madtun

Tim I read some of the manual before the plane was released. But after buying the plane I quickly got tried of the alarms and bells going off as well as crashing all the time. Took more time and read more of the manuals and tutorial had the best flight in years.

I think this company started in business writing and making manuals. Somebody correct me if I am wrong. So would it not make sense for more people to try an take the time to read more of the manual which came with the plane. Also the manuals have been available for free for months now. PMDG I hope I am not out of place for saying this but more than half of the problems listed are from people who did not even glance most of the manuals supplied by your company. Such as the door was open when I started the SIM up with a short turnaround. Cleary stated in the manual the plane is in a quick state ready for another destination. The door should be open. How else would you enter the plane. This is a very complex plane but the operation is very common sense.People please study the manual more. All of them even have table of contents.Carl Perry

Same problem before I read more of the manual. Yes I had to read more than just a few pages to solve most of the problems being listed on this site. No shortcuts with this plane.

YEA not enough flaps. 35 to 50 depending upon weight.

Had the same problem. Easy solution. You are over rotating on takeoff. When you press autoflight and PROF, in my plane, it is following the degree climb and angle the plane was in when the buttons were pushed. This info can be found in the review on AVSIM, tutorial and in the manual where they clearly state you can not rotate more than 2.5 degrees. If you have set your Vspeeds correctly when you rotate to the proper angle you have to wait and let the plane takeoff. This is one bird you donot yake on the yoke and jump into flight. PMDG MD11 must be flown into flight just like the real thing. Carl Perry

Building crashes and bumps into other planes I put the plane in repair for a couple of weeks or two months at the most depending on the level of damage. I only retire real crashes.Carl Perry

I am the king of short cuts and I have tried since this plane was released for FS9. THERE ARE NONE. I even tried to shortcut the tutorial. No luck. Most problems being listed on this forum are clearly from those short cutting the manual. I tried. You will run into such easy fixes by glancing at the manual. I have crashed several times including using the tutorial. I finally read as much as I could read and just today was my first REAL flight from the Long Beach Facility. I flew from Klgb to Kphx to Kdfw and finally home base KATL. My BIG BABY is Home. I will be flying the Martinair Livery Cargo out of KATL using logs, charts, flight plans and the works. All SID and STAR procedures for this plane. If I crash in this bird I will retire this livery FOREVER. "AS REAL AS IT GETS"Carl Perry

This plane is surely a computer driven complex bird. I am trying to learn how to fly without using the autoflight (hand flying). Using all the data from the tutorial flight as well as ActiveSky 6.5 real weather download is not recommend for new pilots to this plane. Everything was going fine until the ATC gave the other end of the runway causing me to try and find the new SID. Well I did not do a good quick job and the SID and waypoints did not connect properly. You are not given any leeway on trying to operate or program the MCDU while hand flying. If you get out of position and start to roll or slow too fast the auto system takes over and you should not try to over compensate because the plane is not forgiving. I was trying to retun back to Heathrow to land but of course London is always cloudy with low visibility. Bad choice as I tried to land by VFR flying by hand. Three attemps and go arounds with no luck. Flight was cancelled in mid air. I have other high end heavy payware aircraft but this one has the highest learning curve. I like learning how to fly by hand before turning everything over to the computer. I want to become like the Airtran pilot in New York, no power, no computer and no time. When I start my training using failures then I hope I will not panic as much for those depending on computers and time to read procedures on failures.Anyone else out there that are trying to fly by hand? I have learned how to fly my 767 payware to all the procedures as well as hand fly to a point I would love to get in a REAL LEVEL D simulator and try to fly the plane. I believe I could. I feel the need for 2 more years of FS9 training with the PMDG MD11 just to comfortably get in a REAL world Sim for the MD11.Carl Perry

Had very simular problem. Had to do research on MS Home website to find answers. Tried to download version C++ 2008 for my computer but the download always crashed before finishing. My research turn up a complex answer. I had to TOTALY disable my McCafee virus software(very scary) and load a new version of NET 3.5. Then quickly download the C++2008 from the MS website. It tells you exactly when to immediately disconnect from the internet to complete installation. You have to follow instructions to the very detail. Once installed. Reactivate your virus protection program. McCafee has been know to block some of the script needed in the C++2008 programming. Your virus protection may be doing the same thing.Carl P

The PMDG manuals are fine. This is really one true bird I will not mind learning the long way. I just tried to short cut the tutorial with no luck. I will have the manuals next to the keyboard as I learn how to fly this one the old fashion way. I am just enjoying the start up phase and taxing without flying. I have not experience this since the Project Tupolev 154B plane was released. Took three weeks of intense study before I took one short flight in that plane. Carl P

Looks like I am going to be doing quick takeoffs and landings at KLGB (Long Beach) for awhile until I learn how to fly the MD11. There are NO Shortcuts to this plane. I have been Sim flying 6 years now and have mange to short cut all but two planes. A payware 757 which I crashed without reading most of the manual and this MD11. AVSIM has a review that is so accurate concerning this plane. I am a new pilot that overcompensated and crashed. I tried to fly it like a 747 or 767 and glide in ready to advance power if too low but was too late and crashed. Guess I will be spending my sparetime in PMDG MD11 Flight School!!!Carl P.

