34 minutes ago, Farlis said:

No it was not, Bob.

The Flightplan you could set by entering XXXXYYYY for the Departure and Arrival ICAO Codel etters into the Route Field in the FMC when the UFT was introduced.

But what they changed in the last update is the realistic "Route Request" where you can then pick the latest Simbrief Route. That then brings up an Information Page including ZFW and Fuel Load and THAT'S where you can set those loads if you want to. It doesn't do that automatically though, you have to tell it to do so on that information page. If you don't you have to do it later in the old load options menus.

I know how it works, but the OP doesn't, that's the point.

 

51 minutes ago, Farlis said:

Gods NO! You guys are just doing it wrong. See above, how this works.

I am doing it correctly, if you read the thread, the OP is the one that is doing it wrong, by readjusting load, after he sets the load from the simbrief data. I have posted that video a couple of times, but it seems that a few don't bother to watch it. 

I have watched the video (was not aware of it before) and it is now fully understood that it is necessary to "set payload" and "set fuel" after the Simbrief plan is imported. It did not seem obvious right away, at least not to my elderly mind 🙂

I have tried three flights so far, now all with the correct values set up, but frustratingly ended up CTD'ing on each occasion just before entering or having just entered the approach phase, so I still can't report how goes.

Stearmandriver pointed to the fact that the AoA is way out of the green band, which it obviously is. Solution would be to put it where it belongs 🙂 but just how could I interfere in the AoA without going out of automated flight?

17 minutes ago, SimFx said:

but just how could I interfere in the AoA without going out of automated flight?

If it's not doing what it should be doing, turn it off and fly the thing yourself. There is a universe where manual flying exists. 

39 minutes ago, threegreen said:

If it's not doing what it should be doing, turn it off and fly the thing yourself. There is a universe where manual flying exists. 

Obviously hand flying might help but there’s still issues with the 73 that have been there for years.  All’s not well in the state of Randazzmark. 

What’s happening with LNAV V2 for instance? Is that ever going to be improved in the 737? What about the new 777 or are we going to get the same (very old now) LNAV logic as the 737. 

Obviously the 777 will be the best and not just a 777 and  youtubers and some on here will tell us how awesome it is, but I’d rather have a new LNAV logic that works properly than a “garden” of systems and functions with new names but actually still the same old PMDG rehashed stuff. 

20 minutes ago, g-liner said:

Obviously hand flying might help but there’s still issues with the 73 that have been there for years.  All’s not well in the state of Randazzmark. 

What’s happening with LNAV V2 for instance? Is that ever going to be improved in the 737? What about the new 777 or are we going to get the same (very old now) LNAV logic as the 737. 

Obviously the 777 will be the best and not just a 777 and  youtubers and some on here will tell us how awesome it is, but I’d rather have a new LNAV logic that works properly than a “garden” of systems and functions with new names but actually still the same old PMDG rehashed stuff. 

Can we please not turn this into yet another PMDG-complain-thread? There's nothing wrong here, a user just needed some help.

2 hours ago, g-liner said:

Obviously hand flying might help but there’s still issues with the 73 that have been there for years.  All’s not well in the state of Randazzmark. 

What’s happening with LNAV V2 for instance? Is that ever going to be improved in the 737? What about the new 777 or are we going to get the same (very old now) LNAV logic as the 737. 

Obviously the 777 will be the best and not just a 777 and  youtubers and some on here will tell us how awesome it is, but I’d rather have a new LNAV logic that works properly than a “garden” of systems and functions with new names but actually still the same old PMDG rehashed stuff. 

Oh for crying out loud, the problem the OP is having with the 737 is self created. There is nothing wrong with the 737 that would keep someone from flying it successfully. I fly the 737 about 15 IFR only  flights a week, with zero problems, If you want to complain, do it on the PMDG forum, many of us are sick of the whining. 

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by Bobsk8

7 hours ago, Stearmandriver said:

You could do all the unreliable airspeed lookup stuff... Or you could just realize that you've got an AoA gauge staring at you on the PFD and in the HUD, and put the needle in the approach band and be done with it 😁.

🤫I was trying to get em to do it the old school way to get in the books🤣. You are giving up the industry secrets😂. Even the old G3s I flew had the AOA on it. 1.3 was the green doughnut. Of course you would be above it because of the REF+5. The C141B had it, but it was disabled and hidden for some reason🤔

4 hours ago, threegreen said:

If it's not doing what it should be doing, turn it off and fly the thing yourself. There is a universe where manual flying exists. 

I knew that that had to be coming ;) - you put it into nice words at least :) 

But for one: I don't feel like flying each and every 737 approach manually. Just like in real life, the automation is a part of the experience, isn't it?

Also, with all the profound and extremely professional and valuable input in this thread.. it is hard to believe that every single of the many thousand 737 users out there has this deep an understanding of the systems (AoA, pitch, CG intricacies etc.). Many, if not most users won't probably set up their flights exactly and in every detail as per the book (or per dispatch, for that matter :) ). And still my guess is that most sim flights can be conducted in a somewhat decent way up to a fully automated ILS landing if so desired. But maybe I am mistaken, and this kind of simulated complex aircraft requires way more than just basic knowledge and has become less accessible to the very interested, long-time, but still casual, amateurish and time-restricted user.

