lauderj

Interesting topic. Has anyone attempted to recreate the approach of Asiana 214 into SFO based on the sequence of events described in the recently released NTSB accident report? During the last mile or so of the approach, while still a tab high on the glide path, the pilot was descending on VS below the missed approach alt of 3000 ft. The altitude window was set at 3000 and the pilot switched to flight level change and the airplane began to climb, which of course would be normal behavior. The pilot immediately disconnected autopilot ( but not auto throttle) and manually retarded the thrust levers to idle. This put autothrottle to hold mode and the airspeed decayed to below stall without the autothrottle reengaging in speed mode. The aircraft hit the sea wall. When I try to recreate this sequence of events, my autothrottle will always reengaging to SPD mode once speed decays below was is dialed in the speed window. Has anyone been able to recreate what happened in Asiana 214? Jerry Lauderbaugh Avid PMDG pilot

Tunning 122.02 will give you your destination WX ATIS if you have loaded a flight plan into Active Sky

Last week I posted a problem that I was having with the FSX MD-11 VC overhead panel. I didn't get any response probably because my problem wasn't stated very well so let me try again.I am having a problem with the switches and various indicator lights on virtual cockpit overhead panel not lighting up at all. The only items that are lighting up at all are the fuel qty indicators. This issue is only when in VC. In the 2D panel, all indicator lights are as they should be. To illustrate this, I have attached two screen shots of the MD-11 ovverhead panel right after loading the aircraft into FSX and importing the short turn around panel state.Here is the 2D panel shot - note all indicator lights are as one would expectHere is the VC panel shot - note that none of the indicator lights are lit up. I can push the Announciator Light test switch and all lights will activate in the 2D panel but again nothing in the VC panel I am thinking that a re-install is probably in order but I thought I would check to see if anyone else has experienced this.Thanks,Jerry Lauderbaugh

Recently, I have encountered a problem with my MD-11 virtual cockpit overhead panel. I am not getting any of the switches/buttons to light up whether they are active (0n) or not. This is the first FS aircraft that I almost fly exclusively from the virtual cockpit .... its the best VC from a functional point of view of any add-on out there in my opinion ... great job on that. This problem with the switch lights occured suddenly on one flight and has continued on all subsequent flights (day or night). I have not been able to determine the problem. The 2D overhead panel lights work as they are supposed to. Has anyone run into anything like this? I run FSX-Acceleration on Vista-32 and have upgrades the the latest SP.Thanks for any help on what the problem may be. I suspect it's something I have done since I have not seen any posts with this issue.Jerry LauderbaughDelta Virtual Airlines

An alternative to FSNavigator is FSBuild (version 2.2 is the latest). You can create a flight plan route in FSBuild (also calculate fuel requirements too). When you "build" the flight plan route, you have the option of automatically creating a FS9 version of the flight plan along with PMDG/LDS and other add-on formats. You can use the routefinder web site to get the actual route you want and then copy/paste that route right into FSBuild. You can then select your aircraft so it can calculate fuel requirements.I use this all the time to generate routes in FS9 and PMDG/PSS/LDS formats along with Squawk Box format for filing on-line with VATSIM. The FS9 format makes FS9 ATC follow the same route as you have loaded in the FMC so it works great.I happen to perfer FSBuild to FSNav but I think both are good productsJerry LauderbaughBAW1059

Hi Guys,First off I want to tell you how much enjoyment I have had from RC4. This is a great add-on and look forward to the product as it grows.I've seen several posts on here related to future functionality and so I thought, as a serious user, I would put my 2 cents worth in to the mix.I have recently taken to flying transatlantic routes from US to Euro ports of call. I think a real nice enhancement, that would seem not to be to difficult to do at first glance, is to provide functionality for requesting oceanic clearence from Gander or Shadwick control areas. Some of the other things that perhaps could be simulated as well would include loss of VHF comms during part of the NAT crossing, position reports using simulated HF comms, changing to 2000 transponder code during the NAT crossing, ect.This would some real new functionality as opposed to just tweaking some of the shortfalls mentioned elsewhere (AI traffic interaction, turn left or right, stuff like that). I know there are a lot of pilots out there that like to fly transatlantic routes and even on VATSIM it's not easy to simulate the process that really occurs since usually there are no controllers manning the Gander and Shadwick control areas.Anyway, just a thought ...Jerry Lauderbaugh767 Captain, Delta Virtual Airlines

