PMDG Aircraft Experience in Fly!II

[RandallR 444]

Hello Fly!ers!

 

I still use Fly!II more than any of my other sims.  In fact, due to my schedule, I'm just getting around to flying the PMDG 777 & 757 for the first time! I know that seems strange, but I always knew I'd get around to them when the time was right. I'm semi-retired, but as I've started a new business, my flying time is still limited.

 

I've run into some anomalies with both aircraft. I figured some of you might still be flying them. I know that they became very popular - I can't recall that there were a high number of issues, so I'm hoping that my questions might be easily answered. Before I spend time listing the items, I'll wait and see if those of you who put a good deal of time into these aircraft would be willing to respond (or are still around).  :smile:

 

With the unbelievable power of our modern computers, especially the one I use, it runs Fly!II and the other aircraft like a hot knife thru butter.

 

Warm regards to all,

[KenWood 5]

Hi Randall ! It has been too long, once again.

 

I flew with the 757 the other week. About the only issue I have with it in Fly!II is when on autopilot leveled out at chosen FL, it tends to "oscillate" in altitude - pitching up/down with about 120-200 feet rise/drop from set AP flight level. FSBuild does great for FP stuff, unless one really likes to hand input the route (hehehe). Now, I don't do a whole lot of flying the "tubeliners" (Seawind is still my most favorite, as you might well imagine), but shoot a couple questions and I'll see if I have a possible answer for you. Who knows? Maybe Rob himself might pop in and try to answer from memory!   :wink:

 

I won't compare it to say PMDG's FSX 737NGX series, but for a 16 year old sim and what - 15.5 yr old produced aircraft, PMDG's 757/777 for Fly! II still helped to set the benchmarks for all others to live up to, IMHO. 

 

Cheers!

[RandallR 444]

Sorry about the long delay in my response!  I too had problems with the 757 - it "porpoises" continuously. In my case, it porpoises in all modes climb, level, descent, approach. However, the 777 is fantastic. No porpoising - it's smooth as silk and the FMC/flight management system is amazing!

I'll try again with the 757 down the road - I'm going to bypass all VNAV use and go with climb rate, Alt-Hold, etc. to see if the porpoise disappears.

[KenWood 5]

I don't usually have an issue when in VNAV climb - just ALT HOLD. Strange, that. Likewise - no issues with the triple 7 at all. I keep coming back to  Fly! II since all the latest sceneries / liveries are all 4096, and my poor GTX650 cannot handle the 4096mb stuff well at all. Especially when on wireless (due to location of my room versus Modem/Gateway location). Hindlers my VirtAirline flight logging as the wireless cuts off when the computer hits a certain temp (above 77 deg C).  <sigh> 

Now if only we could get someone to update the navaids / runways, etc. and bring her to a more current representation of today's navaids... As that would be very labor intensive, 'tis but a pipe dream...

 

Cheers!
Ken

[RandallR 444]

Hey Ken,

Always good to hear from you!  Something you may be interested in - in the last several years as I've "migrated" into semi-retirement, I've used Fly! to go around the world - literally every part of it.  Wherever I found missing navaids, approaches, runway misalignments, etc. I attempted to fix them up.  The end result is that a lot of the Fly! world has been updated in my system (not 100% but, let's say about 80%).  I didn't add missing airports (except for a few personal ones) and I concentrated on updating items for instrument approaches, mainly.

The end result is a pretty decent world. As I fly the 777 more, I have also worked to correct items in larger international airport environments so that I can effectively use that aircraft.  There are airports I've left alone (just a few), due to the fact that some have marvelously detailed sceneries and taxiways created by Fly! enthusiasts years ago - and adding and/or moving runways and taxiways actually wrecks the sceneries (objects become misaligned, etc.)  However, even with those locations, I've updated them as much as possible (missing approaches, misaligned localizers, improper frequencies, missing navaids, runway numbering, additional waypoints, etc.)

I now have a fairly complete DB update library that can be uploaded to AVSIM some day if you or others might be interested.  It's just that there;s so much of it, it would probably take about a year to catalog it all (and run my business at the same time).

All the best,

Randy

[RandallR 444]

Just thought of one more item -

One of the reasons that the 757 and my system may be so out of whack is my video card.  Modern cards are so much more powerful than when Fly! was developed.  Also, my card is not a "gaming card".  I still have my old beautiful gaming card tucked back on a shelf, but I have to use a very special and extremely powerful graphics card that is required for my work environment.  This card is for my video, audio, multimedia and photographic work and it's fantastic.  But it has issues with some gaming graphics, as it uses a different kind of engine.

Most of my sims run great with it.  The colors aren't as rich and there would be issues with some modern games, but outside of the 757, it works just fine.

Randy

[KenWood 5]

Wow... Most ANY update would only help, Randy. If you feel like ever uploading your DB, am sure what few of us left still using Fly! II would greatly appreciate it.  I myself should package up my KPUJ- Paulding Northwest Atlanta (very basic still) airport and upload it. Since I "broke" my one external drive, I lost some of my Fly! II tools - namely TerraModels. These newer computers - even the CD/DVD drives don't always work with older burned CDs. Would the DB require prepping for DEXimport, or just needs cataloging of what it entails? 

Know the woes with video cards. My GTX650 sometimes has problems "reading" the graphics from the TerraModels file for buildings and will crash the sim. But past that, Fly! II runs and looks fantastic! 

And, apologies for missing this last post. AVSIM should be sending me an email when anyone posts in any of the Fly! forums, but hasn't been. Plus, am down to the final phase of getting the parents' house on the market (i.e. getting it emptied). Hearing that Atlanta is a sellers market at the moment, and hope its true, as only have a couple months of mortgage money left! Ah, well... <grin>.

Hope this finds you well!
Cheers,

Ken

 

[RandallR 444]

Ken,

I'll be happy to upload all the DB Updates eventually - it will just take a while, as I would need to put together a lot of notes to include with the files.  This will probably take a couple of months, due to my business schedule.  The actual DEX files would be ready to install with DEXImport.

Do you need TerraModels?  I can set up a DropBox delivery if you'd like.

[KenWood 5]

Hi Randall,

 

That would be helpful, if it won't be too much trouble, especially as it will be some time before I can afford to try a recovery of the broken external backup drive. Cannot recall precisely, but think TerraScene came with Fly!2K and will check that once I am back to SE Georgia (currently doing finishing preps to get Father's house on the market).

Thank you!
Cheers

Ken

[RandallR 444]

I will eventually add PMDG aircarft to my FSX installation, but as I still run Fly! most of the time it will probably be a while before I experience the 737 NGX.  I can say that my Fly!II PMDG B777 flight manual is 241 pages, so you're probably looking at at least that or more.

PMDG procedures are well-written.  Yes, you won't be able to just turn the key.  Just start at the beginning and go thru each section - it will take time to become proficient but it can be extremely rewarding!

I'm looking forward to flying the new PMDG aircraft later this year - I need to invest in a new video card to do this!

[dbw1 445]

I come by this forum for FLY once in awhile as when it was new i got an awfull lot of enjoyment from fly especially with the PMDG aircraft. Think I bought every aircraft PMDG had for sale.  Really nice to see it is still being used. I'm mainly into P3d these days. Just wanted to say hello. I too am retired as of a couple years ago.

All the best,

Dave