Vagabondo

777 this is normal, but that policy can't be implemented on a 737.

Or FMC, "INDEX", "REF NAV DATA", "AIRPORT IDENT". Enter the ICAO code. Then enter the "RUNWAY IDENT" (e.g. "15L"). Elevation data is then displayed.

For Cat 1, visual and non-precision, the answer is when you feel like it, but not below 50' (FAA) and 158' (JAA) or MDA. Cat II and Cat III depends on equipment and SOPs.

Well yes. We use VS just about every flight. Usually on approach during vectors to avoid early level offs, but also it is much more responsive than LVL CHG for managing deceleration too. However, once near bugged speed, VS is very conservative and will generally hold the speed about 10kts faster than bugged so becomes less useful when speed control is paramount in the terminal. Traffic Advisories would be very common without VS but still happen from time to time. Prompt action is required and as VS is responsive it works very well. If a TA is anticipated with a high RoC then VS +1000 fpm always works. Low stop altitudes on departure are due to traffic, so steaming into 4000' with CLB thrust and a 2500 fpm RoC is not advised! VS at higher altitudes is quite risky. The aircraft is very sensitive to temperature at altitude and can quite simply stop climbing before resuming just as the buffet bars are closing on the bugged speed. Climbing in VS at altitude risks some kind of low speed situation (might be nowhere near stall, but well within the lower amber bar) which can be extremely difficult to recover from without leveling off at best or even descending, even with two engines at MCT. Here's a scenario. You get windshear in cruise at FL370 traversing the bottom of a jetstream. The aircraft max alt is FL373. The speed suddenly increases with the trend arrow well within the overspeed barbers pole. What to do?

Couple of things: Doors, there are two of them, fwd and aft of the nosewheel. Really, it makes no difference if it is a maintenance door or not, mistakes happen and the door maybe left open or not closed properly. Think British Airways A320 that took off with all the access panels on the engines open ripping off the cowlings off and having to return with stalling engine(s)!! The equipment doors are in the direct line of site of the ground engineer during startup and pushback. Also it is nearly impossible to do a walkaround and not see that a handle isn't flush or the door is wide open. Totally agree with check the annunciations. In the real aircraft it is nigh on impossible not to see the master caution illumination. In NGX, of course it doesn't really stand out, so it is understandable that something wasn't noticed, but for real, if the door is not shut properly it will be clear as day. As an aside, permission is required to pressurize the hydraulics - either the bypass pin is installed or Sys A has to remain off until pushback is complete - only the ground guy can verify this. Granted, probably not required for just a start and taxi, but makes sense to keep it standard.

I doubt this happens at all, if ever. I've never heard of any such thing. Firstly if either of the E&E doors is not closed it is immediately obvious during the walk around and the door handle stands proud if the door is closed and not properly latched. Also, the ground engineer has to confirm that all ground checks are complete and that all doors and hatches are closed before clearing the crew to pressurize the hydraulics. In the flight deck during preflight the Captain performs a lights test. Before contact the ground engineer the crew will check door light annunciations to ensure that the CC have closed the doors and the loading of cargo and bags has finished. Even if the crew managed to miss the Master Caution system annunciation all the way up to this point, the Master Caution recall system is checked as part of the before taxi procedure, which would make it completely and utterly obvious.

Just to give you a hint at how serious this would have been in real life (and also how unlikely), if the engineer leaves the equipment compartment light on, you can just see it through the rudder pedals mechanism Just supposing you didn't notice the extreme noise, you wouldn't have been able to pressurize. If the light came on after departure, just a bad day in the air, back to HQ for tea and medals. If you didn't notice before departure time to polish up your resume for McDonald's :wacko:

You wouldn't believe that in the real aircraft, the F/Os trim indicator is indicates 2/10ths more aft trim than than the Captain's side. Add to that standard weights for bags and pax, large cargo sections, etc, then everything is roughly approximate. As a result, usually control forces are correct on T/O, but sometimes it needs to be hauled off and other times it just leaps into the air.

As Zeljko says, the real world technique works great in NGX. This is a bit of a discussion killer, the answer is in the Flight Crew Training Manual (FCTM) included with NGX. In summary, at around 20', smoothly initiate the pitch up (only about 5-7 degrees pitch attitude, not much at all) and then slowly reduce the thrust levers to be idle at touch down. This will ensure a nice positive landing well withing the touchdown. There is no flare as such when landing a 737. Very similar to three pointing a tail wheel, you simply set the landing attitude and hold it there until touchdown.

You mean this one: ? Hardly just mild chop or happily rolling down the ILS. It looks like a textbook micro burst with headwind followed by tailwind. Ended up full scale below the glide with -2000 fpm and bouncing off the barbers. I don't know what the 767 product is, but the weather radar showed predictive windshear, the call was for reactive windshear and seems to chime in a before the effect became apparent, which isn't my experience in real life. The video appears to be manually flown to demonstrate the effect rather than demonstrating procedure or a/c systems so I wouldn't read too much into the actual flying. All in all, I would say that that ASN effect is pretty good!!

