dlynn91

Yep, that's the sound.David Lynn

Yep, the manual states in the limitations section that a successful start is not assured above FL 250. David Lynn

I do not know whether other companies start the APU once airborne, though I would imagine there aren't many. We usually start the engines off of APU bleed air, so it is already running on the ground. As for the fuel, I just looked in the manual, and I can't find anywhere that gives the APU fuel burn rate. But operationally, that would be factored into the dispatch release. Regardless, the APU fuel burn is negligible compared to the CFM56's. David Lynn

I'm in training on the 737, but I flew the 727 for a while which had the old JT8D engines. I'm assuming the noise the CFM56 makes when windmilling is the same that the JT8D made, though I suppose I could be wrong, but what caused that was actually the fan blades. Click here to see that the base of a fan blade is shaped so that it fits into a slot (ignore the arrow and mid-span shroud - just look at the base of the blade). When the fan stage is just windmilling, the blade has a little room in the slot, so as it rotates, it makes a clinking sound. But don't worry, there is no grinding metal as it windmills.David Lynn

According to my 737 manual for the airline I work for, the -700, -800, and -900 can operate the APU up to 41,000 feet with an electrical load. However, operating APU bleed and electrical at the same time has a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet. Furthermore, the APU bleed can only be used to a maximum alttiude of 17,000 feet. We don't fly the -600 here, but I would imagine it would have the same limitations. Note that the APU limitations on the 737 classics are a bit different. Section 3.1 (International Operations) states "due to the limited time that the B737 can operate on standby electrical power it is required that the APU be run continuously in ETOPS airspace." For my airline, the APU is operated on these flights from the ground at the departure airport until past the Extended Range Exit Point, where we usually shut it down unless it is operationally necessary to keep it running.Hope this helps!David Lynn

I don't think you totally understood what he was saying. All he wants is for the sounds to be realistic. He is not advocating that Boeing fit their aircraft with the loudest engines possible. He just doesn't want the engines in FS to sound unrealistically tame.David Lynn

I am in the last class at Purdue University to fly the 727 simulator. While it is nearly obsolete, it is really great at helping understand the systems in transport category aircraft. Nothing is automated, so we have to do everything ourselves. It's a really great airplane, and I am learning a ton!David Lynn

That's certainly a fair argument. VFR cross countries do give you great experience and they are a lot of fun. If you do choose to do your IFR training under part 141, I would definitely continue doing VFR cross countries throughout that process (take friends and family to get the $100 burger!).

Dan,I am a flight instructor (CFI and CFII) at Purdue University, so I figured I would give you my thoughts as an instructor (and much of what I am about to say has likely already been hit upon by others who have posted in this thread). Looking back on my primary training, I would say the biggest mistake that I made was not initially finding the right instructor. I started flying with the first guy who shook my hand. While he was certainly a nice guy, he wasn't the best instructor. You are probably wondering "how can I tell if someone will be a good instructor?" I would suggest asking questions about aerodynamics, airspace, pilot qualifications, etc. to see how well he can explain something. I think that the best question that you can ask a flight instructor to see how well he or she can teach is "so what exactly makes an airplane fly?" I am not sure what exactly your reasoning is behind flying the 172 over the 152, but as far as I am concerned an airplane is an airplane. If you get your license in the 152, you should be able to easily transition to the 172 with just an hour or two of additional training. Remember: your license will say Airplane Single Engine Land - it won't say C-152. Both planes will work very well as trainers - you can't really go wrong with either model.I was very involved in flight simulator prior to getting my license. It really helped me understand the basics of flying. I learned a lot about ATC procedures, aircraft instrumentation, navigation, etc., however flight simulator does not really teach you how to fly VFR and how to perform maneuvers such as stalls, turns around a point, s turns, rectangular course, etc. And obviously flight simulator doesn't teach you what an airplane feels like. Private pilot training will be different from what you have done in FS because you will be looking OUTSIDE the cockpit 90% of the time (remember VISUAL flight rules, not INSTRUMENT flight rules). As for currency requirements, you can look up all the details in FAR 61.56 - 61.57, but the basics are as follows. Within the preceding 24 calendar months, you must have had a biennial flight review (BFR) or have earned a new certificate or rating. In order to carry passengers during the day, you must have had 3 landings within the previous 90 days, and in order to carry passengers at night, you must have made 3 full stop landings at night within the previous 90 days. If you make your landings at night, they also count for day currency. Once you earn your license, it is your's for life; it does not expire. If you do not have a current BFR, you cannot act as PIC or as a required crew member, but all you have to do is get a BFR from a CFI. You are then current for another 24 calendar months.I have always rented aircraft, but I would strongly suggest considering sharing an aircraft if you find good people to do it with. I have several friends who have had really great experiences doing this. In the long run, and depending on how frequently you fly, this can really save you a lot of money.One thing I would suggest for you is to find an approved 141 flight school when you begin your instrument training. This will allow you to go straight into instrument training instead of having to fulfill the 50 hrs PIC cross country requirement for the instrument rating. You obviously have a lot of experience in the FS IFR environment, and this will really help you when you get to that point. Earning your pilots license will certainly be the most exciting and rewarding thing that you ever accomplish! I wish you the best of luck in your flight training, and feel free to email me if I can help you out at all! Fly safely!EDIT: I just saw your question regarding the definition of cross country. For private, instrument, and commercial certificates, flights 50 nautical miles or further count as cross country.Also, one thing I forgot to suggest is to save up all of your money ahead of time that way you can move quickly through your training and won't be held back by money. If you are flying paycheck to paycheck and can only fly once every week or two, you will end up spending more money in the long run because you will have to relearn things from your previous lesson. If you can fly 3 times every week, you will retain what you have learned much better and will require fewer hours to earn your certificate. --David F. LynnFlight Instructor CFI, CFIIPurdue [email protected]