MSFS | PMDG 737 RNAV / RNP Approach Tutorial into Santos Dumont, Brasil with the Boeing 737-700

Hopefully another enjoyable, and easy to follow PMDG 737-700 tutorial for Microsoft Flight Simulator today - and one which has been requested quite a bit over the last week too! RNAV Approaches!
We'll be flying into the stunning Santos Dumont airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil with the RNP W Runway 02R approach which sweeps down and over the bay and past Sugarloaf Mountain - it's a spectacularly beautiful approach and one I absolutely recommend you try!
I'll go through all the key points so you can do it too - and if in doubt, or if for whatever reason your final approach becomes unstable, just go around and try again!
Naturally, I'm not a type rated 737 driver but in fact have picked up the aircraft from 0hrs and have learnt it as best as I can - and the aim of these tutorial videos are for the same purpose - to help you get from 0hrs confidently from A-B.
The video was created using an in-development beta version of the aircraft and thus some features might have changed slightly.
Check out the resources including the free pdf checklist on our website britishavgeek.com/pmdg-737 and join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @britishavgeek
If you enjoyed my work and want to support my streams, head here: streamlabs.com/britishavgeek
Want to get your hands on the controls of this awesome aircraft? Click here to purchase it directly from PMDG upon release - pmdg.com/msfs
The SBRJ Santos Dumont scenery created by Paulo Ricardo can be purchased from SimMarket here secure.simmarket.com/paulo-ri...
Charts: Copyright © 2021 Jeppesen All rights reserved. The charts are available to the flight simulation community via Navigraph. Head to Navigraph.com to sign up!
These tutorials are NOT for real world use and are for Flight Simulation use at home only. Similarly, these do not consitute flight instruction.

[@andreyholandafs]

Very well done friend! Excelent choice for a RNP approach! Looking forward for this beautiful bird. Who knows next weekend...

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thanks! Fingers crossed!

[@shanemercury7315]

Awesome view, awesome approach and awesome landing! Congrats!

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thanks!

[@swamp1540]

absolutely fantastic! cant wait to get my hands on this and do this approach too! thanks for the guidance

[@BritishAvgeek]

you're welcome! it's great fun, and immensely scenic too - can highly recommend :) if you want a short hop to it fly from SBGR and it's a 45min flight in!

[@GG_Booboo]

Funny, just doing this with the GOL livery!😁 Great video, amazing approach and landing!

[@tyrolish]

Many thank's for this very good and instructive video witch is very usefull for full undertanding of all the systems, thank's again !

[@BritishAvgeek]

You're welcome Jacques! 😁

[@lorent0591]

Spectacular approach!

[@BritishAvgeek]

sure is :)

[@rgr5340]

Aproximação em kai tak era muito lindo, mas essa no Rio é espetacular. É bem igual os prédios as montanhas a ponte Niterói 👏🏻👏🏻

[@OldManFABGaming]

Outstanding Tutorial - Thank You 😊

[@BritishAvgeek]

you're welcome! :)

[@subben2003]

Can't wait, for hopefully next weekend

[@BritishAvgeek]

fingers crossed!

[@AndrewWilliamsMusic]

I just did this approach in the 737-600. I had to kill the autothrottle much earlier though, because for some reason (maybe the terrain warnings?) it bumped up to 206kts from the stable approach speed.

[@AppleUK2000]

Fantastic tutorial, I need to complete some more RNAV approaches just so I don't forget what to do

[@BritishAvgeek]

thanks! in some instances you'd also arm the Approach mode but depends on the nav data - for this particular approach when I armed approach it didn't like the nav data so I didn't click it for this one :)

[@beijaminarrola9596]

Great approach!

[@BritishAvgeek]

sure is! always fun to try get into there!

[@Jaynewberry]

Thanks for doing this one, my favorite RNP! You nailed it! The first time I did it in a32NX, as I am on profile but about 200ft from terrain, I thought it's not possible they do this in real life is it? They do indeed!!

[@BritishAvgeek]

they certainly do! watched it myself from above stood on Sugarloaf mountain years ago and I was blown away by how awesome the approach looked (but also how hard it looked too!)

