How is a typical flight pattern done with the 737 eg. at what height to turn to the crosswind and downwind legs, and when to activate flaps and gears before final?

Crosswind when you're comfortable, 1500ft agl somewhere on downwind (that's the turbine pattern altitude.). Start extending flaps midfield, shoot for gear down / flaps 15 abeam the numbers, where you'll start your descent.  Finish configuring on schedule, turn base when you normally would (end of runway about 45 degrees behind your shoulder).

It's not entirely common to fly visual patterns in an airliner, but at the same time there's no reason it can't be done either.  I've seen private pilots in 172s fly wider patterns than I've done (completely stable) in a 737.

 

Thank you both. 

Page 50 of the tutorial for the 737 say to engage TOGA (below). When engaged, the throttle on screen goes to full forward to the max, but the throttle on my simple joystick becomes unresponsive and stuck at full aft.

I was scanning the Introduction pdf manual for hints on how to do it and came across what I thought should work on p79 "A/T Manual Overide". I tried all 3 options but none of them worked. I still can't regain control of the throttle after engaging TOGA. 

So how do I DISengage TOGA mode and regain control of the throttle?

Quote

• Release the parking brake by pressing the key on your keyboard
that you have set up for it, by clicking the physical parking brake
lever in the VC, or by tapping the brake button on your joystick.
• Smoothly advance the thrust levers to 40% N1. The engines will
take some time to spool – the CFM56-7B “bites” around 50% N1
and will accelerate very quickly after that point, but it takes a
while to get from idle to 40%.
• Once stabilized at 40%, engage TO/GA mode – there are several
ways to do this:
o Press the keyboard shortcut – CTRL+SHIFT+G by
default or your custom joystick button.
o Left click the hidden clickspot located on the screw to the
lower left of the MCP, just below and to the left of the
COURSE knob....

 

The video psychedelic_tortilla posted is from A330 Driver. He has also posted a series of 15 videos demonstrating in detail how to perform a complete flight in a 737. This is the first video:

 

These real-life approaches also help you learn when to lower flaps/gear and speeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAINRE1JpLo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZSZeZoAouw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAlYKQecl0Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZTtUWz24no

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7zSI4b9E2E

 

6 hours ago, Matt Sdeel said:

So how do I DISengage TOGA mode and regain control of the throttle?

For flying visual patterns, the easiest thing is just to leave the autothrottles off.  Might as well leave the flight director off too; manipulating the mode control panel to give you useful flight guidance is higher workload in the pattern than just leaving all the automation off and flying. 

In real life, you would probably take off with the autothrottles engaged, in TOGA, like you have been, and then just disengage the autothrottles at level off (and turn off your flight director, just so it's not a distraction.)

All of the above relates specifically to taking off with the intent of flying a visual pattern right back to a landing.  In a more normal take off where you'll leave the airport area and either go somewhere else or come back for an instrument approach, you'll likely use some level of automation which will work fine since you'll have time to manipulate the MCP.  But for closed traffic, especially in the sim, I wouldn't bother with any automation at all.  Just fly.

 

3 questions:

1. Shouldn't the ALWAYS option (in PMDG SETUP, Options, Simulation, AT Manual Override --see below) always disable auto-throttle? It doesn't for me.

2. Also, in all of the Options under PMDG Setup, one option is always colored (red or orange?). Is the colored option the default setting for the aircraft? I don't think it's noted in the manual.

3. I'm familiar with GA aircraft but not airliners. What's a good source for learning the names of each instrument in the panel and how to use them? I could not locate explanations for how to use them in the manual (for example, detailed info on how to use the clock or read and interpret the large display screens or "DU"s --display units). Turning on "Instrument Name Tooltips" in MSFS' General Options/Accessibility doesn't give much info either.
---

From the pdf manual (p79)...
A/T MANUAL OVERRIDE: This option allows you to decide how
you want the autothrottle react to changes in your joystick throttle
position. In the airplane, moving the throttles will momentarily
change the thrust of the engines, but they will return to the
previous position when released, unless the autothrottle is in
HOLD mode. You can realistically simulate this by selecting the
<IN HOLD MODE ONLY option.
If you wish to simplify the process a bit while learning to fly the
airplane, you can select <NEVER (in which case any movement
of your joystick throttle will be ignored by the auto-throttle) or you
can select <ALWAYS (in which case the auto-throttle will always
allow you to override the desired thrust by simply moving your
joystick throttle.
We recommend setting this to <IN HOLD MODE ONLY.
NOTE: If the autothrottle is in HOLD mode and you move your
joystick throttles, the engine will change power. If you have
trouble with this, then simply set this option to NEVER.
 

5 hours ago, Matt Sdeel said:

1. Shouldn't the ALWAYS option (in PMDG SETUP, Options, Simulation, AT Manual Override --see below) always disable auto-throttle? It doesn't for me.

It won't disable the autothrottles, it'll just allow you to temporarily override them.  In the airplane, the autothrottles are clutched so that a pilot can grab the physical throttles and move them, overpowering the autothrottle system; but unless the autothrottle system is actually disengaged, when they're released the throttles will return to where the autothrottle system thinks they should be.  This UI is intended for short-term overriding of the autothrottle system.  If you want them truly disabled, you need to disengage them - you can use either the button on the side of the throttles, or you can turn off the A/T Arm switch on the mode control panel. 

