rfresh737

>In a 737NG, the opening signal is tied to <10ft RAlt signal. Wow, I find that amazing, thanks Fabo...you're the man...

I re-installed into a clean folder C:\FSX3 folder and set the fxs.exe to run as XP Mode and all seems well now. I'll see how it goes over the next few days...thanks for the help Kyle.

>Shouldn't the engines have idled in as soon as nose wheel hits ground and engines reverse thrust kick in? I'm not sure how PMDG modeled this but getting into reverse thrust isn't an engine thrust issue, its where the throttles are physically positioned in a real aircraft. What I mean by this is that you absolutely will not be able to bring the reverser levels up unless and until the throttles are all the way back at their idle position. I've never tried it, but you should not be able to get into reverse idle in the sim (PMDG) if the throttles are forward beyond the idle position. I say this because if the throttles are at idle, you should be able to pull up and start getting into reverse thrust....so yes, this should be happening by the time your nose wheel touches the runway. I was thinking that maybe the issue you are having is that you are getting into reverse idle and not full reverse so in effect, you're landing and using only reverse idle? Do what I did, land with an outside view and do what you do to get reverse thrust going and watch to see if your reverser doors are sliding aft (obviously they should be)...your nose wheel may still be in the air or just touching down as your cowl slides aft. If this is happening then now all you have to do is kick in more reverse thrust and this I'm thinking you may not be doing? You will need to press your reverse thrust key again and hold it down for a few secs to throttle up the thrust to get into full reverse.

Well, I have reverse thrust mapped to my F2 key...upon landing I press F2 once, by habit I wait a sec or two, then I hold F2 down for a few secs and that gets me full reverse. I have watched this with an outside view upon landing and it seems to work as expected for me. That being said, I'm now reinstalling my FSX again into a new folder FSX3 since it stopped working yesterday.

Just a minor point: you might be able to do that in our sim (apply just before touchdown) to get it work more realistically, but on the real aircraft the reverser's are usually tied into the main gear air/ground sensor switch...which means, the reverser's won't actually work until the plane gets an on-ground signal....this sensing usually comes from the main gear so even in the real plane, you can get the mains on and start the reverser doors sliding aft while the nose wheel is still off the ground. For anyone interested in how the cockpit reverser handles work in a real jetliner: Pull up on the reverser handles until it stops at the detent. This is about 2-3 inches of upward movement. The detent is a physical mechanical lock...the purpose is to force a very short wait state (1 or 2 secs approx) to give the reversers time to move into their reverse idle thrust position. On the 737NGX, to get into the reverse thrust configuration, those large internal 'blocker doors' that slide into position inside the fan section (you cannot see them from the outside) to block all of the fan air from exiting backwards as normal. This forces that fan air to escape through the case sides through the 'cascade vanes' (these you can see) which are now exposed when the outer cowling slides aft to expose these fixed cascade vanes. The vanes are fixed and angled approx 45 degrees forward and the fan air gets blown through them and thus forward at a 45 degree angle to create the 'reverse thrust' effect. Once you wait out this short mechanical delay, the detent physically unlocks the reverser handles and you can now pull up and aft and control how much reverse thrust you want to apply. The reason I keep mentioning this short 1 to 2 sec mechanical time delay is because I've seen many new pilots, upon landing, forget about this delay and they try to pull the reverser handles up (really hard) and aft in one movement...but the mechanical lock is made out of metal and it's built like a tank...you ain't going to make it work any faster by trying to pull up on it as hard as you can...I've seen guys pull their hands off the handles they were pulling up so hard and many in training forget about this short detent lock under their landing stress. So the proper technique is pull up a few inches, wait for a sec or 2, and then continue pulling up and aft. When we watch a plane land, we can watch those outside cowling doors slide aft...that is the reason for the delay that is taking place...once they have reached the full open position (have slid full aft), the pilot can NOW apply full reverse thrust as needed. I'm sure the air speed policies differ from carrier to carrier but, generally speaking, you want to be out of high reverse thrust by 70 knots and have them stowed by 50 knots. If you're holding any descent reverse thrust below 50 knots then you run the risk of ingesting FOD into the engine inlets from the reverse thrust hitting the ground and throwing up small rocks, etc. So, 70 knots is a good speed to start coming out of reverse and once out, then stow the handles back down fully.

