New secrets/tricks in the Boeing 737-800 Cockpit
 

Hello,

Here is new thing I just try & works

* When you approach your destination & want listen to ATIS from 300-250NM you have to keep pressing TEST in the RTP the new thing is Press "TEST+OFF" till the RTP turns off then remove ur fingers and you will be able to listen to the ATIS with your hands free!!

* Another thing I discovered with the FMS but still yet have no idea what we can get useful from it, on the RTE page type the word "ORGN" instead of your departure airport 4 letters code and the FMS will accept it & if u turn your ND to the PLAN View you will see the word & airport of departure in the same exact place with the title ORGN

:ok: Hope you guys have more to share

SAFE FLIGHTS!!

Surely this is a joke...?

How long were you flying the -800 until you came across the "secret" test+off button? :ugh:

not a joke, u can try it ;)

4 months! :)

And that is why god invented rookies:ok:.

:D Priceless...

cpt shawky, what the other guys are trying to say, if less politely, is, yes, this has been known for some time!!

well as a new 737-800 pilot i didn't find it here so i share it in this topic & i wonder why no one shared it here b4:confused:

A few more for you then,

• If you think a weather diversion could be likely, you can type in the route from your destination to your alternate at the bottom of the current plan on the ROUTE page. You won't be able to finish with the alternate runway or STAR/Approach, so just put in the four letter ICAO code. This will allow you to view the route on the route page for orientation should the diversion become actually necessary, and any "direct" clearances can be seen as the route legs are already on the LEGS list.
• If you think an instant diversion is necessary, think "RALFIE". R for Route - change the destination on the ROUTE page to your new airport. A - ARRIVAL select the runway and ILS likely die to winds or ATC information on the ARR page. L - LEGS get to the bottom of the legs page, and bring the new ILS initial fix to the top. F - FIX place the airport identifier in th eFIX page, with a 25 mile circle to remind you of terrain etc. I - INIT/REF hit the init ref page to select the Vref, and see the ILS frequency, ILS course and runway length displayed so you can tune them up. For the -700 an appropriate autobrake setting is (9 - [number of 1000 feet of runway] ) E - Elevation - go to INDEX>NAV DATA>Airport enter the airport identifier and you will see the info page giving the Elevation. Set this in the pressurisation window, and if you like add 200 feet for a rough ILS minima. 20 seconds work gives you everything you need to put the aircraft on the ground at an "unknown" airport.
• If you have an older update, you can access the Alternate and Nearest airports page (if your company hasn't paid for them anyway) by placing a random offset in the offset page, then pressing the "erase" line select key on both CDUs simultaneously.
• You can define a waypoint by describing two intersecting tracks, and having the FMC work out where the intersection is. Useful when, say a vector leg has been planned before an ILS, and you would rather have an intersection. The format is [the first point][the outbound track]/[second point][second point outbound track] i.e.: AAA065/BBB350 in the legs page will place a point where the 065 radial from AAA intersects the BBB 350 radial.
• Place two equal sized circles around two airports on the fix page, big enough to overlap. Looking at the map - if you join the two intersection points (mentally) together you will gat a line that is half way between the two airports and perpendicular to them. Where this mental line crosses your track is the nil wind critical (or equal-time) point. You can adjust this for wind - but while easy to do, the explaination is too long for me to type. If you adjust the circles until the intersection point is on your track, you can use the intersection feature from the fix page to add the fix tou your route. If you want to be fancy, you can define a better name for the point on the NAV DATA page.
• You can set up a free standing way point by placing any random point at the bottom of your LEGS page, adding the point you want to be a free standing way point under that, and then deleting the first random way point. This sets up a deliberate route discontinuity, and the free-standing waypoint then exists by itself. It is good if you don't want to use up your fix pages to define points (more useful when there were only two fix pages) You can also form a holding pattern on the point - useful for setting up engine out procedure holding points before departure etc.

I've got a few more, but that's enough for my typing for now ;)

-- Seeing as the aircraft cost so much, they are not advertised well - in all of the cockpit, the word "Boeing" only appears in three place. See if you can find all three on the next few sectors! :cool:

Oh dear, but I guess we were all a bit impressed the first time we discovered the Test+Off button! Is there a way to stop the annoying 5 seconds of "Test" when you press the button to see if the ATIS is coming in and discover its not?!

I'm not that long on the 737 myself, can't think of much else except:

Some people think running 1 Pack in Auto and one off on the ground saves fuel, but obviously the logic will make it run in high flow which burns more APU fuel than both in auto. Check out the MAINT/APU page and look at the instant fuel flow in the different configurations.

I think everyone knows the abeam point in the legs page, just put the point on top, then the point below on top of that and execute it.

The FMC info is always interesting, would be interested to hear any other little tricks.

