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CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN

TUTORIALS
PART 1 Pre-flight

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN

Welcome to Part 1 of my Captainsim 777 Tutorials. Before you proceed there is some important stuff
you need to know:
1.

This tutorial is based on my experience flying the Captainsim 777 for FSX and the procedures I have
developed to enjoy flying it. It is not designed to be a technically accurate tutorial on 777
operations. It is designed for you to have fun and describes what works for me.

2.

The words and screenshots contained in this tutorial have been developed by me. Please respect
the time involved and do not distribute all or any part of this tutorial without my permission.

3.

The airline liveries, company names and logos included are the property of their respective
owners.

Enjoy your flight Captain.

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN


PART 1 PRE-FLIGHT
Cold & Dark start-up
Programming the FMC

Autopilot & Pre-flight set-up


Engine Start
Checklist Completion

MASTER BATTERY

To begin, press the BATTERY button.

The overhead panel will light up as will the Primary Flight Displays (PFDs) on the Captains side.

APU START

Move the APU switch to the START position. The switch will automatically click back to the APU ON position after a
moment or two.

The Amber FAULT indicator will remain on until the APU completes the start-up cycle.

When the amber FAULT light is extinguished, the T7 will draw power from the APU but only if the APU GEN button is
pressed ON.

SIGNS

Turn both NO SMOKING and SEAT BELTS knobs to the ON position. You will hear a chime confirming this.

NAV LIGHTS

Press the NAV button to turn the nav lights ON. If you are flying early morning or evening you will also want to press
the LOGO button.

BLEED AIR

L C R L ENG R ENG and APU Press them all to turn them ON. Note L and R ENG will only operate when the
engines are running.

EXTERNAL POWER

Press SHIFT+2 to bring up the control Menu. Click EP once and the PRIMARY EXT PWR button is activated and the
AVAIL indicator light appears.

Click EP a second time and SECONDARY EXT PWR button is activated and the AVAIL indicator light is activated.

Click EP a third time and both the PRIMARY and SECONDARY EXT PWR buttons are activated.

Press both buttons to activate external power.

MASTER HYDRULICS VALVE POWER

SUPER IMPORTANT Check for AMBER warning lights on the HYD VALVE POWER panel on the left rear overhead
panel behind the Captains seat.

If the amber VALVE CLOSED indicators are on, you do not have hydraulic power and your yoke and rudder pedals
will not work.

To correct this begin by opening the switch covers.

Move all switchs to the NORM position. The AMBER lights will go out as you move each switch.

To finish make sure you close the switch covers.

POWER ON - Your overhead and main panel should now be fully powered.

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN


PART 1 PRE-FLIGHT
Cold & Dark start-up
Programming the FMC

Autopilot & Pre-flight set-up


Engine Start
Checklist Completion

KNOW YOUR FMC

To use the FMC properly you must be familiar with its layout.

Lower area - Number and Letter keyboard.

FMC message notifications.

Centre area - Function buttons.

Left screen edge - Entry buttons From top to bottom L1 / L2 / L3 / L4 / L5 / L6.

Right screen edge - Entry buttons From top to bottom R1 / R2 / R3 / R4 / R5 / R6.

EXEC (Execute) button - with green indicator light above it.

Data entry area - This is where your selections and keyboard entries will appear

Adjust Brightness Use your mouse to click the + or signs to increase/decrease the FMC screen brightness. Touch
this carefully. Its very easy to set the screen totally black if you press to many times and its a bitch to bring it back.

INERTIAL POSITION SET-UP

Press CLR to remove ENTER INERTIAL POS

Press the R6 button to begin entering data.

Enter the 4 digit Airport ICAO code using the keyboard and press the L2 button to enter it below REF AIRPORT.

Longitude and latitude coordinates will automatically be displayed beside the airport reference.

If you know it, enter the Gate Number you are parked at.

Press the L3 button to enter it below GATE. Longitude and latitude coordinates will be displayed for the gate
location.

Press the R3 button to select the Gate coordinates. They will appear below in the data entry area.

Press the R5 button to enter the coordinates into the FMC.

Your navigation system is now configured correctly.

Press the R6 button to begin entering your flights ROUTE details.

ROUTE & AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE SET UP

Type in your ORIGIN airport code and press L1 to enter it into the FMC.

Type in your DEPARTURE runway and press L2 to enter it into the FMC. You ionly need to enter the number, the FMC
will automatically add RW

Type in the DESTINATION airport code and press R1 to enter it.

Add a FLIGHT NUMBER if you wish and press R2 to enter it. You can use a combination of text and numbers.

The green EXEC light will be illuminated, ignore this for now.

Press R6 to begin entering performance data.

