737 Max Autopilot/Nav/ILS - learning the full vs shortcuts tips

User Support Hub Aircraft & Systems
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Hey everyone,

I’ve had some trouble adjusting to the systems in FS2024- mostly the EFB/FMC combo. Although I have used Flight Sim for 10+ years, I have always maintained a sort of non-technical competence with the aircraft systems. I realize I am missing out on a huge part of the experience, but even in my non-technical frame of mind, I had been able to navigate and flight plan (very simply) planes like 737, 747, etc. I can’t seem to get LNAV to work, and sometimes when I do, then upon approach, I can’t capture the ILS. My gear won’t deploy, flaps won’t extend. I am 99% sure this is user error lol and likely a faulty setup of flight.

I’ve committed myself to trying to fully learn the FMC because it seems that I can’t really get by the way I use to. For example, in FS2020, I knew enough of the FMC to just enter KSFO and KSAN as my Dep/Arr, toggle the landing to an ILS, capture the ILS, make the landing. I manually navigated vertically and toggled my own autothrottle speeds. Fuel and weight, totally beyond my comprehension (I set fuel to unlimited, lol).

And before I even learned that very basic FMC usage, I used third party apps to just see my plane on a live map and navigate to the airport, find the ILS and make the landing accordingly (basically making my own route and approach versus following approach waypoints).

So while I am still in my learning phase (I’ve been studying various youtube vids for fs2024 like setting up flight plans, EFB, FMC), I was wondering:

1 Is it still feasible to mininally use or avoid altogether the FMC if I just want to get the 737 out there, take off to a destination airport, and find the ILS and land? Like is it possible to just tune to an ILS and that is sufficient? The EFB as a map/tablet is great in a sense that I can still see a path to follow but not loaded in the avionics. I call this my “short cut” flying, lol.

2 What are your favorite learning tools/videos become better versed setting up a plan, autopilot that follows, FMC, etc.

Thanks ya’ll!

For now, I just successfully landed- I made the flight plan in EFB but did not transfer it to avionics system and manually followed it to the approach (hit LOC first, then APP). I’m sure this isn’t the most efficient way but satisfies my flight cravings while I continue to experiment/learn how to properly use the EFB/FMC systems :slight_smile:

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They need to get the transponder working in fs 2024

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Right. There are a number of issues I ran into but I am not always certain what’s my bad/lack of knowledge or the software lol

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The 2024 737 max is mainly primed for using a flightplan and performance data and take off speed calcs and derates from the EFB so that they can be set up in the FMC. Now I’m sure you could probably take off minus a plan or even with a basic plan and get AP modes to kick in, but I havent tried that out.
For ILS there is an init->index->approach page where you need to have the correct flaps/approach speed selected in order for ILS approach to function properly, so it could be the lack of that that you are seeing. You also need to manually dial in the ils frequencies and they can go into both nav1 and nav2 and the runway heading is usually set on the course rotary dials on the MCP.

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Yeah- I had been skipping the INIT–>INDEX–>APPROACH page (I think, well judging by the fact that I don’t know, likely means I skipped). Somehow in FS2020 I think I got away with not always fully entering stuff except for PREF DEP ARR (I’m thinking of the A320neo), just enough to find the navigation route for the LNAV to follow.

Many thanks, adding to my growing collection of notes lol.

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I also missed the INIT/INDEX/APPROACH page. Could that be why neither the Localizer or the Approach buttons will work? I press them and nothing happens.

The lack of official documentation in the past with MSFS-2020 wasn’t a critical issue because of the vast amount of user content created and shared over the years within the MSFS community.

However with MSFS 2024 being so new, I would appreciate it if Asobo started including aircraft manuals in the aircraft they develop for the sim. Perhaps having to document their work may cause them to discover bugs on their own rather than relying on the paying customers to report them.

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I can only get the Localizer / ILS to work when I’m not on a flight plan in the Sim. I’ve been manually foillowing it along using the EFB (but not sending to avionics) until I better grasp how to properly set it all up in FMC… even when I follow youtube vids I seem to miss something lol.

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Today I learned I needed to use HDG mode to intercept the flight plan route/line, then LNAV takes. I think maybe also because the routes I programmed didn’t have a proper take off route so I was always immediately leaving the route. Shoutout to that user/discussion post, I lost it before I could respond, on this other thread!

