rfresh737

That still doesn't answer the question: exactly what lights on the MCP are you expecting to be illuminated that are not?

So that we are all very clear, exactly what MCP lights were you expecting to see ON?

Normally, the route in the FMC that the pilots have input is a company route without a SID on the departure end and without a STAR on the arrival end (there may be some exceptions to this for some carriers who fly specific, known routes and always fly the same SID and/or STAR). The general reason they hold off on the SID and the runway is because of the winds. The prevailing wind will determine what runway will be used for the departure and therefore, which SIDs are available for that runway. Again, there are airports where this isn't the case such as Los Angeles where day time take offs are always west bound (for noise abatement) unless there is a tail wind. Since I don't fly my PMDG 737NGX like I've described above, what I do for my departure airport is determine which runway is used most of the time for take offs and I program that one into my CDU. In other words, i do it ahead of time so I know what runway and SID I'm going to be using when I get to the CDU route input part. Once I know my runway, I can then use SkyVector.com and have a look at the SIDs for that direction of flight. As you know, there can be a lot of SIDs so narrow down the list by looking at the direction of flight for those SIDs. Then you'll be able to choose one and know which one to select when you get to that part in the CDU. I do the same process for my destination. I pick a runway that is used most of the time and then select an associated STAR. I listen to liveATC for my airports and get a good idea of what runways are in use. There are probably other ways one can determine this I'm sure and perhaps someone will comment on how they do it. The point is, when you get to the part in your pre-flight where you are inputting you route into the CDU you should already know what runways and SID and STAR you are going to be using. If you don't, you have not done enough homework prior to the fight. I'm talking about for us flight simmers. In the real world, the pilots will input their landing runway and STAR but it is very subject to change when they arrive and see what the winds are doing.

Hey, I was going to say let some air out of the tires :lol:

I was hoping to get better outside camera movement with OpusFSX but I need a different control device for that. The support of OpusFSX has been excellent. I'm going to keep OpusFSX and not use EZdok anymore just because I feel it was making my FSX behave so strangely most of the time. Glad to be back to a good solid normal operation. I find creating and managing the cameras in OpusSFX not to be as easy as EZdok but I figured it out and got all of my camera views created and set up. I think both Opus and EZdok are too complex and have way too many features that I don't come close to needing. I'd love to see a camera add-on that was just a basic one with no bells and whistles but I don't think anyone makes that.

I am releasing another two part video tutorial on the Reverse Thrust system. However, this one is a little bit different. I'm going back to basics and this tutorial assumes no prior jet or 737NGX knowledge. So it's target audience are those completely new or fairly new to the PMDG 737NGX. Those of you who have been flying the PMDG 737NGX for a while or for years, will most likely find this tutorial too basic and too boring for you. So, you may want to just skip it. Background: From my previous video tutorials, many flight simmers have emailed me and have sent me PMs (Private Message) here at AvSim to ask questions, make comments, etc. Some of the questions were best answered over the phone rather than in an email or a PM. In talking to some of you and from your emails, it became apparent that some of you lack basic jet and instrument procedures knowledge. That is no fault of yours, you just have not had the exposure to 737NGX-level of training or someone to guide you through what is important to focus on pulling out of the manuals. Without prior experience it's difficult to know what are the Golden Nuggets of information that you need to pull out of the manuals. So, I came up with the concept of a "Basics Boot Camp Series" and this is the first one. All that being said, I have no idea what percentage the newbies make up the flight simmer community, so I am asking you to send me an email (or PM me here) to let me know if this type of tutorial is too basic and/or too boring for most of you. I am adding a Poll to this post so if you prefer to respond that way please do. You can also email me as well as I like to hear from the flight sim community. Based on the poll and email/PM feedback, I will have an idea to proceed with more Boot Camp Series videos or if this first one will be the last one of its type. If most of you tell me it is too basic I will continue to make video tutorials but will not fall back to the level of zero jet knowledge. In other words, I will give the Boot Camp Series an early grave. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the Reverse Thrust tutorials. Part 1 Part 2

"...and the new altitude is dialed in the MCP the altitude also goes to the scratchpad on the ACT ECON CRZ page..." And for those who may not be aware, this only works when you are climbing. If you are descending, you have to manually set the lower altitude in the MCP window and if needed, manually into the CDU CRZ page

You know, I used EZdok for about 2 months and my FSX used to start up and hang and I had to start it up again. Then when I shut down FSX, it would hang and I'd have to force it to close. Did this quite a bit and I never knew why. Then about two weeks ago, I uninstalled EZdok and installed OpusView because I wanted to try out a different camera management add-on. I've been using OpusView for two weeks now and FSx has always started up the first time and shuts down ok and has never hung. I'm pretty sure it was EZdok in my case.

