We were all new once and I bet there are a few guys with a lot of 73 time who didn't know this 'technique' but aren't owning up to it.

I have 3000 hrs in the 73, I didn't know it, I don't actually care either, you can't know everything and I can wait an extra 10 mins for an ATIS.
I guess I think you should probably already have a good idea what the weather is doing at your dest anyway. But hey, you want the atis and know how to get it- knock yourself out...

My new favourite pprunner.

I agree with Old Smokey.

I confess I didn't know about the TEST>OFF trick to be able to listen to the radio hands free and I have been on the 737 for more than 20 years, my only excuse M'lord is that I have the advantage of ACARS so rarely listen to VOLMETS or ATIS's.

As creating waypoints has been discussed, here are a couple of little tricks you might care to use.
- 1) Before going through the process of creating a WPT, Set your ND to PLAN, centre it on the area you want to create a WPT, wind your ND range down to 40nm, press the WPT switch, which will now display the existing WPTs in the area. If one already exists just use it.
- 2) If the above doesn't work and you think you might need a WPT create one, remember it's name, you can now use or delete as necessary. It will remain in the TEMP NAV DATABASE for the duration of the flight, and should it transpire that you could use it apply the first procedure!

Not sure of your destinations runway elevation? FMC>DES page>VNAV PATH>E/D ALT should be 50' above Airfield elevation. OR use the SPEED DES option where the E/D alt is 1000' above airfield elevation.

The word BOEING appears on the Capt's DV window handle, I don't know where the other two are:)

I'll bite- does the ship license count?

the capt dv window, the first officers dv window and surely there must be a "made in boeing" and not china placard in there somewhere :}

hey shawky here is another one for you but an oldie.

next time the loadsheet comes into the cockpit and you guys are doing the performance, there is a gross error check you can do to see if the figures from the box match the weight from the loadsheet.

lets say tow is 60t, by my reckoning the V2 speed should be 140kts...

there are two ways to work it out 1) 60-20=40+100=140 V2 or 2) easier 60+80=140kts same same but different......

any way enjoy the 737 and remember everyday is a school day.

That only works if you do not use any of that newfangled performance stuff. Besides, we have to do the loadsheet ourselves, on an EFB, but still, then input the data into the ACARS journeylog, print it all out, put it into the FMC, wish we still had the old performance book and get a loadsheet from the central load center, much faster, easier and a lot less paper.

Anyway, i do agree with your last sentence :)

in our operation :-))))
 

in my company we use the old system of loadsheet and perf booklet to do our calculations and then cross check what the fmc is saying and if they are within 1 kt we line select the fmc speeds,if not we go with the book figures.

so i stand by my gross error check and it hasn't let me down to date, and besides when the weight v spd check starts to differ greatly we take an extra minute to have another check to insure flaps/weights/runway etc.... are all correct.

automation is nice but what did we do before we had it?????? :ok:

Couldn't agree more, we used the same system on our old 733s and it was very fast, easy to crosscheck and reliable. Nowadays with all the nice possibilities to calculate performance to the absolute limit it is pretty much impossible to do so, derate, ATM, improved climb speeds, Vrs in excess of 180kts and so on. Quite scary sometimes but supposedly it works (at least thats what boeing says).

Old Smokey hello again, how was it going? I totally agree with you to not let anybody down and encourage new pilots for the sake of safety and knowledge, information is useless unless you share it.

Old Smokey that was the best:ok:

Unfortunately, many individuals who's responsibility it is to teach aviation are remiss in their duties I think catering to the minimum levels of knowledge---yet their are many good apples and a few misunderstood

Safe Skies OS

Loose Rivets:}

OK, Captains DV window handle and F/O's DV window handle, a "smudged" decal on the back of the tiller, and a placard on some panelling by the F/Os left calf below the FMC, in the footwell.

How are we doing so far?

Captain's DV window has the name as psrt of the casting, but the FO's doesn't. :E

Passing On Skills and Wisdom:
 

I really appreciated reading your post Old Smokey; it is good to see wise people here at PPRUNE.:ok:

Not sure if people will think this is obvious or not - but there is a slightly quicker way to re-insert abeam points than using the fix page/abeam point method (if you already know it, stop reading) which is the way I was shown to do it. This way saves you leaving the Legs page and is much quicker.
EG if you are direct VATON and want to put AVANT in as an abeam point (for an altitude or speed restraint, or just for fun)... In the legs page type AVANT in and put this in line one. Then put VATON on top of AVANT in line one, select abeam points and execute. Hey presto, new abeam point without having to leave the Legs page.

Unfortunatley the Abeam Waypoints is a n optional feature not all the 800 FMCs have it :eek:

No abeam waypoint option in your FMC:eek:!?!?!:eek:

Damn... our FMCs have AM/FM radio, SMX radio, 6 pack CD changer.. remote control, may I add... best of all Sky TV. We are trying to hack the 4 digit code so we can watch the adult channels:E.

It's almost unthinkable not to have abeam points isn't it? But yeah, I fly for Transavia (low cost owned by KLM group with all 737NG) and we had KLM guys flying for us for the summer and lo and behold they thought "abeam points" was a neat new feature! Seems KLM doesn't have it as they have old -300s and -400s aswell as 7,8 and 900s so didn't order the option to maintain commonality!:p

PS we even had abeam points in our old -300 EFIS a/c but then we've always flown some pretty long haul routes - north Africa, Egypt etc so need it for those long "proceed direct to" stretches.....

Flew AMS-Hurghada-AMS last week - 10 hrs 20 total block with non augmented crew. Don't want to have to keeping building abeams with stretches like that!

Why not? Besides eating and sleeping, what else is there to do on long flights:E?

Nice topic, learning and having fun, thats allright. i found the boeing placard also on the rudder pedals. so it seems in the old generation theres some more boeing in it;-)

what about more hints and tricks. im now 5 years on the 737 but still learning!

I found something interesting out today... The reason that the Captain's map light is in a really awkward spot (different to where the FO's light is mounted) is because the place where it would go to mirror the FO's is where the optional head up display would go. I've always wondered!