iFly 737

[Quickmarch 488]

Is there anyone on this forum really familiar with the iFly 737 - particularly the -600 version?

I'm having the devils own time getting this machine to fly an APP to Autoland. I'm obviously missing something simple. I've gone over the cold start, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and I can land it quite nicely manually. Things go to H in a handcart (I've done more GA's in the past few days than a new-hire in the simulator) at minimums. CDU programmed, on course, on speed, three greens, flaps 40....minimums....AT spools up and off we go.

If someone can think of the obvious, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll try to get ALL the settings from the MCP and associated hardware and write 'em all down - then get back to this thread.

Cheers,

March

[dogtrack 345]

The iFLY support is available through the Flight1 support forums. May be worth registering there to access the assistance you need. I am sure all the answers can be found there as they offer a very thorough support service.

[Quickmarch 488]

Thanks Arnie,

i wasn't aware of that.

However, I really logged on here to report that the problem seems to be restricted to one of the aircraft. I was using the 737-600 "regular" screen on my widescreen laptop. I loaded the 737 Wide Screen version and it performs exactly as expected. Good! I've got CAT III capability now. I'll try the other versions as I go along and see if I can identify a trend. Otherwise, I'll just ignore the Regular screen version (which I should be doing anyway).

I could try putting all the regular screen versions in a separate folder, thus removing them from the Aircraft Choices screen. I'll give it a try, but it could be one of those "here there be tygers" moves.

Cheers,

March

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Interesting. I'm using the FS9 Normal screen options, and it might be the fact that your -600 options include "Automatic Radio Tuning" switched on. I did have some problems with that, so turned it off on all models and haven't ahd a problem since. It'll be in the FSX toolbar

[rob16584 42]

Sometimes I found that the radios would tune to something else when on finals, but only rarely. Manually setting them solved the problem. Are you getting the 'LAND 3' lights on finals (or something similar, it's bright green). I'll try to get up in the 736 tomorrow and send a screenshot when I am on finals so that you can compare

[Quickmarch 488]

Never thought of the radios - yes, they are set to autotune. I'll give it a go tuning them manually. Thanks Keiren and Rob for that input. No land 3 lights that I can see. I get three greens, but I know what they're all about.

I also wonder how much of this sort of issue is generated by using Win7. There's tons of warnings on the Flight 1 site about installing with all the anti-idiot stuff running. Heck, I've got Eset, MS Defender, Win Firewall, and who knows how many other thingies that are designed to protect me running somewhere in the background. FSX was the first piece of software that was loaded to this machine - while I was completely new to the Win7 OS.

Thanks to Arnie who got me thinking about alternative forums, specifically the one from the flight sim manufacturer. The Flight 1 support site is quite comprehensive (although I still have not figured out how to get "newest first"). That site brought up the point that I am two upgrades behind the power curve. So download #1 gets me from where I was (stock boxed version) to ver 3.0 - flew it today, autotune and all, it hit all the numbers like a champ. i downloaded the latest upgrade, but as it is only three days old, I think I'll let the experts ride it hard before I venture down the ver 3.1 road.

i will give the autotune a rest and give it a go that way, as well. Stay tuned . I'll report back, right here on MH.

Cheers,

March

[rob16584 42]

Sods law, the airport I just landed at didn't have an ILS!

[Quickmarch 488]

Wow - solve one (relatively minor) problem and have a new (relatively major) one handed back.

The 737-600 is doing a fine job on the GS, but get it to the ramp, shut it down, see Sharon off and the whole shebang hangs. I get the "End of Flight" menu, the one that has stuff like the Free Fight, Missions, Settings, etc with a hung FS window filling the screen behind it. This window is complete with "FSX Not Responding" in the upper left hand corner. Get this! The window is white, not black as usual. Task manager confirms it - FSX is HUNG.

I went ahead and installed the ver 3.1 upgrade as it was unlikely to be any worse than what I had. I'll fly it tonight and let you know how it goes. So far, it loads the 737-600 Widescreen and exits without any drama. I even saved a cold and dark setup to KSEA's Ramp N9. I'll do a short IFR flight to CYVR and see how the LOC and GS hooks up.

One interesting thing: All the FSX ramps are now downhill. No engines running - in all cases where I've been messing around with this sim package, I have to be on the brakes the instant the cold and dark plane loads or it will roll forward into the terminal wall. I've got it set to "Load last Condition" so I'm a bit confused because I always leave the A/C with the parking brake set. Gremlins!

Bback,

March

[Quickmarch 488]

Updates on this subject.

First, the autoland feature is now indelibly burned into my brain and I understand the "Land 3" reference that Rob posted (above). it was, naturally, my fault in configuring the process incorrectly.

