fliger747

One comment, in real life we don't order the fuel exactly from the flight plan. We consult it, but it is the Captain's responsibility ultimately for the fuel load. Sometimes the dispatcher does not read some NOTAMS like the one we had going into Sydney from the US, expect 20 mins holding. Or arriving in Chicago at 9AM with no contingency fuel? Just as in real life, pay attention to the fuel loads, you get pretty good at knowing what it should be on familiar routes. You get paid for knowing stuff! So loading payload and fuel from the PMDG CDU is a little inconvenient, but closer to real practice.

IRL I have more time in 4 engine aircraft than any other types. I have always liked the A340 as I though it was an elegant aircraft, and a comfortable on etc ride on. I'll spare you my Airbus tirade flying wise. Probably not a purchase any time soon after expecting a lot more from the A350 project. The 2020 A350 flew OK and I expect that the 2024 version is largely a port over. The 2020 version flew "OK" but the 2024 version was virtually un flyable until recently. I've been working on the flight dynamics for a 2024 aircraft (and have converted others) and began doing the work in 2020 sim, which turned out to not be so much of a head start. MSFS has disabled many of the parameters in the flight dynamics files and relies increasingly on the dynamics of the aircraft "physical" body. This can leave what were essential parameters inop. Anyway after a gazillion updates it flys mostly OK. Not having flown real Airbus Aircraft I can't comment but Fenix seems to do OK.

A 2024 strangeness is at KSFO departure. If you select a ready to fly runway it will deposit you on 19L, no matter what. Especially as this is not a departure runway, facing straight at the hills behind Burlingame. Another issue is in the PNW, sometimes the runways at Seattle and Portland will have abrupt vertical changes which will wipe the gear off of an airplane.

I was privileged to fly every 747 except the SP and also flew the LCF for Boeing. Not sure why they chose to do the 100, there is an old saying that you never want to fly the 100 of anything. It's a fairly marginal airplane, the 200 was what really made the legend and the 400 by far the best performer. The dash 8 is a bean counters plane, elegant but a somewhat leisurely performer. More weight and more efficient but not really more power to go with the weight.

Good chance the Pneumatic cross bleed is closed. You are attempting a single engine takeoff? With one engine operating without rudder trim applied the aircraft will indeed experience a strong rolling moment. This is typical of swept wing aircraft as advancing one wing will significantly increase its lift over the other. Generally in a Boeing rudder trim is used to correct a rolling tendency, not aileron trim.

Note that on the ND that it is a user (not cockpit) selectable option to have either track up or heading up. Airlines have many options such as Kg to Lbs, Feet or Meters etc to customize their displays for their particular operations.

Really only reason to buy more than one is if you are a fan of a particular model used by a particular airline. IRL I flew a number of types of the 737, as many as three different ones in a day. We used to put a little card on the isle stand reminding us which we were flying as they all landed a little differently. Subtile enough to be harder to differentiate n the sim. The longer ones had more rotational inertia and flair was started a little earlier.

I flew all the "Classic and Jurassic" 737's for a number of years. One salient point is if you are stable on approach (GS/LOC) and disconnect the A/P you should need no trim change. Often if in trim and stable conditions one can fly a nuts on approach by not touching anything. Self induced turbulence can be an issue. Non FBW Boeings have considerable pitch change with thrust adjustment. Actually a good thing! So A/P off, A/T off is a suggestion. You will find the plane speed stable. Since your desk throttles do not move like the real ones, note the N1 and match when disconnecting. If your plane displays the sim thrust lever position match that way. At about 30' with say about an 800 fpm descent rate a very minor pitch change is necessary , 2 deg or so and thrust smoothly brought to idle. Look at the far end of the runway and ease off a little if she doesn't kiss the ground.

Just fly the Pacific, so much more fun in real life and in the Sim.

Shortly after the Asiana SFO crash we practiced this scenario in the 747-400 sim. The crew involved did not understand FLCH, which has two modes, climb thrust with pitch to a selected speed in climb and idle thrust, speed maintained by pitch if in auto flight on descent. 777 procedures suggest AT always on. Unfortunately what this did when the A/P was off was take understanding of who was flying the plane away from the crew. Take the pilot out of the loop in thrust and it can be a hazard. My personal rule was A/P off A/T off. "Boing" at least moves the thrust levers unlike the Bus Builder. The proper mode for what they were trying to do was "Speed". They pulled back in pitch when noting going low on the visual and expected to be speed protected, they were not.