Hi AHal,
Glad to know you’re enjoying the game on the Series X and, at the same time as enjoying the release for X-Box, delving in and relishing the challenges of Complex IFR Procedures. The B78X is a lovely aircraft to learn on - given it’s very user friendly glass cockpit displays and intuitive flight interface and navigational capabilities. What a treat it is to witness the AP pitch the aircraft gradually down in the Climb to the Cruise Level, kick the seat back and wait for some well-earned coffee and snacks - all the way across to your TOD.
Now, unfortunately, we have to come back down to Earth with a bit of a bump and admit that the AP in the Dreamliner isn’t quite as good as you pilots need it to be. That’s for a great complexity of reasons and that’s just the way of it right now.
That having been said - it is perfectly flyable in AP - if you can improvise a little; and take it from me - I’m a real world pilot - improvisation is one of the most important skills in a pilot’s retinue. So here goes with your points made with WIKI;
- If you created the Flight Plan in the World Map before the flight then that should have loaded to the FMC once you got fired up. What you’ll still need to do (on the FMC) is the PERF INIT (Performance Initialisation) and Input Cruise Height, Cost Index and a bunch of other parameters so that the aircraft can calculate V Speeds/ Progress and other things.
Here’s a link to programming Boeing Systems FMC - which is pretty much the same across the fleet;
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ATC in the MSFS right now is a moving target and can change from day to day and be wildly inconsistent - we’re all aware of it and it’s frustrating but we also understand it’s one big challenge to get some sort of unified ATC which “just works” whatever the weather and Traffic load and Server load - so, in summary, it’s work in progress - so, like in real world - if ATC isn’t giving you good things - Aviate, Navigate and then Communicate. And, because we’re Simmers we can omit that third one if we like just to get the aircraft on the ground in one piece. (Land first, answer questions from frowning ATC guys later)
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That, I am afraid, I am not to sure about but there must be a keybind for you to go through that and I have a suspicion I saw it posted here the other day because someone had exactly the same issue.
Have a look here - I think it’s resolved;
In closing - I’d say that you’ve chosen quite a handful for your first IFR Big Jet - you could have done the intermediaries like the turboprops and then the biz jets and worked your way up through the lines but in the same breath I say “Bravo!” - Go For It!
But know - the more complex - the more a little or a lot of Improvisation will be required - as mentioned earlier.
Good Luck Captain.