Have the 777... how long to learn the Queen?

[ols500 43]

Hi guys,

I have the 777 and am lov'in it. I wondered if the 747 is similar to the 777 (FMS, cockpit layout etc..) Plus is the FPS good on the 747, because the 777 is great!

 

-Many thanks Ollie.

[ols500 43]

thx bro!

[Budbud 227]

Hi,

First the easier: FPS in the Queen are similar to the T7.

System wise, there are many differences between both aircrafts but also so similarities.

For the similarities I would say that the flight management (FMC) and the automatic flight (MCP) are very close. You will not be lost.

Sure you will some differences on the CDUs (no alternate page on the 744 and some slightly different perf pages) but the preflight is done the same way and the route, leg, dep/arr... pages are almost if not identical.

Regarding the systems, the biggest difference is the fuel management. There are more tanks on the 744 than on the T7. On the T7, the only thing you have to do in cruise is to shut down the center pumps. On the 744, you have the center tank, the stab tanks (on the pax version) and the four wing tanks and you have to manage the balance between these tanks so you have more switches to push during the flight.

The hydraulic and air systems are also a bit different. The T7 is more automated than the 744 and is basically "push all the switches to on" during the preflight and leave the automation manage. The 744 is very automated but you have more to do than on the T7.

You will have to learn the procedures of the 744 which are a bit different than the T7 before flying if you don't want to block on basic things.

An example is the engines start up. On the T7, since the bleed air system is entirely automated, you just have to turn the starting knob and pull the fuel lever up. The automation manages the packs. 

On the 744, you have to swith the packs off manually and you will notice that the engines will start to spool up only once you have pulled up the fuel levers where the engines start to spool up even with the fuel lever to cut off on the T7.

Anyway, two different aircrafts but I didn't find it a big step to go from one to the either. I started with the 744 though so I found the T7 simpler to handle since there is more automation.

 

[PaulGR 168]

If you want to just fly I say 15 minutes. All it took me.

Now, if you wan to do it by the book then that depends on how much time you want to give it.

Definitely worth it though.

[Captain Kevin 586]

1 hour ago, Budbud said:

On the 744, you have to swith the packs off manually and you will notice that the engines will start to spool up only once you have pulled up the fuel levers where the engines start to spool up even with the fuel lever to cut off on the T7.

That one's debatable. I don't have the 777, so I can't comment on that (although I would think it's the same principle), but that ultimately depends on the aircraft configuration as far as the 747-400 is concerned. If you have auto-start, it'll do as you say and spool up when you flip the fuel cut-off switches. If you DON'T have auto-start, you'll have to flip the switches at the appropriate N2.

[Budbud 227]

9 minutes ago, Captain Kevin said:

I don't have the 777, so I can't comment on that (although I would think it's the same principle)

On the T7 it makes no difference whether the autostart is on or off, the engines start spooling up as soon as you turn the start knob. 

You are right that on the 744 it depends on whether the aircraft is fitted with autostart. But if it is, then it may confusing when you come from the T7 to see the engines not spooling up until you flip the fuel levers.

[downscc 1,327]

Depends on what you consider acquired knowledge, I guess you can learn the differences between the 777 and 747 to a novice level in short time but the systems are very different and after a year I am still learning a lot every time I dig into a different topic.

The question begs the question 'why do you ask?'

[berts 97]

On 2/4/2018 at 1:44 AM, anthonyg96 said:

Maybe the same time as 777 I learned in about a week 

Blimey, Anthony, you really must be - as you freely admit in your post - a real 777 GEEK 😉😉😉!   Most professional pilots I know take several months - not a week - to qualify onto the B777 or B744 from a different aircraft type and they never stop learning!

As for the B744 Autostart, not all airline operators opted for this feature and it does differ compared to the Autostart on the B777.  One of the pleasures of flying the various PMDG (B744) aircraft is finding subtle differences in the mods and configurations available; especially in the verified liveries.  That's what I call real attention to detail and it could take months to try them all; not to mention learning how to operate the QOTS properly.

Bertie Goddard