MistyBlue

I really haven't gotten into VATSIM yet. Really a bit reluctant because while I know some basic aviation phraseology, it's geared toward GA and not heavy aircraft. I'd prefer not to embarrass myself and upset the controllers until I know what I'm doing :( I generally fly offline and use realtime weather. This way all my apps (RC4, ASE, TopCat, etc) are in sync and I can use real world otherwise it's a bear to get everything right. I just wish all my apps would report exactly the same weather for the same airport. Seems like each app has its own realtime source and they vary between them which sometimes creates some odd results.

Hey Ray, I actually recently got my first cockpit DVD, the JustPlanes WestJet 737-600, to help me understand 737 ops for when the NGX comes out. It was quite enlightening! Made me realize how much I'm missing and how important getting to know my FS2Crew is. I just ordered the JustPlanes Air Canada 777-300ER DVD and I'm on the lookout for other good videos, so if anyone has recommendations, please let me know.

Thanks for correcting me Ryan. Meant to say STAR but can't go back and change it now. And thanks everyone for the great wealth of info!So we've determined that typically you'd plan your entire route, including STAR, in advance but not the final runway. Then, based on weather and ATC at the destination, you'll be vectored (at least here in the U.S.) to a final approach so you then select the landing runway at that time.What about enroute? I'm guessing when you are planning, you should be trying to use the airways as much as possible. But with the advent of GPS, more direct routes are possible. So are pilots allowed to deviate from airways, or are they required to maximize the use of airways?

So essentially, you can set up a SID without an approach runway. Just set the SID and transition up and then decide the runway one you have it. But that would create a DISCO right? So then I'm guessing real pilots have to close up the discontinuity while in flight.

I know this question has probably been asked a dozen times and if there's a better post already established along these lines, please direct me there and forgive my ignorance.Right now I know enough to be able to fly a basic FMC pre-programmed route from takeoff to landing using SIDs and STARs. But I know I'm just scratching the surface and I want to get up to speed before the NGX is delivered. First and foremost...how are the SIDS and STARS that are used in a real world flight determined? For example, who dictates what SIDS and STARS I should fly? Does corporate issue a route from gate to gate based on weather or other factors and provide that to me via ACARS in advance? Obviously the real world is very dynamic so what happens when the wind changes and a different runway is chosen? Is a different STAR used? Who decides that? Or do I file an entire plan from gate to gate and that is subject to change by ATC along the way?Then, nearing arrival, who/what determines what STAR is used? I'm guessing it's based on current weather and traffic conditions. So do pilots enter the STAR and runway at the top of the descent (or thereabouts)? Or is the STAR that's filed always flown regardless, and just the runway changes at the last minute based on current conditions?The videos I've watched and the tutorials I've seen all start with a predetermined SID/Route/STAR flight. But I know a lot of background planning is left out. So basically, I'm just trying to determine HOW I should choose, follow, and adjust my flights along the way.I welcome your thoughts on how you do it and appreciate the advice.

As long as I get all the appropriate warnings nearing the edge of the envelope (which I'm sure I will) that's about all I need. The idea is to get out of a bad situation BEFORE it becomes a bad situation.Speaking of spins, I inadvertently got into one during my first days of stall training and promised myself I'd never let one sneak up on me again. So I did a lesson just on spin recovery and man was it a rush!

To answer your question, I personally have a number of great Carenado aircraft and both models of the RealAir Duke. The me, the RealAir is more my favorite because their cockpit has very complete and accurately modeled avionics and systems to accomplish just about any kind of GA flight you could want to do. I do like Carenado's aircraft too, and find they faithfully reproduce the aircraft but most tend to have older avionics. Nothing wrong with that. Just all depends on what and how you fly.Downside is that the RealAir tends to have a greater FPS hit from what I've seen.

Thanks Ethan. That helps clear things up a lot!

Just to be clear, the only v2.0 ERJ's are the 175/195 models, right? Not the 135/145 models. Just want to make sure I end up with the better package.EDIT: Just saw the above post asking which models. But I don't see a v2 for the 135/145 models.

