Multi DVD Cockpit Video Review

By Gustavo Mercado
20 October 2008

INTRO

For about two years I have been one of YouTube's most active visitors looking for two very dear things to me. First of all my favorite music videos, all time classics such as "Freebird", "LA Woman" and "Whole Lotta Love", to more contemporary hard line stuff such as "Enter Sand Man", "Fade To Black", and "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck". My second (and these are in no order of importance) YouTube guilty pleasure has been watching aviation videos.

It seems YouTube has it all when it comes to aviation. Everything from videos of hard landings, to full blown analysis of some of the worse air disasters, but the videos that have interested me more have been the cockpit videos. I get a kick out of watching real people in action, doing what I have dreamed of doing my whole life. Most of us simmers spend big bucks buying software to imitate these people, and in these types of videos we can watch them in real life going through the checklists and interacting with ATC for no money at all.

The very positive experience I have had on my computer looking for cockpit videos is what inspired me to review this series of DVD's from Just Planes Videos, part of their "World Air Routes" series. I said to myself, if the amateur folks filming in the cockpit with a digital camera can do a very decent job, let's experience the next level with professionally made DVD productions. The result was job well done, though not a whole lot better than some of the best videos I have seen on YouTube.

This is a 3 in 1 review of some of the best DVD titles offered at the shop. The Alaska Airlines 737-200 experience. The Austrian Boeing 777-200, and the queen of the skies, the Air Atlanta 747-400 on a cargo capacity for Cargolux.

Alask Airlines 737-200

My favorite of the three I got to review was probably the Alaska 737. This is really two products in one. First of all you get your usual DVD with all the cockpit coverage you can handle, and it also brings a bonus DVD. Since this came out just before Alaska Airlines retired the 200 series from its fleet. They made a small 25 minute documentary about the plane and how the airline used it. I have read some criticism of it on other web sites but I personally liked it.

This is a great way to get a first hand view of how Alaska Airline does bush flying with heavy jets. The DVD takes you on five flights covering six destinations in a span of 221 minutes. Besides the usual flights it has (which includes one to Adak, a base virtually in the middle of nowhere) a short introduction by the airline's CEO, a brief explanation of how they reconfigure the airplanes from passenger, to cargo, to both, and a really nice cockpit presentation which shows you all the cockpit systems.

I was impressed to see how similar they are to the 500 series, and how well reproduced they are on Wilco's 737 PIC. Besides having the semi digital displays for the engines, and the 200 having the classic analog knobs, the cockpits are quite similar. The overhead panel is like looking at the PIC's overhead and Wilco also did a great job with the engine sounds because they were quite similar as well. Keep in mind it really is not the same airplane, but I was impressed at how alike they are.

Air Atlanta 747-400

Next is the Air Atlanta 747-400. This was a logical pick since it's a cargo configuration so it makes the experience different, and it's a 400 series, so we're talking 30 year leap in technology when compared to the 737-200. The setup was basically the same, it has four flights, most of them LONG, covering routes across Europe and Asia, and giving you some insight into the world of cargo ops which in many respects is quite different than the passenger world.

The video does a great job at explaining in detail all aspects pertaining to flight preparation, walk around, cockpit preparation, weight and balance, detailed description of the cockpit and what everything is for. For all of you who have recently purchased the PMDG 747, this would be a great resource to learn about the plane and how to operate it. It is striking how similar the PMDG is to the real thing, and it also helps you understand the pluses to flying heavy iron and the minuses. This is a very well made tutorial to the queen of the skies.

Austrian 777-200

Last but not least is the Triple 7. Before I ever took a look at the Dreamliner, this was one of the most beautiful pieces of equipment ever to roam the skies. By the way, I know not everybody will agree but Boeing does its homework when designing aircraft. All their airplanes are esthetically unique and have their own personality; this also applies to their cockpits which are beautiful to look at. For sure this is one thing that Boeing has over the competition. I think the triple 7 is a great example of this.

Back to business. The format of this video is very similar to the 747. The bulk of the package is made under the same concept as the 747. Main differences are it includes footage of the cabin service, the kitchen with the chef cooking, a virtual walk around made by the captain in flight and last but not least we get to see an auto land. I still don't know how pilots do that, maybe being from the late 70's by nature I trust humans more than computers, but it's still something very interesting to see.

ALL SAID AND DONE

This time around I will not use my highs, lows, and the verdict system since it's really three products in one review, and I guess it just doesn't feel right. But I will say that I enjoyed watching the three videos. I learned a lot about the 747-400 which is an aircraft I recently started flying with the PMDG offering, and there are a couple of things I did not understand about it till after watching this video.

The Alaska 737 video was very well made. It had a sense of nostalgia for the first version of one of the greatest airplanes ever made, and it showed to a great extent how versatile the aircraft was, and how bush flying is not only for single engine planes. At the end of the day I would recommend these videos for serious big iron junkies who can't get enough of learning and watching how the big iron operates. For the rest of you might enjoy but might be 100% pleased at the end.

REQUIREMENTS

A TV, a DVD player and not being close to anybody who does not understand people who love airplanes. And if the specific airlines mentioned in this review don't tickle your fancy, Just Planes has dozens of other DVD's to choose from.

Gustavo Mercado
gusifer@gmail.com

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