It can be with only APR set vissible,
I start notice this after SU9??? really don’t know. Simply you need have set AP probably, try do test with other aircraft what they indicate. I feel that something changed but tests will show hope something. Simply I don’t see APR indicated after aircraft start follow g/s in rnav, i need do ils app to see.
Are you disengaging autopilot or flight director (or accidentally both?)
Don’t mean to sound rude but many posts here are directly related to not bringing the aircraft into the proper configuration in the proper sequence.
For all those that (obviously) don’t yet use it, here’s a handy checklist. And let’s just say right away it’s not a cheatsheet for gamers; following checklists like these are very very mandatory in the real world because forgetting things gets pilots in the type of trouble that many of you lovely simmers are asking questions about.
Print it, put it next to your coffee cup and work with it.
I’m just disengaging the autopilot. Also the ILS only shows when the APR mode is set. This this normal for Boeing as I’ve got too used to flying Airbus where the ILS shows up regardless of engaging AP or APR mode.
No that’s not the case with the 737.
The ILS indications are the little magenta diamonds in this picture, next and below the artificial horizon. They should always show, regardless of AP/APP, but as long as you manually tune the ILS frequency and inbound course.
Above the screen you’ll find a dial, next to the one that controls the range of the navigation display. Put that dial whole the way to the left where it says APP to change the navigation display into a big ILS-instrument.
One curious point from my perspective. Is there any scenario that you actually need to have the “big ILS instrument” view turned on? A precision manual ILS approach perhaps? I have switched it over to this view a few times and can see no purpose as I (or the ILS system) usually just goes with the magenta diamonds.
Ahhh Captain’s prerogative, Rain!
“Select raw data on your side!”
Both pilots usually differentiate their displays, I often turn the copilot into the big ILS-instrument and keep mine on the ND as it gives me a better perception of distance. I can still see the lign-up by looking at the copilot display during interceptions.
Right, so split displays to show same thing. I’m still figuring out the displays on the 737. Nicely placed switches to control whats on them but they don’t change that much. I did note I could put co-pilot display down on the lower centre one so may give that a go. If anyone has any tips for display (info) changes on the 737 let me know. Info currently seems sparse and not as intuitive compared to the A320 displays say.
ILS DME though is usually displayed in figures in the PFD already though to ILS is it not? I guess it’s not as visual.
For those interested, I made a quickstep for setting up the FMS and get you airborn as easily as possible.
Nice guide, thank you, have printed it to PDF for future ref.
The data on the PERF INIT request page can be pulled in from simbrief flightplan and auto filled out.
Hit ‘PERF Init Request’ key and wait for 5-10 secs. The ‘Load’ appears at the bottom left of the FMS screen.
Hit ‘Load’ then ‘EXE’ and it is pulled in automatically. That’s how I’m getting the data into the FMS.
Not saying I have it all there as per your guide, but just thought I’d mention this is available too as well as manual entry for the PERF Init page anyway.
For sure. But just make sure you set the Fuel/Payload pages first because it does not(!) feed the data of the Simbrief flightplan, it feeds the data from the current/actual weight of the aircraft. I’ll bet PMDG will come up with that later with the EFB but its not there yet and people are confused about it because the FBW did it better.
So this option is also not for during the loading of the aircraft through the realtime ground services, but only after they are done.
Set the proper fuel and weights first, prior to everything else. Get the aircraft ready for flight simulating or as mentioned everything you’re going to do is pointless.
Yes point taken re fuel & weights, will definitely go look into that. I think I’ve just been lucky up until now with fuel, mainly doing short flights of < 2rs.
Why do I need to activate AP 2 after pressing the APP button?
Because when you’re going to set a computer to have a 55000 kg aircraft with 140 pax on board collide with a planet, you want it do that nicely, with extra and crosschecked calculations.
On average the AP makes about 12 million calculations and decisions per second. During landing that increases to an average of about 18 million. It’s a pretty precarious process going on there under the hood.
autoland requires both APs
I’ve discovered one problem with pushback.
I set f.ex. after straight move - Left but with second option Nose right with 90deg but aircraft goes again straight after click Start. Hope I good understand that option as my command where to go - left or right.
Yes this is correct, I made that mistake too. However I was lucky as it matched the Simbrief one almost 100%. It is really odd why when loading your Route from Simbrief and then requesting the Request PerfInt after loading the route it is not read from the route…Strange really.
You have to create a new panel state with the airstairs removed. Go check out the PMDG Youtube channel. They have a video on Panel States that show you how to do that.
I might be wrong, but I think if AP1 is still on at or below 500ft Radio Alt, AP 2 will automatically come on if the plane is set up correctly i.e. NAV Radio 1&2 are tuned to the correct Freq and both CRS dials are dialed into the same ILS CRS (Capt/Fo) sides, speed brakes Armed, and flap configuration / Gear are correct which they should be at 500ft RA
Yes the autopilot will perform an automatic selftest sequence prior to arming both. I think between 1000 and 500 feet, but that might be an MD11 value. 
It reads AP Single Channel on the primary flight display first, and DUAL channel after the selftest is completed.