Shutdown checklist:

FUEL PUMPS................................................................OFF
FASTEN SEATBELTS SIGN.....................................................OFF
ELECTRIC HYDRAULIC PUMPS..................................................OFF
ENGINE START SWITCHES.....................................................OFF
AUTOBRAKE SWITCH..........................................................OFF
SPEED BRAKES.............................................................DOWN
FLAPS......................................................................UP
PARKING BRAKES............................................................SET
FUEL CUTOFF LEVERS........................................................OFF
TRANSPONDER...............................................................OFF

No airbridges here!

Arrival time: 14:02 LMT (12:02 GMT), half an hour after engine start. The turnaround time, including refueling, additional passengers and luggage boarding, is around half an hour also. We will then proceed to Madeira, the sunny destination of today.

Second Leg: Ostend To Madeira

Now that we are on the ground again for a little while, let's go through the FMC programming for our next sector.

First, after quickly checking the IDENT and POS INIT pages (pre-flight initialization), we have to fill in the Departure and Destination airports on the RTE (Route) 1/x page, typing their 4-letter ICAO codes on the FMC keyboard, or, we can also call a previously encoded flight plan using the CO ROUTE text line. We can also specify which runway will be used for takeoff at the departure airport.

FMC RTE.

The FMC then gives us the possibility to ACTIVATE the route. Once this is done, we can press the EXEC button and then proceed with the FMC preparation in the PERF INIT page.

On the PERF INIT page are specified various parameters like the aircraft gross weight, the inboard fuel, the zero fuel weight (ZFW), the extra fuel reserve (in tons) and the cruise altitude. As we can see the GW is now around 58 tons and around 12 tons of fuel are loaded for the trip to Madeira. We have an additional load of passengers bringing the payload to 8 tons now.

FMC Perf Init.

Once this page is complete, we must ACTIVATE it again and then go to the N1 LIMIT page, which is used to select the thrust performance desired during takeoff and climb. Thrust derates, used in real life when the aircraft is lighter than Maximum Takeoff Weight to reduce acceleration forces and deck angle (for economical and structural reasons) when allowed by the runway length and climb clearance, will not be simulated here.

FMC N1 Limit.

We can then proceed to the TAKEOFF REF page where final aircraft takeoff configuration is programmed. We must fill in the flap setting that will be used for takeoff. In real life, crewmembers must also enter V1, VR and V2 according to the takeoff speeds table (an example is given below).

Takeoff speeds.

Hopefully, PMDG has automated the process for virtual pilots, kindly populating the V1, VR and V2 with the correct figures.

FMC Takeoff Ref.

But that's not all! Let's now take a look at our flight plan. The DEP/ARR pages gives us the possibility to specify which SID, if available, will be used at the departure airport (the takeoff runway has already been specified on the RTE page) and which STAR (if available) and runway will be used on arrival. Of course, active STAR(s) and runway(s) at the destination are not supposed to be known from the departure airport and these can be specified later during the flight. Today we will fly a CARLA 2M departure from Ostend, which makes us turn right heading 295° immediately after takeoff runway 26, then, flying over the sea on track 268° bound to the CARLA intersection and then Dover VOR/DME. At the destination, we are likely to expect a SNT 2A arrival from Porto Santo VOR/DME followed by a runway 5 visual approach. Unfortunately and once again, these SID/STAR are not included in the database. We will then fly them using the chart and autopilot heading select mode, prior to engage FMC navigation (LNAV mode) on the departure phase.

The flight plan is defined by a succession of waypoints or fixes, either VOR/DME, VOR, NDB or intersections, whose principal information interesting the FMC are their geographical coordinates (latitude, longitude). The FMC, once completely programmed, is able to perform accurate navigation, using the conjunction of the Inertial Reference System (IRS) and the newer Global Positioning System (GPS) and, when available, DME/VOR information to constantly update the position and speed of the aircraft.

Today's route, following the High Altitude airways, will be:

EBOS CARLA2M CARLA DVR LYD UG27 HAWKE DRAKE UA34 SITET UN859 ETRAT DVL LGL UN872 ROLEN PEPON KURIS BAKUL ERIGA TUROP ATLEN AVS KORET BARKO CANAR VIS FTM ESP UN975 NARTA UN745 GALPA SNT SNT2A LPMA

We see that many intersections (like HAWKE), which are not physical objects but only 'coordinates', are used, with a few VOR beacons (Dover, Lydd, Deauville, L'Aigle, Asturias, Viseu, Fatima, Espichel and Porto Santo). The airways used (e.g. UG27) are included also. The route can then be considerably simplified, by eliminating all the fixes located on the same airway, only keeping, for each airway, the last fix before airway change or arrival procedure:

EBOS CARLA2M CARLA DVR LYD UG27 DRAKE UA34 SITET UN859 LGL UN872 ESP UN975 NARTA UN745 SNT SNT2A LPMA

In a way to prevent the typing of every fix name along a route of flight, the FMC allows crewmembers to define the 'route to follow' in the VIA column of the Route page. This will be illustrated in the return journey.

We will first fly to Dover in the UK, then cross the Channel again and reach the French coast near Le Havre. We will then cross Normandy and Brittany and leave France near the city of Nantes, then cross the Gulf of Gascogne. The Spanish coast will be reached at Asturias (near the city of Oviedo). We will then cross the Iberic peninsula and leave Europe above Lisbon, before flying over the Atlantic. Finally, we will pass over Porto Santo (which is our alternate destination for today) and the next dry land will be the island of Madeira.

