Any Flight Simmers ?

[essayer]

http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/

That's the level of detail in the PMDG 747, and that doesn't even go into the various modes of the FMC ..

[surveyor]

essayer said:

http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/

That's the level of detail in the PMDG 747, and that doesn't even go into the various modes of the FMC ..

That's the original queen. PMDG are on the cusp of releasing V4 - which is reworked on 400 and 800 versions.

Far more detailed again....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKPeCON75s

[V8LM]

Any Awrowinx PSX users here?

[J4CKO]

Noob question alert, just doing some of the training missions in FSX, took off from Las Vegas and just crashed a 737 into the Nevada desert, I set the Altimeter as 2995 as per the instructions but it reads 4660 ft despite being embedded in the floor ?

[Chuck328]

J4CKO said:

Noob question alert, just doing some of the training missions in FSX, took off from Las Vegas and just crashed a 737 into the Nevada desert, I set the Altimeter as 2995 as per the instructions but it reads 4660 ft despite being embedded in the floor ?

I've no idea how that flight sim works but what typed sounds like you have a pressure datum (2995) measured against sea level as opposed to ground level. Given LV will be higher than the sea level then you have a datum showing the sea which you descended to thinking it was safe when actually your altimeter was referenced to the ground... so you hit it.

Perhaps?

G15girl may well some along and explain better than me in my rather now drunken state. She is very good at the technical stuff...just roll over and play dead when she bites.

[surveyor]

Chuck328 said:

J4CKO said:

Noob question alert, just doing some of the training missions in FSX, took off from Las Vegas and just crashed a 737 into the Nevada desert, I set the Altimeter as 2995 as per the instructions but it reads 4660 ft despite being embedded in the floor ?

I've no idea how that flight sim works but what typed sounds like you have a pressure datum (2995) measured against sea level as opposed to ground level. Given LV will be higher than the sea level then you have a datum showing the sea which you descended to thinking it was safe when actually your altimeter was referenced to the ground... so you hit it.

Perhaps?

G15girl may well some along and explain better than me in my rather now drunken state. She is very good at the technical stuff...just roll over and play dead when she bites.

Vegas elevation is just over 2.000 feet so should not be that. There are mountains around the area though that could catch you out if you don't climb out.

Gueasijg you were off to area 51

[red_slr]

I am not sure if FSX has this feature (think it might) but if you look at your altimeter tape on your PFD you should see the ground as a yellow line with //// below it. You should also see your alt setting below that.

Again I don't know if the FSX 737 has it but ground proximity (GPWS) should kick in with warnings plus if you click your radar screen onto "Terr" mode it should show the terrain. You should also hear "too low gear" plus other call outs like "twenty five hundred" etc etc.

All of which should have notified you that the ground was coming up. When on the glide you should be cross checking everything, so you are confirming the call outs are correct and expected.

http://www.arianedesign.com/Content.do?state=Three...

http://www.b737.org.uk/warningsystems.htm#Aural_Wa...

I am far from an expert and I am sure an actual pilot would be able to tell you the exact details - at least we can hit reset

HTH.

[J4CKO]

surveyor said:

Chuck328 said:

J4CKO said:

Noob question alert, just doing some of the training missions in FSX, took off from Las Vegas and just crashed a 737 into the Nevada desert, I set the Altimeter as 2995 as per the instructions but it reads 4660 ft despite being embedded in the floor ?

I've no idea how that flight sim works but what typed sounds like you have a pressure datum (2995) measured against sea level as opposed to ground level. Given LV will be higher than the sea level then you have a datum showing the sea which you descended to thinking it was safe when actually your altimeter was referenced to the ground... so you hit it.

Perhaps?

G15girl may well some along and explain better than me in my rather now drunken state. She is very good at the technical stuff...just roll over and play dead when she bites.

Vegas elevation is just over 2.000 feet so should not be that. There are mountains around the area though that could catch you out if you don't climb out.

Gueasijg you were off to Area 51

Yes, good fun, will take a close look today and do it until I get it right, video on YouTube if it had the same issue.

[J4CKO]

red_slr said:

I am not sure if FSX has this feature (think it might) but if you look at your altimeter tape on your PFD you should see the ground as a yellow line with //// below it. You should also see your alt setting below that.

Again I don't know if the FSX 737 has it but ground proximity (GPWS) should kick in with warnings plus if you click your radar screen onto "Terr" mode it should show the terrain. You should also hear "too low gear" plus other call outs like "twenty five hundred" etc etc.

All of which should have notified you that the ground was coming up. When on the glide you should be cross checking everything, so you are confirming the call outs are correct and expected.

http://www.arianedesign.com/Content.do?state=Three...

http://www.b737.org.uk/warningsystems.htm#Aural_Wa...

I am far from an expert and I am sure an actual pilot would be able to tell you the exact details - at least we can hit reset

HTH.

Yeah, it was telling me and I was thinking that it looks very low for 4000 odd feet then splat.

The Radio altimeter is there and seems to just work below 2500 which makes sense, need to read up on how they work in combination with stuff about transition altitudes and flight levels, it looks obvious, but in a lot of cases, it isn't.

