Hello Graham. Many thanks for this series of videos. I have only had the MD80 for a few weeks (and life gets in the way of course!) so up to now I had basically flown VNAV & LNAV most of the way. Now you have opened up the other options for me. I think I will play your video on my tablet and try to copy you on the simulator. Wish me luck!
Hello Brian, glad you’re enjoying the videos. I’ve been trying to do a LNAV/VNAV approach with the aircraft but there are a number of issues making it more difficult than expected. Hopefully some more MD80 content on the way soon.
Another great video. Thanks for these Graham. May I suggest a Navigraph subscription to keep the nav data current to real world cycles. A data only (not charts) subscription is very reasonable. One of the best purchases I've made for X-Plane. Not affiliated, just happy customer. You can search YT for some hints on getting it setup right for X-Plane.
Hello, thx for excellent tutorial, well explained. I’m flying MD82 in FS2020, assuming same technique applies ? So RNAV in MD82 is not as sophisticated as ILS. Vertical profile managed by the pilot, and Lateral by Auto Pilot ? Do I press the VOR button ? FS2020 version has VNAV, maybe that’s a possibility. ILS is easy, need to work out RNAV
Sorry for the delay replying. It's been a long time since I looked at the MD80, but yes in general a basic RNAV/RNP approach has lateral guidance and the pilot controls the vertical aspect. When doing this sort of approach you can only use LNAV minima from the charts. The VOR button would be used for VOR apporaches using the raw data, although you could load them from the database and fly the approach as an overlay, treating it like a RNAV approach.
Dear Graham, is there any option you make a video with RNAV approach using VOR LOC for the vertical guidance instead of manual work? I really would appreciate it.
Sorry for the late reply. It's been a long time since I looked at the MD80, but I think VOR and RNAV approaches are done in a similar way. I don't have any plans at the moment to do further MD80 content, but there's lots of help and advice available on the forum about flying the MD80.
I am learning so much about flying the Rotate MD-80 from your series. The time and information you put into these is truly appreciated! At the end of this video you use some terminology that I'm not yet familiar with. You say can do exactly the same with a VOR arrival, flown as an "overlay using the FMS if the approach is in the database". From googling, I believe an overlay procedure is simply an approach that can be accomplished with different navigational technology, such as VOR or GPS. Is flying this as a VOR approach using the FMS "as an overlay" merely mean I would look on the FMS to see if the VOR approach is available in the database, else use the VOR LOC vnav mode? Thanks again!
Hi Kris, Yes I should have explained that a bit more clearly. You’ve got it exactly, an overlay would be using the FMS to fly a VOR/NDB approach. The FMS approach would need to be checked with the approach chart, and the accuracy of the FMS position verified before flying the approach. Older FMS systems don’t have a GPS feed so the position can drift over time - if you watch some approaches flown by 767s on tracking sites like FlightRadar24 you can see the aircraft position is often quite incorrect and appears to show the aircraft landing beside the runway! The overlay approach is less useful on the MD80 for a VOR procedure as the autopilot can follow a VOR radial automatically, and the overlay procedure still doesn’t allow a VNAV final approach. However it’s much easier than using heading mode to try and track inbound to an NDB. The Airbus autopilot does not have the capability to follow a VOR radial so almost all traditional non precision approaches are done as overlay procedures with the aircraft also providing vertical guidance. Hope this helps.
Thanks Sami. I’ve had the beta version for 5 months or so. It’s good and much closer to the Airbus experience than we’ve had for X-Plane before. Hopefully in a few months when some of the more frustrating little issues are fixed I’ll be able to do some videos with it.
Great series of videos. Enjoying the Mad Dog experience so much more because of this. Now if you could just create an instructional video on landing technique - can't seem to get down at much less than 500 ft/min.
Thanks Ken, v1.40 does seem harder to land than the previous version. I flare a little bit higher than perhaps you would in the real thing. Start lifting the nose slightly at 50 ft, final flare at 30 ft and I keep more of the power in for longer, don’t cut the power like a light aircraft. Hope this helps.