Next, I mentioned the "all ramps are downhill" bug. The lads on the iFly FSX forum came up with a fix for that one. It involved loading the default Trike to the ramp that I was wanting the 737 to stage at, shutting down the trike, letting everything stabilize, then loading the 737 from within FSX. What I didn't realize at the time was that it is a bad idea to Pause FSX during this process. Here's a screenshot of what I got when the 737 loaded:

Note the neat levitation trick. Sure saves on rubber. As soon as I hit the "P" key to un-pause FSX, the gear popped down and all was rosy.

The 737 now loads to this ramp (Gate 69, CYVR) without threatening the customers at the windows in the departure lounge. It stays put as any cold and dark aircraft should.

I'm hoping I don't have to go through this cocamamie process at every ramp. It sure makes loading an aircraft cumbersome when you have to jump through all these hoops.

Cheers,

March

[Ken B 0]

I am also trying to learn to fly the ifly737ng. Mike Ray's book "Flying the Boeing 700 Series Flight Simulators" book is a good How to do it Manual. It has a lot of good information in it.

[Kasper 14]

Loading a default aircraft and then loading the complex add-on is pretty standard since FS9. Has to do with the initialis4ation process.

You should try the PMDG J41 or the Aerosoft OV-10 Bronco. Do it wrong and those won't start at all!

[rob16584 42]

The J41 is a nightmare! I downloaded a tool from somewhere that you load in the background, press a hotkey and it makes the J41 true cold and dark. It starts every time then, no need to mess about loading default A/C up. Just remember to close the extra program down though as if you accidentally knock the hotkey during flight....

[Quickmarch 488]

Ok, I hear both of you. Thanks for the efforts.

This appears to be an on-going issue with the multi-platform nature of this hobby.

What you are telling me is: "suck it up" and load the Trike, then load iFly 737 from within FSX. I get it! That being the case, I should probably make the Trike the FSX Default flight (just as it was in the beginning, I believe).

iFly supplies a "Safe Startup for Complex Aircraft" (FSXSafeStartup.exe) executable file. I got it from the iFly forum and that forum refers to the "new Cessna 182 Forum" as their source. I'd post the URL here, but I'm not sure it will go anywhere unless you're logged in to iFly. Seems to me it is in the public domain. This piece of software shows up in your "Saved Flights" directory - the one you can get at from the FSX main menu if you click on the "Load" button. In my system, it loaded the Trike sitting cold and dark on the end of RWY 34 at Friday Harbour Washington.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm reading the instructions as; you can change airports and weather and save the flight, but you better not change anything else. I'm going to give that a try a little later today when SWMBO stops making "get back to work" body language.

Here's what the uber-guru on iFly says about the Safe Startup File:

Quote - "The FSX Safe Startup for Complex Aircraft flight will show in your regular Flights menu in FSX after installing. You can re-save the flight in a new location, with different weather and start up times, but do not change anything else when saving this flight.

Important! You MUST start FSX with this flight for it to be effective. If you start FSX with another flight, load this one, then go to your complex aircraft, you may get undesirable results." - Unquote.

Your mileage may vary (YMMV).

Cheers,

March

[Kasper 14]

Rob and March, both tools sound interesting. Concerning the J41. I am now used to start the tutorial flight, change day, time, weather and location and I am ready to go. A tool sounds a lot easier!

[jaydor 345]

You should only have to use the trike or other (usually the default Cessna 172) on the very initial start after the initial install. As long as you change from trike or? to 737 in the sim while open then save the flight after the change, that should be that. The 737 should then work as normal, mine does. There are quite a few addons that require this way of initial start and reading from the forums it's a left over from the change of FS9 to FSX. I first encountered this with the Flight1 Pilatus PC12.

[Quickmarch 488]

The following text is from the iFly forum:

Quote: "Here's my load technique:

Run CM as administrator; set fuel and payload (you only need to run the "My Fleet" configuration once)

Start FSX and wait a couple of minutes until it has it together.

Using the trike, select your departure airport and gate, set time if desired.

Load in 2D (it's faster) and wait till rpm is stable, then press F1

Now load the iFly cold and dark in 2D and then switch to VC if you like.

enjoy!" - Un-quote

I had to ask the question: "One question re loading in 2D: If I SAVE the default flight while in 2D, does that force it to LOAD in 2D? "

Answer: "Good question - as I recall, there is an option in FSX to default to loading VC or 2D. I don't know if that will override a loaded flight or not so give it a try and see what happens."

I found the radio button in Settings>Display>Aircraft>Default Cockpit View. Tested and FSX loads the default Trike to the 2D cockpit.

F1 cuts the throttle. I went one step further and pulled the mixture CTL+SHFT+F1

I left the Trike in Outside View (F11) looking at the starboard forward quarter (as if you were standing off to the right and ahead of the aircraft).

I selected the 737-600 WS from the screen menu and it loaded with no problems, NOT rolling.

It was interesting to see the development of the view - first the scenery and the aircraft shape (plain grey) floating above the concrete (but, not nose down as before), then the paint, and finally - the gear pops down.

Next, I get to test the concept of saving the loaded condition then reloading without going through the Trike histrionics. I'll get to that later today when I get a breather.

Cheers,

March