PMDG 737-700 for MSFS - Tutorial 12: Descend

Hi all, I'm a PMDG tech team member and real life 737 pilot. Here is my next video in the 737 tutorial series.
In this tutorial we will leave cruise level and start our descend to Dublin.
The video has been taken using a pre-release beta version of the product, so you can expect to see some issues that will be fixed before release. There's no need to point those out as the team will be aware and working on them already. For example the trim sound is not yet implemented.
If you like my videos please consider a small donation as it's taking a lot of time and effort to create these.
www.buymeacoff...
And if you really love the videos, consider becoming a Patron:
/ 737ngdriver
These tutorials are not designed as absolute beginner tutorials. It is expected that the viewer already has basic experience with airliners and knows the basics how to operate an aircraft.
Instead these tutorials will focus on the 737NG as an aircraft and the particularities of how to operate it.
I'll be closing this introduction by saying that I'm not a professional KZbinr or Streamer quite yet and these videos are my very first that actually get more than a hundret clicks. I have never before created such content so bear with me for doing beginner mistakes.
I record straight from the sim without any fancy stuff going on in the background.
Tools and addons used in this video:
Flight Plan (OFP): magentacloud.d...
SimToolKitPro: simtoolkitpro....
Navigraph Charts: navigraph.com/
Simbrief Flightplanning: www.simbrief.c...
London Stansted scenery: flightsim.to/f...
Dublin scenery: secure.simmark...
Nvidia Shadowplay
Windows Movie Maker
My system specs:
Intel i9-9900k@5,2GHz
RTX3080Ti
32GB RAM
Windows 10 Pro
My hardware:
Thrustmaster Boeing Yoke and Throttle
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Thrustmaster Pendular Pedals

[@beech18]

really enjoyed these vids, great that you don't feel the need to fill the silence. gives us simmer time to let info sink in.

[@Nufsed007]

An absolutely fantastic series of video's! I really felt as though I was sitting next to you on the flight deck. Thank you.

[@scolariIRE]

"shit in shit out" ..haha, love it! Your videos are amazing, thank you so much

[@tyrolish]

Again, mores informations learned for best simulation immersion, many thank's

[@Tinfoilhat1000]

These are great btw! Keeping all of them handy if it’s ever released to Xbox. I have my doubts. Retired AA employee in the US btw.

[@A330Driver]

It will eventually come to xbox but first Microsoft/Asobo need to sort out some issues that currently prevent it from working. Nice to see former real aviators watching my videos as well!

[@ItsRobert1]

Thank you sir. You help alot! Looking forward to the -800 and-900. Wonderful products.

[@hairsiluet]

Fantastic video Captain! 🛬💪🏻

[@desireemcnichols8130]

Thank you for these very informative videos. Would you consider doing a tutorial in regards to power up and engine start from a cold, dark state? I've watched your other videos, where you do this, but you're so proficient that it's just too fast for me to follow.

[@A330Driver]

That's exactly what I did with this series. Just go up a little bit in the playlist.

[@brandonchappell1535]

You can always try download a checklist from somewhere, should help support his video and help memorize the flow 😉

[@desireemcnichols8130]

@@A330Driver Not sure how in the hell I missed those videos. Apologies.

[@DominicanRat83]

Can you do a video on how to calculate TOD?

[@Norrizaiton]

Many thanks, this informative.

[@aardvarkusrex]

Emmanuel- can you do a short tutorial on flying holds? Your whole series is top-level and professional. Thank you!

[@A330Driver]

Definitely planned, stay tuned.

[@Ellis_YT]

hey, another great video hopefully this can release soon

[@A330Driver]

The plan is by next weekend. Of cousre the standard caveats apply. ;-)

[@davewills6121]

Waiting for the PMDG 737-700 and have never flown a commercial jet as of yet, but have been getting my head around the MCDU and some of the more technical aspects of navigation/Flightplans and Navigraph....so all i need now is a 737?. Great vids by the way.

[@A330Driver]

Not too much longer now!

[@davewills6121]

​@@A330Driver Its all good, nice to have something positive to look forward to.

[@reticentsimmer]

On this particular MCP how can one tell which bank angle is selected? The bank selector is just a square and I can't tell where it is pointing.

[@jay-rus4437]

Im so used to the a320, that jumping back into the 737 is so awkward. Im so uncomfortable with the whole descent process. I dont see a T/D in the fmc like in the a320.

[@reischracing7078]

How do you check the VNAV calculation when a giant transition is in the flight plan for example, in Munich?

[@KikesChanell]

PMDG surprise release announcement today? WE ALL HOPE SO!!

[@A330Driver]

We surely hope so, but I doubt it ;-) They said they are going to announce it earlier then I trust them to do so.

[@warowords]

Shit in, Shit out. You get out what you put in. Well, that explains it.

[@737ngxsim]

Are there any specific rules regarding which Auto brake setting you should use? Like runway length or aircraft weight, floor conditions etc. Fantastic channel, thanks so much for the work you putting into this.

[@737ngxsim]

Never mind. it was in the approach briefing :-)

[@CAPTAINDOJO]

How did you know that you had to put 8000 ft into the autopilot?

[@eaglethedigger]

Reason behind "always turn on ENG AI when entering clouds on descent (vs. climb)" is that the engines are on IDLE / low RPM? Or any other reasons? Thanks!

