skelsey

No -- you're over-thinking it slightly -- it's designed to feel almost exactly like trimming a C172.
 
On the control column on the 777 (and indeed the 737 and 747) the trim switches work in exactly the same way. If you want to select a lower nose attitude, you push forward on the control column. You then click the trim switches "up" (towards the top of the control column) to select nose down trim, which relieves the pressure on the controls. It's more intuitive than it sounds!
 
The 777 is, from the point of view of how it feels, exactly the same: you push forward on the control column and push the trim switches "up" (towards the top of the control column) to relieve the pressure.
 
Most (if not all) conventional aircraft are speed-stable, the C172 included. To prove it, take the default Cessna up and trim it so it's flying straight and level at 3000ft, at 2200rpm: the airspeed should settle at around 90kias and you should be able to take your hands off the controls without the aircraft wanting to leave this state.
 
Now take your hands and feet off the controls and pull the throttle back to 1700rpm. The aircraft will pitch down (initially partially because of the thrust vector) and start a gentle descent, whilst the airspeed remains roughly unchanged at around 90kias.
 
Likewise, if you do the same thing but instead increase to full power, the aircraft will start to climb but the speed will, more or less, remain at 90kias.
 
The 777 is designed in exactly the same way, except you're trimming through the FBW computers which gives you a little more precision and corrects for things like the thrust-pitch couple you get with underslung engines, flap extension etc. For this reason, the trim switches select a speed rather than a stabiliser position: because the FBW may decide to move the stabiliser to counteract configuration changes. However, from a pilot's point of view it should fly exactly the same as any other conventional aircraft.

My IFR is a little rusty, but here goes:
 
If you are joining direct from the north or south, you can join via the ICMG D10 arc, which is straightforward -- follow the arc, intercept the LOC, fly the descent profile and Bob's your uncle.
 
If for whatever reason you cannot join direct, you would need to route direct the CAM and perform a course reversal (the racetrack, which you enter the same way as you would enter a hold from various sectors). Once you are pointing in the right direction (i.e. inbound the CAM on 092) at 3000ft and you are cleared for the approach, you can then route outbound from the CAM on the appropriate QDR for your aircraft category to D8 ICMG, descending to 1700ft, then make the turn to intercept the LOC and descent profile.
 
EDIT: beaten to it! As mentioned above, you would almost always be radar sequenced unless you request the full procedure (i.e. for training purposes).

(Reproduced by request from the Flight Planning forum):
 
 
 
Depends on your risk threshold!
 
The main advantage of flying IFR is that you can fly in controlled airspace and thus benefit from the safety of a known traffic environment: in most classes of CAS, every aircraft that enters will have to be speaking to/identified by air traffic control: plus, responsibility for separating IFR traffic from both VFR and other IFR traffic rests with the controller (though, of course, the PIC/see and avoid remains the final defence!). If you are VFR, you will either have to remain outside controlled airspace or negotiate a clearance through (which may or may not be forthcoming). Outside CAS it is "bandit country" -- there is no requirement for other aircraft to be talking to anybody, have their transponder switched on (=no TCAS).... it really is "see and avoid".
 
For this reason, most commercial operators prefer (and, indeed, their insurers may require) to fly on an IFR plan: it's significantly safer.
 
 
 
 
I'm not familiar with the Seychelles AIP, but there is normally a form of either semi-circular (east/west) or quadrantral (different levels for traffic going NE/SE/NW/SW). Usually a VFR cruising level would be an odd or even level (dependent on direction of flight) +500ft. However, see above: outside CAS you are in bandit country and in any event you must remain in VMC (which will be defined by local regulations: essentially the very minimum requirement is clear of cloud and in sight of the surface, but there are usually minimum in-flight visibility requirements and once you start going higher you usually need to be ~1000ft vertically and ~1500m horizontally separated from any cloud).
 
 
 
 
There is no reason why you can't tune the ILS up and follow it if you know how to use it. However, ATC will not (may not) vector VFR flights and you will not be offered an instrument approach procedure if you are on a VFR plan (it will be assumed if you are on a VFR flight plan that you don't have an IR). However, if you want to tune it and use it as a backup to your visual, I see no problem with that.
 
