PMDG autopilot help

[razorseal]

upgrading from the default 747 i'm very confused about the autopilot system in this plane... say I wanna go from Miami to Istanbul... in the default plane I just make a direct GPS and it takes me there... in the plane there is that lil switch that I click over to GPS and then press NAV on the autopilot and thats it...

obviously in the PMDG this is much much more complicated... I went through all the tutorials, and know how to input the stuff in the FCM (hell I dont even know what I was inputting) and thats about it... and i'm not too sure on LNAV anf VNAV (i think thats what they were lol)

so can someone tell me how to get from Miami intl to Istanbul/Yesilkoy airport (we'll use that as an example) please?

I tried HA Airways but it sends me to WA, then through almost greenland and past turkey and back, so I just stick to direct GPS (I dont think thats what the airliners use eh?)

I'll prolly be here alot with questions now lol

[Vampire14]

For a start I would reccomend getting FSNavigator or equiv, as this lists all the NAVAIDS you will need to program in a course of your liking using the proper points.
The tutorial is pretty good, if you use it in conjunction with the points you want to use. I could run you through the actual procedure, but without the pit in front of me I would probably get bits mixed up with the A320.
But the 747 is actually pretty intuitive, and you can deviate from the FMC planned trip and still quickly program in an IFR flight to an alternate etc using VOR.

You just really program in a from and to fields, select a SID and STAR, then just add waypoints, off the top of my head like SHARK just to the east of SYD, used in a STAR into YSSY.

LNAV - lateral navigation, as in programing your flight path as above.
VNAV - Vertical navigation, your altitude profile. i.e cruise FL360, after SID departure altitudes.

[Kaveman]

Ok, I'll see if I can get it to work. I know how to make it hold alt, hdg, IAS, etc.. but never to follow a course since I've only done a couple of go-arounds with it. It might be a magic switch hidden under the seat that makes it work hehe.

[Vampire14]

Yea, off the top of my head - try setting up a VOR station on the manual NAV radios page in the FMC(that's in range), select that NAV, input a CRS up front, then set up HDG up front to intercept that course. Enable AP and it should hold the HDG then turn to intercept the NAV course as it gets closer to intercept.....hopefully:wink2:

That's the quick primitive course setting option.

[razorseal]

man, wish this thing had the GPS/NAV option lol

[razorseal]

a320? where did that come from? lol

I did the tutorials... it was very hard to do with no picture telling me what is where lol....

[Vampire14]

man, wish this thing had the GPS/NAV option lol

It has - you just select - Direct To... and enter the airport IIRC.


a320? where did that come from? lol

Haha that is just me, I really only use the FMC in the 747 or the Phoenix Sim A320, and they have subtle differences.
The 320 is like push AP knob to 'give' computer control of setting the heading/speed/ALT etc, or pull to 'take' control of the a/c autopilot to set heading/speed/ALT etc.

Crazy french :confused:

[razorseal]

I see...

what do u use to plan your flights? they told me to use FSNAV but I really dont wanna spend 50 more bux on this damn game lol... the demo can be used to make 20 flight plans, so I was messing aorund with it, but this thing is really complicated! care to tell me how I use this thing? lol

I wanna try something simple.... I'm trying to make a flight from Miami Intl to JFK... that should be a decent flight, only about like what an hour? anyways... so how would I do this? I see I can set it so that it can take me all the way into the final with T/D and such...

what is SID and STAR btw?

[razorseal]

oh and which a320 u talking about? I'd like to check it out, I like airbuses :)

[Cobra]

hapy to help you out with everything u need to know. how much time u got on your hands lol.

if if i were u i wouldn't use the LNAV/VNAV just yet as it requires u to have the FMC loaded up with appropriate info.

a SID is a Standard Instrument Departure. it is basically a precoded departure from the aerodrome to roughly your first enroute waypoint.

a STAR is the opposite. STandard Arrival Route.

Initially get the aircraft airborne and play around with basic autopilot modes before delving into LNAV/VNAV

I'll explain a few of the basics here:

FL CH (flight level change) - wind in a higher or lower altitude in the MCP "Alt" window and it will climb or descend to that level and automatically level off and fly at that level.

