Preparation | e.g. flight: Boeing 737-800 Flight Simulator X Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Now it's time to click the Fly Now button and get to our cockpit at Okecie airport, gate 24. As we can see on the picture below, the FSX has downloaded the current weather.
Typically all FSX (and FS2004 as well) aircraft are prepared for flight, which means their engines are running. Beginner pilots don't have to know all start-up procedures, so we'll leave the engines as they are.
We are in the cockpit. The 737-800 cockpit has been designed as a glass cockpit, which means that traditional analog gauges have been replaced with multifunctional displays.
The left display shows main flight parameters, such as speed, altitude, horizontal situation (HSI), course, pressure and vertical speed. The middle display works in three available modes which are changed using the CTR knob located above the icons that toggle the additional panels (these panels can be also toggled by pressing the Shift+2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 keys combination) for radios, GPS, throttle quadrant, upper panel, etc. The CTR knob can switch the MAP mode (our route), VOR display or ILS displays (Instrument Landing System). The right display shows the engine operation parameters and fuel quantity.
In the beginning we should switch on the navigation lights (NAV) unless they're already on. The light switches are on the upper panel.
Now, pressing the accent key (~) we open the ATC window. We should now listen to the ATIS information. We'll know the runway 33 is the active runway (we can open the map and check the runway's length and direction).
Now we set the proper pressure using the BARO knob (30.09 in our case).