Taxiing worked fine for me from ColdDarkWithAPU, with SU12 and today’s 738 update from the PMDG Ops Center. FWIW, whenever MSFS gets updated, I always reboot the computer before flying. Just my gut instinct…
I’m currently enroute from KDEN to KLAX, will report any anomalies. I will say one thing was fixed…before, UI elements of the World Map were totally messed up…often could not pick a departure gate from the airport map because “Set Departure” was somewhere off the screen, so I had to scroll through the drop-down menu, which is not in alphabetical order.
Another random question: when the FMS calculates Approach REF speed, does it automatically use the winds at the dest airport? I know the CJ4 requires manual input and the Longitude can get METAR data automatically, but I don’t see any input field or other evidence that the 737 uses wind speed/direction.
Does it use Descent winds, for which I use the WX file from Simbrief?
The reference speed has nothing to do with the wind, the speed is relative to the moving air. What you do is add some knots margin, so your approach speed is usually 5 knots faster than your Vref, depending a bit on gusts etc.
Haha.
Well it’s not a click. It’s more like a groove and a change in feel while you overcome the groove. I guess it feels like the gear shifter in a car. You can’t hear it but you know when the gear went in.
I tried to make a video yesterday but realised you can’t pull the levers unless hydraulics are pressurized. Then I pressurized hydraulics and thought about doing it for the video but thought maybe it’s not a good idea to pull the reversers on the stand for no reason. Might hurt somebody. I’ll try to remember next time I’m in the airplane with engineers around or someone outside to spot me. I’ll definitely do it next time I go to the sim. Should be a couple months away.
At the end of the days we’ve been absolutely blessed in having actual real world pilots who have given up their free time and I mean… some of this stuff they have been sharing in a monetary value would have been worth so many thousands of dollars in learning that and its been given to all for us for free…
Through that, we have found… that there are a couple of ways that real world pilots descend and both have their reasons backed with company policies and if you have worked in various companies… the very first thing you learn is… unlearned what your previous company taught you… “we do it differently here…” we have different sops here…" etc etc…
So there is no right or wrong way of descent… if you are following one or the other (in the sake of trying to be real world…) if not then really why care… this game is a massive sandbox where you can do what ever you feel like doing…
But for the sake of this thread turning into many other threads… especially regarding whos right and whos wrong…
I think we have been taught by the professionals two main ways of how they descend, lets be incredibly happy and greatfull of that and lets agree to disagree and just enjoy this amazing product and having amazing dudes given their time to help us “be like them”
Whenever there is an aircraft recompile I have found at times there can be issues on the first load of the plane.
What I do now as a matter of a rule is let the flight load and the plane compile then I go back to the main menu and restart the flight. Seems to stop any odd issues.
I could vividly imagine the ground crew scrambling in all random directions in sheer panic at the sight of the reverse thrusts being deployed and you putting your head out the window…"oh s… don’t worry boys… its not for real… just doing a youtube showing how thrusts reverse works for this kiwi dude…
Or some tiktok vloger blowing something totally out of proportion…
Haha your stuff is absolute gold mate, love your input and just in general… the time to reply to our queries, cause it takes time to right replies and especially in the detail that you do it in and taking essentially, “work” home with you and not being paid for it…
Definitely know what you mean regarding manual and having a dodgy syn mesh and crunching the gears when trying to get it into reverse or when mates say “oh you can also change gears without the clutch by listening to the engine…” and actually believing them
Some of us are old enough to remember when using thrust reversers to “back out” from the gate was used occasionally as standard procedure (though not preferred if the airport/airline had tugs available). It was really loud in the back of a DC-9 with those bucket reversers deployed.
After the updater SU12 as well as the update of the PMDG I can’t set the brakes to remain 100% engaged, also halfway thru the pushback the plane starts going forward.
Good point. So, now that I think about it, the CJ4 and the Longi calculates and displays the runway distance required based on wind, icing, baro, flaps setting, and maybe something else. The 737 I guess doesn’t need to calculate this distance automatically?
No, the 737 doesn’t consider wind at the airport. The VREF speed is provided based on the GROSS WT on the Approach REF page of the FMC. For margin needed due to gusty wind for example, the pilot would need to determine and enter the “WIND CORR” value in the FMC which would then be added to the VREF speed.
In contrast, the idea of using the airport wind AND current actual wind is what Airbus does with their Groundspeed Mini or “GS Mini” concept which uses pilot entered tower wind and actual wind encountered on approach to vary the vREF speed target and create a “minimum groundspeed” that the airplane is allowed to fly, depending on speed mode.
As said above me the 737 doesn‘t calculate the landing distance. This is part of the OPT (Operational Performance Tool) which is part of the original Boeing EFB and will be available in PMDG‘s Universal Flight Tablet. You‘ll be able to imput all kind of weather and situational data there and get the required landing distance.
Wind in the FMC CAN be entered for preciser descent calculations and as additional information to calculate takeoff speeds. Usually you do it only for the descent though as wind info for TO will not change the distance, only the V1 iirc in case of a tailwind.
Maybe it has been answered already, but anyway. In my old company on the 737 fleet we added half the headwind component to the vref, but minimum 5kts, max 20kts. The airbus has a superior system, called Ground speed mini function, which calculates the speed addition by itself, but you have to enter the tower (runway) wind in the FMGC.
I can’t seem to pushback at all successfully. Used the PMDG 737-600 for tw0 flights today, and both times during pushback, the plane ended up on it’s tail.
