richardnobes14

Use Speed Intervene or FLCH during the descent and set it to between 310 and 320kts, works best below FL200, let this run for a while as it is takes you below your VNAV PTH, wait until you are about 1,000ft below and then wind the speed back to your desired speed (usually 240kts if below 10,000). This gives you plenty of extra room to slow down without having to use the speedbrakes or initiate an early flap extension. Be sure to monitor any terrain and adhere to MSA's and ATC instructions though.

It will disconnect at the point when the conditions become too difficult for it to process, by which time you should have manual control anyway.

Why would you need to APU in flight?

Dave, The only other thing that I can suggest is uninstalling FSX and all associated products and reinstalling them into their own folder (C:/Microsoft Games/Flight Simulator X). Windows 7 does strange things to Folders inside the "Program Files" folder and this includes protecting them and all files inside them against editing which is probably why your liveries are not installing as the required files and folders are unable to be written into the directory. I had my FSX installation in the default place (C:/Program Files/Microsoft Games/Flight Simulator X) and I was encountering all sorts of strange problems, I was told to reinstall FSX into its own folder. Since ive reinstalled everything I have had no problems. Think of it as a little bit of pain for a lot of gain. P.S Make sure you restart your computer after each new product has been installed.

I leave mine on the default setting, set dynamic rate of change to 0 and turn off all FSUIPC weather settings if you use them. I personally think AI aircraft do more harm than good

Make sure you right click on the livery installer and select "Run as administrator" regardless of what type of privileges you have under your account. Also try and run the Flight1 registry repair tool then restart your computer and everything should be fixed up. Download the Registry repairer from here:http://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=library

This is quite normal behaviour, depending on the cost index entered descent rates can vary greatly, this also depends on the path outlined in the FMC, in the descent the PATH is the number one priority over speed so if you have above and below way-point restrictions you'll find that your descent might be quite steep. This is fine and normal as long as you have the space to slow down, as you cant really go down and slow down at the same time .

Yep, anti piracy kicking in. You'll find that if you go and buy the 747 from the PMDG website or get it on CD from aerosoft this problem will go away.

The 747-400 burns approx 12t of fuel per hour of flight. Add 1t for taxi, you also need to allow for holding time,alternate and extra fuel say about 10-15t depending on what your alternate airport is. For EGLL it is EGKK (about 20 mins from EGLL). Add or take fuel until the remaining figure in the FMS is about 10-15t. You can also use this tool http://fuel.aerotexas.com/index.php but it is not as precise or technical as say FSBUILD

Check the ZFW figure in the FMS against the figure given in the load manger. Confirm that you have both the 747 and the load manager set in kgs. Try and set the weight and fuel of the aircraft, click "save to file" a couple of times and then close the load manager and load FSX

If you don't have the aircraft trimmed properly (i.e nose pointing in such a way that speed neither increases or decreases on take-off). The Autopilot will not engage. This happens on the real aircraft however this feature can be turned off in the "Simulation" section of the Aircraft Options menu in the FMS

Use FSUIPC to calibrate and sync the throttles

If you load a panel state when starting, the amount of fuel will revert to the amount that was in the aircraft when you saved the panel state

Push the Altitude button (click once on the button you use to set the altitude on the MCP)

That was actually number one on my list, FL CH will not give you a "smooth climb", it will be the same as an VNAV step climb

Two ways of step climbing. 1. Changing the MCP altitude and pressing the ALT intervene button 2. Changing MCP altitude, then swapping to V/S for a climb rate of about 300-400fpm, while this is happening change the CRZ ALT in the FMC and then place back into VNAV after climb

Check your FS path is correct and then select the PMDG 737/747/MD11/J41 (MSFS) option in the "Export To" menu, you will have to do this each time you load FSBUILD unless you change it in the config file.

I had the same problem too, its something to do with wind turbulence. If you have Activesky, enable Direct Weather Control and turn off wind turbulence, and if you use anything else either turn off turbulance in the FS weather settings or set FSUIPC to smooth wind changes.

If you leave the packs switched off and continue climbing that could be a pressurisation warning and not a take-off config warning.

Each Navigraph AIRAC cycle costs 20 navigraph credits. The minimum amount of credits that you can buy for your navigraph account is 100 which costs about $12 AUD which means each cycle (approx 1 month) costs about $2.40 AUD. Each cycle contains a complete and updated collection of airways, weigh points and SIDS/STARS. Worth every dollar in my opinion.

The background of what?

If you are told by ATC to climb to a flight level, i wouldn't touch V/S (especially when heavy) I would use Flight Level Change as it protects you from stalls and maintains a constant speed, adjusting the climb rate accordingly. You could be setting a climb of 2000 fpm in the V/S window and it will climb at that rate but your speed will be falling away, remember V/S has no stall, overspeed or altitude protection

You can just simply ARM the auto throttle again, it wont engage until you tell it to (e.g. setting TO/GA power)

When starting the engines either turn all packs off or packs 1 and 3 off, then start engines 4+3 together and then 2+1 together or individually, starting with 4 then 3 then 2 then 1 or the reverse, also keep continuous ignition switched off until all engines have been started.

You are obviously trying to pick holes in what I have said. The SID was incorrect which you would notice if you listened tothe video "We have a bit of left turn here" SID's dont usually contain 90 degree turns between the end of the SID and the beginning of the route. Seeing as though no standard route was used, it would be extremly hard to find a SID for the departure. You will also notice that no Virgin or BA 747 departs from Birmingham Airport, so again there would be no SID to fit.