In the beginning of our flight, we will actually make a detour, since no airways directly connect the Belgian coast with western France, which implies a longer way over the Channel. At the present time, aircraft must follow published routes and are not allowed to fly directly from origin to destination. There are projects to consider that in the future.

Finally, I check the CRZ (Cruise) page on the FMC. This is were the cruise speed is specified, here as Mach number.

FMC CRZ.

Since the VNAV function will not be used, specifying the cruise speed on the FMC will not control the autopilot, but is however necessary to ensure proper information on the PROGRESS page, which supplies important information during the entire flight about navigation, fuel and time.

FMC Progress.

Now, we are still on the ground. The departure airport (EBOS) then appears as the previous fix, with aircraft altitude at time of fix crossing (which is nothing else here than the airfield elevation), the Actual Time of Arrival (ATA) which corresponds, in this case, to the local time, and the fuel on board at the time of fix crossing (the total fuel in this case). The current fix of the flight plan is the CARLA intersection, 33 nm away. Please note that, if the CARLA2M SID had been included in the database and then specified on the Departure page, additional fixes defining the flight path to CARLA would have been added in the flight plan.

Next fix will be the DVR VOR/DME with the direct ground track (269°) from current fix. Destination airport (LPMA) is shown at the bottom, with the distance to go (the entire flight distance in this case) of 1490 nm (2756 km), the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA - the z means Zulu or GMT) and the predicted fuel remaining on arrival.

We also see that the Top of Climb (T/C) is 72 nm away and should be reached at around 13:00 GMT, if we assume that we are departing now. At 14:30 LMT (12:30Z) pushback and engine start sequence begin. Runway 26 still being the active runway, a little backtrack will be necessary as no taxiway is connecting to the runway treshold.

A view of the overhead panel after the 'After start' checklist.

Ready to taxi. Yes Ostend is the place to see old Russian aircraft: behind is an Antonov 12 freighter.

Takeoff, immediate right turn on track 295° on the CARLA2M SID.

Departure, now on track 268° bound to CARLA and Dover. The Belgian coast is on left side - in this view we can see the Yser river and the coastal city of Nieuwpoort.

On climb about to reach CARLA. The ND (Navigation Display) Plan mode clearly shows the detour made on the first legs of today's route.

Climbing over the Channel. London Center has now cleared us to our final cruise altitude of 35,000 feet (10500 m).

At 13:00z the top of climb was reached. Our cruise speed of Mach 0.8 (278 kts IAS - 461 kts TAS - 850 km/h) was reached seven minutes later. The cruise flight, entirely controlled by the autopilot, was uneventful. Interesting sights of the French, Spanish and Portugese coasts were catched.

The ND Map/Arc mode before reaching T/C. Both French and British airports can be seen on the display. London Gatwick (EGKK) appears, N-E of current position.

Passing the ETRAT intersection, probably linked to the famous 'Etretat' limestone cliffs just below. The city of Le Havre with Octeville airport can be seen between the clouds.

Passing LGL VOR/DME in Normandy. From now on the flight path will look more like a straight line.

Since FS2002 we are not alone any more in the skies. Other traffic is an A320 type of British Airways on its way home.

The Spanish coast (current fix: Asturias VOR/DME).

Passing Lisbon and the Tage mouth.

Reaching the Top of Descent. Destination is 90 nm away.

Descent started 84 nautical miles (155 km) from destination, first selecting -2500 ft/min as vertical speed. Thrust was directly set back to idle as the little experience I have on the 737NG tells me that the bird is somewhat hard to slow down.

The island of Porto Santo, located some 33 nm northeast of Madeira, quickly appeared and grew larger. The SNT VOR/DME located on the island coast - the last fix of the flight plan - is supposed to be crossed at 4000 feet. This is were the SNT2A standard arrival to Madeira airport begins.

Descending towards Porto Santo. Madeira island can already be seen in the distance.

Approaching Porto Santo.

As soon as we touch the coast, we turn right on track 263° (coming from the track 235°) on the first segment of the STAR, which makes us fly over Porto Santo airport, whose 9843 feet (3000 m) runway is almost as long as the island is wide. LNAV is disengaged as AP heading select mode takes place (the STAR cannot be flown using the FMC as it is not included in the database).

Porto Santo airport just below.

Still descending. Speed brakes, set to FLIGHT DETENT, are extended to their maximum position for inflight use.

At 9 nm from SNT VOR/DME, we turn left on track 213° to join Funchal (FUN) VOR/DME descending to 3000 feet. FUN VOR/DME, located on a foreland, is the point were the approach - and the party - begins.

Heading to Funchal VOR/DME. This is now Madeira!

Speed is reduced and flaps begin to slide backwards. The ND is now turned to VOR mode (EFIS panel) during the approach. Course is set to the runway heading (52°).

Passing FUN. We are already very low. Wind turbines can be seen on the top of the cliffs.

Speaking of wind, the party would not be perfect without it. To make this approach even more thrilling, a steady 20 kts (40 km/h) crosswind coming from the 120° sector has been added to the fun (if I may say). In real life, Madeira islands are known to be rather windy. This is the very first time I land on this new scenery. My previous visit to Madeira dates back to February 2000, I was flying for Sobelair at that time, still using FS98. The scenery used was then the former Funchal airport, which had a 1800m 06/24 runway. In the real world, in February 1995, a major overhaul of the airport led to what it looks today (and so does the scenery used now), renamed as Madeira airport: the runway has been re-oriented (becoming 05/23) and extended to 2781 meters. The new runway was partially constructed over a concrete platform supported by 180 pillars, constituting the greatest civil engineering work ever carried out in Madeira.

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