Boeing recommends (though not every airline follows this recommendation) that A/T be off anytime the aircraft is being flown manually, except during takeoff and climb.

To make pattern work easier in the 737:

1. How do I display a map similar to how a map is displayed in the Garmin 750 in GA aircraft?
2. Other than the sound, is there an annunciator in the cockpit panel for when the reverser is engaged?

Thank you.

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by Matt Sdeel
Typo correction

11 minutes ago, Matt Sdeel said:

To make pattern work easier in the 737:

1. How do I display a map similar to how a map is displayed in the Garmin 750 in GA aircraft?
2. Other than the sound, is there an annunciator in the cockpit panel for when the reverser is engaged?

Thank you.

If I were you I would really dig in pmdg manual . It may take some time, but totally worth to get rewarded by a new knowledge  and get familiar with airframe you about to take in the pattern!

Is there a PMDG manual though? I know they released the plane with just a tutorial, claiming their licensing had changed with Boeing and they could no longer release the reprint of the Boeing manuals that they used to include.  I got the impression that they got a bit lazt on writing a manual themselves, instead relying on YouTubers to make tutorials. 

That said, I agree that in addition to flying the PMDG tutorial flight, the OP should watch some tutorials (it's a lot easier to see avionics manipulated visually than to read about it) and / or download some actual Boeing manuals, which can be easily found with a quick Google. 

Also, for tech knowledge, this site is good: 

http://www.b737.org.uk/

38 minutes ago, Matt Sdeel said:

To make pattern work easier in the 737:

1. How do I display a map similar to how a map is displayed in the Garmin 750 in GA aircraft?
2. Other than the sound, is there an annunciator in the cockpit panel for when the reverser is engaged?

Thank you.

1.  You need to initialize the FMC with a departure runway and performance data (the tutorial flight should show you how), and then if you zoom in your ND (navigation display, your inboard display) in Map mode, you'll see a white outline of your runway and a white dashed departure centerline extension.  You can also create an extended final, which does make a good reference, but you'll need to learn how to perform a course intercept in the FMC, and frankly it's not worth it - we're just flying visually here right?  (It can also be helpful to use the CTR button on the EFIS control panel to create an aircraft-centered view on the ND).

2.  On the upper DU (the center upper display with the engine instruments) you'll see an amber / green REV indication above each N1 gauge as the reverser sleeve is in transit / fully open. 

http://www.b737.org.uk/images/engineinsts_ng.gif

7 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

If I were you I would really dig in pmdg manual . It may take some time, but totally worth to get rewarded by a new knowledge  and get familiar with airframe you about to take in the pattern!

Thank you for the suggestion. I've been doing that, reading and scanning them and more. 

But the manuals are incomplete and outdated. The two manuals I downloaded from the website are dated July 2022... For example, there's no detailed info on how to read the digital units (aka DU in Boeing speak).

What is the name of the big screen to the left of the gear lever? What is SPD INTV? It took me literally about an hour looking at EACH and every switch and knob in the entire cockpit to find a knob with a label "RANGE" (capitalized and referred to in the p46 of the tutorial) only to find out later that the knob is not labeled at all in the aircraft.  Also, absent a list of acronyms it took me a few minutes to realize that the so called MCP is actually for the auto-pilot.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the manual is written only for simmers who are already familiar with airliners, PMDG and BOEING aircraft.

4 minutes ago, Matt Sdeel said:

Thank you for the suggestion. I've been doing that, reading and scanning them and more. 

But the manuals are incomplete and outdated. The two manuals I downloaded from the website are dated July 2022... For example, there's no detailed info on how to read the digital units (aka DU in Boeing speak).

What is the name of the big screen to the left of the gear lever? What is SPD INTV? It took me literally about an hour looking at EACH and every switch and knob in the entire cockpit to find a knob with a label "RANGE" (capitalized and referred to in the p46 of the tutorial) only to find out later that the knob is not labeled at all in the aircraft.  Also, absent a list of acronyms it took me a few minutes to realize that the so called MCP is actually for the auto-pilot.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the manual is written only for simmers who are already familiar with airliners, PMDG and BOEING aircraft.

Did you try Chuck  guide? It’s not necessary could be for msfs but still good and immersive 

https://chucksguides.com/aircraft/fsx/pmdg-737-800-ng/

15 minutes ago, Stearmandriver said:

Is there a PMDG manual though? I know they released the plane with just a tutorial, claiming their licensing had changed with Boeing and they could no longer release the reprint of the Boeing manuals that they used to include.  I got the impression that they got a bit lazt on writing a manual themselves, instead relying on YouTubers to make tutorials. 

That said, I agree that in addition to flying the PMDG tutorial flight, the OP should watch some tutorials (it's a lot easier to see avionics manipulated visually than to read about it) and / or download some actual Boeing manuals, which can be easily found with a quick Google. 

Also, for tech knowledge, this site is good: 

http://www.b737.org.uk/

Thank you. Good info about the PMDG manual or lack thereof.  The problem I have with Google and YouTube is accuracy. You get so many hits as a result of doing 'search' that it's also hard to tell if info is current and not outdated. 

I'll check out the site you listed.