blackopscc1

Keeping track of all of the iterations of the former Avient is akin to watching an episode of Foyle's War. Avient to receivership, to AV Cargo to AV Cargo Airlines. Somewhere in there we cannot overlook Global Associated Aviation, and in 2013-2014, a "new" airline, Global Africa Cargo, was formed in Zimbabwe on lease transfer of two of the MD11s from AV Cargo Airlines. An aviation soap opera, to say the least. Meanwhile, the MD11 has soldiered on, albeit in 09, Avient wrote one off in China - crashed on takeoff. Those Avient MD-11s have been "pimped" around quite a bit.

There is no comparing the MD11F and 777F where real world cargo operations is concerned. They are two vastly different aircraft, each with advantages within the niche they were originally intended to fill. The MD11F is the ideal integrator machine; great operating economics as has been pointed out. The MD11F's C4 contours allow for easy side by side loading of the AMJ igloo containers, and the main deck contour of the machine means the AMJ will give good space utilization without much waste. Moreover, AMJs are interchangable with the 75Fs a lot of integrators are moving to for short haul and domestic operations. It's a huge advantage and one of the reasons the MD11F is so popular with FedEx and UPS. It's a great machine, given its intended purpose. The 777F on the other hand is intended to fill the gap between the 74F and the MD11F, giving all cargo and combination operators like LH and EK and others the ability to load the heavy, dense cargo requiring Q6 and Q7 (118") contours normally associated with the 747F, and offers a larger side door (120Hx142W" versus MD11F 102Hx140W) and heavier "zones" on the main deck. The MD11F is taxed to its limit when loading 4MT per position, except over the wingbox, whereas the 777F can take a 6MT MDP with little or no complaint, except for the forward most and rear most positions. I worked with the MD11F for years at Lufthansa Cargo; it is a great machine if you're flying the right type of cargo, i.e. consumer goods from Asia to Europe, but it is not ideally suited for transporting heavy industrial cargo. Each to its own niche. And you CANNOT beat the observers seat behind the Capt. and that huge panoramic window on the MD11. I really like flying on the MD11, and while PMDG's MD may be headed to the Victorville of flightsims, the real machine has years to go before the last one sees the boneyard! JT

The F/O is fine. You don't ham-fist a jet let alone a C172. In my CFI days, I always taught my students to handle the yoke with just their fingertips, maybe their index finger and thumb if the bumps became severe - gentle and precise control - no ham-fisting, and above all else be comfortable and relaxed. Most jerky control movements are the result of the input of pilots hanging on the yoke like a chimp in a tree. There is just no need. This is especially true in the jets I've flown. No need to grip the yoke like a vice. I taught the above along with the 2/2/20 concept I learned (2 degrees airspeed, 2 degrees heading, and 20 feet of altitude up/down) and while I cannot say I've never had a student bust a check ride, I can say very few did. The local DPEs always knew my students were taught well.

I personally do not feel exploited by the fact that PMDG is charging me for what is essentially a new product designed for a new platform (P3D) and one that will be further developed and enhanced in the future. I imagine too that there were quite some legal costs sunk by PMDG (given the depth of the simulation and the P3D EULA, not to mention PMDG being a Boeing licensed product), and these costs have to be recovered, and to me it is only fair they do so. As for other developers who may not be officially licensed by the likes of Boeing or Airbus, or who may think, simply because they are not a US based/domiciled company, that they are somehow immune from US civil and tort law, and choose to port their products over without a second thought to the P3D EULA or how those products may be used (for good or bad), I just hope for their sake they never see the backend of a US civil - let alone criminal - lawsuit. The Malaysian 370 had me worried for awhile that the likes of PMDG and others would cease development and sales of their products over just this type of fear. Just my opinion. Not intended as a bash to others who do not share it.

So long $189.00 and I suppose, so long FSX as well. It's been a great ride, but now that I can run my PMDG NGX and Open Cockpits stuff in P3D, legally, it's definitely the time for a change

Hi Flex, I too have the Rift DK2. I bought it initially for DCS, and have been flying the A-10C in DCS using the rift, and really enjoy it. Like you, I have attempted it in P3D, and my system is a relatively new Haswell based system, running SSDs and double Nvidea 780s etc. The issue with the Rift is as you say, FPS. Higher FPS for me, means less of a feeling of vertigo or motion sickness while using the VR headset. No way P3D will achieve that running PMDG, but can be done with the default included aircraft and few to no additional add-ons. Good luck. For me, I strap on the DK2 when in DCS and launch my A-10 for a great "ride".

