5 Hidden FMC Features you DID NOT KNOW how to use properly | Real 737 Pilot

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Tools and addons used in this video:
Streamlabs Studio
Nvidia Shadowplay
My system specs:
Intel i9-9900k@5,2GHz
RTX3080Ti
32GB RAM
Windows 10 Pro
My hardware:
Thrustmaster Boeing Yoke
Honeycomb Bravo Throttle
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Thrustmaster Pendular Pedals

[@sammiles2188]

Great stuff! The hardest thing is not using these FMC features for a while due to pretty standard operations most of the time, and then when you get an instruction like a hold on vatsim, trying to remember how you do it for the 738 compared to the a320, CRJ etc 🤣

[@A330Driver]

haha, actually we use most of them on regular line operations.

[@conaly082]

Feature 1 and 2 I was aware of and using regularly. Feature 3 I did notice, but as you mentioned, never really used it. Feature 4 and 5 were actually new to me and I will keep them in mind. Thanks!

[@burakozer1778]

11:25 I tried to add a route discontinuity for the very same reason just the past day, to have an EOSID ready on my legs page, but I couldn't. And now I know how to do it! Thanks, Captain! Great informations!

[@RedEye737]

5+1, there's always one in the chamber :D Thank you as always, the +1 is an interesting way of doing it. I'll definitely try this on my next flight!

[@mohdharrisadam]

I have used all 5 hidden except the holding for EO SID. Thank you for the knowledge shared!!

[@dc0911]

Great tips. I’m currently on-boarding with a new airline on the 738 and all these are new to me except #2, so thanks for sharing the knowledge!

[@Krampfader123]

Super Video! Alles leicht verständlich erklärt, ohne daraus ein 50min Video zu machen.

[@dasfunkmeister]

I regularly use the DES page and delete unnecessary waypoints to the FAF based on ATC vectors & shortcuts but didn't know about being able to type in the IAF/FAF & altitude. Definitely makes the job easier to calculate continuous descent.

[@WiraIntruder]

That last Tips looks really helpful for real flight, I didn't even think you can use "Route Discontinuity" as Engine Out routing. Thanks for sharing.

[@waynelcross]

Wow… 😮. watched a lot of your videos and didn’t remember you saying this, this is such good info as it allows us to create a path then AP can follow and that we are happy with based on what we want to do.

[@iaexo]

Brilliant. You were right, the last 2 especially I haven't touched at all

[@claudemiropacheco]

Great features. Some of them I already knew, but as didn't use much, they were gone. Others were totally new to me.

[@Coupe420]

I use #1 and the bonus. I will use a few of these now that I know. Thank you!

[@countryflyboy8255]

Yes emi great stuff! I have a hard time remembering or knowing the proper way to input changes into the fmc so that it understands it in regards to making changed to the routing and the hold info. And the part where atc has screwed me.. yes that's happened many times on vatsim in the usa lol. 😂

[@randygodwin8160]

Thanks so much for your videos. So informative. Please keep up the great work.

[@A330Driver]

Thank you! Will do!

[@ajfurnari2448]

#1 - Very helpful. Thank you!

[@Andrea-wz9sj]

The last one is absolutely superb. Great video indeed!

[@A330Driver]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MrJLRAR]

This was very informative, thanks!

[@kevinreed3236]

Thanks for sharing

[@KeepBlueSideUp]

Great stuff.. This is why I like this channel..

[@Felipeozzy]

Feature #4 is actually a workaround for a deficiency from the PMDG FMC that have not implemented the CRZ DESCENT that the real aircraft got with FMC U11 back in march 2015. Acft with update 11 can go into CRZ DES if your descent is not within 50NM from computed T/D.

[@jay-rus4437]

As much as I really enjoy the A320, specifically the Fenix, the PMDG lineup is pretty amazing. I have 3 of their variants, and do fly them, but still fly the a320 most of the time

[@voidcast]

Thanks!

[@Kenny-vb4qr]

How you set the on fmc. You are the best great aviation video

[@CristiNeagu]

2:45 That bug has been in the sim since release... You'd think they'd care enough about it to fix it.

[@dionm3225]

The crossing radials tip is good, but for single pilot online flying I would approach this differently: Indeed, create the custom waypoint KUKIT062/WYP131, but first execute that; then use the other tip you showed and put KUKIT after the custom point, copy the restriction, erase and add the restriction to the custom waypoint. I think it should still give you the correct VNAV path, but you have less risk of automatically turning to final without clearance; which is a real risk in case you're doing it on your own behind your desk where it is easy to be distracted or task saturated.

[@rocotiger]

Great info!

[@A330Driver]

Thanks for watching!