Is this a new FSX installation or have you been successfully using FSX in the past? What folder did you install FSX into? Did you recently install any add-ons?

>i don't see any speed due to VNAV (the screen is empty). Can you expand on this statement? I don't understand several things in that one line: (1) don't see any speed at all? PDF? CDU? (2) due to VNAV what does that actually mean? (3) the screen is empty you mean the CDU screen? and by empty you mean completely blank? What CDU page are you on?

I read the posts in that link. Seems like no matter which way you go, printing the manuals is expensive. Let me share what I am doing if I may. I am learning the 737NGX in two paths: (1) systems FCOM2 manual knowledge and (2) flight procedures from FCOM1 and FCTM. I selectively print one system at a time and learn that system. I mark and comment on my printed pages and most importantly, note any LIMITATIONS for that system. This does two things: I don't have to print the limitations themselves and I have all related limitations in my systems chapter which I put into my large 3-ring binder. Learning the limitations is a very major part of learning the 737NGX. I have a tab for procedures which for me is mainly the Boeing standard for flying an ILS approach. I will be adding other procedures such take-off/normal climb, reduced climb and cut-back climb which integrates with the FMC/CDU. I personally don't fly non-precision approaches so I have no tabs for those. I have no schedule to keep in doing all of this and I can learn at my own pace, thus, I can spread out my printing costs over time, which I like. But most importantly, I do not have to print everything from all the manuals. Just what I am focused on and need. For example, I will not be printing the QRH since I have no interest in doing abnormal or emergency procedures in my flying. My flying is mainly to keep my IFR skills as up to date as possible by flying the PMDG 737NGX. That's all I use it for and that's all I care about for myself. In the FCOM2 there are a lot of pages that come before the first major system so I am able to skip the printing of that stuff and get right to the systems. My aircraft is a BBJ -800 so, where possible, I can also skip printing non-800 related pages (saves a little printing). So, when I am done with all of this, I will have a tabbed and tab-labeled 3-ring binder where I can quickly find any major system and a tabbed and labeled procedures section where I can quickly find and review whatever procedures I have determined to print and save. That's my training approach and technique.

>Is that an FAA specific thing you're referring to? I went to Jeppesen to get that information since they are responsible for replicating the technical aspects of the ILS approach plates. Their Advanced Navigation technical support rep Tony Peterson told me that: "All ILS approaches are not CAT I, II & III. Sometimes a runway may not have the infrastructure to support more than a CAT I ILS."

Lol, yeah I did see that...I was digging deep through some old posts the other day and got lost in them... :wacko:

Just to verify, I fly the LOOP6 out of Los Angeles all the time. This is an unusual SID in regards to the FMC route because your FMC route of flight is behind you when taking off. So you have to take off using the MCP modes without reference to LNAV or VNAV or as Steve has correctly said, you'll end up turning way too soon and not fly the SID. LOOP6 says to fly out on a HDG of 235 after crossing the SMO 160 radial. I set the F/O's ND on VOR with 160 in the course and just monitor it. As I approach that radial I turn the HDG from runway heading to 235 and continue to fly out to the 15 mile point before turning left and heading back to fly directly over the LAX VOR. A few miles out from the LAX VOR I engage LNAV and VNAV finally and keep climbing. I think for those flight simmers who are using ATC, you can get vectored back towards the LAX VOR sooner than 15 miles but you have to make sure you continue climbing as you have to cross the VOR at or above 10,000 feet.

>The 737NGX use for two years never gave me trouble now installed FS2Crew. Sounds like you found the problem...FSCrew is making your FSX crash...try re-installing FSCrew, maybe you missed something important during the install process.

>I set the TOC altitude for the flight as well as the landing altitude. 1. When do you do this? (your statement is a bit odd to say it that way. Usually we just say we set the pressurization Flt Alt to the cruise or cruising altitude, not the "TOC altitude". But no matter, we know what you mean). 2. At the moment you think you have a pressurization failure, you need to know three key pieces of information: a. what is the cabin altitude? b. what is the cabin differential pressure? c. where is the outflow valve position and is it moving in which direction)? The answers to these questions will help us to help you.