Last time this happened, I believe a 777 release was not too far behind . This is, indeed, good news. Just waiting on the NGX so I can migrate once and for all to P3D.

Have been trying now for a while to get my 5 monitor set up to work. Running 2x Nvidea 780 cards, a Matrox Triple Head to Go digital edition, but I cannot for the life of me get the two 19" monitors to work no matter what I do..... Have the 3head2go on the first card, and 3 Acer monitors set up on it - this works fine....the two 19" (where I am planning on displaying cockpit instruments) on mated to the second card in the DVI slots (leaving a vacant DVI slot on card one for a touch screen overhead I am waiting on plus the HDMI outputs where I am debating another touchscreen for pedestal/ radios. Tried SLI, no joy... 3d nothing... Disactivate SLI... Nichts......Tried activate all displays.... They come up green, but when you apply settings... NADA .... Had to walk out this afternoon for fear of taking a ball bat to the whole kit!!! Any help appreciated.. Can send screen shots and a pic of my set up to anyone who thinks they can help me sort the gremlins out!!

Well, if shopping is on her list, I will guarantee you, she won't be disappointed in The Woodlands (but your wallet might be ;-)). There is the Woodlands Mall, not to mention Market Street, which is an outdoor shopping area - and of course the Waterway.... where you will find lots of excellent dining, some high end + great English and Irish pubs... If you have the $$, stay at the Marriott Waterway. My wife and I have brunch there each Sunday. Fantastic hotel... You cannot go wrong.

Simple. The Galleria as the previous poster noted, or The Woodlands. If you are going to travel out of KIAH, then The Woodlands is the best. Conversely if your travel is from Hobby, then the Galleria is the better choice. The Woodlands is like the Galleria, "uber" high end, e.g. think Nordstrom, etc.. But with MUCH better dining options and ambiance. Cheers. JT

I am running into issues with my 5 monitor set up. Used to be, I could span the three large 27" monitors to get one surround view for the VC view, with the two smaller 19" monitors running flight displays. Now, I can only set up the 3 monitors in surround (NVidea SLI - 2 x 780 cards) and the other two are inop. Frustrating. Anyone with any ideas on this? Seems to have happened with a recent update to the Nvidea tool

Thanks Bryan... A quick check of Google using your comments resulted in a Flight Global article that confirms your statement - thrust bump for 115.... Great help!

Hi all, Just a quick question - I know the GE-90-115B general thrust rating (115,000 lbs) but what about this derivative 115B "1L" - I cannot seem to find much on the net about the "1-L" suffix.....is this a reduced thrust variant? I noticed Etihad is flying some old Air India machines with these engines, and I am just curious about this for flight planning with the PMDG 777LR.

The point with PSX is probably being missed here. The software is targeted for professional FBT and airline operators. The depth of systems modeling in PSX goes WELL beyond what PMDG does or even attempts to do - and bear in mind, PMDG got its start doing Operations and Flight Manuals for the original Aerowinx PS1 :-) well back in 1997 (I still have mine). A quick look at the threads on the Aerowinx website will demonstrate what I talking about (go to the thread about idle disagreement... the modeling in PSX situations goes deep - the way down to whether or not the correct circuit breakers are in / out, etc.). The fact that the Aerowinx support community have come up with ways to project the visuals out the window on FSX/P3D and so on is just the icing on the cake. I have both the PMDG 744 and now PSX on my machine. I work with the 744 every day, so for me, PSX is a real treat, but that does not in any way diminish what I love about PMDG's stuff.

I have my rig set up with 2 EVGA Nvidea 780s (3MB cards) running in SLI. Rig has 5 monitors, 3 x Asus 24 inch for the out-the-cockpit-window view, and two 18" running for the panels. I am trying to get the set up to look similar to a couple of rigs I saw on a flightsim.com multiple monitor thread. How do I configure the out-the-window view? When I try to undock screens, and drag to the monitors, I can't seem to get FSX to permit me to place the instrument panels in the 4th and 5th monitors. The idea I am shooting for www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?235872-Multiple-monitors. That PMDG MD11 is exactly what I am aiming for on my rig. I don't need the 6th monitor and the overhead ... yet :-) I am trying to set up the three 24" set up in Surround, but FSX jams up as soon as it loads the textures. I get flashing blank screens, and have to end up re-booting the entire system. Take it out of surround, and FSX is happy as can be. Anyone with any idea what I am doing wrong with surround, and how to configure the outside view on the three screens so I get no panels in it, etc? JT