These approaches have been set-up for entertainment purposes only. They are not, and I stress not, Standard Terminal Arrival Routes. If you have the proper charts, there is no reason why you cannot fly these approaches according to the gospels - that's entirely up to you. Many people have asked me to produce a series of approaches with sectionals, approach plates, complete with full instructions on how to fly them, but that's a mammoth task and way beyond the scope of DDDA.
The sole purpose and function of the DDDA series is to introduce you to as many interesting, exciting, difficult and dangerous approaches as possible, while at the same time abandoning as many strict rules, regulations, procedures, protocol etc, that is safe to do so, without compromising your flying in any way, or diminishing your enjoyment of your flying experience. DDDA is all about doing some very serious flying; but doing it in a manner which is both relaxing and casual - getting out there and enjoying yourself is what DDDA is really all about! Unashameably, DDDA has a strong bias towards entertainment rather than pretending to be an instrument of education. But that is not to say that you won't learn anything from these approaches. On the contrary your head will be spinning from all that you have discovered by flying these new adventures. And over a period of time, when all of the DDDA's have been have been solidly practiced and perfectly executed, you will finally be able to sit down and carefully analyse your experiences; and When that happens you will realise that you have indeed learned a great deal more than you originally thought you would, and hopefully you'll remember that you had a lot of fun doing so along the way.
Stabilizing your aircraft
The most important thing you must do when you first start a DDDA video is to stabilize your aircraft. First time users of DDDA may find this a little tricky to master at first, but with a bit of practice you'll soon get into the swing of things and after awhile it won't even bother you at all. The video usually starts with a 'whoosh' sound. This unfortunately cannot be avoided. The author has experimented using the 'P' key, but this also produces the same opening 'whoosh' sound. Trim your aircraft as soon as the video begins. I have allowed enough time in each videos for you to take a good look around outside the cockpit environment to ensure that you get a good feel for the landscape that you are flying over. Once you feel comfortable with your surroundings, all you have to do then is concentrate on the approach and fly it.
Aircraft set-up
I have attempted to set-up each approach with a suitable aircraft to do the job for the particular airport you are flying to. I have also tried to place the aircraft at an attitude, altitude, and distance from the airport, at a point in space which I consider to be sensible, so that you, the simulator pilot, can complete the approach in a skillful and professional manner. My intention has been to avoid making your task impossible. Indeed, the whole purpose of these approaches is that you learn to execute them correctly, and that you learn to fly them in a consistently professional manner. This may of course mean that you have to practice them until you reach a certain standard. Naturally, you set you own standard, and you can raise or lower the bar in accordance with your ideals. If you have 'I couldn't give a damn' attitude to life, it will invariably show in your approaches it's guaranteed! On the other hand, if you are a person of above average integrity and aspire to high ideals you will rise above the multitude and this will also show in your approaches and that too is guaranteed! As a result, your approaches will be highly professional, well thought through, and in the vast majority of occasions, extremely well accomplished. If an approach troubles you, you won't be able to rest easy until you've mastered the wretched thing. It will play on your mind until it has been done properly. Sometimes the difference between success and failure is actually realizing that there is a difference between the two, and once you separate what you should do from what you shouldn't do, your overall flying ability will improve dramatically. I guess what I'm also saying is that some pilots are satisfied with flying any old how, while others aren't satisfied until they turn the whole business into a magnificent work of art. I know where my sentiments lie do you?
Seat up
You can raise your pilot seat by pressing (Shift + Enter). To return your screen back to normal again press the (Spacebar). You can raise your seat by as many as (13) levels by repeatedly hitting the 'Enter' key - although you should never have the ocassion to require that many levels. This is a great tool for peering over the flight panel on difficult approaches in order to get a better view of the landscape. But while it can be a great tool at the beginning of an approach, it can be a real hazard if used throughout the flight. It is all too easy to forget that you have it turned on! In my opinion the best way to use it is to turn it on as soon as you find it necessary to do so, then the moment you think that your aspect could be viewed in normal mode better, turn it back straight away. If you leave it on throughout the flight, it will give you a distorted view. For example, if you are making your final approach with your seat well raised, you may get the impression that you are descending, but when you scan your instruments, to your horror you'll likely find that you are level flying, or worst still - climbing! So treat this option with caution, Used sensibly it is an asset, used insensibly it's a liability.