Yes, I've made several this afternoon...they save under a new name but none are re-loading the cockpit state. I made some CDU inputs and did a co route save. I see in the PanelState folder the same file name extensions as my Load/Save files: .fmc and .sav. My CDU co route save name was "LAX LAS" and I see "LAX LAS.sav" and "LAX LAS.fmc". My Load/Save filenames are "EA2.sav" and "EA2.fmc". When I Load a flight I only see the EA2 file selection so I load that in and do a Fly Now. Then in the CDU I try to load my previously saved co route "LAX LAS" does not show up (nothing shows up to select). I'll keep trying things tonite...thanks...

Thanks for the tips. I am running as Administrator. I set the fsx.exe as run as administrator and I start it as run as administrator. My save PanelState file is updating as I load and save but its not loading the 737 correctly. I'm setting the Captains light switches on full on then I press the ; key to save it, then exit all the way out back to the Win7 desktop. Then I restart FSX (as admin) and click load and select that one and only file and Fly Now. The panel switches are OFF. The strange thing is that I looked at the .sav file in the PMDG 737NGX/PanelState folder and I see the light sw is NOT at 0, it is 255 which is full on as I set it but it doesn't load full on. I set the entire top level PMDG folder security settings to allow everyting for all users (Admin, me, etc.) and it set all the nested subfolders (I manually checked) so all folders are writable and as I said, the .sav file is being timestamped correctly (from my flight save action). Well, I've wasted the whole day on this and still can't save any flights. I guess I'll continue to work tonite and see if I can save the CDU parameters that I input. Gosh, my 737NGX is broken !!!

My FSX started to act up this morning. I was making some landings and then doing my go arounds, but my TOGA key froze my whole FSX. I trouble shot it for a couple of hours this morning and could not get it to not freeze on me so I installed FSX and PMDG 737 again. And I re-installed the SP's for FSX and PMDG. Now, hours later, as I try to put my system back together, I find when I press ; to save the flight, when I load it in again, it is not saved. My install folder is C:\FSX and I run as Admin. This was all working fine until this morning. So why would I not be able to save the state of the cockpit? It goes through the motions of saving it like it did before, but upon reload its not saved. It used to be that my CDU route was saved too but now I see that is not saved at all...my cdu has no route in it. So, obviously something isn't working still, for saving anyway. I thought I'd post for some help because I've been at this all day and maybe my brain is fried now and I'm missing something? Thanks...

Thanks, I had not hit the APU yet...and no, I wasn't looking for the theory, I was looking for the engine systems information...thanks again...

I'm starting to do a deep dive into the systems and was looking in the FCOM2 for a chapter on the CFM engines...but I was surprised not to find a chapter about the engines. What's the reason Boeing decided to leave this information out of the FCOM2 systems manual? Are they assuming that the target audience already knows about jet engines? Or am I blind and just cannot find it? It should be in the FCOM2 if it exists. Thanks...

Try this link directly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x5PV1cuZUg If that still won't work for you, email me and I will email you a link where you can download my .mp4 file (which is what my YouTube account has) and then you can play it directly on your computer.

Try clearing your browser cache...I deleted the original part II video and uploaded it again...let me know if this doesn't fix the play issue for you. I am able to play it on YouTube.

>That wasn't directed at you, just some of the simmers who believe that autoland is the norm. Well, I fit that statement in some cases, so I pleaded guilty lol...

Matt, thanks for your comments. Based on your flaps 5 to flaps 1 to flaps up comment, I think I will modify my tutorials to reflect that. In my go around in the video I felt my acceleration from flaps 15 to 5 was pretty weak, so I engaged climb power...but based on your comment, I should just continue the flap retraction schedule to UP and then go for climb power (if I have not reached my altitude yet). I have some things on my plate to get to first, so this update won't be until next week. And while it is a minor one (in my opinion) I want it to be as accurate as possible, so thanks for your input. >Good for you. But you're not simulating real life. 99.9% of the approaches I've flown are hand-flown at some point. Yes I am aware of that...my main purpose in flying the PMDG 737NGX is to keep my IFR skills up so I use the autopilot and let my brain do the thinking as I manage the MCP panel...so as a result, I don't care about things like the weather, ATC talking to me, etc...I just load up the FMC and go fly. That being said, I do think YOUR comments are vital for everyone to read and learn from (including me) so while my flying may not be real world, we all still want to hear from you when you feel it necessary to chime in...!!!

