PMDG 747-400 question

[trisho0 23]

2 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

There is another alternative to "dumping fuel". He could do what I do, and boot out all of the passengers. I never get a penny from any of them, so out they go!

I can dump fuel from Constellation Connie but not with PMDG 747-400. That's right, passengers are free fare so yes, all out of my Bird (LOL).

Patricio

[jon b 2,047]

2 hours ago, trisho0 said:

But 1 Tonne just for Taxi out?

Oh yes 😄, coming out of JFK on a busy Friday night we used to take 3.5 🙂

[trisho0 23]

1 hour ago, jon b said:

Oh yes 😄, coming out of JFK on a busy Friday night we used to take 3.5 🙂

Wow! 3.5 Tonne just taxi out I am in shock (lol). If you don't mind, are you still an active Pilot 747?

I will prepare a flight plan for the 747-400 SCEL-SAEZ to find how it goes. I am thinking to fly manually until I get 17K ALT before to activate AP. I don't want to hit Los Andes mountains. I will follow your Take-Off lesson, indeed.

Patricio

[jon b 2,047]

6 hours ago, trisho0 said:

If you don't mind, are you still an active Pilot 747?

Sadly no, not since last year when a lot of the world’s passenger 747s got put into early retirement due to the pandemic.

I’m now flying a light twin for a living, the 787 🙂

Edited March 18, 2021 by jon b

[Christopher Low 5,353]

11 hours ago, jon b said:

Oh yes 😄, coming out of JFK on a busy Friday night we used to take 3.5 🙂

You need to stop revving the engines when you are in the queue, Jon

[jon b 2,047]

@Christopher Low

90 minutes of taxi time some evenings. That’s one positive at the moment there are no taxi delays on the way out and no holding on the way in, it’s like someone has moved the traffic slider down to 15% 😂

[F737MAX 5,603]

Such a crazy system having so many aircraft queuing with engines running for that length of time. Even though I'm used to the occasional long-ish wait at LHR, I found it nuts to queue for 90-minute at JFK.
Much prefer the "push and start delayed until..." method of traffic management.
 

13 hours ago, trisho0 said:

I am thinking to fly manually until I get 17K ALT before to activate AP. I don't want to hit Los Andes mountains.

If you plan your flight correctly using SimBrief to determine your fuel, payload and route, and follow the flight director bars/follow the SIDs per the data in your FMC, you shouldn't have any terrain problems.

I like using Navigraph's Charts App (requires subscription) to help plan and fly a route. The FMC in the PMDG 747 will have the SID / STAR data, but a chart helps to describe the climb/descent requirements and altitude restrictions much more comprehensively.
You can find free, although old, charts online like these for SCEL:
http://www.uvairlines.com/admin/resources/SCEL.pdf

And here for some more of South America:
http://www.uvairlines.com/admin/resources/charts-samerica.htm
 

[trisho0 23]

1 hour ago, F737NG said:

If you plan your flight correctly using SimBrief to determine your fuel, payload and route, and follow the flight director bars/follow the SIDs per the data in your FMC, you shouldn't have any terrain problems.
You can find free, although old, charts online like these for SCEL:
http://www.uvairlines.com/admin/resources/SCEL.pdf

And here for some more of South America:
http://www.uvairlines.com/admin/resources/charts-samerica.htm
 

Many thanks for the links.

Patricio

[trisho0 23]

I flew SCEL-SAEZ first plan was terrible:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x93TIBk1Cb3EcycDzzLRdcethM_6BGWL/view?usp=sharing

then, attempted again same flight and I guess is OK:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jkOBFFmaYoEWiKwTV3sFpRzwWHIikPwZ/view?usp=sharing

I wonder why the first flight was awful especially at Approach. I know the plane did take-off after VR, my mistake but then the rest of the journey I don't see the reason of rattle sound and it didn't descend as expected.

Patricio 

Edited March 18, 2021 by trisho0
n/a

[F737MAX 5,603]

2 hours ago, trisho0 said:

I flew SCEL-SAEZ first plan was terrible:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x93TIBk1Cb3EcycDzzLRdcethM_6BGWL/view?usp=sharing

then, attempted again same flight and I guess is OK:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jkOBFFmaYoEWiKwTV3sFpRzwWHIikPwZ/view?usp=sharing

I wonder why the first flight was awful especially at Approach. I know the plane did take-off after VR, my mistake but then the rest of the journey I don't see the reason of rattle sound and it didn't descend as expected.