Ok here is another one

When You have enough speed, and you pull the steering column, Believe it or not:

This thing can..........FLY :}

Perhaps, also of interest, are somethings NOT to do. I've seen smart arse SFI's teaching cadets on TQ courses to do some overly slick things, but tell only half the story.

Climbing out above TA; use 2 fingers and select STD and cancel MFRA (baro setting) at the same time. They then did the same when descending through TL to select QNH. Except this time they also deselected the DA (baro setting). The SOP, on a NPA, is to select a DA rounded up to nearest 100 and the MCP altitude to the same. They did not get" +100 or minimums", but the a/c levelled off. This was all that saved them. However, in another previous airline they set MCP to MAA and descended in V/S. There would have been no call of "+100 or MINS" and they would have got very close to terra firma if not crashed.

Very often it is NOT a good idea to use 2 fingers to execute 2 switches at the same time, especially in the air.

For, perhaps something useful to do with the FMC, and this applies to all such equiped a/c, and is very helpful to ATC.

Often we ask ATC to avoid weather by left/rigfht 15/20 etc. degrees. Yes, but for how long??? ATC need to know.
Go to RTE OFFSET and enter left/right XX nm until the route bypasses the weather. You can then tell ATC how many NM's you need to deviate and for how many nm's down route. Another way is to enter the active, or relvant, wpt into DCT TO and then in lower RT corner enter a guessed INCPT CRS TO. You wil then see a dotted track into the waypoint. Alter this until it bypassess the Wx. You can now advise ATC you need to deviate HDG XYZ and can track ABC into the WPT. That way they have a picture and can manage traffic well in advance. It ain't a wackily clever trick; it is just using the box in a way it was designed to do and to be helpful to your mate at the other end of the microphone. It's better than throwing a curve ball to who knows where.

800
 

Weren't you beginners once.

Cpt Shawkey was trying to pass on something he thought might be useful. Hardly the way to encourage the spread of information. h3dxb, particularly childish.

I'm not flying airliners, but I enjoy reading this. Our avionic mechanics also have some tricks on certain instruments and the FMC, to test them. Test displays are often called up by pressing multiple switches at once. I remember a three letter code being entered on the FMC maint page to unlock a lot of company related presettings.
Anybody tried a ctrl-alt-del in flight?

You sound like someone who thinks he knows everything, but probably knows very little.

we need Bill Bulfer here.... he is the main man!

You may be astonished just how many people had not the faintest idea what the squelch did. Those that had a rough idea often thought that it worked the other way round.

It doesn't hurt to have these little memory joggers from time to time, but shawky, get the hang of spreading the word with a modest subtly. In my day, the captain would reach across and belt anyone that he thought was trying to tell him something. Think yourself lucky you're in the modern world!

Wrong rogerg.

I worked longer on a 737, than You saw one :} and unfortanly I know more than You think.

Especially, I like to show planedriver how little they know about their aircrafts.

Ready to shoot me down :ok:

Sorry Gents!
H3DXB's posts do not reflect the views of most engineers who view this forum.....

Happy Posting

I come from an era in aviation when it was the Captain's "sacred duty" to ensure that the following generations of Captains were better than they were themselves. Ideally this came about by the following generation's application of their own skills, PLUS the collective wisdom of the preceding generations which had been dutifully passed on.

I hope that, as I am now one of the older generation, that I have performed my "sacred duty". I think that I have, but it is not for me to judge, it is up to the current generation of Captains and First Officers whom I influenced to make that judgement.

Aviation is an information intensive industry, the more knowledge that we share, the better we all are for it. As an old fart now, I'm finding that the younger generation has more than a little good information to share with me. Why should someone be "put down" simply because in his/her relative inexperience they are sharing something which, in all good faith, they believed to be unknown to most? Young dogs CAN and DO teach old dogs new tricks every day. Encourage them, don't put them down.

h3dxb, you quoted I like to show planedriver how little they know about their aircrafts. Why? If you are an experienced professional as you claim to be, what 'kick' do you get out of belittling someone? As an experienced professional (your claim), would it not be more appropriate to enlighten them and contribute towards their overall worth, both as a pilot and a fellow human being? You, sir, are delinquent in your "sacred duty".

I wish that PPRuNe had been around when I was a young pilot. The CONSTRUCTIVE inputs of the numerous TRUE professionals who lurk these pages would have accelerated my learning experience considerably.:ok:

cpt_shawky, keep up the good work!:D

Regards,

Old Smokey

Gents

still flying :ok:

May I remember You egomanics to some of your brilliant knowlegde :

http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/38548...loat-b738.html
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/37238...nce-737-a.html

Sorry to read, that till this, You found some OOUUHH SECRETS in a B738 Cockpit. I tried to ring a bell for you pilots, all what was coming back was: I'm a pilot ,I dont have to know........

Did You found some secrets how yr plane works ?

Keep discovering gents.

H3DXB over and out, file closed DTSOP

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!