Looks like alot of FSX Combo users are downloading. Wow so Many FSX users downloading. How interesting concerning the poll taken by PMDG about which Sim platform is used the most. Proven again FS9 since we are waiting on ALL the FSX Combo users downloading to slow so the rest of us FS9 users can jump on the servers. Don't know if this is the reason but it sure would explain the low download speed. HHUHUHHHCarl P

yes download the manuals from the captain sim website. Go into the 757 screen and near BUY now in will see where it says about videos screen shots and manuals.Carl P

No matter what any FSX users think as you can see FS9 is not going away that easy. One main point, why are all you FSX users not off flying the MD-11 right now instead of bugging us FS9 users waiting on our version. Could it be you are trying to convince us and PMDG to just drop FS9 products like THAT> Sorry go over to LEVEL D they are the only ones stiff neck about FS9.Carl P

I am so happy that PMDG and some of the other professional developers have not abandon us few poor FS9 users. I am not switching for so many reason to FSX (VISTA). During this financial crisis time in the world what sells rules (its call keeping a job) There is STILL a market for FS9 products regardless if it is outdated. Carl P

FSX users. Do you remember your first electronic game, bike or car? How about that second one? Well from some that third one was the charm(FS9). It is no longer the best on the market(FSX) but you can get parts real easy. It is not the fastest and it does not take the latest hardware to run (FSX) just need to tweak just like the rest. But there is nothing like that third one (FS9) which worked so well and still does. It does not look the best(FSX) or operates the best. But it is something you have come to LOVE(FS9). To leave your first real LOVE (FS9) something FAR greater(Maybe FS11) has to come along. For ME, at this time, The new girl (FSX) is a better model but the old (FS9) sure TREATS ME RIGHT! CARL P.

I remember one of the situations PMDG say they are really working on was the lighting in the cockpit. I believe them becase all my PAYware have problems with light settings in the cockpit.The only panel I remember working well in FS9 was Simon Topman panel for the HNAC Airbus 300-600. It actually dim something like what PMDG is trying to do with the FS9 version of the MD-11. If this is the only real bug they are having I hope they will not try to long to fix this problem because it is a MAJOR problem for FS9 platform. I will just fly doing the day until they come up with a usable solution. Any other bugs or fixes and I am willing to wait.Carl P.

The diference between FS9 and FSX is "Money". The new coming deifference between FSX and FS11 "Money" . I wonder about the upcoming debate over all the FS9 users AND FSX users who are not switching to the new FS11 for the exact same reason we are debating now "Money to switch". The world is hurting becasue of this reason.Carl P.

For real ,everyone. To all FSX users, THE TRUTH. All us FS9 users would consider switching tomorrow if we could bring ALL our FS9 addons to FSX for FREE. I dont think that is going to happen. Don't know if FS11 will work as most of us are saying it will because Im sure the FS9 addons will not work in FS11. As I have said in earlier post there is too much good payware and freeware made and still being made for FS9. FS11 will have to introduce something far greater than a better weather maker. I currently have ActiveSky in FS9. Well MSFS hope you are listing to the forums.Carl P.

Here, Here I agree. The only thing I will be SO Sad about is all the planes, software and addons I will not be able to use in FS11. FS9 is the first platform I have invested so much money into. I remember flying the stick version before 1995. FS9 working on XP takes up FOURTY-FIVE GIGIBYTES(45GB) of my hardrive and about 55GB of my external hardrive as a backup with extra planes not stored on the internal drive until I fly them. This is my main reason for not leaving FS9 yet. FS9 users know FSX is a better platform but we only wish we could convert ALL of our hardrives, memory and operating system(XP) to the new platform. The day will come when we will have to move on and start over. I have a feeling MS has listen to everthing the FSX and FS9 users have said in the last year and will bring everyone back together with FS11. P.S. MS try to put out something that works with XP or the new Windows 7 (Sorry, don't like Vista)Carl P.

Yes Michael I feel it. It is down to the wire. The next time I feel we hear from PMDG will be the start of the crazy countdown like with FSX. Don't forget this time it will be all of us old FS9 users as well as the FSX user who purchased the combo. They probally should not say anything until the day of the release. We really cannot have the server go down for people asking about the release versus downloading the release. I choose to download when released than know around the hour of the release.Carl P