To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

Debrief

Apart from the disastrous pressing of a random key combination by accident that threw our aircraft thousands of feet into the air while taxiing out to the runway (it’s called “Back to Fly”, if you’re wondering), the rest of the flight went really smoothly - right up until final approach.

I’m not sure if it was the weather, or the flight model itself - but lift seemed to be massively affected by wind speed. I had gusting winds during finals, which caused the aircraft to sink, and then rise in a somewhat exaggerated manner.

After the gear touched down on the runway, I discovered I had no rudder authority - while trying to pull the nose-wheel around to the centreline. Not ideal.

I’m not sure if either occurrence was a one-off - I’ll have to take the aircraft for a test flight at an airport with an ILS to do some touch-and-go circuits to test it.

Oh - one more thing - I noticed after engine shutdown that the MCDU flight plan page seemed to have gained a mind of it’s own - I’m pretty sure in other Airbus aircraft that the route clears itself with weight on wheels - without knowing the A330 in that much detail though, it’s difficult to say.

All things considered, I was actually impressed for a 1.0 release. VNAV worked on descent as advertised (although needed a little help here and there with spoilers - maybe due to the gusting conditions). As I said - the only strangeness really happened on finals.

On the plus side, the EFB within the cockpit is very nice - and the controller calibration tools worked very well.

I am using my own hand-written functional start procedure to get the aircraft up and running. You can get a copy of it from the URL below:

https://ko-fi.com/s/195ecc9748

I am using SayIntentions.AI to provide air traffic services, and aircraft injection during the flight. If you like the look of SayIntentions.AI, you can click the link below to try it out for free!

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

To get a copy of the functional procedure I have written to help guide you through preparing the Citation X for flight, click the link below:

https://ko-fi.com/s/195ecc9748

Debrief

I think it’s always interesting to take away a few things learned when re-visiting an aircraft you’ve not looked at for a long time - particular after showing the re-visit “live in front of a studio audience” :)

The big take-away - during preflight I accidentally flicked the avionics switch, which killed the systems - then during departure, wondered if that was related to the aircraft overspeeding - it was not. It turned out prior to the flight I had switched liveries, and that had reset the aircraft to “factory” - which defaults to NOT having an auto-throttle, so while we have FADEC throttles, that doesn’t mean they’re going to chase programmed airspeeds automatically during climb-out.

You live and learn, and roll your own eyes when you realise what’s going on sometimes.

As surmised during the videos - changing aircraft every day means I rarely develop any sort of muscle-memory - so everything requires a bit more thought, and a bit more hunting and figuring things out. It’s always interesting to solve problems though, so that works both ways :) It would be VERY boring if everything went smoothly like the workings of clock during a flight (and the real world is messy and unpredictable - which will inevitably find you out if you only know one way of doing things).

Anyway… fun flight. I need to fly it again soon, just to validate everything I re-discovered today.

Wonderful aircraft.

p.s. I updated the start procedure with a note about the auto-throttle.

A functional guide to starting and configuring the Inibuilds Airbus C212-200 Aviocar in Flight Simulator 2024 - walking through each step of the configuration journey to prepare the aircraft for flight.

The document includes:

• An overview of camera controls in Flight Simulator 2024

• An overview of setting custom views in Flight Simulator 2024

• Walkaround

• Preflight

• Prepare for engine start

• Engine start

• Post engine start

• Prepare for taxi

• Taxi to runway

• Lined up on runway

• Takeoff, climb and cruise notes

Click the link below to get a copy:

https://ko-fi.com/s/ef00b34c5f

We’re running the amazing SayIntentions.AI in the background to provide air traffic services and aircraft injection in the airspace around us, and will be following a functional procedure of my own design to get the aircraft up and running. If everthing goes well, the procedure will available later :)

To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

After a somewhat frustrating experience trying to figure out what lever does what in the Heinkel HE70 Blitz (the latest “Famous Flyer” in Flight Simulator 2024), and the lack of any official documentation (so far), I did a bit of digging.

It’s worth noting that this is book learning at the moment - I haven’t had the chance to try any of this in the simulator yet.

The controls

Rotary Red Tap (Bottom Left)

• Main Emergency Fuel Cut-Off Valve (Brandhahn / Kraftstoffabsperrhahn): Red controls in vintage German aircraft almost universally denote emergency cut-offs or high-risk valves. Rotating this opens or completely shuts off the main fuel line feeding the engine from the tank array. It needs to be open (rotated) for any fuel to flow.