To enter GROSS WT & ZFW (zero fuel weight) you can either get this from the aircraft menu where you manually
load fuel and weight or press the L5 REQUEST button for these fields to be completed automatically for you.

Enter your fuel RESERVES and press L4 to enter it. I typically select 50 for this entry.

Decide what your cruise altitude will be, type it in and press R1. Most altitudes can be entered as 3 numbers i.e.
35000feet = 350.

Decide what your COST INDEX will be, enter it and press R2. I typically select 100 for this entry. Take note of the CRZ
CG number, in this case 25.0%

Press R6 to begin entering engine performance data.

Input the temperature. I typically select 150 but you could also enter the number under OAT, in this case 230. <TO
should be selected and CLB> armed.

We will now enter take-off reference data. Press R6 to begin.

Enter your flap position and press L1. This is typically 5 but can be higher.

Enter the CG TRIM amount. I usually make this around the same % as the CRZ CG number we noted after entering
our COST INDEX. The FMC will automatically calculate the TRIM which we can then adjust manually using the TRIM
tab on the centre console. You will note REF speeds have also been calculated for V1, VR and V2.

If you check the left centre PFD screen you will note an AMBER caution advising NO VSPEEDS.

You must press R1, R2 and R3 buttons to confirm the speeds. Once done the AMBER caution will disappear.

DEPARTURE / ARRIVAL / ENROUTE

Its now time to set up your departure, SID, en-route waypoints, STAR, TRANS and approach. Click R6 to begin.

We have already set up the departure and arrival airports. The DEP/ARR INDEX allows us to select STARS for our
departure and SIDS, TRANSITIONS and the arrival runway at our destination. Begin by pressing L1.

Select your departure runway, in this case its 16 so we press R2. Note because we specified runway 16 when we
started to set up our route it already has <SEL> next to it.

Once selected only the runway you want will be displayed. Now we can select the SID we want to fly from the list
on the left hand side. Note the 1/3 at the top right hand corner. This indicates there are 3 pages of information
available for us to select from. The NEXT PAGE and PREV PAGE buttons allow you to move between these pages.

For this flight I want to fly the CORRS6 SID so I press the L2 button.

Now our departure runway 16 and CORRS6 SID departure have been selected. No TRANSISION is available for this
departure.

Now we want to set up our arrival in Auckland. We need to go back so press the L6 button for the INDEX.

Press the R2 button. Note You can continue to ignore the EXEC button for now.

In Auckland the wind is coming from the west so we will use runway 23L. For this approach we want to perform an
ILS approach so press R4 to select ILS23L.

You will see that a TRANSISION is available for this approach called EMRAG. We will select this by pressing R2.

We have a choice of STARS for this approach, we will select ARAD6A by pressing L4

For the ARAD6A STAR we have a choice of three TRANSITIONS. We will select VELMO by pressing L4.

Because we are departing from Melbourne VELMO will bring us in to Auckland on a fairly direct route. PEBLU and
LUNBI would be more suitable if we were coming from a higher latitude. If you can, check out a chart to see
where these transitions begin.

Dont be afraid to select other Transitions to see how they differ as you can always come back and change this
later.

Our arrival for NZAA is now complete. Press the EXEC button. This will make our flight plan appear as a magenta
line intersecting the plans waypoints in our PFD. If we dont press EXEC our flight plan will appear as a broken white
line.

CHECK AND CONFIRM FLIGHT PLAN

To check and confirm our flight plan on the PFD we need to select PLN.

We also need to adjust the zoom so we can see it better. I typically set this to 40.

Doing this means we can now see our departure point and the first waypoint YARRA.

To make it easier to view the PFD screens Captainsim have made them so they can pop out. Click anywhere on
a PFD screen to do this. Move your viewpoint so you can see both the pop out window and the FMC. You can
also make the 2D FMC appear by pressing SHIFT+7.

We now want to check our flight plan. Press the LEGS button on the FMC.

We can see our first waypoint is 834 which we will follow for 9NM from the end of runway 16 on a heading of 1600
at a speed of 240 knots. This will take us to YARRA.

At YARRA we will turn left to a heading of 0870 to head towards CORRS 36 nautical miles away. You will see that
between YARRA and CORRS we must climb to FL219 and accelerate to 300 knots so we cross CORRS at the
correct altitude and speed. The magic of VNAV ensures this happens.

To STEP through each waypoint and make it centred on our PFD we press the R6 button.

If we do this twice we run into a ROUTE DISCONTINUITY where we have a blank waypoint entry at L4. This is where
the CORRS6 departure ends.

When we programmed our flight we only entered the departure and arrival. We must still tell the FMC where we
want it to fly the aircraft between CORRS and VELMO. The fix is simple and we will come back to it.

