eMko

You're welcome :-) And yes, I know simbrief. I use it occasionally when I don't want to bother with fuel calculations and route planning - it's another tool which is good to have, but both EFASS or PFPX can create such briefing more accurately, because they have "more variables on the input". I'm thinking of buying one of the tools (for maybe more than a year :-) ).

Basically I use the Plan-G for VFR flight planning and as a backup navigation device for every flight (it can display your actual position and heading/time for a certain waypoint (just click right mouse button anywhere on the map and select the option from context menu)) - the aircraft navigation system can fail (either due to a software bug or due to a pilot error - I encountered both) and this can buy time to fix it. For simplistic planning of IFR flights when the navigation is based on VORs and ADFs it's also enough. You can even create a flight plan and export to X-Plane so you'll be able to load it to GPS or XCIVA. However if you want to have an IFR flight plan based on air routes, with SIDs, STARs and altitude constraints, it's lacking. I use the real world charts for planning an IFR flights - you can obtain both enroute and airport charts from Navigraph or use some real world charts if you have a "cheap source" because they cost more money than they're worth for flight simming (i.e. real world pilot who will hand it over to you when he will not need it anymore - after a month they are considered outdated and (at least here) it's illegal to use them for real world aviation). Skyvector.com is fine when you have the latest (or let's say "not older than 1/4 - 1/2 year") data in X-Plane. Other popular options for X-Plane are EFASS (http://froom.de/efass/) or PFPX (http://www.flightsimsoft.com/pfpx/). As for basic principles of navigation (and yes, your attitude is 100% right: you definitely should know it if you want to use more sophisticated methods like GPS or FMCs), I learnt them from this: http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/index.htm. I know that the site looks very ugly. I was learning the basics of navigation during the golden era of Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 and the site basically didn't change since then :-D .

If you have the latest AIRAC from Navigraph, you can update the X-Plane's database. However it can mean that the ILS can get misaligned with the runway or if the runway number changes (which happens also in real world). But it should not happen with VORs. However if you have never updated the X-Plane nav data and you are using skyvector with today's data, then it can be messy. Reason for this is that the magnetic compass drifts with time - in some parts of the world it's more noticeable than in others. And the VOR radials are based on magnetic headings, therefore you need fresh navigation data and maps at least once a year.

My guess is ATC.

I'd guess all of them. Recently I was flying with instructor in a GA plane (since it was my first flight he didn't allow me to take off and land it ... no surprise :-) ). He told me that the overall feel of the aircraft is very different and he makes especially the crosswind landings much better real world than in simulator.

But I assume it destroys the asphalt and concrete runway performance... Which is also not good when you want to take off from bigger airport, go to gravel strip and return back.

Well, looks like there should be much longer answer than it's possible to write in one post. There are several methods of navigation either real world or in a game. If you are at some point and want to see which heading you need to go somewhere else, you can use software like Plan-G (http://www.tasoftware.co.uk/). This can be connected with X-Plane and it can show your position on the map. You then click somewhere with right mouse button and select "Get go-to heading" from the pop-up menu - it will tell you the heading, distance and time needed to go to that point. You can also create a flight plan there. Do you have an access to the .org forum? If so, you can check the X-PPL topic (http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showforum=90 the very basics of flying and navigation are written in very short yet readable articles. Really, it's a good thing to go through all of them. Also if you wan an extensive source of information about navigating, you can go to the http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/index.htm . It's quite an old-looking site (dating back to the age of MS Flight Simulator 1998), but still perfectly valid. After that, you can read some documentation about autopilots and the new GPS introduced in X-Plane 10.30. It's not a good idea not to understand navigation enough (so you have to ask "where I can find a heading") and start using GPS or FMS. The new X-Plane GPS is quite a "new" gadget for X-Plane and I haven't seen extensive documentation about that, but the real world documentation/youtube tutorials will do the job (just have in mind that SIDs and STARs are not implemented in X-Plane and it's generally illegal to just throw the points to the GPS (for various but quite good reasons) - of course, this is a game, so ... who cares ... ;-) ). The X-Plane default FMS should show you desired heading to some point but ... it's a very basic "better than nothing" instrument. IMHO not worth using nowadays - you can find a plenty of planes with better systems - e.g. look at Carenado airplanes (http://www.carenado.com/CarSite/Portal/index.php).