[@delalima]

i didn't know any of them , thanks for the video by the way is it possible to modify the point of descent i mean have the airplane to earlier ?

[@blackmen18]

Brilliant

[@r0xbeat]

Great, didn't even know the last 3 .

[@dek737]

When I try to get the descent winds forecast I get a DATALINK CONFIG INVALID message, I use the msfs built in live weather system, then to get a forecast descent wind I'm using the descent spot wind on my fpm for the flight

[@flemmingsander3869]

Did not know any of them 😅 but will in future if I can , about the hold at take off , is that something you use under landing too

[@A330Driver]

No during landing we would simply use the published missed approach. That complies with any engine out requirement.

[@volavecmoi]

awesome

[@R160A]

I’m guessing the format for a waypoint formed by the intersection of two courses is also the basis for a fix/course/distance waypoint? (i.e. WYP131/6.5)

[@pbr2805]

4 and 5 are the most difficult to setup. It takes practice and more practice.

[@zdp-189]

4:11 Holy winds! Approaching 100 knots at FL360, even the descent forecast had 10,000 feet at 47 knots. No matter where I flew I usually encountered 40-60ish knots at FL360 plus! Musta been a mean jetstream dip/ front moving through!

[@A330Driver]

That's quite normal, my real-life record is 170kt straight tailwind so far. 100kt of wind is nothing special indeed, anything above ~140kt starts becoming special over europe.

[@worlds_okayest_pilot]

Absolutely obsessed with your awesome videos!! Thank you so much for these tips and tricks, will be trying these out tonight 😁 Could you make a mention in a future video about how pilots know when to descend? I know that the FMC gives a top of dissent, but if you reach the top of descent, can you request to begin descending in order to follow VNAV profile or do you just usually wait until ATC tells you to start descending? Thank you, sir!

[@A330Driver]

In 50% of the cases ATC, probably more, ATC will make you descend before reaching the T/D. If they don't you'll just continue towards the T/D and request descend a couple miles before it so that you can follow the optimum VNAV profile.

[@jrod_pilot_miami]

@@A330Driver and if you're lucky (or you fly into not too congested airspace), you'll get "descend at pilot's discretion."

[@A330Driver]

@@jrod_pilot_miami "Not too congested airspace" "Europe" ain't happening :D More seriously though, over Germany, France or the United Kingdom there's no chance you'll stay at cruise level until you reach your T/D. They'll pretty much always descend you early. Sometimes as much as 200NM early. Heck, in one route coming from France they descend you an hour and ten minutes before landing to FL340.

[@jrod_pilot_miami]

@@A330Driver haha! Well I guess I’m just referencing my experience flying in the US. Didn’t imagine it was that congested there.

[@ArrRoh]

For the winds request, assuming you have to download the flight plan given no simbrief integration?

[@Comedy3610]

It seems they might have changed the insufficient fuel warning as I still get it despite having the discontinuity in place

[@rackum44]

I've had MSFS since launch and still haven't flown a jet because I don't know how to use the FMC I've only flown GA aircraft which I feel I'm pretty good at

[@XanderGonnaEatYu]

Can you explain how you get the winds forecast for the legs page and the descent page working correctly? Everytime I try to request them I get an error that they are not available

[@jb894]

I miss flying 737. Can't wait for the max to come out.

[@A330Driver]

That'll be amazing indeed!

[@pilotpawanc]

Cap, how to set the 737 directly on final for landing practice. When i load it on final, the fuel and oil etc doesn't get loaded even when i change the state to 'final'. Any workaround?

Thanks for sharing! A couple of questions for you: 1. Will the PMDG FMC take your winds on the DES FORECAST page into account when calculating the descent path or are they currently just for show just like the local pressure? 2. When reaching a speed constraint point and you see how the target speed on the PFD is slowly counting down towards the new target speed, is that how it also works in the real aircraft or will you rather see how the new target speed is instantly updated without counting down? 3. Will you also see the real aircraft going into a climb for a short time during descent when the VNAV logic is doing its thing trying to achieve the planned profile and speed?

[@A330Driver]

Hi Richard, 1) Wind is taken into account. 2) The speedbug in the PMDG behaves exactly like in the real plane. Together with the VNAV scale it shows you the exact energystate you should currently have. 3) No, the real one would not start climbing.

Thanks for your quick reply! Regarding nr 1, great to hear winds are taken into account. Reason for my question is I've never seen the distance to the calculated T/D change when I put in the winds. In combination with how the local pressure setting on the same page has been confirmed by PMDG not being taken into account for the calculation of the vertical profile. Which we all see when switching to local pressure and how the VNAV path "jumps". Leaving you low or high depending on the local pressure. Regarding 2 and 3, thanks for confirming 👍

[@grzegorznowak940]

How to turn on fix or the round circles around the Airport

[@86abaile]

That one where ATC cleared you direct to WYP so you added a waypoint on the intersection of the two radials: is that because you are assuming the the direct to WYP is only to put you on a heading and ATC is not actually going to have you fly to it?