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It’s similar in operation/setup to the pmdg 737. Not as deep obviously, but the basics/setup are similar.
I’ve not actually flown it minus a simbrief flightplan and payload and perf calcs to check. The perf calcs are usually quite crucial to normal operation so is choosing landing config on that approach page.
I can adjust my pmdg quick start for the 737 and let you know. The biggest annoyance for me with it is currently the inability to set a squawk code.

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I’ve put together a quick start guide (text file) for the 737 Max to Google drive. The file you want is titled -
“Asobo B38M Quick Start Guide-v1-0-2.txt”-
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1v-gpbVvNOBynAd0dDjhOUwYmLaEVnX-G?usp=drive_link

Note 1: I’ve included simbrief as well as default EFB planner methods of importing flight plans into FMC. However I haven’t yet tried the new web based default planner tool yet so I can’t comment on it, but it may be needed for performance data values if you don’t use simbrief to get those.

Note 2 : It also includes workarounds for some of the current bugs like Ground power not working. Unfortunately there’s no way around other bugs like not being able to set squawk code though. EDIT: actually there is a way on PC using the PMS GTN750 mod.

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Thank you very much for sharing your content! I’ll have a look and let you know how it goes.

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This is awesome! I will definitely give this a good study and try.

Last night, I’ve successfully done my first EFB to FMC flight (KLAS to KLAX), with approach and all, though more through blind luck but with some educated guesses as to what I was doing, so your file will def. help.

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Just a few things to look out for.

  1. Ground power is INOP it would seem, so counter that with some extra fuel and turn on APU as soon as you get into cockpit so you dont run down the batteries.
  2. The Squawk can’t be set so unless it autosets via in game ATC communications (like filing an IFR plan. I’ve not tried this as Im using BATC). Then it will be wrong for whole flight. If you are on PC then @Marklar666 just told me about a workaround using the free PMS GTN750 to set squawk instead.
  3. Simbrief loads the plane better than default EFB. I haven’t managed to figure why default fuel value is set so low. I always end up having to add extra fuel when using it instead. I’m really not used to new planner in efb, but maybe the online planner version is better, and you can load than in to EFB then FMC instead. I generally just use simbrief and its integration into the EFB which works really well even in beta release.
  4. I threw the 737 max guide together this morning so if there are bugs let me know.
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Updated my Quick Start Guide to v1.0.1.(d/l link in previous post above).

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Yes, myself being a programmer for many years ,(programming in well over dozen languages so far ~ including XNA and c#), I think that a manual would help them and US immensely !! They would discover bugs on their own much quicker. And so would we. For a company like Microsoft you would think they would KNOW these kind of things on their own.
I am getting tired of googling everything ,and finding a lot of the time ,that what google gives me does not answer my question and only brings up more questions.
MANUALS are crucial .Why should we have to constantly post question or hope the community has an answer for our particular problems?

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I’m still stuck on this. Trying to figure out how to do your basic Career missions here. The “quick start” guide that is 40 pages to get the engines on is a bit much.

Combined with what I think is an extremely buggy mission this is very frustrating. Half the time I cannot get past the radio comms having NOTHING to do with the plane really.

Does anyone actually have a real “here are the absolute key steps” for a mission? And my last mission (attempt, failed) first I couldn’t get the plane to descent (the FMS was giving some error on that page) so I did that manually and the PLAN was runway 24L and then at the last second it changes on me to 06R. I managed to get that rerouted and had to fly another 45 minutes out of my way and then once I got back on the LNAV then we hit zero vis conditions and the plane just would NOT fly the approach or lock on ILS (I had both nav comms set to the right freq, and I had VORLOC on) so I nearly crashed and had to just reset. Combined with the fact that the windows iced up and I couldn’t find the IPS so I couldn’t see a thing.

And now I’m at ‘request taxi clearance’ and there is NO WAY to request it, hitting enter doesn’t do it and there is no such option on the comm menu either. Last time on this EXACT same flight it worked (this is the reset from the previous one so I mean EXACT same one).

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I have a cheat sheet now but no idea how good it is, I was able to complete one mission and the next one was SO horrifically glitchy I just gave up.

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I’ve yet to even try the career mode…been just trying to explore in Free Flight. I’ve been able to have a better grasp on the technical aspects and logic, though I still use some handicap settings (i.e. unlimited fuel lol).

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The best kind of quick start guide I’ve ever seen. Short and to the point in just a few pages. I’m thrilled and would recommend it to anyone, especially beginners like me. THX.

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Thank you. Any ?'s just DM and ask.

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