Well, I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents. BTW, I like spin737's answer the best: "Chicks dig it." Too funny. From a training perspective in the full flight simulators the one thing we always started training the new pilots on (I say new but they could be 5,000 pilots coming over from another jetliner or they could be low time jet pilots) was this basic AP question: What's controlling speed? Pitch or throttles? On the MD-90 V/S was used for altitude changes less than or equal to 2,000 feet. More than that, then LVL CHG was to be used. Boeing on the 737NGX goes with 1,000 feet or less use V/S otherwise use the other. I'm sure like many of the other practices, this value will vary from carrier to carrier. Anyway, the main difference between using these two modes of altitude change is pitch controls speed with LVL CHG and throttles control speed with V/S. So, our excerise in the sim would be the following: (1) Level at 5,000 feet. I'd play ATC and tell the crew to climb to and maintain 6,000 feet (I'll use the Boeing standard here). I would watch to see if they used V/S to climb and during the climb I would ask "What's controlling speed, pitch or throttles?". (2) Level at 6,000 feet. I'd play ATC and tell the crew to climb to and maintain 9,000 feet. I would watch to see if they used LVL CHG to climb and during the climb I would ask "What's controlling speed, pitch or throttles?". We instructors would do this a few times in the early sim sessions until it was clear they understood when to use which mode, what was controlling their speed and how to do basic climbs and descents. This was all pretty basic stuff for the autopilot but we had to get it out of the way before moving on with the sim sessions. As for my own use when flying my PMDG 737NGX, on approach I like to be in V/S mode if my altitude step down distances are short between waypoints, as it gives me more control on my descents. If the distances are spaced out OK, I'll just stay in VNAV.

If you're busy please don't worry about it...I'm used to clicking on the PFD and the ND to enlarge them again....really, so no worries. I actually installed opusFSX and am now trying that add-on out to see how it handles cockpit views. I'm having a hard time figuring out how to get it to even work...I don't have it working yet but the company is pretty helpful via email but as soon as they clarify one thing I run into another problem so I'm struggling through it and hope to have it working in another day or two. What I have noticed so far is that when I change views, my enlarged PFD/ND remain enlarged so I am encouraged. I can't get any hot keys to dynamically change views, that's my main problem at the moment.

Turn the pack switches OFF and see if that makes the noise stop (if you have not done that yet). And you are verifying that the bleed air duct pressure gauge is reading 0 correct?

I ran ezdok config and did a restore. I did a default reset on all FSX keys. I imported your 737 .cfg file and set caption to key c but that key does nothing when I press it. I set throttles to ctl-R but that key combination does nothing. What's you email so I can email you my fsxserver.cam file? >Also take time to read or step through the step by step guide. Once you get used to the interface it is all very straight forward. I did read the step by step but I couldn't get through it successfully because things were not working, meaning I'd set a hot key for a view and then press it but nothing happens in the cockpit. I don't think the interface is straight forward at all...for example exactly what interface are you referring to? There is more than one: there is the camera control interface, there is the live camera control interface which I have no idea why or when you would use it and I've tried to use it and nothing happens, so that interface is a puzzle to me. I want to define some camera views, assign hot keys to them to call them up and then be able to pan and zoom around with the target view...so far I have been able to get pan working per your tip but I must say its far from being smooth...can't get any kind of zoom to work in a view via the keys. I don't think this is an easy product at all to set up. It's easy for you guys because you work with it everyday. I just emailed you my fsxserver.cam file.

Yes the captain view is checked as Default and assigned to my 737NGX 800 aircraft. OK, I will try importing some other views and play around with that first. EZCA is uninstalled but I could not find the Restore tool to run. Maybe that's the problem. I need to restore all my FSX keys as well I guess. Thank you...

First, let me say I'm coming over from EZdok. I find Opus to be much more complicated and, as a newbie, I feel pretty lost. I am reading the camera .pdf file. I created two 3D views so far, a Captain View and an Autopilot View. I've assigned the key 'c' for captain view and 'a' for the other. However, when I press c or a nothing happens. Spy shows the key presses registered ok but my cockpit view does not change. Also, my joy stick pan button does not pan around in the view (I use the camera dialog to select the captain view) and I can't easily zoom in and out. I realize I'm asking a lot of questions all at once. My goal is to setup about 6 camera views, set hot keys to show those views and if possible, I'd like the added ability to zoom and pan in each view. Thanks for any help...

I fly in window mode but it is set to max. I only have one monitor presently (I'm not using my 2nd monitor) but hope to be getting another monitor with higher resolution soon. However, I need to keep my enlarged PFD and ND on the main screen for my video recordings. Thank you...

I don't use 2D mode at all and I have EZdok installed to handle my VC views. Thanks for your post however, I appreciate your help.

SmartCockpit.com PDF manual, page 4 has the following info: For normal operation of the autobrake system select a deceleration setting. Settings include: - MAX: Used when minimum stopping distance is required. Deceleration rate is less than that produced by full manual braking - 2 or 3: Should be used for wet or slippery runways or when landing rollout distance is limited - 1: This setting provides a moderate deceleration suitable for all routine operations Experience with various runway conditions and the related airplane handling characteristics provide initial guidance for the level of deceleration to be selected.