[@A330Driver]

Yes, absolutely. It simply wouldn't make sense to fly there. Of course you got to keep in mind where you're cleared to, so if you're approaching the extended centerline and the waypoint you created you should clarify with ATC and if you can't reach them just put your plane into HDG SEL or re-enter the actual direct so that you don't start a turn you haven't been cleared for. You'll see it quite often in real life that ATC simply clears you to a VOR close to an airport and will then give you shortcuts on short notice.

[@S.Tyrannosaurus]

very useful, but it's rather complicated to do when creating a new waypoint

[@olliexton6428]

How do you have the rings around the airport?

[@A2_FIT]

How much altitude I have tu put in the vnav pth in forecast fmc, because every flight is diferent, do you recommend me to put more than the waypoint altitude or I have to follow a formula?

[@AppleUK2000]

Fantastic video! Can the 1st feature (waypoint -2nm) be used in the Airbus in the same way?

[@A330Driver]

I'm pretty sure it can

[@AppleUK2000]

@@A330Driver Brill, thank you!

[@ranjulghose6742]

How do we no Know the distance and time to the waypoints ahead ?

[@ysteinRnning]

Hah! Joke’s on you, there’s a lot more than 5 I don’t know 🤪

[@Brendanmccreight]

How do you calculate ISA DEV?

[@DanielDuhon]

How do you do that on Airbus?

[@sky173]

0:32 - I'm curious if there's a way to place a random waypoint anywhere. For instance in your video: is there a way to place a waypoint 10nm due north of DK417? How would I type that in? I've tried many things ( for instance 'DK417/+10/360) with no luck. Thanks again for all the help you give us.

[@MultiKkk93]

DK417360/10 should do the trick. Radial first, then distance, and no slash after waypoint name.

[@A330Driver]

Exactly as Krzysiek says, DK417360/10. Place, Bearing, Distance. Place and bearing are typed right after one another, a slash is added before the distance. In the Airbus you'd use a slash in between all three, so DK417/360/10 because the Airbus can handle waypointnames with more than five characters unlike the Boeing.

[@sky173]

Great thank you both very much!

[@heefie8659]

When I try to get decent winds I get "datalink config invalid"

[@FedorBuyakov]

Emanuel, about very last feature. Does it officially supported / documented by Boeing or this is a lifehack that was accidentally invented by some smart crew member?

[@A330Driver]

It's not documented as in "here's what you can do to create your engine out holding", but the steps on how to create this are all documented in the FCOM, so I'd assume it to be "public knowledge".

[@reischracing7078]

What altitude does the FMC use to calculate the Top of descent? The selected altitude?

[@A330Driver]

The entered cruise altitude.

[@reischracing7078]

@@A330Driver And what does it use as Final altitude?

[@flighterer]

About feature no. 5, is it really still used now that there is the RTE no. 2 feature?

[@A330Driver]

RTE2 is NOT used for the EO SID. So yes, it is absolutely used. RTE2 is only used to prepare the subsequent sector.

[@flighterer]

@@A330Driver Ok interesting. Why is it not used for the EO SID?

[@umi3017]

Didn't know you can add that hold without ruin your normal plan, but then...we should have proper EOSID and RTE2 function for that....

[@A330Driver]

Sometimes flight simmers are funny. We don't even have EO SID functionality in our 737s in real life and RTE2 is reserved for entering the next flight in advance to save time during the turnaround. EO programming as I'm showing it on my channel is exactly how we do it in real life as well. Yet flight simmers demand that we "should have" all that functionality. Heck, we don't even have ACARS or *any* uplinks in our aircraft. Flight simmers would generate a shitstorm if they had to enter the route manually all the time, like we do in real life on every single flight (no, no companyroutes either!).

[@umi3017]

@@A330Driver My company have EOSID function option as it's required for PBN EOSID that many of our destination (and actually the base) have. And we also use RTE2 for non-PBN thus might not-in-database EOSID, or use RTE2 for depressurization/drift down route in mountainous area.

[@jayrermars8493]

Once at destination how is it possible to load the next flight without having to exit back to main menu? I understand you can load a saved flightplan from inside the cockpit however, I use Simbrief and these plans save as .pln and that's not recognised from inside the cockpit so have to exit back to main menu which is a pain.

[@A330Driver]

Basically exactly as you said: Simply export the new file and the plane can load it straight away. I've never had problems with that. If you do then I recommend to contact PMDGs support for help. Maybe they've got an idea.