That said, I have now flown the same flight, with perfectly correct setup!! :), 6 times. For some reason I CTD'ed on five of them, generally when pushing a knob on the ACP (HDG SEL, LVL CHG..). One flight I completed, but again when I set flaps to 30 while flying at 150, the alpha floor would intervene and command speed up. Again, AoA was way too high. I switched off AP and AT and landed the aircraft, but some 20 knots over ref speed at touch down. I then flew the same flight with the Fenix, and it went beautifully. So my guess is that the problem, or at least some part of the problem, might in the end still be related to my Pmdg setup. I will try to un- and reinstall the 737 and see if that helps, hopefully not losing all my Honeycomb controls config.

1 hour ago, SimFx said:

So my guess is that the problem, or at least some part of the problem, might in the end still be related to my Pmdg setup. I will try to un- and reinstall the 737 and see if that helps, hopefully not losing all my Honeycomb controls config.

That's odd. There is a thread where someone had more or less the same problem with the Fenix (high AOA, no speed margin to stall and alpha floor intervening). It ended up being an issue with their controls setup. They deleted and rebound the controls to the controller and it didn't happen anymore. There might be some erroneous automatic input wreaking havoc. I would guess this is a sim issue, because it's very odd that two people have what sounds like much the same issue with two completely different aircraft.

Do you have any input bound to the speedbrake? One possible scenario is that the speedbrake is sightly up instead of armed which you will almost not notice since you'd expect the green light to be illuminated with the speedbrake armed for landing. If this is the case, it will increase your AOA and stall speed will shoot up.

 

 

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by threegreen

1 hour ago, SimFx said:

I don't feel like flying each and every 737 approach manually. Just like in real life, the automation is a part of the experience, isn't it?

When you want to talk about real life 95% of approaches will be flown manually. The Autopilot usually gets switched off at around 1500ft AGL. At that is both Autopilot and Autothrust.

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by Farlis

1. The possible CTD may be coming from the recent UFT bug | Solution ? When you are setting up a flight Make sure you are putting in an Airline code in the Airline section and a Flight number. Make one up if you want to but ensure the boxes are filled out.

I also have questions regarding your sim brief profiles ? Are you matching up the aircraft you are using to the correct simbrief profile so that when you review the OFP your pax count, cargo and finally Zero Fuel Weight matches up exactly? Or do you skip the review of those numbers ? Because even before the new weight import feature i manually entered my pax count and divided up my cargo payload number on the Simbrief OFP by 2 for even loading and after these figures were put in the Zero Fuel Weight matches perfectly. If it doesn't something is wrong (wrong profile or AC, wrong weight value or pax count entered, wrong unit of measurement etc).

For me as a non pilot (in very very simple terms) as long as the OFP Pax, cargo counts and expected ZFW and Actual PAX/CARGO/ZFW in the box are matching Your baseline weight and balance work  is just about done. The only thing left to add is fuel to finish it up.

If these numbers are off the numbers thrown out by the box i assume will probably be off as well.

The only time i have ever seen the Alpha in the speed window is when i just started learning to fly the 737 and had no clue as to what i was doing in regards to programming the CDU.

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by Maxis

All that needs to match is the ZFW.  Pax counts etc are irrelevant.  They'll change your CG, but the PMDG distributes weight intelligently when you enter a ZFW on the payload page... Just double click the CG box on the takeoff ref page to have the CG autofill, then set takeoff trim.

Trailing spoilers is an excellent thought here.  It's almost certainly SOME kind of control binding issue, since obviously no one else is having the problem (re-installs hardly ever fix anything in flight sim.)

On 12/4/2023 at 1:02 PM, Farlis said:

When you want to talk about real life 95% of approaches will be flown manually. The Autopilot usually gets switched off at around 1500ft AGL. At that is both Autopilot and Autothrust.

That depends a lot on the airplane. E.g. on the 767 manual flying with autothrottle doesn't work nicely. Airbus on the other hand encourages the pilots on e.g. the A320 to always fly with autothrust. 

 

On 12/4/2023 at 8:58 PM, threegreen said:

That's odd. There is a thread where someone had more or less the same problem with the Fenix (high AOA, no speed margin to stall and alpha floor intervening). It ended up being an issue with their controls setup. They deleted and rebound the controls to the controller and it didn't happen anymore. There might be some erroneous automatic input wreaking havoc. I would guess this is a sim issue, because it's very odd that two people have what sounds like much the same issue with two completely different aircraft.

Do you have any input bound to the speedbrake? One possible scenario is that the speedbrake is sightly up instead of armed which you will almost not notice since you'd expect the green light to be illuminated with the speedbrake armed for landing. If this is the case, it will increase your AOA and stall speed will shoot up.

 

 

Just to let everyone know: All is fine in 737 land again. In the end it was indeed a problem with controls setup. For whatever reason my Honeycomb Bravo sent wrong signals when flaps were being set higher than 15, although it was not obvious, since neither the flaps indicator nor the visual aircraft model showed anything unusual.

I reinstalled the 737, then deleted and reconfigured the Bravo controls one by one, initially suspecting speed brake, then trim signal problems. I the end the flap lever was the culprit, and after deleting and reconfiguring its binding all seems to work again. Even the numerous CTD's have not re-appeared for the last handful of flights.

Thanks a lot for all your helpful and highly instructive input!