13 hours ago, Huascar said:

I don't think so. Whatever is on the net, that’s your tutorial. Even with the most gifted instructors, you will get lost. I don't see how people can claim to program it in five minutes.

It's been  tough for me because this is my first time touching the A320 in a study level aircraft.  Simbrief helps in uploading a lot of it, but the whole process takes time. 

 

I mean it’s a study level aircraft. It’s expected that you have to study it if you start from zero. There are so many tutorials in the internet, you’re neither the first nor the last person to walk this path

1 hour ago, Langeveldt said:

Better than the PMDG 737?  

Yes, and this really surprised me.

7 hours ago, Drumcode said:

Boeing guy here and also know PMDG's 737's inside and out. I also decided to learn the Fenix as there's nothing currently in 2024 that works well out of the box in terms of the tube liners. The only thing I'm going to say is patience, watch the tutorials, setup your Bravo and calibrate the throttles. I agree with you on MCDU and the stupid way it handles discontinuity, but you'll learn how to deal with it. I had 6 flawless flights so far, but I am still struggling getting back onto the flight plan, especially after vectored departure and it's driving me nuts that I can't properly figure this out. I love the integration with GSX and overall it's a darn well made plane that does the trick for me while we wait for the Boeings to be ported over.

I used the 6 part tutorial below.

Thank for chiming in. As I noted in my original post, I have been a Boeing guy for circa 15 years. The MCDU on the Airbus is not very intuitive. The programming process doesn't follow a logical sequence. I have watched many videos and still can't fly without a discontinuity or some sort of warnings going off during the flight. Granted this is only my second day trying the A320. 

40 minutes ago, Huascar said:

Thank for chiming in. As I noted in my original post, I have been a Boeing guy for circa 15 years. The MCDU on the Airbus is not very intuitive. The programming process doesn't follow a logical sequence. I have watched many videos and still can't fly without a discontinuity or some sort of warnings going off during the flight. Granted this is only my second day trying the A320. 

I agree with you, why Airbus can't design a more logical way of programming the MCDU, like Boeing has, I still can't understand.  I have hundreds and hundreds of hours flying both Airbus and Boeing, in the sim, and the Boeing is just faster and easier to program the MCDU. 

7 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I still can't understand.

Maybe this might be a “you” thing rather than the giant company that has built and delivered thousands of planes for decades that pilots all over the world seem to be able to understand and fly everyday. 

This topic seems so confusing to me.  You're interested in trying something new, but yet dont seem to have an ounce of desire to learn a slightly different way of doing things to operate said new thing.  Why not just stay with the 737? 

 

1 hour ago, Huascar said:

Thank for chiming in. As I noted in my original post, I have been a Boeing guy for circa 15 years. The MCDU on the Airbus is not very intuitive. The programming process doesn't follow a logical sequence. I have watched many videos and still can't fly without a discontinuity or some sort of warnings going off during the flight. Granted this is only my second day trying the A320. 

Why do you need to clear the discontinuity?  Depending on SIDs and STARs its very possible to have 2 discontinuity on every flight that is perfectly normal.  Any SID that requires radar vectors to a point will have one and any STAR that ends with a heading for vectors to approach will have one.  You can and should operate the plane with those in the flight plan.

Use DIFRIPS in the airbus. Data, Init A, Fplan,Init B, Perf, Sec

if using simbrief, can have the MCDU programmed in under 5 minutes no worries

Also, not always the best idea to delete discontinuities if it’s for a vector or manual, especially if flying online, you will likely get in trouble from ATC. Wait till you’re cleared to the next waypoint then use direct to instead 

Edited December 15, 20241 yr by mrlip

22 minutes ago, JonathanC said:

Maybe this might be a “you” thing rather than the giant company that has built and delivered thousands of planes for decades that pilots all over the world seem to be able to understand and fly everyday. 

The only distinction is that the Airbus pilots have gone through years of formal training. As for the sim, Fenix looks and sounds great but I don't like the idea of extreme automation. But it's another aircraft to fly. It’s still very enjoyable once you understand the complex MCDU.

Do you select any SID/STARR from the menus given Simbrief doesn't provide them? 

22 minutes ago, Huascar said:

Do you select any SID/STARR from the menus given Simbrief doesn't provide them? 

Assuming there is a SID/STAR for that route, Simbrief does give me them. It is not uncommon for there to be no SID/STAR. In that case, ATC vectors you before clearing you direct to your first waypoint. It's also possible the SID will have ATC vector you on the first part of it.

For example, here is the route I am flying now. I've bolded the SIDs/STARs Simbrief gave me.

EDDP/26R N0426F380 PENE1N PENEM Y233 EMBOX L986 POVEL DCT NVO Y841 KENUM DCT IDOSA UN857 TOLVU/N0435F370 UN857 RAPOR UZ157 VEDUS VEDU9W LFPG/27R

58 minutes ago, Huascar said:

The only distinction is that the Airbus pilots have gone through years of formal training

Yes and so have Boeing pilots. My point is, just because something is different doesn’t mean that it’s not logical. It is, you just haven’t learnt the logic yet. 
 

Anyway, I’m not going to comment further besides to say that don’t expect to be as proficient with an Airbus after 2 days as you are with a Boeing after 15 years. Keep on learning and soon it will be second nature. Or else can always skip back to Boeing, we are lucky to have so many great planes. 

1 minute ago, JonathanC said:

Anyway, I’m not going to comment further besides to say that don’t expect to be as proficient with an Airbus after 2 days

I understand it and that's what I tried to convey. I will learn it but it will take me some time as I can only fly a few times a week.

Deleted

Edited December 15, 20241 yr by F737MAX

2 hours ago, Huascar said:

The MCDU on the Airbus is different from what I'm used to. The programming process follows an alternative method to how I've spent the past decade and a half doing it in Boeing add-ons.

FTFY

Was in a similar position to you when I tried using the MCDU for the first time. The Boeing FMC appears more logical because you have far more experience using it.

Once you practice and get your head around it, the MCDU is just another box to control the aeroplane, just like the UNS-1 is a different box again.

BrammyH's post shows you how you can get the Fenix Airbus up and running in 5-10 mins after clicking 'Fly Now' in the sim.

Trying a flight now with those instructions.