Questions on the PMDG 747

And one other question, the PMDM 747 has an awesome autoland capability. I presume the real 747's would have that as well? And do the pilots use the autoland?

Thanks.

You can press Approach mode once on a vector(heading) to intercept the localizer.

Real 747 do have autoland but I don't think it's used very much. It can only be use on certain(CAT III) ILS runways, only if the airline is authorized to perform them.

Never heard of a ILSD, need more information. May be a European aviation term, what airport? Could be an ILS with DME.

Thanks for your reply, ill try find an airport with an ILSD in the FMC.

Regarding the localizer, is there some sure way of knowing that you have intercepted the signal? At least with the standard 747 you would get the beeping.

guest wrote:

Thanks for your reply, ill try find an airport with an ILSD in the FMC.

Regarding the localizer, is there some sure way of knowing that you have intercepted the signal? At least with the standard 747 you would get the beeping.

Actually, the beeping has nothing to do with intercepting the localizer. That is the Morse code identifier used to ID the signal for safety reasons. You don't have to listen to the beeps, works the same in all aircraft. The fact that the warning flag goes away means that you are receiving a good signal. The only thing that shows you if you're on or intercepting the localizer course is the CDI, course deviation indicator(left/right needle or bar). That's in VOR/LOC mode not FMC, FMC is not used to fly the ILS.

Beeping could also be the Marker beacons but that too works the same
for all aircraft.
➡ http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ils.htm

Thanks for that CRJ, the link explained a lot. Was a good read. flyaway is awesome, gonna sign up this weekend 🙂

One thing about the FMC i cant quite seem to understand, is changing the runway for landing. I know when you make the flightplan, you set a runway etc, but when im say a couple hundred miles from the airport and decide to change the runway, I do so in the arrivals page, and choose the runway ILS and STAR, but it seems to put a ROUTE DISCONTINUITY message up, and as you can see in the picture, there is a gap in the purple line, and when i hit the gap the plane stops following auto pilot. What am i doing wrong, why doesnt the fmc set the route to join in with my current route?

Thanks for ya help.

Actually now looking at the picture, ive realised how stupid i probaly am.

Is it as simple as entering the next waypoint in the 5 square boxes under then?

So in my case i would put in D042I. Is that correct? I would try it now, but I dont have time for another flight. The PMDG takes ages to fire up 🙂

Take a look these two Video:

I would guess that the problem is that the last fix in your route does not connect logically with the first fix in the selected STAR...?
In your example, what you have put in the FMC, is impossible for the autopilot to execute. It could never make those turns.....

Fixing the discontinuity should be as easy as pressing the LSK of the first desired fix under "THEN", which ought to put the fix in the CDU, and then pressing the LSK that corresponds with the discontinuity-line, and executing the changes made.
So in the case of the picture, press 4L (or 5L) LSK, then 2L LSK, then EXEC. (that is, if the PMDG FMC works the same as the one in the LDS767 )

I wonder though, why do you change runways (it seems from your writing you encounter this one some sort of frequent basis? )

It rarely happens that I need to do so, usually I get the runways and STARS I expect during flight planning...

Not to critisize, but as a pointer to help improve; You're awefully early with the gear, and it's good practise (if not formal procedure..? not sure on that) to put the cleared altitude (and also heading) into the MCP, to prevent the autopilot from descending (or climbing) through your cleared altitude 🙂
It looks to me that, in your current configuration, if you wouldn't touch anything anymore, the plane would fly itself into the ground! 😳 (assuming you haven't put any alt restrictions on the Legs page).

Your right ARD-DC I am pretty early on the gear. The way the FMC sets it up is it expects me to go flogging around that corner at 240, then suddenly slow down to approach speed (163 i think it was) so instead im cruising thru at 190,but if i do the gear as soon as im around the bend, the gear takes ages to get down, and I'll get the gear warning with the really loud beep happening. Next time ill leave it to approach.

The reason im changing runways, is im still in learning stage, and have only fully mapped out 2 trips/routes, and so the other times ive been using ones that ive downloaded, but the ones ive downloaded on a lot of the airports he has chosen the short runways to land, and even with autoland, it takes at least autobrakes 3 to stop in time, so ive been switching to the longer runways.

But in reality, wouldnt a pilot not know what runway he will land at until he is well into his flight, as he would have to use the active runway for landing due to wind conditions etc. From my understanding pilots use preplanned routes, so they would load there flight into there FMC, but they would still have to set there runway for takeoff, and also there runway for landing.... correct? - where as we can do that when we plan our route.

Thanks for the video links shirke01, ill have a look at them.

😕 not sure what the norm is, but, i was just going to say sometimes while takeing off(this is with no real world weather downloaded from jepson) from KUCA, they clear me to take off runway 31(i think it s or33)
after taxi and a clearance for take off i am off.
so naturally i head north and back east to enter right traffic to land. while flying i cancel landing change to flight following ect.
line up with runway 31. call KUCA for a clearance to land!
and what the heck i get a responce, "fly left wind down headng, blah blah and, for runway 15???? on the other end.
while sometimes this goes the other way????
kinda strange when ya ais says runway 31 in use for all departing and landing?
but someone said that to go to some airport , you call ahead to see what runway is in use, when you make up your flight plan, by frequencies from the map list or somethin, and tuning you radio. kinda a interesting topic 😕

ATC will inform you well in advance which runway to expect, and which STAR to fly (if any). (XYZ, descend and maintain FL110, expect runway xx for landing).

FS9 ATC however, does not really reflect this too well; you'd need to go fly online, get your flight plan from a decent resource (www.rfinder.asalink.net/free/) and check how your arrival airport assigns runways with regards to wind/weather conditions, noise preferential routings etc. to be able to estimate which runway you'll get, and for your estimation to work out.

AMS (EHAM) for example though, doesn't care much for the weather conditions; the airport tries to use 18L / C for landing and 24 for takeoff whenever possible during daytime, unless the weather conditions are really unfavourable. Only then they switch to other runways. This because of the layout of the airport, the runway dimensions and the noise preferential routing system etc.etc. At nighttime, these rules are adhered to even more strictly (albeit a different set of rules, for nighttime flying).
Quite frequently, I was forced to land on a specific runway with 15 - 20 kts crosswind, while there was a far more suitable runway available...

On the IVAO network, runway usage at EHAM is copied from the actual real world situation at all times.

re. guest above, of course you could always just ask ATC which runway is in use at your destination airport.. 🙂

This is what i meant by ILSD.

Im just curious, what does the D mean? Ive seen it in a few airports.

i have tried the ils and ilsd asnd they same thing as far i can see anyways no different when i done them.