The Three Levers (Center Quadrant)

• Left Lever (Pumpenprobe – Pump Test / Dump Valve): Used for testing fuel pump pressure or purging/bypassing air within the lines before engine start. In normal flight operation, this stays set to Betrieb (Operation).

• Middle Lever (Kraftstoffhähne - Links / Zu / Rechts – Fuel Taps Left / Closed / Right): This is your active fuel tank selector. Moving it left or right selects between the left wing/fuselage fuel tanks or shuts flow off locally (Zu).

• Right Lever (Kraftstoffpumpe – Fuel Pump): Controls the engine-driven or auxiliary mechanical fuel pump supply. Moving it forward/up engages fuel pressure to the engine (Aus = Off).

The Two Plungers & T-Handles (Far Right)

• Yellow Top Plungers (Kraftstoffpumpe Links / Rechts / Einspritzpumpe): These are primer plungers (Einspritzpumpe = injection/primer pump). Prior to a cold start, you unlock/pull and stroke these to manually prime fuel directly into the engine intake manifolds.

• Lower T-Handles (Kraftstoff Links / Rechts): Secondary manual fuel shut-off/selector cocks or reserve tank transfer valves for individual wing tanks.

Standard Manual Start Flow in MSFS

1. Red Rotary Tap: Turn to Open position.

2. Fuel Selector (Middle Lever): Set to Links or Rechts.

3. Fuel Pump (Right Lever): Move out of Aus position to build fuel pressure.

4. Primer Plungers (Yellow): Pump 2–3 times to prime the engine for a cold start.

How Tank Selection Works

In the He 70, you select fuel sources primarily using the middle lever in the central quadrant, supplemented by the rotary red tap and the individual wing tank shut-offs.

Not all of the levers shown control tank selection directly—the three levers serve distinct operational functions:

• Middle Lever (Kraftstoffhähne): This is your main tank selector.

  • Moving it Left (Links) feeds the engine from the left wing/fuselage tanks.

  • Moving it Right (Rechts) feeds from the right wing tanks.

  • Center is Closed (Zu).

• Left Lever (Pumpenprobe): This is a fuel pump test/bypass valve (set to Betrieb for normal flight). It does not select fuel tanks.

• Right Lever (Kraftstoffpumpe): This is the master mechanical fuel pump engagement lever (Aus = Off). It engages or disengages system fuel pressure, rather than routing specific tanks.

Controlling Wing vs. Fuselage/Centre Tanks

To control individual tanks (Left, Right, and Fuselage/Centre) across the rest of the panel:

• Red Rotary Tap (Bottom Left): Serves as the Main Emergency Master Shut-Off (Brandhahn). It must be turned open for any fuel tank to feed the engine.

• T-Handles (Far Right - Kraftstoff Links & Kraftstoff Rechts): Operate as secondary shut-off and supply valves dedicated specifically to the individual outer wing tanks.

• Fuselage Gauge (Far Right - Rumpftank): Monitors the central fuselage tank quantity. Drawing fuel from the fuselage versus the outer wings relies on balancing the central selector lever with these individual wing T-handles.

Standard Tank Switching Flow

• Keep the Red Rotary Tap fully open.

• Ensure the corresponding T-handle on the right panel (Kraftstoff Links or Kraftstoff Rechts) is engaged for the wing tank you wish to drain.

• Move the Middle Quadrant Lever to Links or Rechts to draw from that active side of the fuel system.

While recording a live-stream yesterday evening with the PMDG Boeing 737-800 for the first time in ages, I realised the procedure needed a little modernisation here and there to keep pace with the various upgrades that have happened in the aircraft (particularly the EFB) - making life a lot easier than it had been previously.

If you’ve not seen it, the document is a “functional” procedure - a simplified set of steps that take you through the essential parts of getting the 737 ready for flight. The document tells you where to look, what to press, what to turn, and what to configure in an appropriate order to ensure everything works. It presumes the aircraft is in the default “cold and dark” state - meaning we can make all sorts of assumptions about the state of various systems.

You can of course embellish and extend the procedure as you learn more. It’s the bare bones required to get the aircraft ready.

If you’ve previously downloaded it, your original download link will download the new version. If you join the ko-fi website with the same email address you used to buy things in the past, you will see past purchases within the website and be able to download that way too.

Here’s the link to the procedure at ko-fi:

https://ko-fi.com/s/d43db3e83f

We’re running the amazing SayIntentions.AI in the background to provide air traffic services and aircraft injection in the airspace around us, and will be following a functional procedure of my own design to get the aircraft up and running.