Hehe, so if I go out and buy it and it doesn't work, it's your fault! :( Just kidding. Glad to hear it. May just go pick up a copy. A small regional jet would nice to add to the inventory.

I never said it didn't "run" on 64-bit. I said I was "wary" because I got burned before by the same scenario. Think about it. Stating "we don't say it won't work" and then "we don't officially support it" doesn't exactly instill a lot of confidence. Just because it works on your system, doesn't mean it'll work on mine, and if it doesn't, then what? No support. And yes, I tried the forums and direct support only to be told "sorry, don't know what to tell you, but we don't support 64 bit". Catch my drift? <_<Back on topic...I have both variations of the RealAir Beech Duke and both are phenomenal!

The ERJ v2.0 looks nice. But it looks like it only supports 32 bit systems. I got burned with the Wilco 737PIC that I paid for and never worked on my 64 bit system, so I've been real wary of that since.

Wow, good catch! I completely missed that in the brief flicker.

These kinds of threads always remind me of this clip from Anger Management:Goos Fraba

Boy, people sure do get worked up on these forums. One can hope we'll hear something shortly, but if not, so what?

I use my iPad2 with iDisplay for the FMC from time to time and it has been quite stable. Never had FSX end up on the iPad! But I run FSX in windowed mode. In full screen everything goes black for me for some reason.

I just heard about this and it does look like a great, and more affordable app. So I think I'll give it a try.EDIT: Downloaded it and it's exactly what I needed. Definitely worth the money.

Don't waste money on the 980x. I bought one primarily for flight sim, even after reading that it was way overkill, but planned on using it for other apps like Photoshop that could take advantage of the cores and sure enough, I get much better performance out of my 2500k than I ever did out of the 980x. So put that extra money into a better video card or better cooling to overclock your more affordable chip ;-)

I've read that trying to keep it below 1.4v is best to extend the life of the CPU. The goal should be to run stable at as low a voltage as possible. Ethan's voltage ideal if you can get that low.

Thanks Kaman. Nice setup, BTW. I set things on auto from the Bios at first and was seeing CPU voltages spiking over 1.5v around 4.8-4.9 Ghz. Exactly what Ethan is saying so be careful!Ethan, you must have gotten a really good batch. No way mine would run that at 1.325v. I'd like to push to 5 Ghz, but don't think my chip can take it safely if it's already this high.

How did you do the overclock? Everything on auto, or did you manually set values? What is your vCore voltage at under load? I found when I set everything on auto, vCore was close to 1.5v which is way too high as 1.52 is the thermal shutoff point. Manually, I was able to get down to around 1.425v at 4.7 Ghz which still seems high but more within limits and temps around 65C with aftermarket cooler under load.

Having flown real C152 and C172's, I haven't found a consumer yoke that feels realistic yet. Guess you have to get into the much pricier ones.So I have the Saitek yoke and two throttle quadrants which is good enough for now. Built a little wood platform under my desk to mount the yoke in because it sat up way too high when clamped to the desktop. Wish someone would make a realistic variable force yoke based on the flight environment. A real-world yoke sure feels different in a stall versus high speed maneuvers.The consumer rudder pedals are all a joke to me. I've never flown or known an aircraft with nearly horizontal rudder pedals but I guess they're cheaper to make. I was fortunate to find a set of FlightLink hydraulic dampened pedals on eBay that are near vertical and behave much closer to the real thing. I love them!

Interesting as that is not what Google says in their webmaster guidelines: Found at: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769Not that they don't have that technology. If spammers can get past CAPTCHA, I'm sure Google can index content in at least some images.

I was wondering the same thing. With the fidelity of the NGX, if we can break out the components onto individual screens then it would be a nice cost saver for a simpler setup. I guess for more complex setups, Sim-A and PM are probably still better options for cockpit builders because they're specifically designed for that, will work across multiple PC's, and include an instructor station capability. But the entry price is steep. And I have to wonder if all the thought that went into the systems of the NGX (fluid dynamics, for example) are even taken into consideration in those third party products.

Just put your sig in a graphic and Google won't index it. I finally got around to doing this myself.