mtrainer

Boomer / Hawkeye - care to share any initial impressions of your 737 purchase? Also, from what airport was your initial flight (just curious). Mark Trainer

This has been a very interesting thread to read, I've heard products mentioned here I had never heard of before and plan on looking into them. I have about 6 spreadsheets representing 6 different aircraft, with each tab in the spreadsheet labeled with the to-from airport, for example, "PHLI-PHNL", then the next tab picks up where the previous flight left off, "PHNL-PHOG", and so on. In the spreadsheet I have the scenario starting and ending names, the date in real life, the sim date, starting and ending fuel, the NAV route used, and what has become a lot of fun: pictures as I go- you can use the snip tool in windows and take pictures from the sim and drop them into the spreadsheet and even resize them right there in excel. Also for each tab I have the airport diagrams copy/pasted into the sheets using the snip tool, as well as approach charts and basically anything else that is relevant to the flight. So now I have a record of all my flights, as well as pictures. And if I ever re-do a flight, I copy/paste the entire tab which has all the diagrams and NAV info figured out. So when I think about where to fly next, I usually review the spreadsheets to see where my favorite 6 aircraft are currently parked and decide where to go next, usually something no farther than 2 hours away (after all, the takeoffs and landings and the best part), and something in-line with the airline I'm flying- for example the Caribbean Air airplane normally visits the Caribbean Islands, the Alaska Airlines flies around Alaska, I have a United Airlines plane that flies from Chicago all over the United States (normally to my payware airports), etc. I have a BBJ (Boeing Business Jet) that goes anywhere- it's my party plane and it goes to all my party destinations (Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Grand Canyon, Hawaii). I may take this one on a zig-zag trip around the world, completely documented in the spreadsheets. Keeping the spreadsheets is indeed a little more work, I will say that for once I have something to show for my flight simulator time, and I wish I had started doing this 20 years ago. Plus, each spreadsheet is like a scrapbook of memorable screenshots of each leg of the flight. It's how I roll lately, Mark

Seems to me the speed brakes deployed when there was pressure on the rear struts, but since it bounced, the system may have presumed a go-around and stowed the speed brakes. Note they came back on again once the back wheels were on the pavement. I believe the system worked in the manner upon which it was designed. Mark Trainer

I originally purchased PDMG 737 about a year ago, and today was studying up on the use of CWS (Control Wheel Steering). I can't believe I've never gotten around to learning about this tool that is incredibly useful. I'd suggest to anyone not familiar with its use to google it, especially anyone new to the 737. I've also flown the first tutorial in the manual an embarrassing number of times, highly suggest going through those too. Thanks, Mark Trainer

The 737 NGX is a great blend of man vs. machine tasks. It handles extremely well under manual control, and the HUD, while I don't use it all that often, has the ability to make nearly every hand-flown landing virtually perfect. Of all their offerings, I would consider this one a must. Mark Trainer "I'm not saying I'm batman.....just saying we've never been seen in a room together...."

There is no maximum winds aloft in the latest version of AS16, only an option to disable them. I'm also capped at 99 on the MFD when flying around Irma and I'm using Prepar3D V4, PMDG 737NGX. Mark Trainer

One last "easy" thing to try....undo the overclock on anything running over spec. Some components (CPU / GPU) can go into a underclock mode for brief periods to keep itself from committing suicide. Something might be running too hot. Mark

But if you feel compelled to do so (buy the software), fiddle with the sliders, starting at the extreme low end, and you just might find some settings that work for you. But frame rate is addictive - it adds fluidity and fidelity of control that is hard to explain until you've experienced it- especially for landings. I say, heck buy it and let it be the motivation that encourages a purchase of a more powerful PC. You won't have to re-purchase the software after all. And even a slow computer won't prohibit you from learning how the systems interact. Lastly, if you can master the plane on a low frame-rate PC, you'll be a champ when you upgrade to a nicer system. My Commodore 64 running Bruce Artwick's SubLogic Flight Simulator II got about 2-3 frames per second and mostly wire frame graphics, but in 1983 it was all we had and we loved the holy snot out of it. Life is relative. Mark Trainer

Glad to hear that, KBOS from Fly Tampa has been pretty high on my list lately; knowing they are working on a new version I'll wait this one out. Used to fly up there on a regular basis for business when I lived in Dallas. Scariest landing ever was coming into KBOS during a rainstorm...you could feel the tension in the cabin...no one was saying a word and we were on a rollercoaster on the approach....I had a window seat and it felt like once we were over the runway the plane just wouldn't settle- it floated for what seemed like forever; somehow we got stopped in time though. Coming back I had the honor and privilege of flying on a MD-11 that was, at most, 20% occupied and configured for international travel - once back at Dallas it was scheduled to leave for London. Everyone had blankets, pillows, magazines, proper attention from the staff, soft drinks, food....bliss! My best flight ever. Got to sleep that late night flight laying across 3 seats with the arm rests up. Mark Trainer

From a programming perspective (and I happen to be a programmer - for a bank though- go easy please), this wouldn't be to hard to achieve in their code base, at a minimum adjust it a little more regionally depending how far North you are. Here in Chicago it still looks like Summer is in full swing right now and it will until the end of September. From Lockheed Martin's standpoint, I'd even call it "low hanging fruit". Easy change, nice results. Programmers love low hanging fruit. Mark Trainer

I agree, I saw one here in Chicago getting lined up with O'Hare, and made the same remark to my girl friend...one day no one will remember the 4 engine beasts. Already getting rare to spot a 747. Mark Trainer

It's the economic principle of diminished marginal utility. You reach a point where you really aren't gaining any perceptible advantage by going higher (or in mesh terms....lower....), and yet may be adversely affecting performance to boot. I have purchased high terrain meshes for certain areas in the past, but am determined to keep my Preapr3D V4 installation down to the bare essentials - I made a pact with myself that mid-2017 forward would be doing more flying and less fiddling. No more 3rd party add-on mesh for V4 and things seem to be lining up great. I only have ORBX add-ons and a few Fly-Tampa airports so my experience is limited but keeping it simple seems best. Mark Trainer

This looks very cool indeed - a little something "different"! I love the mix of analog and digital gauges in the cockpit....I think this will fit extremely well in my limited line-up of aircraft I am currently flying. Guess Kyle was right when he said no one would correctly predict what was coming next. For all the hand-wringing and countless speculation threads, it's nice to know we're getting something that should get into, and out of, some of the smaller airports. Great Choice, PMDG. Mark Trainer

Can't speak about the pricing, or when it will arrive, but: It's time for me to brush up on my 747 FMC skills (mainly how to use VOR radios from within the FMC- this is new to me). Just can't stay out of the 737 though....the 737 is a great balance between computer and human interaction with the aircraft. Just the same, I want to be prepared when the -8 arrives. Mark Trainer

If you can afford it why not future-proof the rig and go for 32 GB of quad channel RAM (assuming your motherboard supports it). CPU speed increases seem stalled out so it is conceivable that the PCs purchased today will still be relevant 4-5 years later (just keep swapping out the GPU every couple of generations). Mark