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In keeping with the proposition that anything is possible, which was made more clear by my warming relationship with FSX, I decided that perhaps it would be a good time to revisit a couple of things that continued to escape me in my original love, FS2004.
I'm willing to bet you've got at least one bird in your e-hangar that has escaped your best efforts of mastery. For the longest time, the PMDG 73X series were my nemesis. Man, I had those stupid birds on my hard drive for a couple of years. It finally got so bad that I deleted them, as every time I'd open FS2004 and went to choose my steed for any given flight, there they'd be, mocking me. So, being the adult that I am, I actually gave them "the finger" and deleted them. It felt good. For a little while. After all, I'd tried for ages to master those birds. Master, Hell, I'd have been happy just to be able to fire the engines and taxi to the active without bending anything. Who knew you had to start the APU before you could start the engines? And what, pray tell, exactly is an APU, anyway?
So to make a long story short, I finally found something that helped me conquer the PMDG birds that I grudgingly reinstalled. A book was all it took. Good old Mike Ray! And now, the PMDG birds are my fall back aircraft. I go to them when I need more than just a default bird, but am not sufficiently motivated to tackle the latest piece of software to have been introduced to my hard drive.
Speaking of introducing stuff to the hard drive, I naturally found a cool bird on one of my perimeter checks. Check this out: Mad Dog. I think that says it all. Have you looked inside the flight deck of these things? Truly scary! Everything is different from Boeing and Airbus. Sure, the principles are the same, but have a look around and see if you find any solace in that.
So, this Leonardo MD-82 was my new challenge. I printed the manuals, read the "how to fly this beast" forums, and despite being what I would consider a fairly advanced flight simmer, I failed miserably. I was mocked. I gave it "the finger". And deleted it from my hard drive. Stupid software.
Never say die. In reinstalling a veritable ton of software onto my spiffy new PC, I happened upon the Leonardo MD-82. Feeling particularly frisky, I figured "what the hey", and reintroduced it to my hangar. So sure, I may have sworn at it a few times, but this time, I stuck with it. So where is Mike Ray when I need him?
I didn't find anything from Mike, but I did find something else: Learn The Mad Dog DVD And Guide from Flight Deck Productions. To be sure, there is nothing of Mike's endearing humor, but that is more than compensated by the content of this really cool DVD. Without it, I'd probably have a repetitive motion injury to my middle finger. With it, I'm beginning to see just how complex a piece of work the MD-82 really is, how well it was written, and just how much fun this bird can be.
I'm no rookie sim pilot, but believe me, McDonnell Douglas decided to go their own way when they designed their flight deck. And Leonardo, it seems, decided to duplicate nearly everything that the MD designers thought to include. Watching the Learn The Mad Dog DVD, it became perfectly clear why I was having such a hard time with the MD-82.
I think one of the things easy to overlook when one decides to take on a "How To" project like this one is the voice talent. Clearly, the LTMD (Learn The Mad Dog - I got tired of typing it) team took this into consideration. The team of professionals, Gayle Conroy and Pete Presnal, deliver in every sense. You will likely recognize the voices when you hear them, but even if you don't, you will appreciate their smooth and clear delivery.
As for the subject matter, I believe the writer of the copy on the jewel case got it right when he/she states "Learn the Mad Dog" (I'm really getting tired of typing that) is the premiere package covering the highly successful Mad Dog 2006 product for Flight Simulator". It covers all simulated systems in exquisite detail, at times telling you more than you need to know about flying the bird.
Were it not for the associated Study Guide (I thought I'd gotten past those things after I left school - guess again!), I would most certainly recommend taking notes as the detail is such that it is super easy to miss important items. And speaking of the Guide, it is this which sets this product above and beyond other DVD tutorial products currently available.
The DVD itself is divided into two parts. The first is devoted to no less than 17 chapters, including Panel Introduction, Electrical Systems, Landing Gear & Brakes, Flight Instruments, Autoflight System and Flight Management System, to name only a few. Each of the 17 chapters thoroughly cover every switch, button and associated doo-dad that the sim pilot needs to successfully conduct a flight. As I mentioned before, the voice overs are done by professionals, and deliver information in a clear and confident manner. These two sound like they really know what they are talking about!
The second part of the DVD is dedicated to you taking the jump seat during a flight. It is divided into three parts: Preflight; Pushback, Startup & Takeoff; Cruise, Descent & Landing. It may be that this is where you will spend most of your time, as it is here that I go back to again and again. I think we've all gleefully found, printed and followed flight tutorials. They work, but they are a drag. To actually see in action, all the things that were discussed in Part 1 of the DVD in action is invaluable! Believe me, there is no comparison between reading how to do it and actually seeing how to do it. Sure, I learned even more than I wanted to know during Part 1, but Part 2 is where I learned how to fly the beast.
If you are a dedicated sim pilot, and like me have found the
Leonardo Mad Dog to be so different as to leave you a bit befuddled
as to how to use it, then this product is custom made for you.
Believe me, Leonardo did a fantastic job (almost too good, had you
asked me before I got this DVD/Study Guide) putting this bird
together, and as good as the documentation is, it simply was over my
head. Like my efforts with the Boeing SuperSims and discovery of
Mike Ray's "keys to understanding", it is the Learn The Mad Dog combo
that has finally unlocked this maddeningly sophisticated
simulation.
Can one be successful with the Leonardo Mad Dog without this product? Sure, if you've got the time and patience to go through reams of written material (which is quite well written, btw) and tutorials. But if like me, you wish to get going with this highly accurate rendition of the McDonnell Douglas MD82, this combination is for me a "must have" product.
Three Green!
Chip Barber
rfbarber2@verizon.net
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