Does any of our 757/767 drivers fly the PSS 757? I am looking for some assitance getting the crazy thing started from cold/dark. I have tried the included tutorial, but it eems like it is skipping steps or im just too dense to figure out what i should be doing. I am an old, displaced 737 driver trying to get used to my new ride.

Thanks

Robert Miller
new 757 driver

Bob: Welcome to the wonderful world of "Reality". The LVLD 767 is even HARDER to get cranked up, but we can leave that for another time.

First, I hope you have printed out or at least become familiar with the Manuals provided by PSS. You WILL use them a good bit, espescially when programming the FMC. Not too difficult, but, staying in the vane they have already established, it is step-by-step oriented and needs attention.

So.....here we are....Cold and Dark at gate something-or-another. By the Numbers:

1. Is the Panel Switcher visible at the top of the Windshield? Thats a little strip that has "OVHD PED EFIS CDU RAD SET COMM DOOR buttons. If not you'll have to turn it on by using the Views pulldown menu, instrument panel, and select the Panel Switcher.

2. On the Panel Switcher, select Set, and then click on "COnnect External Power" and "Connect Ground Air".

3. Close the Switcher, select "OVHD"...Upper Left, the BATT ON shows connected, SBY power switch in Auto, and there shud be a lighted strip in the EXT POWER Button. Click that button and you will have ground power on the airplane. In the Lower Right of the Overhead, you will see Pressure in the Ducts as indicated bu the twin-needle dial..shud be around 20lbs as I recall.

4. OK...Still OVHD, make sure the NAV LIGHTS are on, (always shud be on and probably were), turn on the Rotating Beacon. As you probably know already, this is a signal to everone near the Airplane that the Engines are being started.

5. Center of the OVHD are the 2 engine start switches. Click the right one on the "GND" side, and watch the right needle in the Pneumatic panel come down. When you hit the start area on the N2 gauge, then open the PED and click on the right Fuel valve...these valves are below and inside the throttle levers.
The right engine will start, and you can repeat this for the left engine.

6. BEFORE you push go back to the Panel Switcher and disconnect the external power and ground air.

BINGO.....ready for push. You can also rrun the start procedure while being "Pushed Back" as FS simulates the ground cart having Air and Power. Follow the procedure above.

Now, you can also use the APU, but I have had trouble getting the thing to start promtly, so I just stick with the Gate-Start procedure as outlined above.

So, is that clear?? I HOPE I conveyed what I wanted to say, but any questions will be welcomed and I MIGHT be able to answer them.

Russ Spalding
Chief Pilot, MCA

OK, got the engines to start, and actually got the APU going...

but now I load all info into FMC and the route does not show up on the display. I went through all the pages of the FMC, and I get a "preflight complete" message. I also am not able to activate the autopilot CMD switchs. Any thoughts on what may be causing that?

Robert

Bob: OK, well one step at a time works.

So, what are the details of your flight? to, from, anything else you may be able to tell me so I can replicate what you are doing.

Russ Spalding
Chief Pilot

Ok, here is what I have done...

Set up PSS757 in cold dark setting. Load default cessna 172, then switch to PSS757.

Turned on ground power and set fuel to 40% via "setup" menu, pressed apply, then ok.

Turned on battery, and stby power to auto.
Turn on external pwe connection on overhead panel as well as the external air L/R engine bleed switches.
Started the apu.
Then programmed the FMC for MCI-ORD via ROYAL3 JTHRO IRK BDF5 at FL370, runway 19R landing 04R. 5 degree flaps, entered fuel, set V1 and such, entered everything until i got a "complete" in the bottom right of the FMC. But nothing appeared on flight display, no waypoints, anything but the word "map" in yellow. I feel I have not activated or turned on something in the start up even fefore I start the engines.

Robert

Hmmm...Somewhere something is happening 'cause I did the same thing you said you did and it all roken fine....Now, lets be certain that you "ACTIVATE" each and every page on the FMC as you go. For instance, on your Takeoff-ref page what do you show? shud be a flap setting, then the 3 speeds (which you did click on to transfer them, right?), and a trim setting. To repeat, each and every step in the FMC MUST be activated when there is a prompt.

I dunno WHAT the yellow World is all about, never seen or heard of it B4.

I think there is a problem in your programming, but it is VERY hard to try and troubleshoot it this way. If it doesn't get clear soon, we may need to try and establish a voice link somehow.

Russ Spalding
Chief Pilot MCA

One item not mentioned is to turn the IRUs (OVHD, upper left) "ON" (two clicks RH). If you're getting the FMC to work, then I assume you've got the power routed to the main Utility Bus, etc. You can program the FMC all you want, but you'll have a dark PFD and NAV unless/until the IRUs align. I am rather sure the AP will not work with dead IRUs either. The airplane literally has no idea where it is, and so (FMC notwithstanding) no idea how to get where you want it to go.

As for AP engagement:

1. Once both emgines are running, turn on the A/T and the FD (two small switches, LH side of g;areshield).

2. Taxi per ATC. T/O flaps are normally set (usually 5 deg, but some airports/loading conditions/WX may require different setting) before taxi.

3. When cleared for T/O by ATC and aligned with the runway, advance throttles to approx 1.4 EPR (we are flying RR engines). When power comes up, click "EPR" button (just to right of FD and A/T switches, LH row, top) and advance your throttle levers to the stop. EPR should go to T/O setting.

4. Per company policy and/or when otherwise cleared nav-wise by ATC and safe to do so, press "LNAV" and "VNAV" buttons (RH row, top and middle buttons, respectively) and then click center A/P button (RH of glareshield, right above the "A/P Disconnect" lever).

Hope this helps...

Bob: NOW I get the problem I think. Thanks to dave for mentioning the IRU's. Although the procedure he uses isn't required in the pure PSS 757, there is an interesting situation.

IF you load the default Cessna, let's say in KSEA where it goes automatically, then take it to KMCI, then chage it to the 757, all would be well. However, IF you make the 757 cold and dark, no battery power and no external power after its loaded, then you have the problem.

So, here is the 57, sitting cold and dark at the gate. You go to SET and connect EXT PWR and EXT AIR.
Back to the OHD, and, up in the left hand corner you see that the IRS window is dark. This is where we are in the exact situation that Dave mentioned. Turn on the EXT PWR, then bring up the FMC. Just load it and then X it off. Back to the OHEAD and you should see the Present Position displayed in the IRS window top left. Not the problem is gone. Alignment in the PSS Bird is automatic, no switches to turn. As long as there is a position displayed in the IRS window, all will be fine, and the "Big Yellow Ball" will disappear. It IS there until IRS is aligned.

So, try this and see if the problem doesn't clear.

Russ

OK, I don't run the "pure" PSS; I have the POSKY with my tweaked air files aliased to the PSS panel, and almost all my starts are from cold and dark...