HDG SEL (Heading Select) will turn the aircraft onto the heading in the HDG window.

HDG HOLD will hold the heading that the aircraft is maintaining when it rolls wings level. (ie if u are wings leve it will fly that heading, but if you are in a turn it will roll wings level and maintain that heading so it wont be the heading u pressed it at.

V/S (Vertical Speed) will fly the vertical speed you select in the VERT SPD window. it is in hundreds of feet/minute. Roll the scroll wheel to change it to more or less.

ALT HOLD - will fly the altitude when u pressed the button. This means if you are in a climb or descent when u push the button, it will go through that altitude and then climb/desend as required to get back to it.

LOC (Localiser) will fly a localiser beam

APP (Approach) will fly both the localiser beam and glidslope beam of an ILS

just got home from a trip and am a bit tired but i will try and write up more later but that should get you going for now.

PS if you really want to learn more on the 744, read the PMDG manual on how to load the FMC ..... its pretty good and once you have a little more background knowledge i will be happy to answer any questions you have on it.

[Cobra]

also in regards to flight plans ... generally we dont input entire plans ourselves.

we have what are called comapny routes (Route pg 1 on the FMC) and they are preprogrammed into the FMC database every database cycle and taylored to the each airline.

ie we would load SINLHR001 and it will automatically load the entire route all the way from Singapore to London for us.

someone sent me a link to download some of these as an addin which i played around with a bit, but i tend not to use MSFS much, but there are places on the net where u can download company routes and fmc database upgrades.

there is also another side to the FMC which is datalink where we can actually request our flight plan by our flight number on the day and then it is automatically sent to the FMC where we just activate and execute it.

:evils:

[razorseal]

awesome cobra, thats some good info! I did a very good tutorial, which explained some more things to me... now my only concern is how to make routes, or get the company routes like you told me... I'm able to start up, take off, and land :D just need to know how to make my way there lol

i'm going to print out the FMC tutorial and see what it has to offer, i'll read it and prolly get a better understandig of it, but I know the basics for it

[Funky]

Hey Razor, I hate to tell you this, but just like many of us do, you should too :rtfm (RTFM).
I assume you have taken MSFS's training courses, but if you haven't, I suggest you at least get your private pilot license (ingame), and your Instrument rating( so you at least know about flight planing, approaches and flying IFR. I know PMDG's 747 comes with a VERY VERY long and incredibly helpful manual. They've also released some official tutorials titled (I think) "type rating" that will also teach you a lot. After you read the complete manual, and went through the tutorials, just so you get used to the cockpit layout, you should buy an A51 membership :tongue:. Then since cobra said he's got time on his hand, you can get him on A51's TS server and have him instruct you to fly it first hand :wink2:... for as long as you want :evils: ... he just said himself that he'll help you out with everything right? :bigsmile:

Funky

By the way,

Anytime Cobra :evils:

[Vampire14]

I see...

what do u use to plan your flights? they told me to use FSNAV but I really dont wanna spend 50 more bux on this damn game lol... the demo can be used to make 20 flight plans, so I was messing aorund with it, but this thing is really complicated! care to tell me how I use this thing? lol

I wanna try something simple.... I'm trying to make a flight from Miami Intl to JFK... that should be a decent flight, only about like what an hour? anyways... so how would I do this? I see I can set it so that it can take me all the way into the final with T/D and such...

what is SID and STAR btw?

Yea you don't really need to use FSNav to plan your entire flight for you, I don't..just get the NAVAID info off it and input into the FMC.



oh and which a320 u talking about? I'd like to check it out, I like airbuses :)

The Pheonix Simulations aircraft, they have some really nice ones. I quite like the airbus' also.

My experience though is limited to the sims and playing around with actual FMC's of the 747, A320, A340 etc on the flightline inputting routes etc.

But Cobra would be your man though for sure seeing as how he plays with them all the time as a 'job' - (use that term loosely:tongue: )

But yea if you can download company routes tat would be sweet, but personally I wouldn't as it takes a bit away from the whole experience IMHO, I like programming in each point etc and picking a STAR etc.