Edited by J4CKO on Sunday 8th January 10:01

[SpamCan]

J4CKO said:

Noob question alert, just doing some of the training missions in FSX, took off from Las Vegas and just crashed a 737 into the Nevada desert, I set the Altimeter as 2995 as per the instructions but it reads 4660 ft despite being embedded in the floor ?

Its what we call the QNH over here, an altimeter pressure setting that gives you your altitude with reference to sea level. Las Vegas (McCarran Intl) is around 2100ft above sea level, there is a lot of mountainous terrain around that area too.

As I assume you don't have any aviation charts to hand that give you the minimum safe altitudes (clear of terrain and obstacles) plot routes on google earth using the path tool and get the terrain altitude from that. That should prevent further terrain related incidents

[J4CKO]

SpamCan said:

J4CKO said:

Noob question alert, just doing some of the training missions in FSX, took off from Las Vegas and just crashed a 737 into the Nevada desert, I set the Altimeter as 2995 as per the instructions but it reads 4660 ft despite being embedded in the floor ?

Its what we call the QNH over here, an altimeter pressure setting that gives you your altitude with reference to sea level. Las Vegas (McCarran Intl) is around 2100ft above sea level, there is a lot of mountainous terrain around that area too.

As I assume you don't have any aviation charts to hand that give you the minimum safe altitudes (clear of terrain and obstacles) plot routes on google earth using the path tool and get the terrain altitude from that. That should prevent further terrain related incidents

It tells you where to go and what to do, it's a basic training mission to deliver Area 51 staff to groom lake, I got too focussed on instruments and then thought that seems low and by the time I had reacted, the airplane was too slow and low to do much about it, will have a few more goes until I get it right.

It was a VFR flight, need to know how it would be done in low visibility, as that would rely on an accurate altitude, it wasn't a hill, it was just flat ground.

[SpamCan]

J4CKO said:

It tells you where to go and what to do, it's a basic training mission to deliver Area 51 staff to groom lake, I got too focussed on instruments and then thought that seems low and by the time I had reacted, the airplane was too slow and low to do much about it, will have a few more goes until I get it right.

It was a VFR flight, need to know how it would be done in low visibility, as that would rely on an accurate altitude, it wasn't a hill, it was just flat ground.

Groom lake its self is around 4600ft above sea level, so that isn't surprising

Under VFR I always add 500ft onto the minimum safe height printed on the map for level cruising and treat that as my minimum for that leg, though for other reasons such as being able to alight clear of a built up area in the event of an engine failure I will often cruise higher than that.

IFR; you'd need somebody that has an Instrument rating to explain the necessary bits that as its beyond the scope of my licence.

[djc206]

What did your altimeter read on the ground before you took off? Sounds like a classic QNH/QFE error to me but I'm not a pilot.

[J4CKO]

djc206 said:

What did your altimeter read on the ground before you took off? Sounds like a classic QNH/QFE error to me but I'm not a pilot.

Zero, and I set it to the 2995 mentioned by ATC.

Edit, oops, no, just tried it again and it shows 2100.

So there is my error.

Edited by J4CKO on Sunday 8th January 12:36

[djc206]

J4CKO said:

Zero, and I set it to the 2995 mentioned by ATC.

Edit, oops, no, just tried it again and it shows 2100.

So there is my error.

Edited by J4CKO on Sunday 8th January 12:36

Ah right. To get 0ft you'd have to use the QFE, you're using QNH which is standard.

[SpamCan]

djc206 said:

J4CKO said:

Zero, and I set it to the 2995 mentioned by ATC.

Edit, oops, no, just tried it again and it shows 2100.

So there is my error.

Edited by J4CKO on Sunday 8th January 12:36

Ah right. To get 0ft you'd have to use the QFE, you're using QNH which is standard.

Yep, QNH or regional pressure setting for flying from point to point and QFE for circuits and landing.

[billybuds]

QFE is very rarely used (if ever). It's never been SOP to set it at any stage in either of my last two airlines. QNH till transition (or when cleared to a flight level) then standard. A couple of reasons for this is that MSA's are always based off sea level as are the minima for most instrument approaches.

Russia and China do sometimes work in QFE (as well as metric) but we always convert that to QNH.

[SpamCan]

billybuds said:

QFE is very rarely used (if ever). It's never been SOP to set it at any stage in either of my last two airlines. QNH till transition (or when cleared to a flight level) then standard. A couple of reasons for this is that MSA's are always based off sea level as are the minima for most instrument approaches.

Russia and China do sometimes work in QFE (as well as metric) but we always convert that to QNH.

I use it practically every time I go flying, then again as my forum name suggests I fly GA not airliners

[red_slr]

Sod it, just been watching some of the 777 videos will be getting that at some point. Must admit the 737 is great but its only downside is the range is sometimes just short of doing longer flights. In theory should be able to do 6 hour flights but I am never that good at managing fuel and 5 hours seems to be the max.

[surveyor]

red_slr said:

Sod it, just been watching some of the 777 videos will be getting that at some point. Must admit the 737 is great but its only downside is the range is sometimes just short of doing longer flights. In theory should be able to do 6 hour flights but I am never that good at managing fuel and 5 hours seems to be the max.

Wait. the 747 V3 is in Beta. It will be better - and it's supposed to be 10-15% more efficient than the 777 on the system.