Fergus

Please can anybody with the Aerosoft / Toliss A340-600 for msfs24 confirm whether or not it has a working equitime point page. Thank you

Hi Just in case anybody hasn't seen this video from a real 737ng The PMDG 777 can do a lot of whats seen in this video, including making custom waypoints from other custom waypoints and it would be great if the PMDG 737 ngx could also. Fergus Cameron

I have found when changing to the digital clock option, the analogue clock is visible from the cockpit when looking over the glareshield at the nose of the 777F. The analogue clock is sticking out of the nose of the aircraft. I always use TrackIR and have got into the habit of sightseeing by sometimes leaning over the glareshield and looking over the nose of the 777. This is obviously only a minor thing but I thought it should be mentioned in case it can be rectified. Fergus Cameron

I re - flew the ZMUB to KJFK flight again and although the excellent PMDG LNAV system does a valiant job of holding the course and technically it succeeds, it is only too clear its not at all happy flying so close by the north pole (40nm). From now on I wont be plotting routes to fly any closer than about 80 - 100 nm from the north pole as the navigation systems really struggle if you fly much closer. I did the round the world flight to test the stability of my system with fsx and the 777 and also to partly check how close to the poles the PMDG 777 can comfortably fly on LNAV and it seems I have found out. Hi Rob If you don't have any flight planning software and aren't that bothered about using realistic flight routes then you can use Google Earth to plan and plot course waypoints to the pole and back - There are many useful tools to mark points, measure distances and plot course lines etc. Fergus Cameron

N86 E110 N88 E120 N89 20.0 W164 30.0 N88 W088 N86 W078 Fergus Cameron

Hi Robin I used PFPX to plan the flights including the flight between ZMUB and KJFK via the north pole - Once the flight was loaded into the 777 FMC, I added a waypoint that Google Earth measured as being exactly 40nm from the north pole - there is a ruler tool in google earth to do that. I already had the rough route plotted in Google Earth and it was relatively easy to choose a point along the route - actually if I hadnt put in this extra waypoint, the plane would have flown too close to the pole and from experience I know that you cant fly much closer than 40nm from the pole in FSX without problems. The cool bit was when I then put the north pole into the 777 fix page and put a 40nm distance ring around it, the waypoint was shown to be exactly on the 40nm ring. The waypoint I used was N89 20.0 W164 30.0 I don't think we are allowed to show routes on this forum produced by PFPX - Im not sure If you mark the north pole on your Google Earth then mark ZMUB and KJFK on your Google Earth with markers, then use the ruler tool to draw a line between ZMUB and KJFK going over the pole - then choose a suitable point perpendicular to your route and 40nm from the pole - the point will require a slight deviation from your route as the route takes you closer than the 40 nm - I deleted any PFPX generated waypoints close to the pole that produced a less than smooth routing - the important one for me was the one 40nm from the pole. Google Earth is so useful for rough planning, showing the great circle line between to points. Great for Polar planning. Fergus Cameron

Obviously I made a typo in the route - should be YPPH (Perth) not KPPH I love flying this wonderful simulation of a wonderful aircraft and after all it is called the 777 Worldliner It was interesting to see how the simulation would perform near the poles and how it would handle 4 long haul flights back to back in 1 fsx session. Fergus Cameron

I have just finished a real time circumnavigation of the earth via both poles - all done in 1 fsx session. The trip took 2 days in real time - no accelerated flight at all. route was KJFK - SACO then via south pole to KPPH then onto ZMUB then via North Pole back to KJFK The 777 was refueled in real time also. I flew within 40 nm of both poles in LNAV without any problems. The whole trip was done in 1 fsx session without any problems at all - no crashes, OOMs or anything else. The rough planning (ie choosing the airports) was done on google earth using the ruler tool - The route linking those airports gives virtually a straight line right round the earth via both poles Obviously, I used pause at top of descent and auto step climbs as I wasn't actually present through many hours of the trip although I made sure I was there to see how the aircraft performed as it passed near the poles. Fergus Cameron

I am finding with the 777 that the predicted fuel at destination figure keeps steadily decreasing throughout the flight - If I set a benchmark test - If I set fixed winds in the FSX weather settings -these winds are then put into the cdu legs page during preflight. I stay at the same flight level for the whole flight. - The predicted fuel at destination figure that appears once airborne shouldn't change significantly through the flight - but in fact it does steadily decrease as the flight progresses (by a significant amount) One of the many things that is impressive for me and one of the signs of quality in the NGX is that the predicted fuel at destination figure stays reassuringly steady throughout flights - (obviously, once all the relevant winds etc are programmed in to the CDU etc) Fergus Cameron

I am finding with the 777 that the predicted fuel at destination figure keeps steadily decreasing throughout the flight - If I set a benchmark test - If I set fixed winds in the FSX weather settings -these winds are then put into the cdu legs page during preflight. I stay at the same flight level for the whole flight. I also entered "0" for the step climbs in the CDU, so the FMS wasn't expecting any step climbs in the flights. - The predicted fuel at destination figure that appears once airborne shouldn't change significantly through the flight - but in fact it does steadily decrease as the flight progresses (by a significant amount) One of the many things that is impressive for me and one of the signs of quality in the NGX is that the predicted fuel at destination figure stays reassuringly steady throughout flights - (obviously, once all the relevant winds etc are programmed in to the CDU etc) Fergus Cameron

