davidz

The range arcs that you can set up in the FIX page are great for EDTO flights (read: ETOPS or EROPS, if your local aviation authority haven't switched over the terminology yet). Plug in your EDTO adequate and your OEI cruising speed and you get a rough picture of when you are within one hour of an adequate aerodrome. Of course, you would still use the actual EDTO Entry/Exit Points from the OFP...

There is certainly publicly available data now for curved approaches, with Airservices Australia publishing the public use "multi-variant design" approach charts and corresponding data on their website. I haven't checked the Navigraph/Aerosoft navigation data to see if they are now included (obviously they won't be for the PMDG version) but it is now certainly quite possible to have these programmed in. A rethink of the navigation database would be a good idea for PMDG: there is quite a bit of data that the navigation data suppliers drop or fudge when converting to the PMDG format. Transition Altitude for each airport is the most obvious. The ARINC standard has procedure turns as a leg type, enabling all of the parameters to simply be coded in - for the PMDG database, extra pseudo-waypoints have to be added, not unlike how DME arcs are currently handled. Of course, I'm sure everyone would prefer for this to happen AFTER the release of the 777

They do blink... very quickly so normally you can't see it unless you point a video camera at it.

The other problem is that the United States is probably the only country where government works are excluded from copyright protection. In most other countries, the AIP is protected by copyright. I know for a fact that when you access the Australia AIP electronically, there is a thousand word copyright warning that you have to accept prior to access. To compile a worldwide database of AIP charts would require licenses from over a hundred national aeronautical information services. This is not to mention that some states seem produce charts with abysmal ergonomics and readability (who wants an A4-sized SID chart drawn to scale with an incredible amount of information overload?), seemingly assuming that everyone is just going to use Jeppesen.

It is normal for the aircraft to drift to one side or the other if there is a crosswind. Realism settings won't affect this. You need to correct with rudder - focus on the end of the runway and try to keep it straight (if you try and look at the centreline right in front of you, you will overcorrect).

Most B744s operating over the Pacific Ocean are equipped with FANS 1/A (CPDLC/ADS-C). FMC WPR (FMC Waypoint reporting): At each waypoint, the ACARS will send a position report to the airline based on FMC data. This is forwarded to ATC. This is a substitute for VHF/HF position reporting on aircraft without CPDLC. PDC (Predeparture clearance): Prior to the estimated off-blocks time, ATC will issue an airways clearance to the airline. When the pilots press the button in ACARS, the airline will forward the clearance to the pilots.

Much of the more complicated stuff (like RNP, ADS, etc.) is subject to regulatory approval, and so will vary between operators. Note that if you file "S", you don't need to also file "O", "L" and "V".

I've posted this a few times now, but I'll bug the PMDG guys some more I think that the ideal solution would be to allow third party developers to use the CDU/MFD as the user interface similar to real world systems and Jeroen Hoppenbrouwer's "MCDU". Additionally, developers would need access to read/write data from the FMC. For a well organised VA, this could present a huge number of possibilities: general ACARS messages (telex, weather requests, OOOI); wind data downlinks; route downlink; etc. This kind of system would have many benefits, the most obvious being that PMDG do not have to spend time developing something specific to one online network. Another benefit is that third party developers can develop their application once and simply rewrite the user interface part for each aircraft.

The only solution (for pilots) in the real aircraft is to reduce the range or turn off the APRT (or any other) layer. If you are getting the "EXCESS DATA" warning, you probably don't need to display that much information anyway I would suggest putting key airports that you want to have reference into the FMC FIX page.

Andre, you're talking about creating an entirely new weather engine... so that we can have a weather radar! Now I'm not opposed to a new weather engine (there are many shortcomings in the one in FSX), but a weather engine is not just some visuals and cockpit cosmetics (e.g. QNH). Rather, it would affect the entire flight dynamics package and would therefore have an adverse affect on pre-existing aircraft that are not designed around it (particularly more complex models by developers like and including PMDG). Nothing is impossible - it's just that many things are impractical!

Kyle, you just broke the first rule of poker club

Not sure how Dauntless have managed to legally sell these charts. Unlike the US Government, most governments around the world retain copyrights, including copyrights to AIP. These charts are pulled straight out of there. Save your money: all of these charts can be found in national AIPs and you can find links to each country's AIP at http://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/ais-online When you get to the AIP you need, if it isn't immediately obvious where to find the terminal charts, look under "Aerodrome 2.2". What's better about these is that normally they are up-to-date and you can use these with your navigation database from Navigraph or Aerosoft.

