pmdg flight management system

[EHM-1281 Cyriel]

I heard a lot of talk about pmdg aircraft lately, took a look at the site and am thinking of buying one. As I always want to try first I downloaded one ( Don't worry if I like it I will pay for it).

However I have been fighting with this fms one whole evening now. How do I get this thing to fly my flightlan? De route itself (lnav) is not the real problem. However I can not get it to climb. It will most of the time complain UNABLE TO CRZ ALT. Even when I set it to 6000ft only. Sometimes the VNAV wil stay on for about 1 min but that is the max. Anyone knows how this works and want to share it with me? I also downloaded a manual but that is not much help.

[EHM-1343 Jonathan]

If you are talking about the autopilot, set your altitude as normal, enable the autopilot and then st a verical speed, click V/S and then it takes you to the altitude you want, I am just about getting to grips with the FMC so just bear with me if you question is about that, i really don't quite understand your question so i gave the best answer I could

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by cyriel
However I have been fighting with this fms one whole evening now. How do I get this thing to fly my flightlan? De route itself (lnav) is not the real problem. However I can not get it to climb. It will most of the time complain UNABLE TO CRZ ALT. Even when I set it to 6000ft only. Sometimes the VNAV wil stay on for about 1 min but that is the max. Anyone knows how this works and want to share it with me? I also downloaded a manual but that is not much help.

Ah, the fight between the MCP and FMC, yes, bit of an artform. Can't do this properly from memory, so expect more once I get home, but I recommend Fred Clausen's 737NG flight tutorial to all 737NG pilots who want to know the basics of FMC work.

First off, *fully* program the FMC; including setting the take-off parameters, setting the ZFW, reserves (5.2 should suffice according to a proper 737 pilot...), cost index (100 usually, but doesn't actually matter, the FMC doesn't listen to this value), calculating the V-Refs (and on and on...).

Prior to take-off, set the initial altitiude (or your cruise altitude if you've received no initial), the runway heading and the low alt max speed (250kts) on the MCP (autopilot). Take-off (or TOGA) then engage LNAV and VNAV, then turn on the A/P. Voila, you should now be fully under FMC control (hopefully...)

Remember to set your final cruise altitude on the MCP *before* you cross the waypoint where you are cleared to cruise, especially if you have the FMC following a SID. The other thing is to read the FMC when you get an FMC message. It'll usually tell you precisely what's wrong.

Read Fred Clausen's 737NG flight tutorial and the FMC chapter of the PMDG user manual for more information on programming the FMC and having it fly the plane.

EDIT: Also, great checklist (Excel spreadsheet format) for FS2Crew Pro, but that means it's usable without FS2Crew - FS2Crew-PMDG 738/739 Flight Notes/ Customizable Checklist

[EHM-1539 Pierre]

All is said. Unable cruise alt : something is wrong on your fuel page, and in your route you have trip crz altitude, that is the max possible level due to fuel config, route, etc...

I recommend fs2crew pro, it's really good but requests you to be familiar with the 737. And it needs practice as well, but once you understand it's really quick to learn and after a few flights it rocks.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by maabaa
All is said. Unable cruise alt : something is wrong on your fuel page, and in your route you have trip crz altitude, that is the max possible level due to fuel config, route, etc...

As maabaa says, I suspect you didn't set your FMC cruise altitude.

Originally posted by maabaa
I recommend fs2crew pro, it's really good but requests you to be familiar with the 737. And it needs practice as well, but once you understand it's really quick to learn and after a few flights it rocks.

Just waiting for the funds to clear to my credit card

[EHM-1281 Cyriel]

Ok I will try this agin this weekend and see what the results are.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by maabaa
I recommend fs2crew pro, it's really good but requests you to be familiar with the 737. And it needs practice as well, but once you understand it's really quick to learn and after a few flights it rocks.

Well, that was one of the most confusing "flights" I've ever done... Installed FS2Crew (not the update, forgot about that) then wondered why FS9 kept crashing when I went into the 738. Got around that (still hadn't installed the update, now know that FS2C has problems with dualview...) by starting in the Cesna and switching to the 738, then the FS2C "guages" weren't all working, so we skipped a couple of the checklists (which pissed the FO off no end...)

Just gonna install the update and see how much that helps

[EHM-0654 Murray]

Originally posted by Murray Crane
Just gonna install the update and see how much that helps

Couple of de-install/re-install cycles later (and a test flight) and it's behaving itself a lot better now. "CPAL" all work (which they weren't) and all the checklist/flow dialogs I used to get to cruise last night worked just fine. My one and only complaint is that it is so Ameri-centric; the BARO setting is always US, the default transition is US, and so on. Having said that, I don't mind that the principle voice-overs are American; given that the  sound files are all WAV, it would just be a case of re-recording with British/French/Whatever principle "actors".

One question for you maabaa (as you have been using this for longer than I) during my (very) long pre-flight the senior FA came and asked me to call for some extra meals. I hit the green ACK button and the voice over was along the lines of "sure, I'll do that in a second". Do I then have to actually call anyone or is that taken as having been done? I didn't bother doing anything last night, and she didn't get angry or anything with me...

[EHM-1539 Pierre]

Well, those parts are fictionnal. When you say yes theoretically it means you have time, otherwise say no to avoid delay. But it won't actually change anything. Kind of Role Playing Game
When you get used to the soft you can reduce the preflight to the minimum. 12 mins. I have 4 flights with FS2Crew, still have to work on the monitored approach, etc... Will wait class 5 at EHM for that.

See you soon people, am in Bangkok right now