It is good fun when you get a bit more experienced to make in flight alterations and deviations to the plans/route as well.

But for sure sing out if you have any specific questions and we will see what we can do for ya :thumb:

[razorseal]

hey, I read the manual, it seemed too confusing and I was about to give up hope til I ran into the tutorials... they were pretty good, but it was only upto taking off... how the hell was I gunna land?

then I ran into this
http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/ (I'll post it for reference to others) which helped tremendously... now I can say that I have it all down :)

now I need to figure out how to use FSNAV then I'll be all set :)

(and also figure out how the hell am i'm gunna make the FSNAV's pmdg rte files work with MSFS's ATC)

:)

[razorseal]

Yea you don't really need to use FSNav to plan your entire flight for you, I don't..just get the NAVAID info off it and input into the FMC.



The Pheonix Simulations aircraft, they have some really nice ones. I quite like the airbus' also.

My experience though is limited to the sims and playing around with actual FMC's of the 747, A320, A340 etc on the flightline inputting routes etc.

But Cobra would be your man though for sure seeing as how he plays with them all the time as a 'job' - (use that term loosely:tongue: )

But yea if you can download company routes tat would be sweet, but personally I wouldn't as it takes a bit away from the whole experience IMHO, I like programming in each point etc and picking a STAR etc.

It is good fun when you get a bit more experienced to make in flight alterations and deviations to the plans/route as well.

But for sure sing out if you have any specific questions and we will see what we can do for ya :thumb:

I think i'm set as far as putting in COROUTE stuff into the FMC... havent entered anything in yet though.... maybe I'll do that today to see how I do it, and if I run into troulbe, i'll come here lol...

so which would I use? HA airways LA airways or NAVAID to NAVAID? I figured it would be HA Airways say if i'm going from ft lauderdale to atlanta... about an hour flight I'd say?

[Vampire14]

Yea that looks like a great help - good find!

Just be sure not to hit both the APU Gens online at the same time :wink2: .....and what's this you can start 2 engines at once business...tsk tsk. Must be written by a Qantas pilot! :tongue:

[razorseal]

yaeh there are 3 options in FSNAV high alt. airways, low alt. airways and navaid...

just wanna get the route as close as I can to RL lol

[Cobra]

haha

i think they changed it from starting 3 & 4 togther then 1 & 2 together to starting 3 then 4 then 1 & 2 together as the apu's got a little older they were getting a few more aborted starts.

i've seen 3 & 4 started with all 3 packs still on lol. whoops.

i've also got the PMDG 737-800 if anyone has questions on that as well and if you want some standard routes between cities in Australia just let me know and i will see what i can dig up for you.

:smile:

[Vampire14]

Haha - yea I saw all manner of things happening on the Intl. line in ALK, especially with Thai and Asiana flyin in etc. No need to fear about Malaysian thou - their APU was never going any way!

Pushing back Thai with the 60 Ton tug at 15km/hr- "cleared to start #1"....."aah roger park blake set"...Nooooooooo! Yep shockies and shear pins work :bigeyes:

[razorseal]

haha

i think they changed it from starting 3 & 4 togther then 1 & 2 together to starting 3 then 4 then 1 & 2 together as the apu's got a little older they were getting a few more aborted starts.

i've seen 3 & 4 started with all 3 packs still on lol. whoops.

i've also got the PMDG 737-800 if anyone has questions on that as well and if you want some standard routes between cities in Australia just let me know and i will see what i can dig up for you.

:smile:

Yeah I got that too...

I spent WAY too much on FS this week :( lol

thats what i'm flying right now actually.... shorter distances helps me familirize with the systems of the planes as they both seem somewhat similar...

havent tried ramp starting the 737 yet though lol

[razorseal]

funny to come back and look at this thread knowing I might fly one of these things in real life one day now! hehe

[Cobra]

nice ... where are you up to in your training?

:smile:

[razorseal]

funny coming back to this thread...

I had no clue what I was doing

now here I am IFR rated pilot!

asking what to use, navaid to navaid, HA LA aiways LOLZ