STEP through to VELMO. This is the start of the NZAA arrival. You can see we will reach VELMO at our cruising
altitude of FL350 at a speed of Mach .801. Because of the ROUTE DISCONTINUITY we have no top of climb (TOC)
but a top of descent (TOD) has been calculated but we cant see that at the moment.

Continue to STEP through and you will see the approach across Auckland city to LOSGA and VIBAG before we
turn right towards the EMRAG transition and then right again for our ILS approach to runway 23L at NZAA. Note the
descent profile as well as the speed reductions.

Now lets return to our ROUTE DISCONTINUITY. The reason we get this error is simple. The airplane doesnt know
where it wants us to go. The solution is even simpler.

Press L5 where the VELMO waypoint is.

This will bring VELMO up in the data input area of the screen.

Now press L4 where the empty waypoint is. This will make VELMO the next waypoint after CORRS and close the
gap in the flight plan.

The ROUTE DISCONTINUITY error has now gone but our flight plan has changed from a solid magenta line to having
a broken white line overlaid on top of it. You can also see the EXEC button light has been illuminated. This
indicates we have made a change to our flight plan that we must confirm for it to become active.

Press EXEC and your changes are confirmed. You will note that the speed and altitude we will arrive at CORRS is
slightly higher and faster. This is because the FMC has now been able to calculate a TOC point (not yet visible)
and it has adjusted speed and alt as per our cost index setting.

You can now press LEGS and your flight is good to go. Before we do this we will revisit some Take-off reference
information. Press INIT REF, then INDEX (L6) then TAKEOFF (L5).

The information I want to revise is on page 2, so click NEXT PAGE to bring that up. You can confirm this by seeing
the 2/2 in the top right hand corner. Here we will enter WIND, RWY WIND and SLOPE data to get better engine
management for our departure.

In my flight the wind is coming from1380 and is blowing at 13 knots. I type in 138 / 13 in the data input area and
then press L3.

Because I have added wind speed the FMC has automatically deleted my confirmed take-off speeds. The good
news is it has already calculated new ones so the warning message here is to ensure we go and confirm them.
You will see RWY WIND has been auto calculated for us.

Next we will enter slope. In this case I will make it flat so I will enter 0.0 and then press L5 to enter it.

We then want to confirm our speeds so press NEXT PAGE.

As we did earlier, confirm each speed by pressing buttons R1, R2 and R3.

If you are looking for accuracy you can also input the take-off gross weight (TOGW). This would allow for taxi fuel
burn. If you elect to add this your take-off speeds will once again be deleted and recalculated so you will need to
reconfirm them once again.

Becoming familiar with the set-up flow of the FMC will enable you to enter all of this data in a logical sequence
from start to finish meaning you should only need to confirm speeds once at the end.

We are now ready to set up the autopilot.

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN


PART 1 PRE-FLIGHT
Cold & Dark start-up
Programming the FMC

Autopilot & Pre-flight set-up


Engine Start
Checklist Completion

AUTOPILOT SET-UP

First we will turn on the Flight Director (FD).

The green FLT DIR words will appear of the left hand PFD.

Use the altitude change knob to set your cruise ALTITUDE as defined in your flight plan. For my flight this is 35,000
feet. TIP If you left click the lower knob you can change the rate from AUTO to 1000 making it much faster to set
the altitude.

Arm both auto throttles by switching them to the ON position.

Set your restricted IAS. For my flight this is 240 knots however you can also set this to 250 knots which is the typical
max airspeed under 10,000 feet. Once the FMC crosses YARRA the restriction will be lifted and the FMC will
automatically control airspeed through VNAV.

Finally press both L NAV and V NAV buttons. The Autopilot is now configured for our flight.

If you click on the left outboard PFD to make it pop-out you can then confirm your SPEED, ALTITUDE, LNAV and
VNAV are active.

PRE-FLIGHT

There are a number of other systems we need to initialise prior to engine start. The first is WINDOW HEAT. You will
note in the centre top PFD an amber notification is illuminated. To turn WINDOW HEAT on we must look on the
overhead panel.

You will find the WINDOW HEAT switches above the HYDRAULIC panel. Press all four buttons.

Once done the notification will disappear. Note if one button is not pressed, the amber notification will remain.

AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

The T7 allows you to decide what information you would like displayed on the PFDs. You can select which screen
using the display buttons.

Left Inboard (L INBD)

Lower Centre (LWR CTR)

Right Inboard (R INBD)

For this flight I will be using the LWR CTR screen. Like the others the lower centre PFD pops-out for easier viewing.

Pretty much all aircraft information can be accessed from the display panel. ELECTRICS (ELEC)

HYDRAULICS (HYD)

FUEL

AIR CONDITIONING (AIR)

AIRCRAFT DOOR STATE (DOOR) OPEN OR CLOSED. Here they are indicated as all closed.