[@eduardopb326]

Fantastic

[@BritishAvgeek]

Hi team! I've been asked a lot about why not arm App mode... I had a few things muddled in my head but a type rated pilot has answered it really well in the comment below with some extra info too 🙂

[@tomandre3023]

When flying an RNAV AR approach, it shall be flown in LNAV/VNAV. Never in my life have I experienced any captains, or during any sim sessions where APP has been selected in the 737. It's only been used during ILS. Using APP during with a G1000 is something completely different, and perhaps even A320, as they are LPV capable. Kinda bold statement to call this a tutorial, although much of what you do is logical and you know some procedures. For the RNAV approach you do however forget to check the two most important things: that there's a glidepath indication at FAP, and a waypoint which is 50' above threshold, and to set the following: turn off VOR update, and set RNP 125ft in the PROG page (or at least verify ANP being within 125 ft, for this RNAV approach.) Boeing recommends that at 2NM before FAP, three things must be checked: 1. Altitude bug set to minima. 2. VNAV Path. 3. Speed intervention if desired. Then when -300 ft below missed approach altitude, the altitude is set to missed approach altitude, as VNAV will continue an unrestricted vnav path descent. But from a type-rated perspective, it's cool to see how much a simmer actually knows and how well you handle the airplane.

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@tomandre3023 so flown as the procedure was flown right? With the exception of the checks you mention which are great to note from a type rated pilots input! 🙂 I had quite a few asking why not App so it's great to have a specific answer to it too as I never quite understood why some you do, some you don't.

[@tomandre3023]

@@BritishAvgeek of course certain things would be different in real world, but the biggest qustionable stuff would be late minute change of flaps 40 to flaps 30, and not wings level 500ft AGL. I myself is excited to see whether these small details with prog. page is implemented in the sim, but it's not a killer item in the sim-world and doesn't have much relevance - unless one could simulate GPS jams and such non-frequent events. I enjoyed your content, and throughout the video I asked myself a few times which company you fly for, because it's otherwise really nicely executed. The profiles from B737 FCTM would probably be relevant in your case to take the "realism" a step higher, as that's my impression what you want to do. Regarding app mode, from what I've seen now that more recent B737s actually are LPV capable, and I assume the PMDG's are able to do this as well - so can explain why you actually were able to fly some in APP-mode. The new systems definitely opens up for APP being armed and activated. But flying with LNAV/VNAV is considered a 3D approach, and is usually more than enough. The only advantages for RNP approaches would be where you want a short cut compared to ILS, otherwise ILS will always take you to a lower minima - or if the airport only have LPV approaches, then APP mode would be selected I guess. The content you is at least way more relevant, realistic and a better guidance, than the videos that inspired me 15 years ago to become a pilot - watching FS2004 and FSX. So this next generation are definitely more lucky. Keep up the great work, it's fun to kill some time watching these as I'm waiting to try the 737 myself.

[@LuLeBe]

@@tomandre3023 I think most people that need a tutorial for this right now are guys like me who have this game to learn a bit more about what's going on in a cockpit and how you control the plane. And for that the name tutorial certainly fits. It's not accurate according to tell world safety issues etc but it's okay for learning how to get this thing in the ground without just nosediving into the runway, and it's certainly detailed enough that I have to watch multiple times to figure it all out. That said, your insight is incredibly valuable and on other aircraft that I'm more familiar with, like the CRJ, I've spent many hours looking at detailed explanations like yours to not only get the sim to behave like I want but to also learn what else goes into all this. TL;DR I think it is definitely a worthy tutorial, yet I'm happy to learn even more!

[@enriqueosuna]

It would be nice to see a tutorial for the RNAV/RNP approach flown to minimums in low visibility to concentrate on the flight instruments and the navaids that the PMDG 737 has to offer. In the A320, APP is engaged and a "brick" appears on the PFD to emulate the G/S path. It would be great to see the comparable LNAV/VNAV approach path in the PMDG 737 all the way to MDA.

[@calinutza33]

Would you do a RNP F RWY 20 L circle to land one day please. ? I have tried to do it one day but my sim frozen maybe it’s better so if I will see your tutorial to do it in a proper way. ! 😃

[@xMIGHTYx]

Thanks mate

[@bourne-jagt1716]

When and why do set the altitude on MCP to 0300? When and where do you reset the altitude on the MCP to the missed approach altitude?

[@obriets]

Definitely one to try out. I’ll make sure to turn off GPWS for that one.

[@BritishAvgeek]

absolutely! just flick the switches to disable it :)

[@nilanjanadas8931]

Great! Can you please also make a missed approach tutorial on the pmdg 737?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Absolutely! I'll get to work planning one 🙂

[@nikolatr71]

Tx on great, detailed video. Where do you have those perf calcs for B737 for both t/o and landing that you mentioned?

[@BritishAvgeek]

It's the VAS Airplane Toolbox 🙂

[@alfiemanton9115]

really helpful tutorial as always and amazing approach and landing but i was just wondering what mod you used for your landing rate?

