Best, most complete FMC equipped plane for beginner.

[willy647 193]

3 hours ago, paradoxbox said:

As a few others have mentioned, go with the 777 rather than the 737.

 

The 777 is simpler to fly because of all the automation and simplification of systems. It's a bigger plane but easier to learn the systems on a basic level.

The PMDG 777 has no 2D panels, only a VC cockpit.

[bpollock 0]

6 hours ago, willy647 said:

The PMDG 777 has no 2D panels, only a VC cockpit.

That makes my choices pretty easy.  Either the 737 or the CRJ.    2 hour flights are as long as I have attention span for.  The CRJ would be perfect for that, but I assume I can still do a 2 hour flight in a 737 even though it was probably designed for slightly longer flights.  

[Dean33 69]

Have you looked at 717? It's got an FMC but is simpler to use than PMDG.  

[Chock 17,769]

On 9/2/2017 at 2:01 PM, bpollock said:

That makes my choices pretty easy.  Either the 737 or the CRJ.    2 hour flights are as long as I have attention span for.  The CRJ would be perfect for that, but I assume I can still do a 2 hour flight in a 737 even though it was probably designed for slightly longer flights.  

The 737 is pretty much made for a two hour or less flight, that's its bread and butter around Europe, with flights of between about 700-1,000 miles distance being absolutely typical. Originally the 737 was designed to be used pretty much like a bus rather than as something which required constant care and servicing after each flight, operating from numerous small poorly equipped airports without the need to refuel too often. From the outset it was designed to be operated by a crew of two rather than the three or four man crews typical of the period. It was basically the jet version of a DC-3. That's why it had built-in airstairs and was available with a rough strip operation kit. Whilst the 737NG is more sophisticated than the original 1960s-designed original, you do still see 737s taxying up to the gate, dumping off passengers and loading new ones on board and getting under way in 15 minutes or less when used by airlines such as Ryannair and EasyJet, because being budget carriers, those airlines like to operate from less fancy airports where the landing fees are a lot less, and they don't make money when those things are on the ground. That alone should tell you it is quick and easy to set up for a flight.

Even in its more modern NG form, the ethos behind the 737 is still simplicity, which is why it would be a good choice for learning a modern jet, because it certainly has the most intuitive FMC of any airliner, one which can be pretty much learned completely with a couple of tutorial flights in an hour or so. You really can't go wrong with it, it's easy to hand fly and easy to operate with automation; if you can drive that thing, any other airliner you subsequently try out will function in much the same way, so the 737 is a great springboard for learning how modern jets work. That is why it is in real life, the best selling airliner of all time, with almost ten thousand of the things having been produced over a continuous unbroken production period of 51 years. That many airline customers can't be wrong and there really aren't many pilots who don't like the thing either. It absolutely is without a doubt the best jet airliner in the world.

 

[GHarrall 494]

If you like to "fly" the Q400 (when it's v4 ready) is my personal fav. The CRJ is getting better all the time and will be a sure winner when it's matured a little more.

Neither of these aircraft have autothrottle and for that reason alone they are far more interesting to fly IMHO.

It really depends on how hands on you want or like to be.

 

 

 

[bpollock 0]

33 minutes ago, Chock said:

The 737 is pretty much made for a two hour or less flight, that's its bread and butter around Europe, with flights of between about 700-1,000 miles distance being absolutely typical. Originally the 737 was designed to be used pretty much like a bus rather than as something which required constant care and servicing after each flight, operating from numerous small poorly equipped airports without the need to refuel too often. From the outset it was designed to be operated by a crew of two rather than the three or four man crews typical of the period. It was basically the jet version of a DC-3. That's why it had built-in airstairs and was available with a rough strip operation kit. Whilst the 737NG is more sophisticated than the original 1960s-designed original, you do still see 737s taxying up to the gate, dumping off passengers and loading new ones on board and getting under way in 15 minutes or less when used by airlines such as Ryannair and EasyJet, because being budget carriers, those airlines like to operate from less fancy airports where the landing fees are a lot less, and they don't make money when those things are on the ground. That alone should tell you it is quick and easy to set up for a flight.

Even in its more modern NG form, the ethos behind the 737 is still simplicity, which is why it would be a good choice for learning a modern jet, because it certainly has the most intuitive FMC of any airliner, one which can be pretty much learned completely with a couple of tutorial flights in an hour or so. You really can't go wrong with it, it's easy to hand fly and easy to operate with automation; if you can drive that thing, any other airliner you subsequently try out will function in much the same way, so the 737 is a great springboard for learning how modern jets work. That is why it is in real life, the best selling airliner of all time, with almost ten thousand of the things having been produced over a continuous unbroken production period of 51 years. That many airline customers can't be wrong and there really aren't many pilots who don't like the thing either. It absolutely is without a doubt the best jet airliner in the world.

 

Ok.  I'm convinced.  PMDG 737 it is.  

Thanks for everyone's input.  

[mpw8679 428]

1 hour ago, bpollock said:

Ok.  I'm convinced.  PMDG 737 it is.  

Thanks for everyone's input.  

Excellent choice.

[Mikelab6 89]

I agree. Best choice is NGX 737. Great piece of software and you can land it on shorter runways than the 777. You will love it !

Mike