[12MAY18] First Cockpit Video Preview of the PMDG 747-8

[Michael235 30]

As a cargo pilot I am very excited about the -8 and can't wait to fly her.

[bobrbend 28]

3 hours ago, MarkW said:

Am I the only one having trouble getting excited about the 8?  I have the 400 and love it but the 8 with its very limited list of real world operators (only Lufthansa, Air China and Korean with orders for Cathay in the pax space and then only cargo for the rest.....none of whom have actually taken a delivery btw) is just not doing it for me.  I am sure its great but where will I fly it?  I tend to like to fly either current or history real world routes and operators and none of these would be of interest really....except maybe UPS once they take delivery.  I just can't see myself purchasing this expansion based on its very limited real world use.

Sadly, feel the same.

[Boomer 1,619]

Nope...the 748 will become my main heavy mount and I will make my own routes and magic with it.

[TripSeven 3]

Thanks for taking the time Chris.

[springbok204 5]

That EFB is a thing of beauty.  I am not a current user of the 747-400, so I doubt the 747-8 will interest me, but when that EFB is ported over to the other airplanes, you guys will hear me howl with delight!

[anden145 2,285]

4 hours ago, 30K said:

No there is not. A PDF is a PDF. A content filter would require an analyzing algorithm and so on, which I highly doubt to exist here.

What I think is that there could be a tab like: OFP and here you load a flightplan as PDF. This could then easily exploited as showing own PDFs but as an "OFP" here.

 

*SIGH* I get that. I'm not that stupid.

But the way you describe it, would totally circumvent the whole idea of having the subscription! Of course, it would be more work to get the same results - mostly. Also, Robert has already stated, that they would be no 'free' option, when it comes to viewing charts on the EFB. Unless something's changed in that regards...

[Nighthwk 566]

Given the animation limit was removed (or so I've heard), it'd be nice to see the windows being openable or other miscellaneous animations in the VC. Just a thought, but it'd be nice to have! 

[raflucgr 2]

52 minutes ago, Milton Waddams said:

Given the animation limit was removed (or so I've heard), it'd be nice to see the windows being openable or other miscellaneous animations in the VC. Just a thought, but it'd be nice to have! 

Actually, you cannot open any window in the flightdeck on either the -400 or the -8. If I am not mistaken, there are already some additional animations in the VC compared to previous products. Off the top of my head, the escape hatch and the sun blinds.

 

[Nighthwk 566]

5 minutes ago, raflucgr said:

Actually, you cannot open any window in the flightdeck on either the -400 or the -8. If I am not mistaken, there are already some additional animations in the VC compared to previous products. Off the top of my head, the escape hatch and the sun blinds.

 

Huh, I didn't know that about the windows! I've already played around with the sun blinds and escape hatch before. Thanks for the information!

[Captain Kevin 586]

7 hours ago, MarkW said:

Am I the only one having trouble getting excited about the 8?  I have the 400 and love it but the 8 with its very limited list of real world operators (only Lufthansa, Air China and Korean with orders for Cathay in the pax space and then only cargo for the rest.....none of whom have actually taken a delivery btw) is just not doing it for me.  I am sure its great but where will I fly it?  I tend to like to fly either current or history real world routes and operators and none of these would be of interest really....except maybe UPS once they take delivery.  I just can't see myself purchasing this expansion based on its very limited real world use.

Aside from the fact that UPS already has them (I've seen them before whilst driving past SDF), I guess it ultimately depends on what kind of flying you like to do. Having my own airline in the simulator, I can fly just about anywhere I want with whatever plane I want, so that's one less thing I have to worry about.

[Ephedrin 418]

2 hours ago, Anders Bermann said:

 

Also, Robert has already stated, that they would be no 'free' option, when it comes to viewing charts on the EFB. Unless something's changed in that regards...

This was said almost half a year ago... A lot can change during development and I bet the thing with the built in pdf reader for the manuals came quite a bit after Robert's statement... Technically there shouldn't be any issues in displaying pdf charts. The thing you will miss is all the stuff around it and you will have to manage your files yourself. And if I was in charge of it I wouldn't support any aviation related operational issues coming up by using that outdated and unsupported charts. 

But to be honest: I don't get it anyway. P3D 200$, the 744 135$. the 748 expansion another assumed 60-80$. A computer that can handle all this 1000$. But refusing an annual navigraph subscription for a fractional amount.. A hobby costs money.

[30K 72]

3 hours ago, Anders Bermann said:

 

*SIGH* I get that. I'm not that stupid.

Just a bit eh ;))

 

12 minutes ago, Ephedrin said:

. But refusing an annual navigraph subscription for a fractional amount.. A hobby costs money.

ma man

15 minutes ago, Ephedrin said:

the 748 expansion another assumed 60-80$

Bit overpriced. I think it'll be around 30 like the 737/6. But who knows.

Edited May 13, 2018 by 30K

[squerble 300]

23 hours ago, 30K said:

I do not see a difference between them.

What I think is that you'll then have no features of the charts tab in the efb BUT if I can import a flightplan as a pdf why not a chart in pdf format? There is no difference. 

It'll be most likely "just" a display of the file and no fancy stuff like: Import from FMS and sort to your liking but at the end of the day it's completely the same thing.

 

Henrik, there is a difference. The PDF of the exported plan is parsed and then imported to the sim. It isn't just displayed as you're imagining it is.

 

EDIT: Should probably clarify this is how I strongly imagine it will be. FSL do the same with their A320 and it "imports" the PDF...

Edited May 14, 2018 by squerble

[anden145 2,285]

43 minutes ago, squerble said:

 

Henrik, there is a difference. The PDF of the exported plan is parsed and then imported to the sim. It isn't just displayed as you're imagining it is.

 

EDIT: Should probably clarify this is how I strongly imagine it will be. FSL do the same with their A320 and it "imports" the PDF...

Yep. I think there's some difference in how it handles it.
On the other hand, in the video it's displayed how the PDF manual can be viewed... unless PMDG has specifically designed these manuals to be compatible somehow...

[kevinh 409]

13 hours ago, Ephedrin said:

But to be honest: I don't get it anyway. P3D 200$, the 744 135$. the 748 expansion another assumed 60-80$. A computer that can handle all this 1000$. But refusing an annual navigraph subscription for a fractional amount

All those things are one off costs, the chart subscription is a running cost. I’ve never paid for charts as current airport charts are often freely available. It’s only enroute charts that have to be bought. It’s not a huge amount but it all mounts up especially if you are paying for charts you can get at no charge. I’m not going to take out a subscription just so I can see the chart in the EFB. If it’s possible to display PDF charts then I hope PMDG support that.  If not then I can live without that feature.

I suspect the issue may be organising the charts for selection and display rather than simply displaying them. Getting the charts from a given supply service in a common format would make this much easier to program than importing random PDFs.

I doubt it has anything to do with preventing out of date charts being used, as suggested in another post. Out of date airac data can be used after all.