[@BritishAvgeek]

It's the Landing Rate Monitor - I've done a video on it, it's awesome so check it out 😁

[@enriqueosuna]

Great video. Can the RNAV/RNP bring the aircraft to minimums while in A/P? Could you add one RNAV/RBP approach video to minimums with poor visibility to see how the procedure works?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Hi Enrique yes it absolutely can 🙂

[@enriqueosuna]

@@BritishAvgeek every time I try it, the sim crashes. It seems that the MSFS PMDG 737 is not capable of doing automatic approaches to minimums properly.

[@benranson8424]

Kai Tek: Fear my approach. Santos DuMont: Hold my beer.

[@AstroDad]

how do you know the QNH of the airfield you are landing at so far in advance? I've been using from ATC during approach when given but would be good to have it sooner

[@BritishAvgeek]

good question, I just put it into Google or if I'm on VATSIM I'll use the metar command to get the metar 🙂

[@aerofart]

Well done. Pacing was great with enough quiet time in between to digest some of the procedures. I wouldn’t mind a little more elaboration on the reasons why some switches are flipped and knobs are turned - no need for great detail or technical language, just some common sense type explanations. All too often it is frustrating to see these procedures being undertaken, without much if any explanation that would help tie it all together conceptually. Keep up the great work, enjoy the channel.

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thanks aerostar! I'll be looking to do one live in the next few preview streams if I get the chance but I'll certainly look to add it to the list 🙂

Great! Did you use the web based performance calculator that's in beta you referred to in a previous video? And there's no APP to activate?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Hi Joel! Good questions! on this specific approach I was flying, APP mode became quite unstable so I intentionally did not use that mode - good spot :) the performance calc is something called VAS Airplane Toolbox

[@ismetatam]

Very good video. Thank you. Is this airport MSFS default airport or addon airport ?

[@Flight231]

How did you get the Landing Rate to display? I tried the "Tips" menu, but couldnt get a landing rate? Great video BTW...very professional!

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thanks - it's the Landing Rate Monitor kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ2Uc3aVm9djgrs

[@GodfatherCZ1]

Hello mate , i have one question related to GLS/GBAS approaches capability in PMDG NG3 , will it be possible on release or planned in future updates ? I´ve recently read an forum article about modern Multi mode control panel planned in NG3 but not in P3D version . Lots of nowadays 737s are equipped wih MMCP and i was unsuccesful to find any new info about that in PMDG :) Zibo already has this as an option .

[@BritishAvgeek]

Great question! to be honest I'm not quite sure and haven't used zibo so don't know what I'd be looking out for by means of any difference!

[@GodfatherCZ1]

@@BritishAvgeek Yeah i meant if you have by chance any inside info about that :) i am perfectly happy with ILS , RNAV , VOR approaches but slightly more customization will be great :)

[@fantherailsbc]

Plane's not even released yet and you're cranking out tutorials LOL keep up the good work!

[@BritishAvgeek]

😁 you'll all have plenty to help on Day One now when you get behind the controls!

[@Flight231]

I just tried this in the CJ4. I dont yet have the PMDG 737. It CTD when accessing the FMS menu!!!! Not very encouraging for ASOBO eh? If it crashes here what after Ive spent a hundred quid?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thankfully the CJ4 uses an entirely different FMS system/code

[@2bgaming635]

Nice! That approach looks like a lot of fun. Did you do a custom waypoint start or which airport did you depart?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Hi! I began at SBGR

[@jdzzl]

Luke could you explain what the "Off" section does with the landing gear? Does it like turn off the hydraulics or something and kept in the off position for the rest of the flight after the initial pull up of the gear?

[@yaishmatheen4274]

I think it just saves energy once the gear is up

[@BritishAvgeek]

Absolutely! It turns the hydraulics off basically so the motors don't keep pressure on the gear to retract. Turning it off once they're in and locked switches the system off 🙂

[@jdzzl]

@@BritishAvgeek That’s what I thought! My other question is about the engine ignition switches. They are used in the flight compared to Airbus. This is what i’m guessing about the ignitions: Grnd : Starting engines on the ground. Flight: Keeps them going for more engine power Continuous: Similar to flight mode but I couldn’t tell you the difference. Auto: Just manages the whole thing except for engine start.