Bill:You might want to look at the software called FSBuild. This is a very nice route planner and the real nice thing about it is that you can then export the flight plan/route it builds to several FS add-on formats including PMDG, PSS and LDS in addition to Squawk Box (if you fly VATSIM). It's not very hard to use the web site (www.fsbuild.com)offers decent support. If you fly add-on aircraft from various companies, the I would think this is the way to go. It's 29 eur at Simmarket (about $35).Hope this helps,Jerry LauderbaughDelta Virtual Airlines 767 Captain

Thanks to the both of you for helping. This is exactly what I was looking for.Jerry Lauderbaugh

Does anyone know the count of passengers in the various seating configurations of the PMDG 744 Queen? The load manager obviously gives the passenger and cargo weight but does not indicate the passenger count and I do not see where the max passenger count is listed anywhere in the PMDG manuals, but perhaps I missed it.Thanks for the information,Jerry Lauderbaugh

Bryan:It's probably not as straight forward as having the FO press the #2 key. RC4 interfaces with FS9 through the Adv Display product. When you load a flight plan into RC4 and activate, the Adv display will popup (assuming activated in FS9) initially with two options:1.) request weather (ATIS freq)2.) request clearence (Clr delv freq)The radio frequency will be listed next to the options. Generally speaking, you first have to have your radio tuned to the frequency of the option number you are going to push before you will get any response. After you get clearence, the menu will change to:1. request taxi (ground freq))2. request push & start (ground freq)Not being exactly sure how real procedures work, when working with FS2Crew and RC4 together, when the FO ask captain if it's okay to push, I select "standby", push option 2 on the RC4 adv display menu to request ATC clearence for push & start and then let the FO request clearence from ramp control.I am wondering, in the real world, if this would be redundant. Do you have to get push and start clearence from both ATC ground control and "ramp control"?Jerry LauderbaughB763 Captain, Delta Virtual Airlines

james,Thanks for that tip. As it turns out, what I was doing was performing the RTO review BEFORE doing the main button for requesting the cabin to be seated. Thanks again!Jerry

Bryan,Thanks for that quick reply. I'll check carefully what I am doing on the runway line-up process. I could very well be hitting the main button one time too many before the RTO review.On the MAP question, I bet it might be the after T/O checklist that I didn't do. I run through that again tonight.Thanks again Bryan!Jerry Lauderbaugh

I would just like to take this opportunity to tell you guys at FS2Crew how much I've enjoyed all 3 of your products (737NG, ATR and the 767LDS). They make flight simming an new experience. I do have a couple of issues and perhaps you can tell me what I might be doing wrong. When lining up on the runway (before takeoff checklist has been executed) I will click on the RTO review on the briefing panel as directed to in the manual. As the last couple of words of the RTO review are spoken, the captain calls for 60% N1. This is without me hitting the MAIN button. When it first occured, I thought I must have pressed it by mistake but it is occuring everytime when I press on the RTO review. It's a little embarassing to be taking off prior to getting clearence from the tower he he. Not sure what's causing this and have not seen any reference to this in the forum so it must be something I am doing wrong. If you have any suggestions, I would be much obliged.Also, regarding the actual RTO and missed approach procedure. It seems as if the program does not "loop" back to the correct mode after execution of these. I know on an RTO, that you just apparently have to taxi back to the runway and manually execute a takeoff before the program "kicks in" again. A missed approach seems to be similar situation. Once you go past the flaps calls on the initial approach you cannot go back to them on the second approach ... you're manual at this point until landing. Last night, after a missed approach, I thought I would try clicking on the approach briefing again and get the program to cycle back to approach mode but that seemed to have no effect. I suspect that the post RTO and MAP situations may be missing functionality at this point in the program's development .... is that a valid statement?Again, much enjoy this product and can't wait for your next invention ... I'll vote for a 747 product even if it has to use the 737NG like user interface. It's really not that bad an interface ... in someways I like it better than the 767/ATR interface.Jerry Lauderbaugh