Airliners: cold and dark or turn around

[Maxis 1,830]

On a weekend with time to spare.. cold and dark with every test performed.. On a weeknight after work/gym/cycling and im racing the clock to not get yelled at for getting to bed at almost 3 am = turn around and skipping a few tests to boot.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Maxis

[tup61 1,542]

Well, one thing is for sure: I won't be doing the exact same thing every flight! I'll mix things up a little. Just as I always change the order of my flows a little. Otherwise it feels too boring and almost scripted. (Never liked FS2Crew... 😉 Man... doing that entire routine every time the exact same way... 😬 )

[Roy Warren 426]

4 hours ago, tup61 said:

Simply start your flight on the runway and don't pick a gate. You will have to enter some basic stuff into the MCDU but you can skip the startup and taxi etc.

Have tried this numerous times and it doesn't work for me.  The AP won't engage. 

Roy

[tup61 1,542]

15 minutes ago, Roy Warren said:

Have tried this numerous times and it doesn't work for me.  The AP won't engage. 

Roy

Hm... Then you probably missed a few entries in the MCDU. Do you fill in both INIT pages, the PERF page and a (at least basic) flightplan? 

[captain420 3,099]

I only use cold and dark to learn the plane's startup procedure, but after I get it down, I prefer turn around state always. More realistic for me.

[Roy Warren 426]

30 minutes ago, tup61 said:

Hm... Then you probably missed a few entries in the MCDU. Do you fill in both INIT pages, the PERF page and a (at least basic) flightplan? 

Filled everything in.  Will keep trying.  I was more trying to find out if it was possible, so I wouldn't keep trying if not.

Thanks for trying to help me.

Roy

[Bobsk8 12,489]

55 minutes ago, Roy Warren said:

Have tried this numerous times and it doesn't work for me.  The AP won't engage. 

Roy

Watch one of the A 320 Real Pilot tutorials. You have to be missing one of the steps. 

[ShawnG 1,823]

Turn around after the first couple startups with a new plane.  A lot of simmers like to flex about being able to do something that isn’t that hard.  Turnaround is more realistic most of the time.

[OzWhitey 3,353]

It’s a flight sim, so actually flying is good.

If you want to start on the runway for a quick flight, do it.

Sometimes I’m full c&d startup, sometimes I’ll start in the air and practice a tricky landing.

Whilst I think that it’s good to learn how to do a c&d startup, there’s no shame in simulating a less-than-complete flight.

[Stearmandriver 2,205]

This is gonna vary by airline, and within an airline by station.  Often, aircraft in hubs are left powered all night, so even the first flight of the day isn't cold and dark.  But it also happens often enough at some outstations that it really isn't too unusual to find a dark flight deck either. 

It's just not a big deal either way. A cold and dark start usually involves two extra switches on most aircraft: battery and GPU.  

[Roy Warren 426]

43 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

Watch one of the A 320 Real Pilot tutorials. You have to be missing one of the steps. 

Thanks Bobsk8.  I have watched his and all the others, more than once, and I'm sure you are correct.  I am missing something.  I just can't figure what.

I'll keep trying.  I've got this close to something for me that been very difficult, so I'm not quitting now.

Sorry Tup61 for butting in on your thread, but I was running out of ideas.

Roy

[Wakner 14]

2 hours ago, Roy Warren said:

Have tried this numerous times and it doesn't work for me.  The AP won't engage. 

Roy

If you're just intending to do circuits you don't really need the AP ... hand fly it.

[Roy Warren 426]

11 minutes ago, Wakner said:

If you're just intending to do circuits you don't really need the AP ... hand fly it.

Not to be sarcastic, but hand flying a fly by wire airplane just doesn't make any sense to me. Okay for the Cubs and other GA aircraft, but not here.

Besides, I want to learn it all.

Roy

[Wakner 14]

Sure - understood. I guess I took your stated desire to just practice 'take offs and landings' too literally! 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Wakner

[Gazzareth 808]

Generally I'm cold & dark to cold & dark, the exception being when I'm staying up the night before starting nightshift. Then a couple of back to back cargo flights, although I'll normally leave the APU on rather than go to ground power (bad me!)..

 

G