[@davidh7280]

There should be a vertical profile selectable on the MFD/ND screen? Accessed from the CDU setup pages, if memory serves?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Yes you're correct - it's there and we've showed it in a few of our live previews 🙂

[@davidh7280]

@@BritishAvgeek it's a great feature, lovely when descending into LOWI! BTW, Did you upload winds aloft from the sim into the FMC, or input them manually?

[@nolimit_tito5162]

can you make a video of the go around windshear procedure

[@BritishAvgeek]

I can take a look :)

[@FlightsimSimon]

Luke Cracking job was trying to watch on my phone as I’m away did you activate the approach button still on the rnp approach?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thanks! Interestingly no, when I did on this particular approach the app mode dropped the nose below the target altitudes and it quickly became unstable towards terrain so intentionally I didn't click it on this one - good spot though!

[@FlightsimSimon]

@@BritishAvgeek either way your videos are really helping me remember the pmdg from p3d ready for next weeks launch so thanks for doing this

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@FlightsimSimon I'll add too that since I've found from a type rated pilot that for the 737 what we did in the video for this approach was correct - you do not arm APP mode (someone kept telling me I didn't so I got a bit confused prior to my reply to you!)

[@FlightsimSimon]

@@BritishAvgeek so we don’t in any rnp approach? That’s good to know then Nice one for following up Check with Lewis too he’s a b738 pilot

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@FlightsimSimon apparently VNAV PTH and LNAV are the ones we want as we did in the video - selecting APP is an Airbus/G1000 thing. 🙂 Learning every day! Love it!

[@afpwebworks]

Beautifully done!!! That wasn’t your first time doing that though, was it? Be honest now - how many times did you practice that approach? 100? 200?

[@BritishAvgeek]

haha it was my third time - sadly the first I got the landing bug in this beta build so I had to start again, then the second time my FSUIPC7 triggered a CTD on the way in, so third time lucky though only the second actual attempt at the approach!

[@MrScott_e]

@@BritishAvgeek Beautifully executed, well done. BTW, What do you use FSUIPC7 for in your setup?

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@MrScott_e thanks, I use it for the Landing Rate Monitor

[@MrScott_e]

@@BritishAvgeek Thanks, and keep the great videos on the 737 coming. I really love the Collins FMC in The Challenger and so want a similarly capable FMC in MSFS2020.

[@shawnhoffman4861]

What approach calculator do you use? Can you guide me to where I can find it please?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Search on Google for VAS Airplane Toolbox and you'll see a link to the xplane forum - you can get it there 🙂

[@LuLeBe]

That is one weird approach if I've ever seen one. Why go between all the mountains and over the city when you could go around in the south over the sea? Maybe the charts don't show some other obstacles down there but it certainly looked funny. Great tutorial though!

[@BritishAvgeek]

it's one of the many into the airfield - all of the other RNAV approaches into Santos Dumont come in over the water as you mention :)

[@angeljimenezgarcia666]

I already loaded an RNAV paroximation but my plane does not follow the airway with the autopilot. It won't let me put Vnav and LNAV. because?  Feedback Web Result with Site Links  Google Translate

[@BritishAvgeek]

Check for any discontinuity in the flight plan and ensure everything else is set up correctly or you won't be able to use LNAV or VNAV. Also check the approach is an LNAV/VNAV approach too, as it may only be LNAV RNP so you'd have to descend yourself

[@tangolima4148]

Great video! Mind you, keeping GPWS aural warnings on is negative training (conditioning). Anytime you hear that, it should trigger you physically. Ignoring the aural warning conditions the mind to no longer be alarmed. That's the difference between sim-pilots and real pilots: training and conditioning should be a constant factor. That's also why, as a real pilot, I need to write this of my chest in this comment after listening to your video: my brain needs an explanation for not reacting ;-) [edit] ps: that's the very reason why these warnings can be turned off in the cockpit. (if anybody would wonder)

[@BritishAvgeek]

I'm guessing you missed the bit where I said something along the lines of "you should turn it off" but that it "is nice to hear how it's working" 🤣

[@tangolima4148]

@@BritishAvgeek ;-) I did hear that of course, but I still had to listen to it ROFL.

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@tangolima4148 very true 🤣

[@mr.andrex228]

what is the name of the plugin that provides information on landing? FPM, and G forces

[@BritishAvgeek]

it's the Landing Rate Monitor - i've created a recent video talking about it so check it out :)

[@mr.andrex228]

@@BritishAvgeek can you send me the link?

