PMDG 737 | How to calculate your final approach speed | Real 737 Pilot

In this brief tutorial, I’ll discuss how to calculate your final approach speed when fully configured to land. Flying the appropriate airspeed on final approach is vital so you ensure you have enough margin from stick shaker or an overspeed situation causing a flap blowback.
As I always stress my tutorials contain guidance based on operating procedures from a large airline. Other operators/tutorials might show you a different procedure or setup based on different operating procedures.
Any questions feel free to ask!
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All guidance in my tutorials are based on operating procedures from a real operator, I have almost 4000 hours on the 737-800 (The real one) and I'm also a full-time Type Rating Instructor for my operator working in a full motion Level D simulator.
The aim of this channel is to provide realistic, informative and useful information to help you enhance your flight simulation experience by following me apply real world operating procedures in the PMDG NGX.
Be sure to Like, Comment, and Subscribe and Thanks for watching!
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NB - I am in no position to share/copy company material. All guidance is purely to enhance your home flight simulator experience and is for entertainment purposes only.
Addons Used:
FSX Steam Edition
PMDG 737 NGX
FSX Active Sky Next
REX 4 Texture Direct
EZdok Version 2

[@M4TTFPV]

Such a massive help having a real world pilot doing these tutorials. Not trying to take anything away from the simmers but your understanding and therefore knowledge is second to none! I've just progressed straight from the a2a c182 to the PMDG 737 and your tutorials have been invaluable in helping me 'not just press buttons' but to fully understand the functionality and reasoning behind each step. Thank you so much and really look forward to your video's​.

[@flightdeck2sim]

Thanks a lot Matt! Some of the guys I've been chatting too know quite a bit! One thing is reading the manual/tutorial and following it but understanding what you're doing when you're flicking a switch is a whole different matter! That's why a full time Type Rating takes almost two months. It's good fun making these tutorials, wish I had more time to make them more frequently! Safe Landings! FD2S

[@M4TTFPV]

flightdeck2sim Most welcome. Yes I struggle to read anything (not illiterate, just get bored very easily reading), so I followed the tutorial#2 either 6 or 7 times and whilst I managed to land successfully I always had to manually fly the last part of the approach as something always went wrong. Enjoyable yes, but I do also want to learn the automation too. Now I have a better understanding I'll try the tutorial again when I've watched your videos a few times over. Thank you again

[@flightdeck2sim]

Cool, I'll look into making a tutorial explaining how to use the MCP properly and explaining all the modes available and how we'd use them. You need to treat the MCP panel as a toolbox, you select whatever you need to get the job done! Take care! FD2S

[@deadwing9094]

My pleasure, since watching your tutorials many times I have the confidence to switch out of auto and land manually with 100% success knowing how the aircraft is configured and why, with much more understanding, observation and knowledge of approach procedures ..... Thank you Ross

[@fly-hub989]

Thank you so much for this tutorial, I was trying to figure why my plane was saying pull up but now I know because of you. Definitely worth a subscribe

[@NichkenGmb]

Thanks, for the endless trainings and guides you provided to the flight sim community. Thank you, is not enough.

[@flightdeck2sim]

@@NichkenGmb thanks for the kind words, especially on such an old video! FD2S

[@kijetikimavi]

This guy is just a great man.. thank you.

[@ramair6424]

I love your videos. I finally ran across this one after your referred me to it when I asked you a question on your landing tutorial video. Thank you so much for doing these, they are outstanding! Check, close and hold has made my landings so much more consistent! Please keep the videos coming.

[@flightdeck2sim]

Thanks Intmir, take care! FD2S

[@kanusulrichs3564]

I love this video, this is just what I needed. I had no idea what vref meant and I needed a video to help me this helps me understand the correct landing speed a lot more.

[@flightdeck2sim]

Thank you Kanus, glad you found it helpful! FD2S

[@mybubu2000]

that's a real help in understanding the approach speed. thanks

[@MagyarMatt]

Another fantastic tutorial. I like to think I know my way around the 737 but watching these makes me realise how many schoolboy errors I still make. like factoring in the same allowance for the wind no matter the direction! Thanks to this I can do it properly now! As an aside I also fly the Airbus in sim as well and really need to up my knowledge on that. Are there any A320 pilots who make similar tutorials like these on KZbin?