To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

To get a copy of the functional procedure I have written to help guide you through preparing the Boeing 707 for flight, click the link below:

https://ko-fi.com/s/d43db3e83f

Wonderfully developed aircraft - you can get it from Orbx - click the link below:

https://orbxdirect.com/product/emerald-pietenpol-msfs2024

I passed something of a milestone this week - my little YouTube channel has passed 50,000 subscribers! I’m half-way towards a silver YouTube plaque on the wall :)

I can’t thank you all enough for the encouragement, feedback, and time you give me - in watching, liking, commenting, and accompanying me on the various escapades I get up to in the various flight simulators.

Alongside the videos, livestreams, blog posts, procedures, guides and flight plan packs, I’m starting to explore some new ideas such as YouTube shorts - things I’ve never done before. It’s going to be fun.

Once again - thank you for everything - I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next!

I am using my own hand-written functional start procedure to get the aircraft up and running. You can get a copy of it from the URL below:

https://ko-fi.com/s/a1164496a5

I am using SayIntentions.AI to provide air traffic services, and aircraft injection during the flight. If you like the look of SayIntentions.AI, you can click the link below to try it out for free!

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

In aviation, there is a saying: “A superior pilot uses their superior judgment to avoid situations requiring their superior skill.” More often than not, that judgment is applied to one, all-encompassing factor: the weather.

Meteorology is not just an adjacent topic in aviation; it is woven into its very fabric. Every flight, from a 15-minute hop in a Cessna to a 15-hour journey in an A380, is planned and executed based on the current and forecast state of the atmosphere. Weather dictates:

• If a flight can legally and safely depart.

• How the flight will be conducted (e.g., by visual or instrument rules).

• Which route will be flown to avoid hazards and optimize fuel.

• What alternate airports must be available.

• Whether the aircraft needs de-icing before takeoff.

Understanding aviation weather is a matter of safety, efficiency, and legality. At the heart of this understanding are the two most critical reports a pilot will ever read: the METAR and the TAF.

Read more

While we’re flying, the aircraft in the airspace around us, and the voices you hear from other aircraft and air traffic services are being provided by SayIntentions.AI. To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

To get a copy of the functional procedure I have written to help guide you through preparing the Boeing 707 for flight, click the link below:

https://ko-fi.com/s/494e7bf171

Debrief

Interesting flight - and probably all the more valuable that I did it “blind”, having not set foot in the C46 since it appeared in Flight Simulator 2020 several years ago.

The immediate lesson was that (it would appear) if you don’t have enough throttle on the ground, the engine can die, and if it does, there’s no re-starting it without returning to the menu.

The next lesson was that if you engage too much flaps as you increase power on the runway, the aircraft will nose over.

The final lesson was down to me being tired. The pitch controller on the Sperry autopilot reflects where you want the horizon to be - not where you want the pitch of the aircraft to be. Therefore to pitch up, you move the guide down.

Other than those few observations, it’s a great fun plane to fly, and looks great.

Alongside the Tri-Motor, we’re also running SayIntentions.AI, which provides other aircraft around us, and air traffic services over the radio. To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

I follow a functional procedure of my own design to get the aircraft up and running - you can get a copy from the following URL:

https://ko-fi.com/s/670d851130

All of the other aircraft, and air traffic services staff you hear during the flight are being provided by SayIntentions.AI. To get a FREE trial of SayIntentions.AI click the link below:

https://sayintentions.ai/join#677719f0e67f8

A functional guide to starting and configuring the Inibuilds Curtis C46 Commando in Flight Simulator 2024 - walking through each step of the configuration journey to prepare the aircraft for flight.

The document includes:

• An overview of camera controls in Flight Simulator 2024

• An overview of setting custom views in Flight Simulator 2024

• Walkaround

• Preflight

• Prepare for engine start

• Engine start

• Post engine start

• Prepare for taxi

• Taxi to runway

• Lined up on runway

• Takeoff, climb and cruise notes

Click the link below to get a copy:

• https://ko-fi.com/s/494e7bf171

A functional guide to starting and configuring the Inibuilds Boeing 307 Stratoliner in Flight Simulator 2024 - walking through each step of the configuration journey to prepare the aircraft for flight, and advising on use of the Sperry Gyropilot.

The document includes:

• An overview of camera controls in Flight Simulator 2024

• An overview of setting custom views in Flight Simulator 2024

• Walkaround

• Preflight

• Prepare for engine start

• Engine start

• Post engine start

• Prepare for taxi

• Taxi to runway

• Lined up on runway

• Takeoff, climb and cruise notes

The document also covers basic operation of the Sperry Gyropilot system - explaining how to configure, and use it.

Click the link below to get a copy:

https://ko-fi.com/s/670d851130