Patricio, you really should do one of the PMDG tutorial flights. You would enjoy flying the 747 when you have some more basic knowledge of how to operate it.

Go to Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D vX\PMDG\PMDG 747\Flight Manuals and go through each of the tutorial flights in the pdf files.

I'll try to keep this brief, but here are some suggestions to get you started:

• You need to select a SID in the DEP/ARR page in the FMC before pushback. It means you won't have to guess your departure route and climb profile.
• Press the button STD in the middle of the BARO dial when climbing above 18,000 feet to put you at a standard barometer pressure. Press it again and also press button 'B' on your PC keyboard when descending below 18,000 feet to get local barometer pressure. If you add weather to your flight, this is important.
• Aim to have your speed at 250 knots (or slightly less) when at or below 10,000 feet. You should be about 30nm from your destination airport at this point. The descent ratio is approximately 1 mile lateral distance covered for every 300 feet of altitude descended, that's why your T/D point was at ~93nm from SAEZ. The maths is FL280 / 3 = 93.3nm (or 28,000ft / 300ft = 93.3nm).
• No need to select 175 knots when at FL280, that's way too slow. And the landing gear should not be extended until you are about 2,500 feet above the ground.
• You were too far away from the airport for the low altitude. Aim to be at about 2,500ft above the ground at 8nm and at about 180kts. A properly planned flight plan will have extra waypoints with altitudes entered in your FMC.
• Planning the appropriate amount of fuel and payload before engine start-up will help with your approach speed on final. 170+ knots feels like its about 20 kts too fast. A lower gross weight will give you a much more reasonable 150kts VREF speed.

The aircraft descended exactly as it is supposed to in both videos. The green T/D marker on your PFD is the descent point. You did correctly reduce the selected altitude before the T/D to make the aircraft descend exactly as it should. You don't need to change out of VNAV mode when descending (leave speed and descent rate managed by the FMC unless there's a problem with it).

The "rattle sound" is the stick shaker. It means the aircraft is going too slowly for the altitude, pitch and configuration of the aircraft and it is at risk of stalling. Point the nose down, add some power, get the speed to increase whenever you hear that sound.
On the left side of the PFD is the speed tape. At certain speeds and certain flaps and gear configurations, you will see a solid amber line next to the speed numbers. You should avoid flying the aeroplane with the indicated speed in this area. You should never operate the aeroplane at speeds indicated by the red squares.

Here's the best YouTube video I could find showing useful information on flying the PMDG 747 well: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eRJP0ge_Uw (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya-15qKKft0 (part 2)

Once you become more confident in how the 747 flies, you can turn off the autopilot for some of the departure, and again for the approach and landing phases of flight.
It's a lot more enjoyable when you hand fly the aeroplane.

The PMDG tutorial flights will help you a lot.

[trisho0 23]

54 minutes ago, F737NG said:

Patricio, you really should do one of the PMDG tutorial flights. You would enjoy flying the 747 when you have some more basic knowledge of how to operate it.

Go to Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D vX\PMDG\PMDG 747\Flight Manuals and go through each of the tutorial flights in the pdf files.

I'll try to keep this brief, but here are some suggestions to get you started:

• You need to select a SID in the DEP/ARR page in the FMC before pushback. It means you won't have to guess your departure route and climb profile.
• ===>>> I entered info from SimBrief into FMC accordingly only on the 2nd video flight. I think It was very nice flight at night.
•  
• Press the button STD in the middle of the BARO dial when climbing above 18,000 feet to put you at a standard barometer pressure. Press it again and also press button 'B' on your PC keyboard when descending below 18,000 feet to get local barometer pressure. If you add weather to your flight, this is important.
• ===>>> Cool. I will do that to learn about.
•  
• Aim to have your speed at 250 knots (or slightly less) when at or below 10,000 feet. You should be about 30nm from your destination airport at this point. The descent ratio is approximately 1 mile lateral distance covered for every 300 feet of altitude descended, that's why your T/D point was at ~93nm from SAEZ. The maths is FL280 / 3 = 93.3nm (or 28,000ft / 300ft = 93.3nm).
• ===>>> Usually I let the plane flying with the programmed FMC.
•  
• No need to select 175 knots when at FL280, that's way too slow. And the landing gear should not be extended until you are about 2,500 feet above the ground.
• ===>>> I followed FMC to select speed and from FD to arm flaps and gear down. I am not intended to fly manually all the journey. I am not ready for.
•  
• You were too far away from the airport for the low altitude. Aim to be at about 2,500ft above the ground at 8nm and at about 180kts. A properly planned flight plan will have extra waypoints with altitudes entered in your FMC.
• ===>>> I fly with AP activated and let the plane follow the FMC.
•  
• Planning the appropriate amount of fuel and payload before engine start-up will help with your approach speed on final. 170+ knots feels like its about 20 kts too fast. A lower gross weight will give you a much more reasonable 150kts VREF speed.
• ===>>> This Fuel matter is what I want to learn more. So far I learned I enter the fuel amount from SimBrief site.

The aircraft descended exactly as it is supposed to in both videos. The green T/D marker on your PFD is the descent point. You did correctly reduce the selected altitude before the T/D to make the aircraft descend exactly as it should. You don't need to change out of VNAV mode when descending (leave speed and descent rate managed by the FMC unless there's a problem with it).

===>>> That is what I do always, following EICAS the T/D and entering the descending speed. Also, looking at FD for the time to activate flaps and gear.

The "rattle sound" is the stick shaker. It means the aircraft is going too slowly for the altitude, pitch and configuration of the aircraft and it is at risk of stalling. Point the nose down, add some power, get the speed to increase whenever you hear that sound.

===>>> I will have to disengage AP and to increase power to stop "rattle". But I think the "rattle" sound from the video 1 was from too high Rate speed from the sim. It was my mistake I shouldn't set a Rate sim speed over than 8X.

On the left side of the PFD is the speed tape. At certain speeds and certain flaps and gear configurations, you will see a solid amber line next to the speed numbers. You should avoid flying the aeroplane with the indicated speed in this area. You should never operate the aeroplane at speeds indicated by the red squares.

===>>> I will check on that amber line not clear yet.

Here's the best YouTube video I could find showing useful information on flying the PMDG 747 well: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eRJP0ge_Uw (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya-15qKKft0 (part 2)

===>>> I will watch the videos to learn.

Once you become more confident in how the 747 flies, you can turn off the autopilot for some of the departure, and again for the approach and landing phases of flight.
It's a lot more enjoyable when you hand fly the aeroplane.

===>>> This is what I have to practice. I like that flying by hand, no AP. Very interesting.

The PMDG tutorial flights will help you a lot.

===>>> I followed tutorials but definitely I have to go back with manuals. 

I appreciate your efforts to guide me, so much.

I knew the video 1 was terrible but I think I got from the video 2 a better results.

Anyway, I will follow your guidance as I am following guidance from all Pilots from this thread.

Cheers to a all .....

Patricio

[Christopher Low 5,353]

How did you get down to 2000 feet so early? Did you disable VNAV? If you have a complete flightplan on the FMC, then VNAV and LNAV should control the descent all the way down.

On a side note.....slow down when taxiing! I could almost see the wheels on one side getting airborne through some of those corners

Edited March 19, 2021 by Christopher Low

[Samaritano 304]

@jon b do you ever fly to KMIA?

[jon b 2,047]

2 hours ago, Samaritano said:

@jon b do you ever fly to KMIA?

I used to do a lot in the past, I’ll probably be doing so again now I’ve changed fleets.

[trisho0 23]

6 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

How did you get down to 2000 feet so early? Did you disable VNAV? If you have a complete flightplan on the FMC, then VNAV and LNAV should control the descent all the way down.

On a side note.....slow down when taxiing! I could almost see the wheels on one side getting airborne through some of those corners

Please, disregard video 1. I knew taxiing too fast because excited to take-off ASAP, I will correct on it next time. FMC takes care of descending. I never disconnected LNAV and/or VNAV manually.

Patricio