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi MagyarMatt, thanks and welcome! I'm not aware of any other line pilots making similar things, the A320 is a very different machine to the 737 that's for sure! FD2S

[@SimPilotRockster]

thank you very much for your effort and knowledge put in your videos, my god ive been doing ALL my approaches +5 and not knowing why everything got messed up thank you again, keep up the good work

[@flightdeck2sim]

Glad you enjoyed it, good luck! FD2S

[@deadwing9094]

Another great tutorial video, absolutely agree with matt Ross Elliot

[@flightdeck2sim]

Thanks a lot Ross!

[@Vinzmannn]

You sir help me so much with your videos. Thank you very much.

[@flightdeck2sim]

You're most welcome Mastermind! FD2S

[@MithridatesOfficial]

Another excellent video... Thank you my friend.

[@flightdeck2sim]

You're most welcome Adapa FD2S.

[@dazbtw]

0 dislikes good work!

[@Taylor314T5]

So much to learn.

[@satishragha6523]

Thanks so much for these helpful videos

[@flightdeck2sim]

You’re most welcome Satish Ragha! FD2S

[@CristiNeagu]

0:55 Off topic, but that's quite the updraft.

[@grantwood8325]

Thanks for this ! I assume one of the reasons the autopilot disconnects on me on final attempting an auto land is that I may be below my vref limit

[@slicker55]

Thanks for doing this tutorial ... although a few years ago, still very relevant and helpful to fellow simmers (like me) learning the ropes... It's a great explanation and I am with you to a point... in the chart, the top and bottom three examples make sense but I don't follow the logic with the middle two... 060 at 24 (additive 6) and 090 at 15 (additive 0 )... maybe a clue lies in the wind direction shown in the chart? (hoping you will clarify please). When referring to 'head wind' ... does this literally mean 'head on' or does it also include a certain tolerance either side?... Lastly, what happens if there's a cross-wind?

[@cocoabean5917]

One question so if you do all the things in the fmc will those Vref and white thing show up automatically?

[@lonepilot]

Thanks again for another great video with such detailed insight. Regards from portugal ;)

[@flightdeck2sim]

lonepilot obrigado amigo!

[@Grymlocked]

Great video! I have a question about the chart. What is the formula for calculating the wind additive of a wind that is between a headwind and crosswind? I see that the example of 060@24 is 6 knots and my logical guess is that it's a 4th of the wind speed but I wanted to be sure.

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Grymlocked, Thanks! We have a very handy crosswind/headwind table in the flightdeck on a checklist and our OPT app calculates it for us. There are lots of rules of thumb you can use but I've genuinely forgotten all of them! It's been a long time since I've flown a light aircraft and had to calculate crosswind/drift! FD2S.

[@Nikola16789]

You can learn cosine factors for 30, 45 and 60 degrees for quick calculations. It's .86, .707 and .50. For 060@24 example, cos of 060 is .5 so head wind component is 12. You need to add half of head wind component to Vref speed so it's 12/2=6

[@willow6228]

Hello: A well done video.. Thank you. I am lead to understand that the +5 is for speed protection when using the autothrottle. If you were flying manually what would be the vref ? Do you take off the +5 ? (assuming no wind). I am not referring to wind corr, only vref. I hope this makes sense, Iain

[@johnmcpherson620]

Good work again; thanks. I always learn something from these... this time around although I knew how to calculate landing weights and speeds I learned about using the bugs on the airspeed tape along with the yellow arc to confirm landing. I've got an off-topic question about real world procedures: in your airline do you update flight progress manually by writing on a paper copy of the navlog? I use an online service to produce PDF copies of all my flightplan and briefing pack, but I view these on a tablet pc and can't update them as I cross waypoints enroute. Do you guys do that at all? On paper? On EFB?

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi John, thanks again for your kind words! At my current outfit we still use paper OFP's (Operational Flight Plan) as do a lot of operators still. We print out all our flight plans for the day before our duty. In flight when reaching TOC the PM starts working out the ETA for every waypoint and every 30 minutes we check our time and fuel quantity/fuel burn against a waypoint and make a note on the OFP (Operational Flight Plan) Everything else, performance calculations and charts are on the EFB. Hope this helped! FD2S.

