PMDG 737-800 Advice

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M Turek
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PMDG 737-800 Advice

Post by M Turek »

Hey all,

I purchased the PMDG 737 package and I absolutely love the realism and all the simulations.

I have some questions though about using it on SAX flights:

Does anyone use the flight computer to program in their flights? When you do, do you use the ATC that comes with FS? Do the decent calls from ATC match what is programmed into the flight computer?

Also I tried to do a test flight from KSTL to KDAY and when I was programming my route (GATEWAY6 VHP RID) and I used the active given to me by ATC (12R) and noticed that there was not SID of GATEWAY6. Is that just because of the runway?

Also when arriving at KDAY how would I program the flight computer for a runway not knowing which runway they're going to assign me until ATC tells me when I get my approach clearance? Am I just going about the flight the wrong way?

What do you guys do to program the flight computer to have the most realistic and automated flight possible when flying SAX routes?

Thanks!
Matt
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David Vega
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Re: PMDG 737-800 Advice

Post by David Vega »

Hey Matt,

I'm sure others will join in with better replies, but here's mine. Good on you getting the PMDG 737. It's a remarkable simulation. Some call it a study-level simulation where you can go as far in depth as you want in learning the B737-800. I do use the flight management computer (FMC) for every flight. There are many tutorials on how to program it in YouTube... some are good. The default ATC isn't aware of terminal procedures. One thing you could do is to make the terminal procedure waypoints be part of the FS flight plan, but default ATC will always try to vector you for a landing vs. allowing you to follow an arrival terminal procedure. On your comment about departing 12R, GATEWAY6 is one of the SIDs, or DPs for that runway. Are you saying that it wasn't listed for 12R in the FMC? For the arrival, I check the arrival weather forecast and guess what's the most likely runway. I also check the weather while in flight and make corrections as appropriate. For FMC programming, if I'm flying within the USA, I first go to flightaware.com, which is the first link in the links section at the bottom of the SAX dispatch release form. From flightaware I copy the most recent route used by a real fight. Then I go to the second link, simBrief, and plan my flight, including pasting the route I got from flightaware. simBrief allows my to download a file with the FMC route information. Once in the airplane, I use that file for the FMC company route entry. This avoids having to manually enter the route into the FMC and reducing errors. SimBrief has tutorials on how to use it.

Hope this helps. Ask away if you have more questions.

Dave
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M Turek
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Re: PMDG 737-800 Advice

Post by M Turek »

That actually helps a great deal! Thanks.

And yeah when i picked 12R as the DEP runway it did not have GATEWAY6. I do think it had GATEWAY4 but I stopped at that point.

I also went to AirNav.com to look up SIDs for 12R but I couldn't really decipher it.

So am I correct to assume that you don't use the ATC at all when flying with the FMC?
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David Vega
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Re: PMDG 737-800 Advice

Post by David Vega »

I do use ATC, but I use an add on called Radar Contact. It's a bit more realistic than the built-in ATC simulation. Radar Contact is still not like in real life. For example, in the USA one can include a SID or STAR in the planned route of flight and ATC may still vector you (in Europe, ATC assigns you a SID ). Another example is that your FMC may indicate a top of descent, but ATC may need you to descend earlier or later. In Radar Contact I have more control over all of that, but it's not exactly like in real life. Best I've seen is flying on line with VATSIM, but that requires training (again, plenty of tutorial videos, etc, around).

Dave
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