Thanks! I did replay the touchdown sequence in the video above a number of times. I noted you did the final flare between 20 and 30 feet as described and gradually reduced power while doing so. I'm going to attempt to replicate your result - a touchdown at about 100 - 200 ft/min from what I could tell. And yes, it's quite a bit different from my old C182 although I did have to keep a touch of power in as well - that big 230 in the nose was heavy!
Thanks for this video. Is it possible to fly an rnav appr in the md80 using vnav? I have the fly the maddog 80 in p3d and I select the FMC rnav appr, set AP alt to minimums. How do I reduce IAS to app speed and still use the rnav decent profile? Thanks Paul
Hi Paul, that’s a good question. It’s been a while since I tried that! I’m not sure if the MD80 would be able to do the approach vertical profile in reality, but you should be able to leave the aircraft in VNav then adjust the speed using FMS OVRD? Let me know if that works for you?
Like this video. But don't forget that below 10000ft your speed should be 250kts or less. You started at 4000ft at 344kts. A part for that. Interesting video as always
Hi, Thanks for your comment. The digital readout on the MD-80 airspeed indication is always the mach number. You can see from the needle I'm at approx 210 kts or M0.344 which is probably the number you've noticed. Interestingly this limit changes around the world. In Spain it's 250 kts below 12000ft and in the UK traffic can exceed 250kts if permitted by air traffic control.
![FlightFactor A320 Part 4 - RNAV Approach [X-Plane]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8_9KZU8DdWQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![FlightFactor A320 Part 4 - RNAV Approach [X-Plane]](/img/tr.png)
![IXEG 737 LFMN VNav [X-Plane]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xyusZBMINO4/mqdefault.jpg)
![[X-Plane 11] Rotate MD-80 v1.3 | Tutorial Flight | KSAN ✈ KFAT](/img/n.gif)
Your videos are always very informative and interesting. Thank you for your effort enhancing our Flight Simulator experience
Thank you greatly for these videos, adds so much to the enjoyment and understanding of the sim and this wonderful aircraft.
Hello Graham. Many thanks for this series of videos. I have only had the MD80 for a few weeks (and life gets in the way of course!) so up to now I had basically flown VNAV & LNAV most of the way. Now you have opened up the other options for me. I think I will play your video on my tablet and try to copy you on the simulator. Wish me luck!
Hello Brian, glad you’re enjoying the videos. I’ve been trying to do a LNAV/VNAV approach with the aircraft but there are a number of issues making it more difficult than expected. Hopefully some more MD80 content on the way soon.
Thank you for the awesome videos. You make in interesting and informative. Cheers from Vancouver Island
Another great video. Thanks for these Graham. May I suggest a Navigraph subscription to keep the nav data current to real world cycles. A data only (not charts) subscription is very reasonable. One of the best purchases I've made for X-Plane. Not affiliated, just happy customer. You can search YT for some hints on getting it setup right for X-Plane.
Hello, thx for excellent tutorial, well explained. I’m flying MD82 in FS2020, assuming same technique applies ? So RNAV in MD82 is not as sophisticated as ILS. Vertical profile managed by the pilot, and Lateral by Auto Pilot ? Do I press the VOR button ? FS2020 version has VNAV, maybe that’s a possibility. ILS is easy, need to work out RNAV
Sorry for the delay replying. It's been a long time since I looked at the MD80, but yes in general a basic RNAV/RNP approach has lateral guidance and the pilot controls the vertical aspect. When doing this sort of approach you can only use LNAV minima from the charts. The VOR button would be used for VOR apporaches using the raw data, although you could load them from the database and fly the approach as an overlay, treating it like a RNAV approach.
great video Graham, you can fly me anytime !
Dear Graham, is there any option you make a video with RNAV approach using VOR LOC for the vertical guidance instead of manual work? I really would appreciate it.
