Preflight Time Poll

[Dave Blake]

I am just wondering about how long does it take you to preflight before you are ready for pushback and startup on your SAX flights.

Feel free to share what you do for preflight.

[Dave Blake]

Here's what I do for preflight:

1. Print out the flight plan form from the SAX POC.
2. Verify the route using simroute.com and fltplan.com.
3. Select a flight level using latest WX using fltplan.com.
4. Setup FS9 with the aircraft position at the gate, payload and fuel onboard.
5. Setup FS9 GPS and FSNav with the flight plan route.
6. Setup FS9 real weather (Active Sky), date and time.
7. Setup FSACARS making sure the date and time is correct.
8. Double check everything I have just done.
9. Begin aircraft checklist for pushback and startup.
10. Start FSACARS log
11. Request CLX then pushback and startup.
12. Have fun.

This usually takes me between 30 and 45 minutes for preflight.

[Marty_Becker]

Here is my sequence of events:

1. Get route from SAX POC or generate a trans-Atlantic route from Route Finder.
2. Copy route into FSRoute and generate an FS flight plan and a PMDG flight plan, if flying PMDG.
3. Open Active Sky and import the FS flight plan to generate the initial route weather. GE Pro auto-submits weather related ground textures into FS. FS auto starts.
4. Select aircraft in FS.
5. Adjust fuel, payload and time settings.
6. Go to FS flight planner to import the FS flight plan and auto position the aircraft at the departure airport.
7. Start aircraft checklist.
8. Import PMDG flight plan into FMC and setup FMC, if flying PMDG.
9. Start FSACARS.
10. Push and Start...

[kenyapilot]

Interesting question. It is also interesting to see the sequence that others go through. Since most of my flights are long distance flights, I find the preparation takes time. My sequence is:

1. Download the schedule from SAX POC.
2. Start FS, select my plane, altittude and departure city.
3. Start FSNav and enter in the route. Save and also export to FS.
4. Start Active Sky and download archived weather for the date and time of the flight.
5. Import the Flight Plan into Active Sky and process. Then refresh to make sure the weather is in FS.
6. Load the Flight Plan into FS.
7. Start AISmooth which I use to prevent AI plane interference.
8. Start FASCARS, entering Flight Plan and then starting.
9. At this point unpause FS, check ATIS, enter settings for altitude, barometer, initial climb speed, vertical speed, set altitude hold, adjust trim for takeoff, set flaps and then push back.

Roy
SAX 680

[Marty_Becker]

Roy:

Here's something you might consider in your sequence. The only cloud textures that Active Sky can update when FS is running is the Cirrus cloud textures. By starting Active Sky after you start FS, all the other cloud textures cannot be loaded/updated based on the current weather because FS is already running.

"Full Sky Themes are only auto-submitted when FS9 is CLOSED as detected by ASv6, as texture depiction changes REQUIRE a fresh load of FS9."

"Cirrus themes are auto-submitted at every update interval. "

Consider performing your step 4 and 5 before starting FS.

[orac]

And for me:

1. Get route from SAX POC or, rarely, create my own by looking at Jepp charts.
2. Copy route into FSRoute and generate an FS flight plan.
3. Calculate fuel needed, weights at push back, top of climb and top of descent, then use those numbers along with the payload onboard to calculate aircraft weight. Use those values to determine best cruise altitude using charts from the FCOM. Edit FS flight plan to include initial cruise altitude.
4. Load FS and position aircraft.
5. Go to FS flight planner to import the FS flight plan.
6. Adjust fuel, payload and date/time settings.
7. Start FSACARS.
8. Preflight the plane.
9. Wait for push back time . . .

About 20 minutes before step 9.
__
Neil

[kdundon]

My preflight goes like this:
1. Print out Sax dispatch form
2. Start ASX for weather (AS9) for FS9
3. Build Flight plan with FSBuild and print off
4. Run ASX route routine
5. Start FSX and load position and aircraft.
6. Start up APU and disconnect Ground Power
7. Preflight Flight deck and initialize IRS
8. Load fuel and payload
9. Program FMC
10. Board Pax using XPAX
11. Prepare aircraft for departure
12. Start FSACARS
13. Pushback and start

In FSX I use the PMDG 747 and LVLD 767
In FS( I use the PSS 777 and PMDG 737NG
Ken

[Pylet]

I do pretty much the same as everyone else with the added time of bringing 5 PC's online and making sure they are all talking and doing the jobs I set them up to do. I also have the video system to bring online as well. Takes about an extra 15 minutes to bring the cockpit to life.