Hi,
Firstly - Happy New Year!

QUESTIONS:-

1) Some of my aircraft seem to climb very slow (and descend slow too), especially ifdg a320 models. This can be WITH or WITHOUT the autopilot engaged. How can i make the aircraft ascend or descned quicker? (Without using anges of 30 degrees!)

2) Is it possible to add air bridges to airports in fs 2002?

3) When you taxi, are you suppose to use the rudder? If so, you press num lock OFF and either 1 or 2 for left or right? If not what is the correct way to taxi?

4) Is it possible to change the active runway? It always seems to be the same.

I am fairly new to fs and if you could answer some of these questions i would be very grateful.

Thanks very much,
Richard.

If real world weather is not an option you can either use one of the themes in the weather menu or make your own weather by selecting custom weater then just selecet where you want the weather to be at make your weather and TA DA! instant weather. Make sure to change the wind direction to coinside with the runway you want to use. Rember you want to takeoff into the wind not with it. 8)

Yes, weather themes are only for 2k4

garymbuska will now remove your head for the great shame you have caused him 

Hi Richard ,
Be sure to use some flaps for takeoff in a jet ( I think about 15 degrees ( ? ) )  and I usually retract them around 180 knots  .  You can go to Options -- controls -- sensitivities and set the elevator ,  ailerons , etc.  To lose altitude deploy the spoilers and can even lower gear and flaps .  I am not sure if you can do all three in a real plane ?  I do know there are different speeds for each and you can rip gear doors off , etc. if you try to lower the gear at too high a speed or overload the hydraulic system or both .  I use the spoilers a lot to lose altitude or to slow down .   Be sure spoilers are not deployed for takeoff and you may have to add some up trim in some planes .  I have had some also which did not want to leave the ground and I had to trim them off of the runway  .

Also , I hit spoilers the minute I touch down to keep the plane glued to the runwway ( prevents floating back off ).

You can change the runway you want to take off on when you select your airport .  At the lower left you will see ' Active Runway ' .

I was only a private pilot so never flew jets so not terribly knowledgeable .

Jamie

Hmm...

Okay I'll start from the top. 5 degrees is the normal, all-around flap setting and 10 degrees is also used commonly for heavy or shortfield takeoffs. Flaps are retracted to 1 at 1,000' AGL and up before 210 KIAS(for 737, it's probably about the same on all acft)

Okay, we're having some confusion as to spoiler use here.  Spoilers are not used as a primary method of losing altitude, we prefer good old bringin the throttle back and pitching down.  Spoilers really technically shouldn't be used on descent either to slow down, but can be for brief periods of time. Spoilers should never, ever be deployed for prolonged periods of time when airborne.

As for hitting spoilers as soon as you touch down-no need. Just hit shift+/ and that will arm the spoilers. Arming the spoilers means as soon as your wheels touch the ground the spoilers will auto-deploy.

Past a certain flap setting spoilers may not be used in flight, no. You just need to know that spoilers cause a very, very abrupt loss of speed and altitude and to use them sparingly (in-flight) would be wise.

Spoilers are indeed used quite often in real life - just to get rid of excessive energy. In real life, ATC tends to make you descend AFTER your calculated Top of descent. So when you are approaching the barberpole, deploy the speedbrakes. However, the speedbrakes (or spoilers) cannot be fully extended inflight, only few of the spoiler panels will be raised and to a limited angle to boot. Those are known as flight spoilers (the others of course being ground spoilers). There are no rules of how long you can deploy them. But as beefhole said, it's not good to have them out during a longer period of time 
Just avoid speeds above 300KIAS as this can cause severe damage to the horizontal stabilizer because of the vibration.

As to flap retraction schedule, it all depends on which take-offs you are performing. But to be at flaps 1 at 1000ft agl sounds fairly acurate. You should be clean at 3000-3500ft AGL 
Flaps 15 is the shortfield take-off flap setting for the 737 btw.

Quote:

I don't know how to speed up ascention. But to descend turning the engines off guarentee's results.

Hi beefhole ,

I have not found out how to do that either and really don't think you have that option in the sim ???  I didn't realize there was such a thing as spoilers for in flight operations , etc.

Jamie

Hi Rich ,

If you want to e-mail me , I can send you some screenshots which will help to answer some basic questions .  Not an expert by any means , but have learned a little .  I am retired and happy to pass on what I know .

Jamie
jlrdds@hotmail.com