[@johnmcpherson620]

flightdeck2sim that's what I needed to know! I have a DIY efb whereby I run the TopCat performance calculator software and Navigraph charts alongside a VATSIM client and PDF reader on a Windows 10 tablet. I'm currently viewing the OFP on that, but unable to update. I'll have to invest in some printer ink and print the navlog pages of in going to do it properly!

[@lukas_2004]

How do I get the current headwind component, if I'd land in crosswind?

[@markbond18]

How do you find the head wind? If runway is at 240 degrees but wind is from 200 degrees at 20 knots what do you add to vref? surely not 10 knots??

[@annmclaughlin8944]

Hi FD2S, wow; I thought I knew everything there was to know about flying the 737, since watching your videos I have realized just how much I have to learn. Very detailed and informative videos; I really enjoy learning beyond the checklists and the reasons why these checklists are created in the first place. I have two questions if you wouldn't mind answering. I'm looking to buy a new laptop to run p3d or FSX on, what laptop is it you use? it seems to run everything very nicely and seems it would fit my needs. and secondly; what EZDOK settings do you use? , I've tried setting it up but just can't get it to work like yours does; would you mind sharing your settings on avsim or even just a screenshot? thankyou Chris

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Ann, thanks a lot (the best pilots never stop learning!) This tutorial was filmed on a Dell XPS Laptop (9550) Intel Core i7 2.6 GHz, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce 750m. The performance was ok but would struggle in areas of complex scenery/airports I recently upgraded to a ChillBlast PC which has these bits.... • Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake Processor/8MB L3 Cache • Chillblast 120 CPU Water Cooler • Asus PRIME Z270-P Motherboard • 32GB DDR4 2400MHz • 500GB Samsung 960 EVO M.2 SSD • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Graphics Card You'll see a marked improvement in performance compared to my older tutorials. The EZDOK settings are from the AVSIM Library, it was under PMDG NGX or something like that! FD2S

[@ManchesterAviation]

A fantastic video as always! Just a quick question though - if ATC tell you to "reduce minimum safe apporach speed" is this the VREF speed with no wind correction or anything lower than that? Thanks!

[@flightdeck2sim]

Good day! Thanks a lot! If Tower requested minimum approach speed that's fully configured to land and flying your target airspeed so VREF + any wind additive you calculated, usually requested when someone misses the exit or Tower are trying to get a departure away. All the best! FD2S.

[@alexandersoren4938]

Hey, thanks for the video! One question though: for a very short runway, say, Skiathos with only 1600 m. available, how do I decide if I need flaps 30 or 40, assuming the gross weight is for example 62 tons? Thanks!

[@flightdeck2sim]

Flap 30 is the default flap setting, Flap 40 for short runways, generally less than 2000 meters so definitely in Skiathos! FD2S

[@alexandersoren4938]

@@flightdeck2sim Thank you very much!

[@maroon9980]

So if the wind is 240/16 you would add +8 to the VREF, 240/20 +10 to VREF and etc?

[@Final_Turn]

Great ! One question. my plane keeps too much nose up attitude .. :/ Whats my mistake? Means for given vref at specific flap setting, its nose up, sometimes around 5 /8 degrees

[@flightdeck2sim]

That sound pretty normal Kk, Take a look in your PMDG QRH at the "Airspeed Unreliable" table. This gives you attitude and thrust settings for all stages of flight! The attitude for normal flight is usually a few degrees above the horizon! FD2S.

[@wesleyyin]

Another great video! In the last minute, did you mean that any time within the last 500 AGL, if the IAS goes below VREF and above VREF+20, we must go missed?

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Wotao, thanks again! No just at the landing gate. Below the landing gate if you approach or just exceed VREF - VREF+20 PF must immediately correct but if the correction is not working then you'd fly a missed approach. One thing FSX doesn't replicate well is flying in gusty/windshear conditions. In the real aircraft with strong gusty winds it can be extremely challenging to fly a speed accurately, the A/T certainly isn't capable of making the change quick enough in strong gusts. So long as you're correcting speed and the correction is working and you get your self stabilised again you could continue. Hope this helped! FD2S

[@wesleyyin]

Thanks a lot for the clarifications! They are very helpful. XP11 seems to simulate wind gusts well, but too bad there is no study-level airliner yet.

