I recently purchased these products and was aghast to discover that neither one uses the default FS2004 GPS or it's own GPS. Can the default GPS or a third party GPS be added to either product?

It can, but, the idea of these sophisticated add-on aircraft is to learn new things. The FMC is how they are navigated not with a GPS designed for a smaller general aviation aircraft. Read the manual and give it a shot. You will never care about the GPS again once you do.

That's a custom autopilot and I don't think you can control the aircraft with a GPS unit. Why not spend a couple of hours and learn the basics of the FMC? The PMDG tutorials contain more than enough information to get you anywhere in the world. Doug

yes - the default MS GPS can be added (fairly easily)no - it cannot control the aircraftyes - all functions of the MS GPS are available (if you do place it into this product), however - the plane will not follow the flightplan in the GPS. That function must be done via the FMC.

I rather suspected that the FMC was why no GPS was included. I guess it won't kill me to give the FMC a try (BG)! Thanks!Scott

Well, I just assumed that since just about every aircraft I've seen for FS2002 and FS2004 had a GPS unit the 737NG would too. It just came as a bit of a surpirse not to find it included with the 737NG. Thanks for the response!Scott

Well, I guess there wouldn't be much point in putting the default MS GPS unit in 737NG since it has the FMC. Dreamfleet's 737-400 incudes a GPS I think (which is part of the reason I assumed the 737NG would as well). Since it can't be used to control the plane I guess it would be a waste of time to add one! Thanks for the response!Scott

Default MS GPS in PMDG 737NG what ever next I've been flying with an FMC since the Dreamfleet's 737-400 for FS2000once you have done a couple of flights it will be easyi dont fly without one

Scott,What I did is to get FS Nav. It allows you to see where you are, just like the GPS, it makes flight plans that you can export to the FMC in the PMDG, and it gives you frequencies, airways, ILS's everything. You can even fly the airplane with it's built in autopilot, although I never use that function. You can try it for ree for 20 flights before you buy it, to see if you like it. www.fsnavigator.com

>It can, but, the idea of these sophisticated add-on aircraft>is to learn new things. The FMC is how they are navigated not>with a GPS designed for a smaller general aviation aircraft. >Read the manual and give it a shot. You will never care about>the GPS again once you do.Historically, in many ways, commercial airliners & even military aircraft have been "behind" general aviation when it comes to navigating. For years, the GA pilot has had more access to added situational awareness than a commercial pilot has had. Where the GA pilot was already getting the "big picture" from a hand-held moving map GPS, the commercial pilot wasn't. Even the new Garmin 1000 glass panels have more sophistication than many 737's would, and the new Boeing 787 mockup resembles a Garmin 1000 much more than the look of present systems.At this moment in time, a friend who is a 737 pilot, is a bit jealous that they don't have Satellite weather like us GA pilots are capable of getting; and just a few years back, a 737 pilot aquaintance was thrilled to get GPS navigation on the new line of 737-800's.The new glass panels for GA, such as the Garmin & Avidyne, have larger screens than most jet airliners, have Satellite weather overlays on the GPS moving map screen, which show weather for hundreds of miles if desired, and switch to a Jeppesen airport diagrams showing exactly where your aicraft is, as soon as you land. This is all thanks to GPS technology.I'm not comparing a GA GPS to full auto-land systems, but rather, what the GPS is capable of, comparing to older commercial systems.L.Adamson

Thanks for the suggestion, Bob! As a matter of fact, I've got FSnavigator. I just haven't got around to actually using it yet. Now that I know I can import data from in directly in the FMC I'll be sure to take a closer look at it!Scott

Scott - FSNavigator flight plans work really well with the 737. But you need a separate module to export the plan to the FMC. Go to the FSNavigator page at www.fsnavigator.com and click the download link. On the download page you'll find the info to download the proper export module for the 737.Doug

yes - the default MS GPS can be added (fairly easily)no - it cannot control the aircraftyes - all functions of the MS GPS are available (if you do place it into this product), however - the plane will not follow the flightplan in the GPS. That function must be done via the FMC.

How can i add the MS GPS to the PMDG 737 NG ?

I rather suspected that the FMC was why no GPS was included. I guess it won't kill me to give the FMC a try (BG)! Thanks!Scott

Hi Scott,A good part of the fun of flight simming for me is in setting up the flight plan and aircraft. So to this end, the FMC adds a lot. If you can have someone coach you through basic configuration of the FMC for a given flight plan, you'd have it down in 10 minutes max. This brief video covers some basics to get you up and off the ground and on your way if you use an existing flight plans:

in your own flight plans is another 10 minute tutorial, using 3rd party software: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAfU6puDF5UAnd a simpler version of this for beginners (or me) is to just use FSX's built in planner, bring up the kneeboard and review and input the waypoints from off the kneeboard. I haven't been using SIDS/STARS, so as I say, this is a simpler compromise for those not quite committed to more complete simulation, and who want a few more minutes of flight time versus setup time.Enjoy!Noel

Hi Scott,A good part of the fun of flight simming for me is in setting up the flight plan and aircraft. So to this end, the FMC adds a lot. If you can have someone coach you through basic configuration of the FMC for a given flight plan, you'd have it down in 10 minutes max. This brief video covers some basics to get you up and off the ground and on your way if you use an existing flight plans:

in your own flight plans is another 10 minute tutorial, using 3rd party software: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAfU6puDF5UAnd a simpler version of this for beginners (or me) is to just use FSX's built in planner, bring up the kneeboard and review and input the waypoints from off the kneeboard. I haven't been using SIDS/STARS, so as I say, this is a simpler compromise for those not quite committed to more complete simulation, and who want a few more minutes of flight time versus setup time.Enjoy!Noel

Considering Scotts post was over 5 years ago, I wonder if he figured out how to use the FMC by now?