NZFF

It's been a long time coming... but today, I finally landed a Boeing 747 (without crashing it), in fs2004

I had tried many times before to do this, but never really had the knowledge of such a large aircraft handling and I always came in too high/low or fast/slow.

Today I got it just right, using ILS, I touched down at 3.06pm on runway 05R at Auckland International after a 90 minute flight up from Christchurch in my POSKY B747-400 model.



Now I can conquer anything! I might try a Trans-Atlantic flight next...

WELL DONE!!!

I remember the first time a landed a heavy, very good fealing

James

Cool man, biggest I've landed so far is a 737. What do you think helped you accomplish this? Did you have a manual to help you?

Congratulations Trolly

Yay!! You can't beat the feeling when the wheels kiss the tarmac and she settles on all wheels, reversers screaming and spoilers deployed, especially if its in a cross wind. Well done!

What do you think helped you accomplish this?

When I went in Flight Experience simulator, I asked a lot of questions about knowing when to pull up, what speeds to fly at certain heights and stuff, and even though that was in a 737-NG (which I have landed loads of times), I carried the principles over to the 747, and spend a lot of practices attempting landing it at Heathrow.

I got annoyed because I kept on messing my final approach up, and left it for a while, but today I decided what the hell- and set up this flight. I think I has about a 10 knot gust of window coming directly at me as I lined up for 05R which helped me slow down!

Just remember in the jets on approach that altitude gains and losses are mostly controlled by the amount of throttle input you put in. If you are below the glideslope, you apply more power (not lift the nose up) - and if you are above the glideslope, you reduce power to lose altitude and come back down to it.
Knowing this, the jets become really easy to land, even through to the big ones like the 747. You just control your rate of descent by balancing the throttle.. When I'm instructing in the sim at flight experience I control the rate of descent for the learner pilots with the throttle, and all they have to do is line us up
And, as Andrew said, transferring that knowledge over to the 747 is really easy! The 747 in my opinion is much easier to land than the 737. It's a much more stable platform, less twitchy and with the heavy weight it's transition between fast and slow (or high or low) is less sudden.
Now getting used to the difference in view height out the window... that's the hard part

Oh, and well done Andrew!!

Albatross wrote: If you are below the glideslope, you apply more power (not lift the nose up) - and if you are above the glideslope, you reduce power to lose altitude and come back down to it.

this could be my problem- i think i overfly these sort of aircraft, keeping the thottles relatively stationary. as a result my problem is usually with the speeds rather than the approach path.

1 tip from RW flying

fly the heavies 1 light high on the papis - remember in the flare you are still about 40 feet above the landing gear at touchdown.

Trolly wrote:
Now I can conquer anything! I might try a Trans-Atlantic flight next...

Your welcome at EHAM. I'll be there!!

Bardos

Your welcome at EHAM. I'll be there!!

I was thinking of doing a London to Boston flight, but Schiphol has properly the best International airport scenery in Europe, so I just might consider it

I like to recreate real world routes too, so I need to find some 747 routes between Ampsterdam and Boston-Logan and download whatever airline livery that serves that route- got any suggestions?

fly the heavies 1 light high on the papis

Thanks for the tip Towerguy- I will keep that in mind for my Trans Atlantic adventure

Sorry Trolly but there arent any 747 routes between Boston and Amsterdam, only A330s

Try this one instead Andrew?

KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines Direct Flight
6:10pm (Nov 26) New York J F Kennedy International Apt Flight number - KL 0642
7:45am (Nov 27) Amsterdam Aircraft type - 747

The KLM livery looks GREAT
JFK airport has excellent scenery default from Microsoft anyway. Same length of flight pretty much as Boston.

Thanks Alister, I might just try out KL0642!