Dan_Churchman

OK, I answered my own question today; at least one of them. The FMC does indeed have settings for in vicinity of your destination airport (two ways this is activated - crossing first App waypoint, or within a certain distance of the airport {default is 15nm}) and if the FMS is in charge, it will grey out the speed reading on the Guidance Panel. It has four speed settings - one each for clean (190 default but you can change it), SF1 (149), SF2 (139), and SF3 (VAPP). The gotcha for new players like me is that if your destination airport doesn't have any approach information (not in Navigraph's database), I think you'll have to set your vSpeeds manually in the landing panel | Landing Data tab if you want your automation to be able to handle this. So, at least one question / problem resolved as Pilot Error

On their web page, I see that their offices are closed until August 30. So you are not likely to get an answer before then...

I've only had this add-on a few days, but I've read the manuals and can't find answers to my questions. Hoping someone here can help. Q 1. As is true for all planes that use Navigraph AIRACs, I found myself flying into an airport yesterday that wasn't in my 1708 AIRAC. Two issues arose from this that baffled me. The system popped up a box to suggest that I load an approach. Of course, as I've said, the FMS couldn't find any. But the popup kept returning, and even came up during short final. Is there a way to disable this? I was frankly surprised that the lack of an entry in the AIRAC more or less locked me out from any programmable solution to an approach. The FMS couldn't even let me select a runway! There doesn't appear to be any facility for manually programming the FMS. Have I missed something? I have the LDS763 and all of this is a breeze to accomplish. Q 2. OAT was well below 0. As I descended towards clouds, I went to the overhead panel and turned on everything for anti-icing. All switches had ON indicators illuminated. About 60 seconds after becoming fully immersed in the clouds, the EICAS alerted me to ice build up. Did I miss something? Q 3. I can't find any way to set crossing altitudes, or otherwise adjust my vertical profile. Q 4. In a similar vein, I seem to be doing my step climbs incorrectly. The only way I have found to instigate a climb is to set the new altitude, then disable VNAV and use Climb. I also seem to need to manually select a V/Speed. AND the system screams at me that I am not at the correct altitude the whole time. How should a step climb be performed? Q 5. During approach, is there some condition under which the A/T becomes inactive? I was on an ILS approach, LOC and GS captured, and slowing down, working flaps; I had my gear down. I went to reduce from 150 to 110 (still pretty heavy with fuel), but found the readout greyed out, and the knob unresponsive. The "engaged" light was still illuminated. Very confusing. FYI I read other threads listing a bunch of bugs. As to frame rate, mine is smooth, but then I was flying offline, there was little traffic, and stock airports. I also have a fairly beefy system (specs in sig.).

Oops, I missed this, but I declared weather engine on my postings... Active Sky 2016.

Sorry to disappoint Ron, I didn't crash. I did however have an awful time with TeamSpeak. JoinFS got a little funky too. It is a problem with where I live; government censorship sometimes outright blocks VPN usage, and the Internet gets very slow whenever "sensitive" news is going around. It just makes anything on the Internet really difficult. But thanks for ride, everyone. I got to fly a few legs, even as baton carrier one time. I've lost my "Noob" free pass for next year Well done Team Avsim; great organizing from the top, great team cooperation. I enjoyed meeting and flying with you all. See y'all next year!

Wingman safe at SETN FlightLog_18-38-24.TXT

Flying wingman for Jock, SPCL to SETN, SOH F7F-S, AS16

I am having some kind of "Blacklist" issue with TS. Cannot connect. I waited for Steve to takeoff, then posted and took off. It looks like something happened to him... I will continue to SCAT. Sorry for loss of comms. Can't seem to fix it.

Flying Wingman for Steve, SCSE to SCAT, ABC F8F Bearcat, AS16 [Dan's wingman leg is no longer valid. Primary Pilot aborted leg. New pilot will claim baton]

Posting FlightLog_02-57-50.TXT

The Baton is free at SNGM

I have the baton, SOCA to SNGM, SOH F7F-S, AS16.

Wingman down safely at CYGL Posting FlightLog_15-00-32.TXT

Flying wing for Travis. CYYQ-CYGL. SOH F7F. AS16

I hear ya. I just don't want to embarrass myself crashing on landing, ya know? Well, bedtime. See you guys in about 8 hours.

Gentlemen, I have some concerns about the effect of the limitation on using normal aircraft. As I am brand new to this, I have had to learn everything from scratch, and I didn't have the required aircraft installed (except the LDS763 which might be moot). I successfully downloaded, installed, tested, and familiarized myself with the F-80 and the F7F. I practiced for several hours with each - especially the F7F as I anticipated this would be the main aircraft I would fly. However, with the rule about limiting the usage of normal aircraft, I went seeking more freeware aircraft from the Whitelist. I have downloaded and installed the Milviz P-38, the F8F Bearcat, and the RR-SOH Sea Hornet NF.21. My tests with these aircraft did not go well. I will try more this evening (my last chance to practice before the race), however I have to find autopilots for them, install them, and still hope to have time to work out my problems with the handling of these aircraft. Given more time I could probably do it, but I am not confident about tomorrow under race conditions. I understand I am new, and my opinion counts for little, but I really think this limitation on normal aircraft is unwise. I cannot see how it adds anything to the race, except a layer of complication merely for the sake of the complication. Limiting the usage of thoroughbreds, and jet airliners, is quite understandable, though again, I'd question a limit on type within those categories. Limiting by specific airframe within the "standard" normal category seems pointless. Anyway, I don't expect that to change by my noob request, so I wish to advise, for the sake of tactical planning, that the only aircraft I have in which I am confident in operating reliably, are the F-80, the F7F, and the LDS763. If the "allotment" for F7F gets used up, I'm not certain I could be successful in a leg needing a normal alternative aircraft.

I have questions. 1. I get the impression we should identify our aircraft according to the Whitelist. If that is correct, then those of us posting using the "F7F..." should in fact identify our aircraft as "SOH". That seems silly. Have I missed something? 2. Limits on usage of Normal aircraft. Rules 4.i)© & (d) seem to be one rule that says there is a usage limit on normal aircraft capable of greater than 350KTAS. For my interests, the F7F is NOT limited in usage; I can fly it as many legs as I choose (team tactics withstanding of course).

Jeez Ron, be careful what you wish for!!!

I noticed today between KEST and 1S5, on a bee-line course I flew over the Yakima Training Center red zone, so marked on my Little NavMap display. Is that a race violation? Do we have to avoid overflight of restricted airspace like this?

A bit too late for me, Ron... 1900 UTC will be about 0100 for me.

This was just a test run from MHCA to FA54 in the LDS763. I fixed the runway at MHCA and wanted to test it, also to see about getting the 763 out of and into tiny airports. Success! FlightLog_23-53-24.TXT

Um, won't this be a problem for the race?

Posting for MHCA to MNBZ FlightLog_01-12-40.TXT

Baton free at MNBZ.

I have the baton MHCA to MNBZ F7F-3S.