A CAT I is just a normal ILS approach, hand flown...so I'm not sure what I could add because there are a ton of those videos out there already...

Which one? There are two...wait a minute, are you talking about my videos or Jaime's video?

Hi Jamie Yes, your post is correct, however, I do have some comments: >But that doesn't mean you "can't" fly any slower than that, right? Correct, you *can* fly slower but I don't know why you would want to. I've been calling the flaps "maneuvering speed" the minimum maneuvering speed but they are different as you pointed out. I would never think of flying at a given flap setting at less than the "maneuvering speed", so for many years, to my mind, it's also been the minimum maneuvering speed to me. Habits are hard to break. But you are correct in your statements. To try and clarify my "unsafe zone" and "safe zone" regarding the speed tape: I refer to those 'zones' as to when you should call for flaps 5 and flaps 1 and flaps up during the go around. The aircraft takes a bigger performance hit on the go around vs a normal flaps 5 take off. Airspeed acceleration isn't as good, thus you may or may not have a vertical Speed Trend Vector green arrow. If you don't or its very small, you may want to hold off on selecting flaps 5 until the 5 bug is at or below your current speed. To select flaps 5 without a trend vector, above your current speed, would cost you some of your stall and bank protection. So, can you do that? Yes. Would you want to? No, not really. If you have a descent green up arrow (the speed trend vector) and your 5 bug is across from it, then by all means call for flaps 5 (even though the 5 bug is technically in what I called the unsafe zone for flaps 5 selection). >Any speed that's between the min. man. speed and the max. man speed, is safe to fly at. I understand it's "good practice" >to fly at your flap maneuvering speed for each flap setting since those speeds are "optimal", but that doesn't mean you >can't fly 5 knots faster than the top of the amber band and still be safe, right? I personally agree with your paragraph above except for that last sentence. Again yes you can fly 5 kts faster than the top of the lower (I think you meant lower) amber band but I don't know any pilot who do that. That is just too slow and you've given away your stall margin and steep turn capability. >I understand it's "good practice" to fly at your flap maneuvering speed for each flap setting since those speeds are "optimal". Yes, and I get it that you understand this extremely important point and that's great. To finish up: In training, the pilots are taught to fly very specific speeds. It's all about being at the right speed for a given flap setting. In jets, you have to fly very specific speeds. You really don't have a large range to play in as the FCOM would lead you to believe. I hope this helps. Thank you and the others for the kind words. As I said before, when I got my PMDG 737NGX last year, this forum helped me a lot to understand the plane, etc. (Kyle too, as I know you are lurking about lol). I am glad that I can take some of my background in working in pilot training for Boeing and a couple of major airlines and apply some of that to how I fly my PMDG 737NGX. I'm grateful that my video tutorials have been received so well. But its wonderful to read the posts from many of you to help me continue to learn the 737NGX. Matt brings his current line flying experiences to this forum and I always learn from him. Kyle has been on this aircraft a couple of years now so he brings his vast knowledge into play every now and then. I do have to say I have been amazed at how detailed some of you flight simmers are. For example, I myself don't care about hand flying the plane that much and I don't care that much about the weather conditions. But many of you do and many of you non-pilots know a lot about the 737NGX and how to fly it properly. I remember a post Jamie made one time where he said he wasn't a pilot. Jamie, you and many others are more of a 737NGX pilot than you realize :lol:

Very nice video indeed...!!! Thanks for sharing that...!!! Hi Jamie I think the confusion still has to do with what is the weather conditions? Remember, if the weather is clear, you can do an autoland on any ILS and if it's not a CAT III ILS, then you have to carefully monitor the autoland. So, in other words, if the weather is clear, you can autoland using a CAT I or II or III ILS. If the weather is down to actual CAT II or III minimums, then you must use the correct ILS approach plate, the crew must be qualified and current and the aircraft autoland must be certified and operational (no broken components) for the CAT II or III approach. Yes, it is true that CAT I and II ILS approaches are pilot flown (we're talking actual wx minimums here) but don't forget that the FAA can allow carriers to conduct special ops such as Matt's airline: hand flying a CAT IIIa using the HUD. So, that's an exception but since reading that post from him, I've found carriers who can do the same thing. So, there is a standard but there are also exceptions. I thought the video posted by Ryan was really good. I liked it, especially the captions. Since they were autolanding on a CAT II I assume the weather was relatively clear. I also noticed their ILS did not have DME. DME is a critical item for an ILS at low minimums so I'm guessing that the ILS approach they were shooting wasn't really a CAT II ILS but I guess there are always exceptions. I could not tell what kind of ILS that really was. I would need to know the airport and what runway they were landing on. Jamie, I hope this helps.

