PMDG 737-800 - two questions

[SquadronLeader 61]

Hi,

Question 1: I seem unable to select the option on the MFD to display my flight controls (to check before takeoff) - I am sure that I use to push the SYS button - but this is no longer giving me the option - am I missing something?.

Question 2: I have the latest update for the 737-800 with the UFT. I have planned a route with Simbrief and downloaded the flight plan and weather file to their respective folders in the PMDG work folder. Spawn the aircraft in cold and dark, obtain power and start to set up the aircraft for the flight. Flightplan loads fine.

I then go to the Legs page of the CDU, select RTE data and there is an option for winds request. I select this and the 'winds request' option is highlighted. After a short while I am presented with an option to load the winds, which I select and then execute. The 'winds' do not appear in the CDU under the wind column. 

What do I need to check or do to make this function correctly?

[El Diablito 330]

17 minutes ago, SquadronLeader said:

I then go to the Legs page of the CDU, select RTE data and there is an option for winds request. I select this and the 'winds request' option is highlighted. After a short while I am presented with an option to load the winds, which I select and then execute. The 'winds' do not appear in the CDU under the wind column. 

They did not appear for me in the column either but because it had given me the option to "load" I just assumed they went into the system somewhere. Later on during the flight I noticed the whole column was populated and I was just missing the descent/approach winds, which you add during your approach prep.

I've never noticed the Flight Controls screen since day one if I'm honest, I just assumed the Boeing worked differently to the Airbus, unless it's something I'm missing too?

[ailchim 216]

The American agency that publish weather data has recently moved their files to a new web page and I believe internally restructured some of the data itself.  That's messed up quite a few flight sim tools which draw on those files.  I have to say I haven't used the 737 lately, although now the EFB is included I've dusted it off!  It may be that El Diablito is right but if there is a continuing problem, I'd have a look at the PMDG website and see if they report problems with the source data.  The data is still available but access to it has to be reset. 

[ianb2469 55]

The controls on the sys page are an option in the FMC (possibly under display options). Not all carriers have that option, but it’s definitely in there. 

[SquadronLeader 61]

9 minutes ago, ianb2469 said:

The controls on the sys page are an option in the FMC (possibly under display options). Not all carriers have that option, but it’s definitely in there. 

many thanks - I will go and take a look

[threexgreen 3,156]

The flight controls display is a Boeing customer option and can be disabled or enabled, depending on the airline's preference. It's in the FMC display equipment menu, last page IIRC.

The winds are downloaded from Simbrief wih or without the EFB. You don't need the downloader anymore, but if you use it check the correct folder has been set. On a short flight with no waypoint in between T/C and T/D there aren't going to be any winds for cruise. It also doesn't load winds for climb and descent waypoints, so depending on the route the first page or so can be blank WRT winds.

Descent winds (as well as STAR and expected approach) are typically loaded during preflight btw to have an accurate fuel estimate and descent plan throughout the flight.

[El Diablito 330]

9 minutes ago, threegreen said:

Descent winds (as well as STAR and expected approach) are typically loaded during preflight btw to have an accurate fuel estimate and descent plan throughout the flight.

Interesting. I watched a tutorial with a real world Ryanair pilot and he showed as part of their descent prep that they requested the winds just before setting their descent altitiude. They also added the latest QNH at the arrival airport at this point. Makes more sense as the weather may have changed since you were sitting on the ground. Is adding descent winds during pre-flight SOP for all airlines or company specific?

[Fiorentoni 4,376]

5 minutes ago, El Diablito said:

Interesting. I watched a tutorial with a real world Ryanair pilot and he showed as part of their descent prep that they requested the winds just before setting their descent altitiude. They also added the latest QNH at the arrival airport at this point. Makes more sense as the weather may have changed since you were sitting on the ground. Is adding descent winds during pre-flight SOP for all airlines or company specific?

I think it depends on the route, i.e. long flight or short flight. You definitely update them (and the QNH) prior to the descent to have a correct TOD and descent path. It might make sense to already load them once during pre-flight if your cruise is only like 10 minutes long or for any other reason you want to see where your TOD is probably going to be.
As for Ryanair most routes are at least 2 hours block time or longer, so there‘s really no need to think about descent winds during pre-flight.

[El Diablito 330]

1 hour ago, Fiorentoni said:

As for Ryanair most routes are at least 2 hours block time or longer, so there‘s really no need to think about descent winds during pre-flight.

Makes sense, so why is it part of SOP for Ryanair then?

