Tutorial: Flight from Sydney to Vancouver

[Richard McDonald Woods 168]

I am pleased to announce a rather different approach to flight simulation videos.

A 6-part B777-300ER tutorial demonstrating a long-haul flight across the Pacific from YSSY to CYVR using the PMDG simulator.

The tutorial is intended to educate, entertain and to provoke informed discussions on this forum by covering flight planning, flight preparation, departure, en route and arrival procedures. It includes planning for and execution of ETOPS and re-dispatch procedures.

I decided to make the captain the centre of all views. So, no views that a real-world captain cannot see.

The tutorial element is supported by voice interactions with both the crew and air traffic control and extensive helpful texts. You can also view the flight plan.

A full list of hardware and software used in the making of the tutorial is included at the end.

Please contribute your comments as posts to this forum.

[Boomer 1,619]

Excellent initiative...cheers brother.

[JLuis 409]

Very nice tutorial. Thanks for your job.

[ashun 8]

Good tutorial. My question is about transponder. I may be wrong but as per my understanding, transponder is switched to xpndr just before parking breaks are released for pushback but it is set to TARA only after getting  clearance to enter active runway for takeoff ( along with strobe lights). 

 

[sedacajr 17]

Very good tutorial. So far, I saw that NAV lights was turned on in pushback. It should be ON always. Beacon lights should be on before pushback.

I suggest to maintain the runway center line on takeoff.

Thanks for the videos. Will analyze them.

Regards,

[Driverab330 74]

12 hours ago, ashun said:

Good tutorial. My question is about transponder. I may be wrong but as per my understanding, transponder is switched to xpndr just before parking breaks are released for pushback but it is set to TARA only after getting  clearance to enter active runway for takeoff ( along with strobe lights). 

 

No hard limit on this. In about 3 years ago, everything stays on TA/RA until FAA publishes a new guideline about the use of TCAS. 

 

nornally what you said is correct. But pilots do switch it on earlier for situational awareness, i.e to ascertain his take off sequence by looking at the number as well as the spacing of arrival traffic. 

 

Or the wheb Taxi To the holding point will be extremely short and/or  busy, so just switch it on to TA/RA to get one thing out of the way. 

[durieux 7]

Great! Thank you for making this!

Marcel

[phastings 1]

Good effort Richard!  Very thorough and detailed so far (I'm part way through no 3).

I've a couple of comments on the departure.  Could the flap raising have been completed earlier?  The actions were taken with the minimum flap speeds well below the IAS on the speed tape.  Also, was there the typical speed restriction of 250KT below 10,000 ft, if so, it looked like you busted it, but the magenta speed in the FMC was over 260KT?

[Captain Kevin 586]

5 hours ago, phastings said:

Also, was there the typical speed restriction of 250KT below 10,000 ft, if so, it looked like you busted it, but the magenta speed in the FMC was over 260KT?

I believe the regulation is 250 knots below 10,000 feet or minimum clean speed, whichever is higher. On a heavy departure like that, you're more than likely going to have a minimum clean speed that's higher than 250 knots. Unless something's changed in the regulations and I wasn't aware of that.

[Richard McDonald Woods 168]

On ‎24‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 3:56 PM, ashun said:

Good tutorial. My question is about transponder. I may be wrong but as per my understanding, transponder is switched to xpndr just before parking breaks are released for pushback but it is set to TARA only after getting  clearance to enter active runway for takeoff ( along with strobe lights). 

 

Hi Ash,

Transponder is not set to xpndr unless the airport requires ASDE-X. I can find no mention of ASDE-X on my 23 February 2017 charts for YSSY, hence the captain announced that it was not to be used for ground operations.

I hope that this helps,

Regards, Richard

 

[Richard McDonald Woods 168]

Hi Peter,

I believe that Kevin's subsequent answer agrees with me, but if you have evidence otherwise I am happy to see it.

Kind regards, Richard

[Driverab330 74]

On 11/25/2017 at 10:54 PM, Captain Kevin said:

I believe the regulation is 250 knots below 10,000 feet or minimum clean speed, whichever is higher. On a heavy departure like that, you're more than likely going to have a minimum clean speed that's higher than 250 knots. Unless something's changed in the regulations and I wasn't aware of that.

High speed is almost always granted for taking off out of Sydney.

 

the 250kts below 10,000ft is not an absolute limit in Asia, Australia and Europe, unlike the USA. The controller has authority to waive it or even request a higher speed to help get people in and out. 

 

My personal speed record of flying into Sydney was 320kts till 6000ft coming from the north on the Boree 6 arrival for runway 34L. 

 

Just wind the speed down to the normal 250kts once the AP mode changes to ALT. 

 

 

[Captain Kevin 586]

4 hours ago, Driverab330 said:

the 250kts below 10,000ft is not an absolute limit in Asia, Australia and Europe, unlike the USA. The controller has authority to waive it or even request a higher speed to help get people in and out. 

Actually, I was talking more so about the United States, as I don't know the regulations elsewhere. I do remember seeing a video on YouTube of a United Airlines Boeing 747-400 taking off out of San Francisco for Hong Kong, and the controller told them speed unrestricted or something along those lines.

[Driverab330 74]

2 hours ago, Captain Kevin said:

Actually, I was talking more so about the United States, as I don't know the regulations elsewhere. I do remember seeing a video on YouTube of a United Airlines Boeing 747-400 taking off out of San Francisco for Hong Kong, and the controller told them speed unrestricted or something along those lines.

For the US, I remember Kyle has a lengthy explaination this strict FAA rule. 

 

You may search the Forum and look for it. 

 

To my understaning in the US, the controller has no authority to waive the 250 / 10000ft, when he says free speed on departure only means one can fly at minimum clean speed above 250 until passing 10,000ft. 

[Richard McDonald Woods 168]

Yes, Chris, you will find both the ground speed (GS) and true airspeed (TAS) at the top-left of the navigation display.