Hey guys, I am away from home this weekend, so I only have Sunday afternoon on the sim. I was wondering what routes you guys like to fly that are short but also popular in real life for the 737. Thanks for the suggestions guys, I really appreciate this helpful community!

Southwest B737 KMCO - KBHM,

About an hour, twice per day.

Some shorter, real-world routes flown by the 737-800:

 

KORD-KMSP

KORD-KDCA

KORD-KLGA

KORD-KPHL

KMIA-KTPA

KLAX-KSFO

Good call, Joe.

That MIA-TPA flight. . . short, and at the right times of day (morning, and early evening) that sea breeze gives a decent crosswind.

Okay guys, those sound like some fun routes to fly. Thanks for the help!

Not to forget the ever-popular KLAX-KLAS and KLAS-KLAX.

PAJN-PASI... just for something different. ;-)

Great idea. I am looking for the most scenic or most dramatic routes.

Try KPHX-KABQ

KPHX-KSLC

KSFO-KPDX

I used to fly FS century in flight (everything default) every night before I had kids. Then free time slipped away, up until about 5 months ago where I found myself with about 3 hours of free time per night after getting the kids in bed. I re-downloaded FSX-SE and I started with a goal to hit every state in the continental US 4 months ago in my free time. I started with the default 737, but picked up the PMDG 737 in Birmingham. A world of difference between the default 737 and the NGX by PMDG. Its been an incredible learning experience that continues every time I set up a flight, not only with the plane itself, but with route planning and such.

Anyway, my favorite leg to this point was right out of the box, KLAX to KLAS. The approach to Vegas was cool flying over the mountains, and the final approach (and following departure) looking at the strip out the cockpit window was memorable. Make sure to fly these routes at night though... they even have fireworks going off on the strip while you're flying by. 

I got lucky going from KLAX to KPHX, and by pure luck was surprised to see inside Sun Devil Stadium on the approach there.. interesting approach.

There are several cities on the east you could depart from to fly some interesting approaches to KDCA. I was looking forward to a final approach from the north (RNAV approach on Runway 19 as you flying down the Potomac avoing some restricted airspace), unfortunately weather on that day had me come in from the south. 

 

If you have dynamic air traffic, figuring out where to fit in on an approach to LaGuardia or JFK was kinda fun (or a nightmare cause default ATC isn't good at all dealing with lots of traffic). 

Charleston West VA (KCRW) was a memorable approach, both for the scenery and crappy weather the night I came in. That particular night was Louisville to Charleston.

 

My sentimental favorite though is anywhere from the midwest to Pittsburgh... particularly KORD - KPIT. Or if you want a really short hop, Cleveland or Detroit to Pittsburgh. In real life I fly back home (Pittsburgh) most often and taking the JESEY.2 28L flys me over my childhood neighborhood. Or take the old 32 runway final (My first job was under the final approach for 32, I used to sit out at night for hours and watch planes line up and come in on that runway). I used to sit for hours right at the airport fence on 32 and watch planes come in so close it seems like you could hit them with a rock. both approaches will swing you around Downtown Pittsburgh too. 

Last night I flew Duluth to Fargo, and had snow showers for the first time this year.

 

 

 

I do quite a few of the SWA routes. I've done HOU to DAL so many times I could be asleep and still make it to the airport.

And DAL to HOU nearly as many times.

HOU to MSY... HOU to LIT... HOU to OKC... HOU to TUL... HOU to MCI... HOU to SAT... HOU to AUS... HOU to BNA...

Hummm... I think this could go on for another week..    :Shame On You:  And I've been doing a good number out west these days too.

And a few international.. I did SWA 943 KHOU to MMMX last night..  I do HOU to HOT in the pseudo BBJ every once in a while.

 

 

 

I do quite a few of the SWA routes. I've done HOU to DAL so many times I could be asleep and still make it to the airport.

And DAL to HOU nearly as many times.

HOU to MSY... HOU to LIT... HOU to OKC... HOU to TUL... HOU to MCI... HOU to SAT... HOU to AUS... HOU to BNA...

Hummm... I think this could go on for another week..    :Shame On You:  And I've been doing a good number out west these days too.

And a few international.. I did SWA 943 KHOU to MMMX last night..  I do HOU to HOT in the pseudo BBJ every once in a while.

What are you using for KHOU airport scenery?

 

I've tried to follow a SWA airframe for a day, the challange is getting the turnaround done as quickly as they do it. For example KMAF-KDAL-KLAS-KRNO, easy to find by just using the 'track inboud' link on the flightaware flight page. A few of those KHOU-KDAL flights start here in KCRP: KCRP-KHOU-KDAL-KLIT etc.

I'm currently over the pond, touring the UK and Ireland.  If you want a really short leg, try EGLL-EGCC (about 20 mins air time).  Of course in real life it's not flown with an NGX, but mainly with A319s, 20s, 21, B757, B767.

 

I flew it with Aerosoft EGLL and UK2000 EGCC, with real weather (Opus), resulting in a fantastic CAT III in low vis into Manchester. :smile:

What are you using for KHOU airport scenery?

 

I've tried to follow a SWA airframe for a day, the challange is getting the turnaround done as quickly as they do it. For example KMAF-KDAL-KLAS-KRNO, easy to find by just using the 'track inboud' link on the flightaware flight page. A few of those KHOU-KDAL flights start here in KCRP: KCRP-KHOU-KDAL-KLIT etc.

 

Pretty much default for KHOU, and actually most of the airports I go to.  I am using a minor freeware HOU scenery, but it is mainly to

set the gates, and I think resolves a taxi-runway hang. But visually not too much different than stock. I had another HOU scenery that

had photo textures, but didn't really like the way it stuck out from the regular textures and don't use it.  I'm using FTX Global and Vector

as far as the overall scenery.

Yep, a good number of the early flights start down south at CRP or HRL. But they juggle things around so often, it's hard to know for sure.

IE: SWA 8 used to start down there. I think HRL at one point, then HOU, DAL, LIT. I actually flew on that flight once in the real world from

HOU-DAL-LIT.

But at the moment, SWA 8 is MSY, HOU, DAL, SAT, and ends at ELP.  Seems a few weeks ago SWA 8 was starting off in the east, like

Atlanta or wherever, and then to HOU. Many flights  go through KDAL, so that's one reason why I go to Dallas so often. I think almost

every real world SWA flight I've been on went through Love Field as a stop.. I once flew on a 200 from LIT to DAL to HOU.. That was SWA 73,

and probably in the mid 80's or so..

I don't really fly the east coast all that much for some reason. But have been doing the west coast some the past few months..

I always fly the real world flights, which I pluck from Flightaware.  But I rarely have enough time to do a whole days sked with the turns.

If you want to be systematic about this, go to this FlightAware URL

 

http://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/B738?;offset=0;order=filed_ete;sort=ASC

 

This gives you a listing of the current B738 flights being flown by the world's airlines at the particular time that you submit this query. The flights are ordered in ascending order of estimated time enroute. Just keep hitting the "Next 20" link at the bottom of the list to see ever longer flights until you find one that fits your available free time, and off you go. If you're looking for a longer experience to test your flight planning skills, you can just click on the heading "Estimated Time Enroute" and the presentation will switch to descending times, i.e., longer flights at the top.

 

Needless to say this works with other aircraft as well. At the moment I write this, FlightAware seems to know about roughly 1100 B738 flights and a similar number of A320 flights. That should keep you busy for a while.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

 

John