[@Flight123-p6y]

How do I make the plane say minimums?

[@dreimi7040]

hey, one question how do you calculate the landing speed when the wind is variable (e.g. 29016KT 210V310) Do you calculate it the same way ? So if the Runway Heading is 290 and the wind is 290/16KT 210V310 would i then have a landing speed of Vref + 8 KT ?

[@rcflyer6241]

Hey FD2S! I was just revisiting this video after more than a year old, but was hoping you could answer a quick question. Does one apply the Vref calculations for ALL of the flap settings? For ex. if we land flaps 45...do we still add the same corrections? Just wanted to clarify. Thanks and I still am trying to catch you on your live stream! One of these days my schedule will work out. Take care

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi RCFlyer62! The wind additive is the same for all normal landing flap settings (30 & 40) as per tutorial! All the best! FD2S

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi RCFlyer62! The wind additive is the same for all normal landing flap settings (30 & 40) as per tutorial! All the best! FD2S

[@rcflyer6241]

flightdeck2sim sorry typo...I meant 40! Thanks for the response.

[@wasg1019]

great tutorial :D, but. lets say this is the case: WIND 020/09kts (08KT HW) headwind is 8, 8/2 = 4 then add +4 to vref? but didnt u say minimum to add is 5?

[@flightdeck2sim]

If the headwind is less than 10kts, use VREF+5. It's the minimum wind additive. eg - NO wind = + 5kts 7kt HW = + 5kts If above 10kts, half the HW component 12kt HW = + 6kts FD2S

[@Treadstone7]

What about the rule of thumb I heard of that you have to add half the gust factor to your approach speed (for example at 240/12G20 with rwy heading 238, you add 6 kts and additional 4 kts, so VRef+10) does this only apply to GA aircraft?

[@flightdeck2sim]

The gust factor in your example is 8kts (12G30) which we add to half the steady HW component, so you owuld use VREF+14kts in the example FD2S

[@Treadstone7]

@@flightdeck2sim thanks alot

[@EinkOLED]

Do you calculate the landing weight from the gw predicted on landing in the fmc progress page?

[@flightdeck2sim]

That is correct. On the Progress Page take a note of your arrival fuel, subtract that from how much fuel you have in the tanks (this is the amount of fuel you're going to burn before landing) Once you know how much fuel you're going to burn subtract that from your Gross Weight on the INIT REF page and that will be your approximate landing weight! Good Luck! FD2S

[@unusualattitude9518]

Thank you :)

[@steffenleo5997]

Good Day Sir,i have a question ....do you know as experienced pilot what it mean vref + 40 @flap 5 what is AOA/angle of attack in a degree?i get this information from a pilot in youtube why he does not just mention degree of AOA instead of vref+40 @flap 5....hope you can explain to us.Thanks in Advanve

[@M4TTFPV]

That would be brilliant thank you, it's a little more complicated than the KAP 140 a/p in the c182 😂

[@mybubu2000]

matt neale hahaha good one there

[@francescof9474]

Hi, great video! Today in a very windy approach I had to use my vREF+20 knots, I did the flare as always (check, close, hold technique respectively check at 20ft, close at 15/10) but the aircraft floated all down half of the runway! I don't know if it was due to the relative high speed or due to the wind... (RWY 32 wind 290/26 gusting 41) What can I do the next time? Thanks in advance and keep going, this channel is fantastic!

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Francesco, It would have been the increased airspeed that caused you to float. This is something you have to deal with in real life if you have increased your final approach speed due to increased headwind. In these situations you have to sometimes fly the aircraft onto the runway and not "check" abruptly otherwise the aircraft will just pitch up and climb. Good Luck! FD2S

[@francescof9474]

flightdeck2sim Thanks! What do you exactly mean for “fly the aircraft onto the runway”?