And how do you think they are going to cover the extra expense of doing that? By jacking up the original price. I'd rather stick to keeping a copy of the install thank you very much.

Nice try, but all 777s without EFBs have an EFB shaped clipboard there

Solution: Inject hi-res GRIB data into the sim Much easier said than done, of course!

Guys, it isn't that complicated. This is something that every instrument pilot learns when they learn about instrument approaches. If your track isn't within 30 degrees of the final approach course, you cannot join final directly. Instead, you must complete a procedure turn or sector entry to the hold. Now, the real FMCs have no trouble doing a procedure turn or hold. However, PMDG, for whatever reason, are still reluctant to change their database format and modify the FMC software to allow for (among other things) procedure turns. Particularly in Australia where there are only twenty-some controlled aerodromes, it is common for aircraft to conduct a procedure turn. It is impossible to do this using LNAV in PMDG aircraft and instead we have to use the old fashioned way of twiddling the heading bug.

In any case, adding this as a "sim option" would pretty much require a massive change in FMC logic so it is unlikely to happen.

Automatic step-climbs are actually not a very good feature in a real aircraft. Normally you are assigned a particular level to maintain by ATC. When the aircraft starts climbing without you noticing, you're going to get some pretty stern words over the radio and possibly a phone number to call As far as I know, the 777 does NOT have this function. Once the aircraft enters altitude capture and then hold in VNAV (FMAs "VNAV ALT" or "VNAV PTH", depending on whether it's capturing an intermediate level or the current FMC constraint/cruise level), adjusting the altitude bug doesn't do anything. You must press altitude intervene (pushing in the ALT knob) for the aircraft to do any further climbing. This logic is consistent through modern Boeing aircraft. The only time that I'm aware of, in which a Boeing AFDS will command a level change from altitude hold in VNAV without the altitude intervene/FMC execute is when the aircraft reaches T/D with a lower level set in the MCP altitude window.

Controllers on VATSIM don't have the power to "boot you out of VATSIM". If they come online while you are in their area of responsibility, normally they will use a tool to send out a generic "Contact me on <frequency>" message. If you aren't in a critical stage of flight, you should contact them as soon as possible.

On the other hand, ATC will want to prioritise those with equipment. When you have better equipment, you take up less 'space'. With ADS-C over the ocean, you only take up 30 NM rather than the normal 50 NM separation that is applied for RNP aircraft. With ADS-B, you only take up 5 NM rather than what ever procedural standard would otherwise be applied, plus ATC can vector you, etc. Again, same thing with RF approaches in busy airspace. If you can be cleared along a track that keeps you away from busy corridors, it's easier to give you space to conduct your approach. Makes life easier for everyone!

As long as you're not disrupting anyone, you can.

Airservices Australia has just published the RNP AR procedures for Melbourne, including RF leg centre points. Almost all of these procedures contain RF legs. http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/sup/s12-h102.pdf Brisbane RNP AR procedures have also previously been published.

Fuel doesn't freeze in Flight Sim, however, PMDG have previously modelled fuel temperature. It shouldn't be too hard to get fuel freezing as well *hint hint*

Furthermore, many of the newest 737s rolling off the production line are shipping sans-ADF...

TO/GA is used for takeoff as it sets the takeoff power correctly without the pilot having to trim the throttles to the correct power setting. Additionally, it commands the Flight Directors to TO/GA mode, which commands 15 degrees nose up initially, then pitching to maintain V2. On go around, TO/GA should be pressed regardless of whether A/T is on/armed. Going around is the worst time to think about whether or not the switch is in the armed position. Also, pressing TO/GA will bring up the flight directors regardless of whether the F/D switch is on. The go around procedure should be similar to the takeoff procedure. Rotate; gear up; at around 1000FT, power back and nose down to accelerate; level off at the missed approach altitude or ATC cleared level. This is not the time to sit back and admire the power of the aircraft as it climbs out at 6000fpm. You have the space of a minute or two to do everything so you must be focused. If not, you WILL end up at 300 knots and 10000 feet and a very unimpressed controller