Just an FYI to anyone using my fuel planning spreadsheet: I have updated it to version 1.0.0 from its Beta release. It's been 14 days since I released it and no one using it has reported any problems or issues with it, so I am taking it out of beta status. It is now version 1.0.0. No changes made to it other than marking it as 1.0.0. Thank you...

I created a two part video tutorial on the "Go Around" procedure for the 737NGX. I have just released it on my YouTube account (the links are below). Part I is the ground school portion, done using a Power Point presentation type of format. This covers everything for the classroom instruction. Part II is a video of flying the PMDG 737NGX on an ILS CAT III autopilot approach and then doing a go around at my Alert Height (AH) of 273'. I'm flying into the Las Vegas airport, starting on the downwind leg. There are two items with the KEPEC THREE arrival I am flying that will require me to modify the two standard Boeing ILS procedures: (1) Because I have a speed restriction on one of the downwind waypoints, I have to fly my localizer intercept heading (the base leg) at flaps 15 vs the normal flaps 5 and (2) because this arrival turns me onto final 25 miles out, I have to intercept the localizer using VOR/LOC vs APP. When I get in closer to the airport, I switch over to APP mode and then I get my G/S arm annunication. However, all of that being said, if you don't want to watch the downwind leg, the base leg and the initial localizer inbound leg, then you can just fast forward to the part where you see LAND3 in the PFD. From that point on, it doesn't take too long to get to the go around part. Part I YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9apk-uwt3c Part II YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy1vq04rhU4 I hope you enjoy the tutorials.

>Nice work on the autoland presentation by the way. It was very well done. Thank you Marc. I was amazed at how many people have viewed it...almost 450 views in 48 hours. I guess there is a lot of interest in flying CAT III autolands lol.

Yes, it's the actual weather conditions, the airport will call it...meaning if the weather is down to CAT III minimums, they will officially set the airport at that level. This will engage and enforce those CAT III Hold lines on the taxi ways so ground traffic must now hold behind the solid double lines while waiting. What this also means to us is that ONLY aircraft and crews that are qualified and current to do a CAT III autoland (or a CAT IIIa manual landing using the HUD as I've learned from this thread) will be landing until further notice. As for you second question: in VFR conditions you can fly any ILS approach you want. Each approach plate has its own minimums and RVR values, so it really doesn't make sense to say can I fly a CAT I ILS on a CAT III ILS approach? You can just fly the CAT III ILS, period. Just fly it and adhere to its minimums criteria. Now, again, I have to say: if the actual weather is poor and you're flying an ILS approach, then you must pick an ILS where you and your aircraft are legal to fly that ILS approach. All ATC will do is clear you for the approach. It's your responsibility to make sure your approach is legal...that's why they are paying you the big bucks

@Marc Both engine bleed switches are OFF right? >With the left pack on utilizing APU bleed for pressurization... One small caveat if I may: The primary reason the APU bleed air is being used during a No Engine Bleed Takeoff is for passenger comfort from an air temperature and air flow stand point. (Meaning the APU bleed air is operating the left pack). It would not be to provide pressurization. While the APU bleed air does provide some pressurization, that is a secondary concern. So, your statement is correct but I wanted to mention 'the other reason' as well During the take off, pressurization is not an issue but passenger comfort is. The engine bleed switches are turned ON right after take off and so, that is when pressurization would really get going.

Joe, that finally worked...!!! I now have a hotkey for my Spot View. Thanks for all the help...!!!

Well, I did that but F11 does nothing. I have deactivated my Ezdok add-on. If HotKeySelect=3 equals F11 why doesn't camera3 show up in the Settings? Its missing so I cannot set F11 as the hotkey, isn't that why F11 isn't working for Spot View? Unless F11 is 'hard wired' to the Spot View?