Sorry for the late reply. It's been a long time since I looked at the MD80, but I think VOR and RNAV approaches are done in a similar way. I don't have any plans at the moment to do further MD80 content, but there's lots of help and advice available on the forum about flying the MD80.
Great video! THX
I am learning so much about flying the Rotate MD-80 from your series. The time and information you put into these is truly appreciated! At the end of this video you use some terminology that I'm not yet familiar with. You say can do exactly the same with a VOR arrival, flown as an "overlay using the FMS if the approach is in the database". From googling, I believe an overlay procedure is simply an approach that can be accomplished with different navigational technology, such as VOR or GPS. Is flying this as a VOR approach using the FMS "as an overlay" merely mean I would look on the FMS to see if the VOR approach is available in the database, else use the VOR LOC vnav mode? Thanks again!
Hi Kris, Yes I should have explained that a bit more clearly. You’ve got it exactly, an overlay would be using the FMS to fly a VOR/NDB approach. The FMS approach would need to be checked with the approach chart, and the accuracy of the FMS position verified before flying the approach. Older FMS systems don’t have a GPS feed so the position can drift over time - if you watch some approaches flown by 767s on tracking sites like FlightRadar24 you can see the aircraft position is often quite incorrect and appears to show the aircraft landing beside the runway! The overlay approach is less useful on the MD80 for a VOR procedure as the autopilot can follow a VOR radial automatically, and the overlay procedure still doesn’t allow a VNAV final approach. However it’s much easier than using heading mode to try and track inbound to an NDB. The Airbus autopilot does not have the capability to follow a VOR radial so almost all traditional non precision approaches are done as overlay procedures with the aircraft also providing vertical guidance. Hope this helps.
Brilliant! Thanks for the explanation.
Great video! Now that the Flight Factor A320 is out, I would love to see your videos also with this bird!
Thanks Sami. I’ve had the beta version for 5 months or so. It’s good and much closer to the Airbus experience than we’ve had for X-Plane before. Hopefully in a few months when some of the more frustrating little issues are fixed I’ll be able to do some videos with it.
Great series of videos. Enjoying the Mad Dog experience so much more because of this. Now if you could just create an instructional video on landing technique - can't seem to get down at much less than 500 ft/min.
Thanks Ken, v1.40 does seem harder to land than the previous version. I flare a little bit higher than perhaps you would in the real thing. Start lifting the nose slightly at 50 ft, final flare at 30 ft and I keep more of the power in for longer, don’t cut the power like a light aircraft. Hope this helps.
Thanks! I did replay the touchdown sequence in the video above a number of times. I noted you did the final flare between 20 and 30 feet as described and gradually reduced power while doing so. I'm going to attempt to replicate your result - a touchdown at about 100 - 200 ft/min from what I could tell. And yes, it's quite a bit different from my old C182 although I did have to keep a touch of power in as well - that big 230 in the nose was heavy!
Thanks for this video. Is it possible to fly an rnav appr in the md80 using vnav? I have the fly the maddog 80 in p3d and I select the FMC rnav appr, set AP alt to minimums. How do I reduce IAS to app speed and still use the rnav decent profile? Thanks Paul
Hi Paul, that’s a good question. It’s been a while since I tried that! I’m not sure if the MD80 would be able to do the approach vertical profile in reality, but you should be able to leave the aircraft in VNav then adjust the speed using FMS OVRD? Let me know if that works for you?
Would any of this series apply to the MD-11?
Like this video. But don't forget that below 10000ft your speed should be 250kts or less. You started at 4000ft at 344kts. A part for that. Interesting video as always
Hi, Thanks for your comment. The digital readout on the MD-80 airspeed indication is always the mach number. You can see from the needle I'm at approx 210 kts or M0.344 which is probably the number you've noticed. Interestingly this limit changes around the world. In Spain it's 250 kts below 12000ft and in the UK traffic can exceed 250kts if permitted by air traffic control.