Question for Jomni, PanzersEast or other Flight Simmers

[JudgeDredd]

The 9 is the current performance state of the INS and the 5 is the minimum expected performance level

It starts displaying 95, then the 9 goes to 8, then 7 etc down to at least 5 as it aligns.

But it's heading down now ta.

COME ON PATS!

[Toonces]

I've been spending a lot more time with the PMDG 737-800 and I'm starting to wrap my head around the autopilot and FMC.  There are a few things I'm juggling; getting a flight plan uploaded into FSX and then getting that same flight plan uploaded into the FMC.  I think I've figured that out.  I'm not typically using any SIDs or STARs and allowing the FSX ATC to give me vectors.  I honestly don't know how they do it in the real world flying out of somewhere like ATL or SLC; do they fly a STAR or does ATC give them vectors?  I don't have much real-world experience flying into civilian fields so I just don't know.

Anyway, the two big challenges I am having still are changing the flight plan in the FMC once I begin vectors for landing, and clicking off the autopilot in preparation for landing.  I have managed to get my ILS set up and get the APP autopilot to fly the approach for me, but the sudden clicking of buttons to turn off the autopilot is a cluster.  I'm busy clicking all of these buttons off and alarms start bonging and meantime I'm passing through a few hundred feet and now my power setting goes from the autothrottle to my manual throttle and my whole approach gets chowed up on short final.  Last night after I flew a very hot approach to missed approach into KSLC, on my second approach I clicked off the autopilot at 1,000AGL which seemed to work well in fine weather, but in true IMC it's defeating the whole purpose of a coupled approach function.

Oh, and slowing to landing speed has been challenging.  The plane doesn't like to slow down!  I need to figure out what my speed gates are so I can ensure I'm hitting them.  Last night I was coming into SLC at 11,000 on vectors and 300kt.  Then ATC started my decent at about 25 miles and between the combination of the decent and already sitting at 300kt I couldn't get the plane slowed down to landing speed; I was still doing about 190 on short final!  Even with 25 miles to slow down.  So I have to figure out my speed profile much better.

[Toonces]

[jomni]

I've been spending a lot more time with the PMDG 737-800 and I'm starting to wrap my head around the autopilot and FMC.  There are a few things I'm juggling; getting a flight plan uploaded into FSX and then getting that same flight plan uploaded into the FMC.  I think I've figured that out.  I'm not typically using any SIDs or STARs and allowing the FSX ATC to give me vectors.  I honestly don't know how they do it in the real world flying out of somewhere like ATL or SLC; do they fly a STAR or does ATC give them vectors?  I don't have much real-world experience flying into civilian fields so I just don't know.

I used an external program called FSCommander to do the plan.  Then save as an FSX flight plan and load it in FSX.  Then input the same route in the FMC.  That way they are synced.  I don't use FSCommander now for planning. I use PFPX because it's more "professional".

SID and STAR are usually selected by the pilot when filing or assigned to you by the ATC.  This makes their life easier since they don't need to vector you.  But on airports with lighter load, they may vector you if they want.  Default FSX ATC does not know SID / STAR.

I fly exclusively online in VATSIM now.  SID and STAR are particularly useful when the ATC is offline (no one to vector you).

[PanzersEast]

JustFlight 146-200/300 Jetliner

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PE

[JudgeDredd]

Excellent...thank you very much PanzersEast

I don't mind fleshing out my collection at these prices!

[Toonces]

Perhaps the ugliest plane I have ever seen, but I picked it up!  I'll throw it into my Air Hauler fleet when I get enough cash and use it to make the big bucks!

[Toonces]

Southern California



Finally got my World of AI properly installed.

Detroit Metro:

[JudgeDredd]

Hey Toonces...what air traffic pack are you using? You seem to have a fair few aircraft sitting at the airport there...just wondering if it's FSX's own setting or an addon - I use TrafficX and not sure I see that much aircraft around.

[Toonces]

I am using something called "World of AI".  It's a freeware program that is similar to TrafficX (and in fact I would expect Traffic X to be better). 

It is very easy to install.  The hard part is that you have to download the individual airline packages from flightsim.com or avsim.com.  And you have to download each individually.  And...for flightsim.com you can only download one at a time for free.  So the whole process is time-consuming to download all the the packages.  But once you download them and unzip them, installation is relatively painless. 

It's supposed to be a very good freeware version of the payware traffic programs.  I'm going to keep using it for a while.  I've been looking at Traffic 360, which is basically Traffic X, but if I can save a few dollars with a good freeware add-on that would be nice.  My FSX installation is starting to get kind of pricey!

[Toonces]

I have simply GOT to get a new ATC add-on for FSX.  I'm still flying 100% offline and the FSX ATC sucks.  Tonight I got vectored onto a 60 mile final for the ILS 33L into BWI.  I go through all this pain and then don't you know ATC vectors a Southwest 737 in front of me, to land BEHIND me?  So on about a 3 mile final I have to click off autopilot, duck under this guy, and then recover my approach, while he, of course, gets a go-around.  WTF?  I'm so sick of these 50 and 60 mile vectors to final.

Earlier this week I got vectored onto 3 go-arounds into ATL; finally I just scooted over to the adjacent runway on short final when I had a plane cluttering the runway so I could get the flight over with.

I'm going to go check out Radar Contact and see what the reviews say about it.

[jomni]

Go get Radar Contact Toonces .  I highly recommend it. 

[Toonces]

Yeah, the reviews seem very favorable.  It sounds like HAL talking but I've got to do something.

I just flew the second leg of my flight, BWI - DTW (Detroit Metro).  I get about 60nm out and then get on vectors.  I'm cruising along minding my own business at 14K (hoping for a decent sometime this century) when ATC just plain cancels my clearance!  So I check the log just to make sure I didn't miss a call; I didn't.  I re-open my flightplan and get vectored back to 26K!  I managed to salvage everything by requesting 12k and then slowing way down in preparation for fouled up vectors.  Shoot the ILS and just barely, barely miss getting a go-around for a Southwest jet pulling off the active in front of me.  Whew!

So yeah, I've gotta try something else and all the searches I did seem to indicate Radar Contact is the best ATC add-on available.  I fly IFR too much to deal with this much longer.

[jomni]

Here's my new toy.  Flight simming is a money sucker.  But never mind, it's still cheaper than her Prada bag. :)

[Oche]

Very nice Jomni..