+1 for reading the manual. This is probably the only manual when you can have fun when reading.

Glad I helped :-) . And err ... it's not The Best Idea Under The Sun to start multiple threads for one question, immediately go to ohter discussion board and start multiple threads again ;-) . It's understandable that you are nervous but this technique doesn't help in getting the response earlier, it just p**s off ohters ;-)

There's a topic somewhere here explaining that this is technically not possible. I also prefer the aircrafts that you can move around map or which have radios tuneable via external plugin (like X-Ivap). But this one excels in other things.

Press the CDI button to switch it to GPS mode. Then you can press the OBS button to put it to the OBS mode. However this is the old GPS screen, not the new one. If you install the new GPS to the old airplane, this old screen is still shown in 3d cockpit, however you can click it to show the new GPS. Edit: do you have Cessna Caravan from Carenado? If yes, download it again from your reseller - it was updated with the new GPS by Carenado and it's a free update.

If I could vote about features in this airplane, I'd vote against reflections. They're not needed at all. And if the creator of an add-on permits me to turn off the windows or instruments reflections, I do it. They are the effect which is negative actually - it lowers the readability of instruments and makes harder to see through windows. You can however buy a glossy display and put a lamp to shine into it if you want to cause a pain in your eyes ;-) Honestly, there are things in this aircraft which I would like to have more ... much more.

Reminds me a guy who want to attend a historical fencing show but we already had a full car so we advised him to take a train. "How do I get there by a train?" "The train stops there - the train stop has the same name as the village. Sometimes the direct trains goes there, sometimes you have to change in [name of a city]". "How do I know if I have to change or not?" "If you aren't clever enough to use a timetable, conductor tells you." "How do I recognize him?" "He wears a uniform so he looks like a jerk." "Yes and do you have a GPS which I can borrow?" "Why?" "To find the place where the fencing show will be." "You are not able to find clearly visible castle ruins above a village?" "I don't know whether I must go to the left or right from the train stop and how far they are." "Go uphill." "Really?" "Lord of Wüstehube who built it wasn't that fool to build a castle in the valley. Hardly anybody in 14th century would do that."

Yes, of course I realize it :-) . I even flew into troubles that STARs in my country are usually P-RNAV only and IVAO controllers are not happy about vectoring someone in heavier traffic. The same with adding custom NDBs - in real world it's impossible. But this is a game and should serve for entertainment. I just think that older navigation methods are more entertaining than putting everything into FMC or GPS; of course I also realize that many people don't share my opinion. That's the reason why I noted how it's possible to add the GPS to DC-3.

Yes, the x-plane map pauses the game (if I remember correctly, I don't use it much). But you can use other solutions like Plan-G (which can show your aircraft's position and flight plan if you want), skyvector.com (doesn't show your position, but can show your flight plan), same for Jeppesen maps or hardware map (the "hardware" maps should be called "software" in fact because they are usually made of paper and they are soft :-D ). In all the cases, you see much lager area than in GNS530 and IMHO they are more convenient to use. Of course feel free to use GNS530 if you want :-) - the "installation" procedure is exactly the same as for other aircrafts.

The GNS430 also "integrates" as a pop-up. There's no difference between them in this area - except the installation which is different. For KLN90 you need to edit a text file in your favourite text editor, for GNS430 you need to edit the aircraft file in a planemaker. Setting a key for popping-up the panel is exactly the same amount of work for both.

If you search the forum how to add it let's say to the B737-200, you can use the same procedure for DC-3. It just works. If you switch the GNS430 from "NAV" to "GPS" mode, it works as you would expect - doesn't couple with autopilot at all. ;-) Now seriously, it ruins much of the entertainment from flying this plane. If you really must fly to somewhere where there is no VOR/NDB coverage, why don't you just add some? It's even easier than adding the GNS430 to the DC-3 (= i.e. couldn't be easier) and doesn't ruin the entertainment. BTW if you are in range of 2 NDBs or 2 DMEs, you don't have to overfly them to preciesly navigate. Everything you need is a map, pencil and a ruler/protractor.