I might start entering them during pre-flight as part of my own procedures from now on anyway, seems I might be in the minority but I like the idea of adding to my pre-flight workload by pushing lots of buttons in the cockpit, rather than having some app do it for me, increases the realism.

[MDFlier 2,031]

3 hours ago, SquadronLeader said:

Hi,

Question 1: I seem unable to select the option on the MFD to display my flight controls (to check before takeoff) - I am sure that I use to push the SYS button - but this is no longer giving me the option - am I missing something?.

Question 2: I have the latest update for the 737-800 with the UFT. I have planned a route with Simbrief and downloaded the flight plan and weather file to their respective folders in the PMDG work folder. Spawn the aircraft in cold and dark, obtain power and start to set up the aircraft for the flight. Flightplan loads fine.

I then go to the Legs page of the CDU, select RTE data and there is an option for winds request. I select this and the 'winds request' option is highlighted. After a short while I am presented with an option to load the winds, which I select and then execute. The 'winds' do not appear in the CDU under the wind column. 

What do I need to check or do to make this function correctly?

For #2. I believe that you need to complete the PERF INIT page before you request the wind information. You set cruise altitude on the PERF INIT page and I think that is required to be filled in before you can get the wind data. As a personal rule, I import the flight plan, do PERF INIT, then do the DEP / ARR page, and then I request the wind information.

[threexgreen 3,156]

2 hours ago, Fiorentoni said:

As for Ryanair most routes are at least 2 hours block time or longer, so there‘s really no need to think about descent winds during pre-flight.

I disagree here. It may be different per SOP/airline what's recommended or required but you generally want to complete as much as possible during preflight, including the entire FMC setup (with the exception of some items like landing Vref). Without descent winds there isn't going to be an accurate descent calculation and no accurate fuel estimate for the destination which is a critical value that's observed throughout the flight. Especially in strong winds on descent, but generally in all cases you want to have an accurate path and predicted fuel value from the start to check against the OFP, even during preflight. A big discrepancy would indicate wrong data in the FMC, which can't be checked if the projection is off anyway due to missing winds. That's SOP at least at one airline I know of. Before descent the winds may be updated if necessary as there is new data every 6 hours from 0000Z, so if one of those time points has been passed it makes to update the winds.

Edited November 1, 2023 by threegreen

[MDFlier 2,031]

2 hours ago, El Diablito said:

Interesting. I watched a tutorial with a real world Ryanair pilot and he showed as part of their descent prep that they requested the winds just before setting their descent altitiude. They also added the latest QNH at the arrival airport at this point. Makes more sense as the weather may have changed since you were sitting on the ground. Is adding descent winds during pre-flight SOP for all airlines or company specific?

If you do a long flight, you can go into Simbrief and edit your flight before you reach ToD to update the wind data. Switch to Simbrief and edit your current flight. Change the time of your flight to sometime current (it usually asks if you want to use the current time so just click yes) and then hit the generate button. Back in the airplane, request the winds again, and you'll get the current wind data for your descent.

[El Diablito 330]

20 minutes ago, MDFlier said:

If you do a long flight, you can go into Simbrief and edit your flight before you reach ToD to update the wind data. Switch to Simbrief and edit your current flight. Change the time of your flight to sometime current (it usually asks if you want to use the current time so just click yes) and then hit the generate button. Back in the airplane, request the winds again, and you'll get the current wind data for your descent.

So does this mean if I'm doing a 2 or 3hr flight that when I request the winds as normal (about 40nm from ToD) I'm not getting the latest winds but the winds from the OFP that might now be obsolete?

Anything longer than 3hrs I won't be doing in the 738 anyway.

[threexgreen 3,156]

34 minutes ago, El Diablito said:

So does this mean if I'm doing a 2 or 3hr flight that when I request the winds as normal (about 40nm from ToD) I'm not getting the latest winds but the winds from the OFP that might now be obsolete?

Yes. The EFB downloads a file containing a weather time stamp and that's what's loaded into the FMC. In order to update winds you'll a new file containing new wind data (if it's been update in the meantime).

[El Diablito 330]

2 minutes ago, threegreen said:

Yes. The EFB downloads a file containing a weather time stamp and that's what's loaded into the FMC. In order to update winds you'll a new file containing new wind data (if it's been update in the meantime).

Was this the case before the EFB also? Would've been nice to know this all along 😆

I'm assuming it's because of the latest movement of systems by NOAA and it hasn't always been like this? Surely that's a major flaw in how the sim pulls data if that's the case.

Just as an aside, would this be true for pulling winds in the FBW also when operating 2/3 hr flights or is this just PMDG specific?