Hardly ever. The only time I have ever had to do the electrical power up supplementary procedure is when collecting the aircraft from maintenance or in the sim (by sim I mean real training sim, not NGX). Not sure what you mean by "meaning you will not run through all the preflight flows etc". The premilnary preflight and preflight flows stay the same regardless. If there is no one to hand the aircraft over to, we just shut it down (electrical power down supplementary procedure) and close it up.

The message in the real aircraft is "DRAG REQUIRED". I can't recall exactly what it is in NGX.

As you say, but also in the supplied FCOM, section 12.10.

I am one of the real world pilots who helped with NGX Emergency, so I would say good things about it The emergencies it covers are as procedurally realistic as it is practically possible to create in FSX. I have subsequently used it myself to practice scenarios. It will require more reading and a thorough understanding FCOM1 and the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) to get the best out of it and appreciate what's involved. Here is the official demo vid:

To the left of the vertical bar, that Kyle mentioned, you should also see a horizontal caret pointing right towards the flight path vector. This caret is your energy (thrust, drag and kinetic). If the vertical bar is above the FPV, then your speed is fast. Simply adjust pitch attitude and/or thrust to move the carat to about the same deviation but vertically opposite and the speed will gently come back. As the vertical bar retracts, simply adjust your energy to center the caret. This is how it works in real life. However, I recall NGX's implementation didn't respond quite like the real thing, but is still pretty darn good. This real world video is great. Note how he keeps the caret below the line and how the caret drops suddenly when they extend the gear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opiqvfrMGuc. Only small thrust lever movements are needed to adjust the caret.

Pro tip! Use IMC or AIII HGS modes for instrument approaches (AIII == ILS) (IMC ~= any instrument app). Obviously VMC for visual approaches. Primary mode (as shown above, is very cluttered and with strong crosswinds will go non-conformal (the FPV gets a dashed circle to show the actual vector is beyond the viewable area of the HUD. Also, make sure the angle in the FMC is set to the PAPI not the actual G/S / G/P as it for visual guidance and will ensure 2 reds and 2 whites during the visual segment (at least below minima). Not sure how accurately FSX PAPIs are compared to actual real life and airport specific PAPI angles?

Sorry no specific FSX related answer for you, but funnily enough, the effect of using the HUD at night in real life makes apparent similar issues! If it isn't bright enough, segments get washed out lighting (city, street, runway), when it is bright enough, it becomes difficult to see the runway!

Haha. And all the better for it I'll wager

I believe the 50' thing also comes from operational regulations (for example but not limited to EASA EU OPS) where the minimum turn height is 50' above the DER or half the wing span whichever is greater. I believe this operational regulation is related to procedures where a specific obstacle survey has been conducted (perhaps operator specific and usually for contingency procedures) and therefore does not related to general ICAO procedure design which assumes a minimum turn height of 400'. Does this tally with your FOX departure?

Sorry Matt! Hey Kyle! It comes from ICAO PANS OPS instrument procedure construction criteria. The 400' thing is actually 120m rounded up.

Hey Kyle, An immediate turn is at or above 400'. At 400', select HDG SEL, then set the desired heading. There are exceptions to this 400' rule, but very rare and then are usually associated with engine failure scenarios. But even then the same procedure applies.

Thanks Ryan, that's clarified it. The topic stater seems to be saying that they remain with a single channel approach, he could do with clarifying that.

Actually that is not procedure. If you are told to remain runway heading after departure or given an initial heading, then HDG SEL should only be engaged at or above 400'. 400' is normal minimum altitude for a turn (there are very rare exceptions to this). To be honest, I am not 100% sure why or what would happen if you engaged HDG SEL on the ground, would it turn before 400'? I have never tried this in NGX, the sim or the real aircraft. I'm guessing Boeing are saying that they will not vouch for system behavior if you do engage HDG SEL on the ground. Boeing does say to ensure that the selected heading matches the runway track if the aircraft is fitted with the HDG SEL takeoff option (the Alaska option you mentioned), which suggests HDG SEL engaged on the ground could/will turn the aircraft early after lift off. As an interesting aside, we have had occasion where LNAV has engaged from the armed mode on the ground, this happens occasionally, but LNAV does not initiate a turn below 400'.

Good thinking, but the FDs pop-up when you press toga, even with the FD's switched off (except of take-off). BTW, fail operational has no bearing on late go-around capability, the same applies for fail passive, CAT1, non-precision, visual, etc.

I don't think so, Boeing describe the FDs as not having any flare capability, which is why they retract.