important part of the 777's compression feature is the ability for it to sense a loss of control (or impending loss of control). It will automatically drop out of time compression (or lower the rate) at any time it sees that it is unable to cope with what it is being asked at that rate. It's not just a way to use compression without going through the menus.

 

There is a better description in the intro manual.

 

The important part of the 777's compression feature is the ability for it to sense a loss of control (or impending loss of control). It will automatically drop out of time compression (or lower the rate) at any time it sees that it is unable to cope with what it is being asked at that rate. It's not just a way to use compression without going through the menus.

 

There is a better description in the intro manual.

*Thumps head*  You are very correct sir.  I DO recall reading that about changes occuring during the flight and the compression being suspended.  So I guess with that said, it isn't recommended to use any type of time compression in the NGX.  She's a delicate aircraft to begin with and I think imposing that sort of performance will cause the sim to crash out.

 

Thanks,

 

-Jim

[Nick Dobda 24]

I have found that if and when you master the startup sequence of the B737 NGX, your time from ground to air and back to ground will be in line with real life pilots so for us newbies, tutorial #1 can take about an hour and a half total to complete, which is about what it took for me.  YMMV of course.

 

-Jim

 

That's funny.. was able to play for 25 mins last night on Tutorial#1. I "prepped" for about a half hour before I left work last night too. It's turned me onto a tangent, I'm wanting to research more about SID's & STARS. I'll surely review the steps of last night again too today, so at this pace it should take me about a month to complete this first Tutorial. I guess I'm in no hurry, though, and I'm having lots of fun doing it.

 

I did get a message "NAV DATA OUT OF DATE" on the IDENT page, so I'll have to figure that one out on the internet today too.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I did get a message "NAV DATA OUT OF DATE" on the IDENT page, so I'll have to figure that one out on the internet today too.

 

Just means the nav database for your aircraft is out of date. As long as you're not trying to use current real world routes with the database, you can safely ignore the message. In order to update the data, it requires a subscription to a service like Navigraph, or Nav Data Pro.

[Nick Dobda 24]

Just means the nav database for your aircraft is out of date. As long as you're not trying to use current real world routes with the database, you can safely ignore the message. In order to update the data, it requires a subscription to a service like Navigraph, or Nav Data Pro.

Thank you. I don't plan on updating...

 

But at some point I'll end up back at AirNav looking up real world SIDs a& STARs, exclusively in the continental US - whats the likelihood of coming across a change big enough to be noticed?

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Thank you. I don't plan on updating...

 

But at some point I'll end up back at AirNav looking up real world SIDs a& STARs, exclusively in the continental US - whats the likelihood of coming across a change big enough to be noticed?

 

If you're using the data that came with it? Pretty likely. In between release and now, the FAA has gone implemented a ton of "metroplex" stuff, so if you're flying into an area with a lot of airports (DC, Chitown, DFW, etc), you'll likely find a ton of SIDs/STARs that did not exist back then.

 

Around DC, most of the original SIDs and STARs are there, but some have been some that have been dropped, but a ton have been added.

 

Using IAD as an example (all off of memory here, since the NGX data is 2010 data, I think):

 

Added

Removed

Redesigned

Unchanged

 

SIDS:

• BULRN ONE (RNAV)
• BUNZZ THREE (RNAV) (unsure if this one is in the 2010 data - it came out around then)
• CAPITAL NINE
• JCOBY ONE (RNAV)
• JERES ONE (RNAV)
• MCRAY ONE (RNAV)
• RIGNZ ONE (RNAV)
• RNLDI FOUR (RNAV) (unsure if this one is in the 2010 data - it came out around then)

STARS:

• BARIN ONE
• CAVLR TWO (RNAV) (booooooooooooooooooooooooo - go Hokies!)
• COATT FOUR
• DELRO TWO
• DOCCS TWO
• FSTER ONE
• GIBBZ TWO
• GRAVZ TWO
• HYPER FIVE (extensive re-design)
• LEGGO TWO
• PHILIPSBURG TWO
• PRTZL THREE (RNAV)
• SELINSGROVE THREE
• WIGOL ONE (RNAV)

[Jimm 437]

 

If you're using the data that came with it? Pretty likely. In between release and now, the FAA has gone implemented a ton of "metroplex" stuff, so if you're flying into an area with a lot of airports (DC, Chitown, DFW, etc), you'll likely find a ton of SIDs/STARs that did not exist back then.

 

Around DC, most of the original SIDs and STARs are there, but some have been some that have been dropped, but a ton have been added.

 

Using IAD as an example (all off of memory here, since the NGX data is 2010 data, I think):

 

Added

Removed

Redesigned

Unchanged

 

SIDS:

• BULRN ONE (RNAV)
• BUNZZ THREE (RNAV) (unsure if this one is in the 2010 data - it came out around then)
• CAPITAL NINE
• JCOBY ONE (RNAV)
• JERES ONE (RNAV)
• MCRAY ONE (RNAV)
• RIGNZ ONE (RNAV)
• RNLDI FOUR (RNAV) (unsure if this one is in the 2010 data - it came out around then)

STARS:

• BARIN ONE
• CAVLR TWO (RNAV) (booooooooooooooooooooooooo - go Hokies!)
• COATT FOUR
• DELRO TWO
• DOCCS TWO
• FSTER ONE
• GIBBZ TWO
• GRAVZ TWO
• HYPER FIVE (extensive re-design)
• LEGGO TWO
• PHILIPSBURG TWO
• PRTZL THREE (RNAV)
• SELINSGROVE THREE
• WIGOL ONE (RNAV)

 

That's a lot committed to memory...do you remember what you had for dinner last Tuesday?

 

-Jim

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

That's a lot committed to memory...do you remember what you had for dinner last Tuesday?

 

Yeah - Famous Dave's BBQ.

 

It's amazing what my mind will hold and what it will discard. Dinner last week? Totally. Various people's names I met 30 seconds ago? NOPE!

[Nick Dobda 24]

 

 

If you're using the data that came with it? Pretty likely.

 

Impressive memory! Ok, the next question would be... Is there a goto place to view SIDs & STARs that were valid at the time the data that came with the base 737 was up tp date?

[Budbud 227]

Hi Kyle,

 

A bit off topic but as we speak about SID and STAR I jumped on the occasion in that thread instead of opening a new one.

 

What is the purpose in USA to have several SID/STAR very similar at some airports?

 

Here are some examples:

 

STAR at KIAH:

 

SKNRD4 / GESNR 1 (/ DOOBI 2), They all start at the same points and have quite similar paths.

 

SID at KJFK:

 

BETTE3 / GREKI3 / HAPIE3 / MERIT3 and JFK1 > The initial departure is exactly the same.

 

There are many other examples at other airports and it makes confusing the choice of SID / STAR for planning, doesn't it?

How do decide on which one to choose? For now I'm flying to KIAH and arrive at the AEX VOR which let me the choice between the three STARs quoted above...

Thanks.

 

(Note I'm not really requesting a specifc advice on IAH but more generally speaking, if there is a way to discriminate between the SID/STARS)

[Nick Dobda 24]

 

 

What is the purpose in USA to have several SID/STAR very similar at some airports?

 

Good question, I'll look forward to the answers too.