GEAR TYRE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE

FLIGHT CONTROLS (FCTL) When you move your joystick or keyboard the corresponding control surface
movement will be displayed on this screen.

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN


PART 1 PRE-FLIGHT
Cold & Dark start-up
Programming the FMC

Autopilot & Pre-flight set-up


Engine Start
Checklist Completion

The T7 provides a mostly automated engine start procedure. Having said that there are still two important actions
we must complete to ensure a smooth start.

First turn on the red aircraft beacons by pressing the BEACON button.

You can confirm this visually by going to SPOT VIEW.

For the following sequence I suggest you pop-out the CNTR UPPER PFD so you can monitor engine temperatures,
pressure etc. On the overhead panel find he engine AUTOSTART button and ensure it shows ON. If its not, press it.

We will start the left engine first. Turn the START knob from NORM to START. You will immediately see the N1 and EGT
temperatures begin to rise and naturally hear the engine starting.

Watch N2. When it reaches 20 we want to introduce fuel.

Move the L FUEL CONTROL switch from CUTOFF to RUN. The engine will come to life very quickly, the associated
temperatures will rise rapidly and you will hear the engine surge to life. Watch the EGT temperature to ensure it
settles between 380 and 400 and you hear the engines settle into the distinctive purr.

Now lets start the right engine in exactly the same way. One thing to note is the engine start knob will
automatically click back to NORM after a successful engine start.

Once again fuel for the right engine is introduced at N2 20 and the right engine will ignite and in a few moments
settle. In a rare case the engine begins to overhear flip the FUEL CONTROL switch to the CUTOFF position to shut the
engine down.

Both engines should now be stable. Check any anomalies. Here we can see the right hand engines OIL TEMP is
lower than the lefts. I would expect this given the engine has not been operating as long, but it would pay to
check this again prior to taxi.

With the PARKING BRAKE engaged its time to scan the overhead panel and turn on any systems that have amber
OFF or FAULT indicators.

With both engines running we can turn ON all of our air-conditioning packs.

We can turn ON the L MAIN and R MAIN generators.

We can turn OFF the APU GEN.

We can now set our flaps. As you will remember I specified FLAPS 5 when programming the FMC. Flaps 1 is the
leading edge flaps only, flaps 5 is 50s of trailing edge flaps as well. Once again you can visually check this as well
as confirm it on the flaps selection control.

Once you have received taxi clearance, turn on your taxi lights.

Have a good flight Captain.

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN


PART 1 PRE-FLIGHT
Cold & Dark start-up
Programming the FMC

Autopilot set-up
Engine Start
Checklist Completion

BEFORE START CHECKLIST

The T7 has an extensive electronic checklist system. As items are completed they are automatically ticked off or
you can manually complete them and move on to either a second page or the next phase of operation.

To move the checklist cursor you hold down the left ALT key and use the ARROW BUTTONS. To complete an item
not linked to an aircraft switch you hit ENTER on your keyboard.

If you have a problem with a check item that wont check even when you have completed the action required,
you can use the ITEM OVRD selection to force check them.

Aircraft systems will auto check once you complete the required task. You may find some are already checked.

Utilise your PFD screens to cross check items. Here I have checked FUEL QUANTITY and then checked it complete
on the checklist.

Once a checklist is complete, the cursor will automatically place itself so you can move to page 2 if required.

Setting AUTOBRAKE to RTO for departure.

And the BEFORE START checklist is now complete.

BEFORE PUSHBACK CHECKLIST

Check cockpit windows are closed and locked.

Use the PFD screens to check aircraft doors. Here we can see the FWD CARGO door is open as final bags are
loaded.

Once all doors are secure we can check with the cabin crew they are ready and the BEFORE PUSHBACK checklist
is complete.

BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST

Utilising the PFD screens we can check the flight controls.

Utilising the PFD screens we can check the flight controls.

Double check LNAV and VNAV.

Switch the ENGINE ANTI-ICE knobs to AUTO. If weather was a factor I would switch this to ON.

Check the data in the FMC.

Check your radio frequencies if you are using them.

Check your AUTOPILOT settings. I typically set HDG at the same time I do ALTITUDE and speed. Remember that
HDG should be the same as the runway heading.

To complete the CABIN NOTIFICATION I usually cycle the SEAT BELTS sign.

Page one is now complete. Press enter to go to page 2.

Check the AUTO THROTTLES are armed.

Press the CANC/RCL button to complete the BEFORE TAKEOFF checklist.

Author:

Jon Murchison

Website:

Aircraft Repaints New Zealand www.flightsim.co.nz

Facebook:

Contact:

Facebook.com/ARNZX2012

jonmurchison@Hotmail.com

CAPTAINSIM 777 CAPTAIN

TUTORIALS
PART 2 Departure
and Arrival.

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