Sounds good, looking forward to the update!

AFAIK you should tune the proper frequency for XP ATC to start working. But if you'd like to use PilotEdge, don't use the default ATC. The default one is just not very real.

Hello, I'm leaving for 2 week vaccation now and I'm leaving all the electric devices at home. If you need more data than I posted, please be patient until I return - I don't own the petroleum-powered steampunk-style computer :-) .

Hello, I did a short flight between Glasgow and Manchester, 176 nm, take off weight was 22000lbs. According to the Performance charts manual page 72: at FL170 I should burn 880 lbs of fuel and it should take 50 minutes*. Weather was clear skies with no winds, ISA athmosphere. ECS were on, engine anti ice off. At FL170 in ISA condition there should be -19°C and I should cruise at 214 KIAS / 276 KTAS in cruise power (manual page 77) and the power should be 78 TRQ at 1230 RPM or 73 TRQ at 1330 RPM (pages 17 and 23). Not even close, 25KIAS slower. According to advice here I turned on the windshield and prop heating (the pitot tube heating was already on, I'm a bit more comfortable if it's not frozen :-) ). No difference. With engine A/I ON, the speed should be 203 KIAS / 261 KTAS (page 80), max power is 67% TRQ at 1330 RPM (page 24). 20 KIAS slower, better result than previous situation. But I also should say that I always let the airplane stabilize for a couple of minutes, so it's a bit lighter than in previous situation. The advisory speed for this flight level should be slightly over 180 KIAS according to page 27 of the manual, that's pretty accurate. I include also the screenshots of the overhead panel - did I do something wrong, please? Do you see something suspicious? And a screen of a weight and balance during flight BTW after landing the burnt fuel indicator showed 460kg, but the weight and balabce screen showed that there were 1800 lbs of fuel in the tanks; originally there were 3003 lbs. I'm not very good at math at 10:45PM, but I don't think that 460kg is equal to 1200lbs. Thanks for help! * The SID and STAR is not included.

I'll try that in the evening, but no, I don't put the conditions lever to the end.

Yes, but alexdm's 140-155 KIAS are quite a low number anyway. I usually got around 170-180 at FL220. At lower flight levels, e.g. FL150, I can get over 200KIAS quite easily. Looks like something is not right in this case. I'm not at home now, but in the evening I can check my speeds again.

I also can't get the max cruise speeds - I complained on this forum 2 times with no good response. But I can get the long range cruise speeds without frying the engines, so I just plan the flights with LRC speed + margin for winds.

eaglewing7: I also don't think that NATO will do something - Ukraine is not a part of NATO. United Nations are useless in this case - Russians have the "veto" right there*. European Union countries have a lot of business with Russians and I believe that the restrictions made by EU will harm the EU equally, may be even slightly more, than Russia. We are rather small country (Czech Republic) quite a far from Ukraine (6hr car ride to Uzhorod - but believe me, the Ukrainian vodka is worth it!), yet we will lose at least thousand work places in companies which sells their products to Russia. I wish 2 things: 1) I wish that Ukraine was a part of NATO. Attacking 1 NATO country = attacking whole NATO, I don't believe that Russia would like to mess with whole NATO. Mr. Putin is unpredictable but I don't believe that he would be that fool. 2) I wish that Ukraine was a part of EU. I already meet people from Ukraine working here, mainly doctors and construction workers. They have problems with immigration office here, mainly the construction workers which a lot of them work here illegally. It's 21st century, why the hell somebody has to work illegally to avoid legal problems??? And of course, I would have personal profit from Ukraine being part of EU. Whenever I would go for shopping the vodka, I wouldn't have to hide it from customs officers. :-) * I'm not telling that UN is generally useless. Not at all. But it's a pity that it can't do anything where Russia wants something and USA (+ EU) want something else.