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@mr.andrex228 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ2Uc3aVm9djgrs

[@pearlmcp]

First let me say thanks for the tutorial. It was very thorough. Second, let me say I have an Xbox series X and I know that you're on a PC and it's a different airplane from my xbox 737 max. I also realize that PC's can have add-ons (PMDG) that an xbox just can't... (yet) and the RNAV approach just might not work the same. I have recently tried to copy your approach. With all that said, the approach loaded fine, it was set up in the airplane like the tutorial and everything seem to be ready but the plane just would not descend. I tried 4 different times. I just wanted to ask if you or anyone else has done this or other RNAV approaches using the Xbox Series S or X. Maybe I'm missing something. I have not given up and will try again tonight. Thanks and Cheers.

[@BritishAvgeek]

Hi, I haven't tried it on Xbox myself - I think you're referring to the breko3d max? I wouldn't know how to use it sadly but they've stitched a lot of default flight system into it from the default Asobo aircraft so you might have to click about to just find what makes it work

[@pearlmcp]

@@BritishAvgeek Thanks so much for replying back so quickly. I will poke around a little bit more and like I said I’m not gonna give up. I have successfully did your tutorial using the airbus 320 and it followed everything perfectly. I will attempt again tonight and see what happens. Thanks again⚓️

[@pearlmcp]

I have another quick question. How are you decreasing your altitude without the plane actually going down? Of course I know theAlt bug knob is turning and that’s how you lower it, but are you using a mouse or a controller? Because, when I use my Thrustmaster quadrant the plane actually will start descending. If I use my mouse to turn the altitude bug dial, the numbers lower but the plane stays at the same altitude until VNAV Will kick in.

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@pearlmcp I use my mouse to scroll and change altitude on the mcp

[@MikeBravoAviation]

Hi, you briefed that's nesessery to land with auto brake max and flaps 40, you had there a little mistake on your final. You landed with flaps 30. Nice viedeo, congrats!

[@BritishAvgeek]

Thanks! in relation to the brief, we re-calculated and I mentioned later into the video we're changing to Flap 30

[@MikeBravoAviation]

@@BritishAvgeek aaaa nice. I didn't got it later on your video.

[@alvinwidyadhana992]

Is that okay to use full reverse thrust below 60kts?

[@BritishAvgeek]

depends on the scenario... we probably wouldn't stop in time at Santos Dumont without.

[@sadbucket]

My RNP was stuck at 0.3 for the approach and I almost ran into the mountains... wut I do wrong ;-;

[@BritishAvgeek]

Could be a number of things (could just even be the Nav data for e.g. if you don't have navigraph)

[@sadbucket]

@@BritishAvgeek sorry commented before watching video, I hit app for the approach which worked initially, but I think I wasn't managing my speed properly which caused the plane to go into a steeper descent and lose the g/p... using lnav/vnav makes way more sense for rnp, was told elsewhere to use app for any type of approach, thanks 🙏 (also figured out how to fix rnp precision from that pilots comment 💪)

[@whammo11224]

Can you use this plane if you don't have Navigraph?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Yes 😁

[@whammo11224]

@@BritishAvgeek Thank you!

[@jep1103]

What is the nav calculator at 4:20 please

[@BritishAvgeek]

VAS Airplane Toolbox

[@Greazer]

Ok cool, but might like to try RNAV IAN too

[@BritishAvgeek]

sounds fun!

[@Greazer]

@@BritishAvgeek Come on man!

[@leonardolima388]

What’s the landing calculator u used?

[@BritishAvgeek]

VAS Airplane Toolbox

[@leonardolima388]

@@BritishAvgeek thank you

[@santy5496]

where can I buy it?

[@BritishAvgeek]

it's not available yet - monitor the PMDG forums via the link in the description :) it's coming very soon

[@dgrantreiter]

Gol uses a HUD option

[@BritishAvgeek]

...and I find it insanely distracting so I personally don't 👍

[@dutchflightsimpilot7447]

Flaps 30 on Santos Dumont?

[@BritishAvgeek]

Yes, I'm not using Flap 40 until "victory has been declared" on the 'landing bug'

[@GarrisIiari]

@@BritishAvgeek what landing bug?

[@BritishAvgeek]

@@GarrisIiari well, I'd suggest checking out the official PMDG forum to avoid any speculation 🙂 they're working at resolving an issue which triggers with a specific set of circumstances

[@GarrisIiari]

@@BritishAvgeek will do, thanks, I haven't been following the launch quite *that* closely yet.

[@brendanlewis378]

WHEN WHEN SICK OF WAITING, They better hope X-Plane 12 doesn't come out soon, ZIBO 737

[@BritishAvgeek]

I'm guessing you haven't been monitoring the official forums? 😉