[@jayrermars8493]

@@A330Driver Hi, thanks for your reply. As you've had no issue exporting the file please can you explain exactly which programs you use and the process as infusing Simbrief and it doesn't work within the plane as the file is saved in wrong format. Many thanks.

[@planely1263]

@@jayrermars8493 The easiest way is to use the Simbrief Downloader. For the PMDG738 you have to save FP (.rte) and Wind Uplink (.wx) in C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\pmdg-aircraft-738\work\Flightplans and [...]\WX respectively. And you can save your FP for other addons - IniBuild's A310, e.g. - as well

[@duecpskada]

@@jayrermars8493 I don't want to presume what you are asking, but I think you're asking how you can load a new flight plan for MSFS without having to exit to main menu, so you can get built-in ATC from MSFS. Not how to load a new flight plan to PMDG (as that through the cockpit like you said). I am curious about this answer myself, but I don't think it is possible.

[@jayrermars8493]

@@planely1263 Ok many thanks...I'll give that a go.

[@user-yy3zi2ll3k]

I wonder why the last trick is controversial(must be safety reasons I guess). Looks like genius idea for me

[@A330Driver]

Because there have been cases where, after the hold was taken active, the plane just didn't enter it but rolled wings level and continued straight ahead. Bug in the real plane ;-)

[@dangerousflyer9281]

Hello! Very nice video! Thank you a lot! Can you make the same video about the Airbus A320 FMC?

[@A330Driver]

Once I'm type rated on the Airbus I surely can and will do a bit more coverage on it.

[@dangerousflyer9281]

@@A330Driver ok, thank you again!

[@Patrick_AV]

Where can I find the engine failure procedure ?

[@A330Driver]

They're designed by the company so there's no official publications. However I can recommend the airportbriefings from blackbox711 on his website as well as those contained within virtualperformancetool.

[@jankin880]

Very helpful but you don t need the music

[@sithiradulanjithgalhenaged6974]

How did you upload the forecastwinds so easily ? Always give an error for me.

[@A330Driver]

See my video on the topic of uplinks in the PMDG FMCs, it's all explained in there.

[@sithiradulanjithgalhenaged6974]

@@A330Driver thank you I will take a look.

[@petrmanda]

So... If I hear that right... Not a part of PMDG tech team anymore for the last few videos?

[@A330Driver]

I still am, but people got bitchy at PMDG when I did some coverage on some developers who had less-than-good intentions and took my words for PMDGs.

[@VirtualAirTour]

How do you get the upper DU to display the fuel remaining with the circular indicators like at this point in the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpbbnZyLmsZ6d68

[@MsFLYBOY05]

I didn't know non of these features. by the way still can't figure out how to enter a FlyOver waypoint ☹

[@A330Driver]

In the 737 you can't enter flyover waypoints. They either come out of the navdatabase as part of a procedure or you'll have to use HDG SEL to keep the plane on track until overflying the waypoint and only then enter a direct to use LNAV again.

[@MsFLYBOY05]

@@A330Driver do you mean in the PMDG 737 ? Or real?

[@A330Driver]

@@MsFLYBOY05 The real one

[@MsFLYBOY05]

@@A330Driver ah ah ah yes you can 😀i found it right here. kzbin.info2AZ-LVaCGJw?feature=share

[@pilotpawanc]

Too technical.....and the description was a bit quick for me as the buttons etc were not explained

[@anonymoususer3012]

Is this a reupload? It seems like one

[@A330Driver]

No it isn't. Previously I made a video on five hidden features of the 737 but those did not cover the FMC. Based on the popularity of that video I decided to make this one.

[@anonymoususer3012]

@@A330Driver Ahhh, gotcha.

[@a.nelprober4971]

Is there a mod for cockpit wear and tear for the pmdg? I like my 737s how I like my women: old and filthy

[@A330Driver]

None that I know of, but I am honestly not a fan of such mods. Hardly any 737 I've flown so far looks much worse or worn than PMDGs.

[@pranabgill1310]

What you do on the fmc( in other videos too) is a little confusing. .take this this this here here here isn't really upto your otherwise high quality instruction level.Intermediate or experienced simmers/pilots would ofcourse understand but new pilots really stuggle with your fmc instructions. I hope you take this constructive criticism positively.

[@vasiliosgrekousis8192]

Hello! Is it requesting from the .wx file? Or rather from the web (or the sim) like in Prepar3D version? In case where the .wx data have expired, the requested Data in MSFS version will also be incorrect I guess, for the MSFS PMDG, to request weather like the Prepar3D version it needs MSFS WX API to be available, right? Thanks for clarifying! :)

[@A330Driver]

It's requesting from the wx file, like it always used to do (in P3D as well).