*#$#$#$&!!!
I kinda have the departure bit under control by now, but the arrival bit keeps throwing me unexpected surprises. (Would be weird if it were expected surprises, I guess, huh?)
I have flown off-line all the way to TNCAM already, and there I needed three attempts to actually land the plane. On the first attempt, the auto-throttle kicked back in, because the Airbus-based FMC works differently than the Boeing FMC I am used to. So no matter how hard I applied the brakes, it just revved up to 105% N1 to reach those 140 knots that were dialled in previously. => Go around. Then, vasFMC crashed, so I was "convicted" to the Out-of-the-Box FSX GPS (G430). Which is OK, because at least the approach procedures are in there. So "vectored" myself to the IAF again, and by then I had already selected the approach to rwy09 (...). Coming up on minimums, the aircraft started turning right; performing the missed approach procedure. Apparently, it defaults to a missed approach, unless you uncouple the autopilot before that decision point.
As that was too close to the runway to correct, I let the 180 degree turn roll itself out, and "vectored" myself to the IAF again, for a third attempt. During that attempt, the landing went well, only the reversers would not kick in. I found out later that my throttle quadrant was the culprit here; the button assigned to deploy the reversers does not work every time...
But I managed to stop before the water, nevertheless, so I could dock the plane at the new terminal building, and that was it.
Still, I would not want to encounter that on-line, with ATC present. So I'll just keep on training offline for a bit. Maybe I'll join in on the VOBG-OMDB leg with you guys, next Monday, if I feel confident enough to fly the plane. Chances of ATC are not that great, for that leg. And I'll probably cut it short a bit (log off before OMDB), because my alarm clock goes at 05:20 the next day, and 1900Z departure is 2100LT for me, soa 4-hour flight won't leave me much sleeping time - and that on Monday already...