[@erayozdemir7940]

hi sir , amazing videos as always , I just want to ask why cant we use engine anti ice above -40 degree even icing condition exist? I know it is written but I couldnt find why? can u ecplain shortly? thank you again:)

[@A330Driver]

You can. But there's no use in doing so as any water within the atmosphere will be so deeply frozen at those temperatures that it can not stick to the aircraft, regardless if Anti Ice is ON or OFF.

[@JudsonCc514]

Does ALT INTV cancel crossing restrictions? For some reason, I remember in past iterations of the 737 having to use Vertical Speed to catch up with the VNAV path and then enabling VNAV, but that might have been improperly modeled.

[@A330Driver]

ALT INTV works as it should. It already did on earlier versions though. In order to cancel the restriction you need to set the MCP altitude above the restriction in a climb and below it in a descend. Did you do that?

[@JudsonCc514]

@@A330Driver Sorry for the confusion -- I don't have access to the PMDG 737, I was referencing, for example, the Zibo in XP11. But it's also possible that I set the MCP altitude below a restriction in the descent and that's what did it. So to clarify, if the first crossing restriction is an At or Above 12000 at FIXXX and I miss TOD but set the MCP to 12000 and then hit ALT INTV, it will keep the restriction at FIXXX? And if FIXXX was AoA 12000 and NXTFX was AoA 9000 and I set the MCP to 10000 and hit ALT INTV, it would cancel the restriction at FIXXX but keep the one at NXTFX, yes? Thanks for all your help in this and your videos! You're an invaluable source of knowledge!

[@A330Driver]

@@JudsonCc514 "So to clarify, if the first crossing restriction is an At or Above 12000 at FIXXX and I miss TOD but set the MCP to 12000 and then hit ALT INTV, it will keep the restriction at FIXXX?" - Correct, since ALT INTV in this case serves to change from VNAV ALT into VNAV SPD Mode. "And if FIXXX was AoA 12000 and NXTFX was AoA 9000 and I set the MCP to 10000 and hit ALT INTV, it would cancel the restriction at FIXXX but keep the one at NXTFX, yes?" If you are already descending (so either VNAV SPD or VNAV PTH), then correct. Also note that each press of ALT INTV will only delete ONE restriction. So if we take this same example and assume you had set the MCP Altitude to 8000ft then the first press of ALT INTV would delete the 12000 restriction and the second press would delete the 9000.

[@JudsonCc514]

@@A330Driver "Also note that each press of ALT INTV will only delete ONE restriction." Mind blown! Thank you so much!

[@FTStratLP]

Thanks a lot for this video. Well done! BTW the noun is written "descent", with "t" 🙂

[@migueldegonzalo1]

come on , upload a video landing , we want to see if flaps 40 are fixed it lol

[@A330Driver]

lol, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not doing videos just for the fun of seing if an issue is fixed. When I do a video on short field landings you can be sure to see Flaps 40 in action, but not just "for the fun of it".

[@ukjim_sim]

Thanks for the video btw, very useful. I do have a question though - when using vnav and I start descent at TOD, sometimes it does not reach the altitude ready for the approach. Likewise, I get a lot of 'Drag Required' on the FMC. How would you increase/decrease the vnav descent if you spot it going off? Also, did you have to apply drag during this video using speed break? Thanks for your help, it's very much appreciated.

[@A330Driver]

Did you enter the correct winds in the forecast page? If you are still at high altitude you can always increase speed to get more drag. Otherwise use the speed brake.

[@ukjim_sim]

@@A330Driver Thanks, I'll have a look at the forecast page. I increased the target speed of descent and that helped.

[@northstar0811]

Hi, how do I set minimums and decision height in the FMC in PMDG 737-800? Haven't been able to figure out, thanks

[@A330Driver]

You don't. You set them on the EFIS CP, not in the FMC.

[@northstar0811]

@@A330Driver thank you! I was just able to figure it out.

[@KaiTakApproach]

If I learned anything, it was this: Shit in : Shit out

[@AstroDad]

does anyone get a repeated 'hissing' noise in the cockpit? sounds like an air valve lifting, really annoying I not sure if it is indicating i've done something wrong or part of the design

[@A330Driver]

I wouldn't know what exactly you mean, sorry.

[@Pilotcalvin]

Wait, so we start descending 20 minutes before Arrival

[@A330Driver]

Sorry, can't follow you. Could you put your comment into context please?

[@briandenison2325]

If you have the auto pilot VNav button pressed, will the aircraft automatically descend once you reach the top of descent?

[@A330Driver]

Provided the MCP altitude is set to something lower than the current altitude: Yes.

[@hiortintexasracing]

0:30 Do you have to dial down the altitude for VNAV to start the decent or will it do it at T/D no matter what ? I did not really catch what you explained here .

[@A330Driver]

Yes you need to dial it down. It you leave it at cruise level it will not descend.

[@hiortintexasracing]

@@A330Driver Understood, so what would you dial it down to ? I guess ATC will guide you down but without ATC perhaps just the next level that is e.g 8000A

[@PowerAirSimulations]

What do you do if ATC tells you to descend before you’ve reached your top of dissent how would you go about doing that?

[@A330Driver]

If they want us to go down then we will go down. Happens on the majority of flights actually, we rarely can maintain cruise level to the T/D. Just dial in the lower level and press ALT INTV. Or use V/S with the assigned rate of descend if they give you one.

[@PowerAirSimulations]

@@A330Driver Thank you so much I appreciate the answer

[@Slow370Z]

When should I see it say VNAV path?