[@flightdeck2sim]

Usually when you flare, reduce thrust and hold the attitude the aircraft settles down nicely. If you have a higher approach speed the aircraft has a increased tendency to float. To counter this you might have to pitch down very slightly to get the aircraft to touchdown but you must ensure the main gear touchdown first. FD2S

[@francescof9474]

flightdeck2sim Thank you, I definitely need to practice😂

[@leonardonitschke5096]

what would be when the wind is comig straight from the sight? than you take the half of the knots too? So 7 knots?

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Leo, Only based on headwind component so standard +5. If the crosswind was gusting you would add the gust increment. FD2S

[@leonardonitschke5096]

@@flightdeck2sim okay, thank you :) is it the same on the airbus a320/a321?

[@jobkolsteeg8871]

Hello! I had a question when i put in my vref + 5 IT is very far way from the stall speed. When i try to fly slower i am able to fly 3 ° pitch up but when i fly vref + 5 it is a negative pitch... I have the correct fuel and payload quantity in the fmc hope you can help me.

[@flightdeck2sim]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKLRo5yDm66Ve6cm55s From this time you can see the target attitude and thrust settings for Flap 30. FD2S

[@jobkolsteeg8871]

Thanks for the information. In the table, it says Vref flap 30 + 10 this depends on the wind right? so should I fly Vref + 5 ?

[@flightdeck2sim]

Correct, minimum approach speed is VREF+5 👍🏼

[@Mrblogification]

how to calculate the flaps up speed? there is any video about this question in the whole you tube!

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Renato. The easiest way is to work out your VREF for Flap 40. This can be found in the FMC on the INIT REF page in flight or tables in the manual, it’s based on your gross weight. You then simply add 70kts to this for the UP speed. FD2S

[@Mrblogification]

flightdeck2sim hello flightdeck2sim! thank you so much !

[@captain7956]

Shouldn’t the 060 at 24 be vref plus 12?

[@ozanyesiltas4541]

Runway direction is 360, 24 kt from 060 means that direct HW component is 12 kt. We take the half of that value, so it's 6 kt.

[@drawing1229]

Hello captain! You are a really professional and so like your channel! Could you make a video Approach into LOWI I think it will a good idea 👍🤗

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Saad, glad you enjoy my content and welcome! My operator doesn't fly into LOWI but I'll try and get hold of some up to date charts and how the procedure should be flown exactly, that way I can replicate the Approach exactly how it's flown in the 737. FD2S

[@drawing1229]

flightdeck2sim i appreciate that👍🤗! I am also studying as pro pilot. Right now Atpl theory and then ME IR and CPL

[@tobiasjoranger3821]

When i press "INIT REF" it just takes me to a page called "inedx", does anyone know why?

[@henryjiang9664]

Tobias Joranger either you’re on the ground or it’s not pmdg. You can press the line select for approach page on the index page.

[@Modest-xw9dp]

how calculated gross wt on the approach ref?

[@flightdeck2sim]

See comment below! "On the Progress Page take a note of your arrival fuel, subtract that from how much fuel you have in the tanks (this is the amount of fuel you're going to burn before landing) Once you know how much fuel you're going to burn subtract that from your Gross Weight on the INIT REF page and that will be your approximate landing weight" Good Luck! FD2S

[@Modest-xw9dp]

I thought so. Thank you

[@kieranharvey4576]

When I flare during the landing I end up gaining altitude again and then taking forever to lose it by which time I have to go around is this me coming in too fast, I get confused as when I Approach I though if you have a nose up attitude your going too slow, is it normal to have a nose up attitude during the final Approach? Can we not simply fly slow enough that we need a nose up attitude then upon touch down you are technically already flaring? Probably massively dangerous. :)

[@flightdeck2sim]

Hi Keiran. Your Attitude for Flap 30 and 40 should be around 1 degree on final approach. Check out my Landing Technique Tutorial where I explain the Landing Profile used in real life. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKLRo5yDm66Ve6c FD2S

[@kieranharvey4576]

flightdeck2sim Thanks! I should check the rest of your channel for answers before asking you really cover everything :)

[@kieranharvey4576]

flightdeck2sim Have you done a Rapid Decent tutorial?

[@toyotatrd]

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