 
 
The equipment required depends on the regulations in each country: the UK requirement is laid out in Schedule 5 of the Air Navigation Order, the Seychelles will presumably have a similar document, but yes. Generally speaking you need a radio, transponder, radio navigation kit (i.e. VOR/ADF), turn and slip indicator, ADI etc: the C172 has all of these.
 
 
 
 
Don't confuse the type of approach with the flight rules.
 
You can fly a visual approach under IFR: accepting or flying a visual approach does not change your flightplan to VFR. However, you must have adequate visual references to fly the visual approach (i.e. VMC).
 
IFR = Instrument Flight Rules. You require an Instrument Rating, but this means you can fly in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions -- i.e. clouds/poor/nil visibility) if necessary. You can do this because you instrument training prepares you to fly by sole reference to the instruments, and by flying in controlled airspace (though you can fly IFR outside controlled airspace) ATC does the "seeing and avoiding" for you with radar (or other methods of separation).
 
For this reason, you must follow all ATC instructions and ATC may vector you (i.e. give you headings and altitudes to fly). They can do so because it doesn't matter if they vector you in to a cloud: they know where the other aircraft are and you are capable of flying without visual references. ATC is responsible for your terrain clearance whilst they are vectoring you, and instrument procedures are designed to give you appropriate terrain clearance if you follow them correctly.
 
VFR = Visual Flight Rules. You must remain in VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) and you are responsible for both separation from other aircraft and from terrain. You must also plan to fly outside of controlled airspace, though you may be permitted to transit class B/C/D if traffic conditions permit.
 
Because you must remain in VMC, ATC may not issue you radar vectors (they might take you in to a cloud), and they will not offer you an instrument approach procedure. They may, however, ask you to follow a certain route, remain east/west/south/north of a particular point, route via a particular ground feature, or remain above or below a certain altitude in order to help deconflict you from other (i.e. IFR) flights.
 
A visual approach is just that: an approach flown using primarily visual references, instead of with primary reference to a published instrument procedure such as an ILS. You may carry out such an approach on both IFR and VFR flight plans, and in any aircraft type from a C172 to an A380.

Hi there,
 
You can choose any callsign you want. If you're simulating an airline route, you should use the appropriate three-letter ICAO airline identifier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airline_codes) and related callsign on voice, followed by a flight number (e.g. BAW123). If you're simulating a particular airline's routes you could find the real callsigns on a site such as FlightRadar24, but there's nothing to stop you making it up -- as I say, I'd start with the airline code and then some numbers. The only restriction is that two pilots on the network can't have the same callsign (it just won't let you connect and will tell you why) -- the solution in this instance is just to modify your callsign. Some just add an A in this situation (e.g. BAW123 --> BAW123A) -- I personally would recommend changing it a little more (say, BAW123 --> BAW12AB) to avoid confusion should you both turn up on the same frequency!
 
Non-airline (i.e. GA) flights generally use the aircraft registration. The only thing to note here is that, strictly speaking, dashes shouldn't be used -- so G-EGLL painted on the side of the aircraft should be entered as GEGLL in the 'callsign' box when you connect to VATSIM. That's certainly not a rule, but it is in keeping with real-world practice.
 
In Simbrief, there's no distinction between commercial flight number (what you see as a passenger, i.e. BA208) and ATC callsign (what's used on the radio/ATC flightplan, i.e. BAW34N) and most OFP formats seem to interpret it as the ATC callsign, so I'd put in the numerical bit of the callsign you intend to use on the radio (so in this case, I'd enter BAW in the airline field and 34N in the flight number field).
 
In terms of registration -- I don't own the NGX, but from my experience of PMDG products to physically change what's on the side of the aircraft you'd probably need to install a new paint scheme. From an airline flying point of view, it's not particularly important as the aircraft registration isn't used on the radio and doesn't need to be included in a VATSIM flightplan.
 
Hope that helps.