Rwy, all FAF waypoints and all types of user created waypoints can be put into fix page. Now you can build place / bearing / distance waypoints from user created along track waypoints, Rwy and FAF waypoints on the legs page and all of these can be inputted into fix page The only thing that doesn't appear to be possible yet is to create place / bearing / distance waypoints from already created place / bearing /distance waypoints, either on the legs page or the fix page. Fergus Cameron

I've solved it - on an approach- - above 400 ft above the ground, it is possible to disconnect the speed mode of the autothrottle, but keep the autothrottle armed. - but once below 400 ft above the ground, its no longer possible to disconnect the speed mode of the autothrottle without turning off the whole autothrottle. Everybody else probably already knew this. Anyway, this info might be useful to someone. Fergus

MCP SPD is announciated on the PFD during manual landings - gear is down, flaps 30 etc etc autopilot is off - at about 600 ft on the radio altimeter I call "select speed off" using FS2CREW (this command works fine if I use it during cruise) - the first officer confirms the command and I hear the click as the first officer presses the speed button on the MCP - but the announciators should change to ARM, but dont - speed mode won't disengage I then press the speed button myself on the MCP - same result - nothing happens ?? Eventually, I have to disengage the autothrottle completely - which, I understand is not realistic procedure. What am I doing wrong ? Fergus

As I understand it, usually the way it is done in the real 737ng, on approach:- when the autopilot is disengaged for a manual landing, the pilot calls for speed mode to be disengaged also - the autothrottle switch is still in the on position. The reason, as I understand it for this, is so the autothrottle's safety features are still available during the approach and for a go around if required. The problem is that although during normal flight, I can disengage and reengage the speed mode (by pressing the speed button on the MCP) okay, during an approach with the autopilot off, pressing the speed button on the MCP fails to disengage the speed mode of the autothrottle. What am I doing wrong or is what I am attempting not possible with the PMDG NGX ? Advice would be appreciated. Fergus

That's it, I've been trying with the running engine at idle - too may hours using less realistic aircraft obviously. Thank you ! Regards Fergus

Has anybody been able to carry out a cross-bleed engine start ? I've tried several times but can't get the second engine to start. I get N2 rotation to 15 %as required but there's no lightup when I turn on the fuel switch. (yes - the fuel pumps are on !) Im assuming it doesn't matter which engine is started first. I would be grateful of confirmation from anyone either that it works or doesn't. Regards Fergus Cameron

Fred confirmed, Im seeing the same as you. Regards Fergus Cameron

I have found that if I load the NGX through the free flight menu I get much better frame rates,its much smoother and the stability is absolutely rock solid. If I load from a previously saved situation, I get much lower frame rates, its much more proneto stutters and the stability of the sim is such that I haven't managed to do back to back flights successfully once. Loading through the free flight menu I have managed 7 flights back to back without having to restart fsx once.The frame rates were consistent throughout and the stability of the sim was flawless - I did lateral offsets,used all types of custom waypoints etc - nothing caused NGX to crash or freeze. At the end of the 7 flight session, the NGX was performing just as well as at the beginning - frame rates, smoothness, everything. I use a combination of the free flight menu and the save / load panel utility in the NGX CDU. If ive prepped the NGX for my next flightflight, sometimes il save the panel state using the NGX cdu and when I next use fsx, all I have to do is start the NGX at the same airport as beforeand use the load panel state from the NGX cdu and im ready. Regards Fergus Cameron

Last night I installed the latest hot-fix and have found that as well as improving the stability, several bugs have been squashed: The minimums radio altitude setting now defaults to 50ft instead of the 9,000 ft before. The CDU now accepts place bearing / place bearing custom waypoints (it wudn't before) Regards Fergus Cameron

Check your announciators on the PFD If the PFD shows G/P then you are descending to the runway on a mode of VNAV and only have approach, no autoland If the PFD displays G/S then you are descending to the runway using the ILS Glide slope and can have full autoland I couldn't get autoland to work, then realised that I was using G/P rather than G/S and hey presto - all sorted. Regards Fergus Cameron

Michael,Thank you for the explanation. Sorry for wasting your time on this. RegardsFergus

HiI am finding that since I installed the MD11 (FSX) patch, the page select buttons for the centre display are no longer illuminating when selected.Is anybody else finding this ?Not a major issue, just thought I should mention it.RegardsFergus

Hi MichaelThanks for looking into this.Im having so much fun with this aircraft - I especially like thesmooth profile "VNAV" descents - usually an achilles heel of flightsim aircraft.I am so impressed at the extent to which the sophisticated systems of the real MD11 have been replicated - truly an awesome achievement. Fergus

Hi Michaelwith flaps 25on the PFD speed tape I see the amber line going downto 215 - 220 ias, but the magenta solid bug goes to 250Fergus