Resolution
These videos were recorded in 1024 x 720 x 32. It is recommended that you use this resolution or higher for best results. They also work well in 800 x 600 x 32 if you prefer. Most simers who have a halfway decent computer will probably opt for 1024 x 720 x 32. Simers that want to change their screen resolution but are not sure how, here's what you do: Run MS 2004. Go to your drop down menu and select Options/Settings/Display/Hardware. Select the resolution you want, click OK and you're up and running with your new resolution. Dont go to the 'Start' button and change the resolution in your control panel because that will change the resolution of your entire computer. Thats not what you want; you only want to change the game control resolution as described above. Your permanent resolution will remain the same.
The settings
The weather settings in DDDA are perhaps more severe than you might experience in normal simulator flights, or maybe even in real life. This is done deliberately. The whole point of these settings is to remove you from your present comfort zone and make it difficult and challenging for you to fly these approaches without of course making them impossible.
I'm sure you will agree that nothing whatsoever is accomplished by making the settings too easy. Likewise, nothing is accomplished by making the settings rediculously difficult either. New simers can always reduce the severity of the weather settings if they find a flight is a little too hard for them, gradually adjusting the settings back up as they grow in confidence and experience. On the other hand case hardened veterans can always ramp up the settings to make the flights even more challenging and difficult. The choice is entirely yours to make.
It is perfectly safe to change the weather settings in DDDA. New settings will not permanently overwrite the original videos. When you do actually change the settings for a flight and then commence the approach and landing, if you want to return to the original video, simply go to the dropdown menu and reset the flight. The original setings are still there and always will be! It's as simple as that! So, don't be afraid to experiment, you can't do any damage.
Graphics
These videos were recorded using the default settings (low) except for a couple of things. Cloud definition and the instrument panel were recorded on the highest setting. The reason for this is that the instrument panel and your exterior view are the two things that you see the most of when when you fly, therefore I like them to be as sharp as possible. You may find that the terrain is not as well defined as you would like it to be. I don't regard the clarity of the terrain as important, but you might, if so go ahead and change the settings to those that best serve your needs. You may also find it best to slide the Add-On Dynamic Scenery slider down to zero. This will lower or stop aircraft activity at airports on your final approach, otherwise you may find that too many aircraft get in your way as you make your descent.
Throttle/Yoke
There will be times at the beginning of a flight when your aircraft engine appears to be racing. But try as you may you cannot seem to be able to reduce your airspeed. Closing the the throttle has no apparent effect whatsoever. Don't be alarmed, this is not a computer problem, a software problem or a joystick/yoke problem. Then what the hell is it? The problem can be fixed very simply and quite seamlessly.
But first here's what's happening. The DDDA's were recorded at the throttle speed that the author was using at the time of the recording. When you replay the DDDA's your throttle speed will likely be set at a slightly different speed to the one used by the author, unless of course you selected by accident exactly the same setting. The flight simulator software can't reconcile the difference, so it automatically sets a constant airspeed, irrespective of your throttle setting - smart programming from Microsoft. This 'constant airspeed' is usually disengaged when you initially stabilize your aircraft, but sometimes it isn't, and further adjustments are necessary. All you have to do is flip the throttle to full power, then quickly back to zero, then return it to roughly where you had it originally. This simple action alone is enough to clear the 'constant speed' anomaly. If you do this action quick enough it won't even register on your 'flight in progress' and you can carry on with the flight regardless problem solved. Sometimes you might notice a higher than normal airspeed when your flight is well advanced, in which case it might be better to restart the approach from the dropdown menu and fly it again. Now that you are fully aware of the problem, and you now know how to solve it, it's very unlikely that you will have a flight ruined by this problem ever again.
Runway/Elevation details
You are supplied with runway length and elevation details for each approach in the flight description page before you start the videa. Once you start your approach these details will no longer be available to you unless you stop your flight (which is a pain) and go to Map View and retrieve the information from there. Alternatively, you can extricate the information from your GPS. But time spent extracting the data during a critical stage of the approach is better spent by actually concentrating on the approach. I suggest that you keep a small notepad beside your computer and jot down the runway/elevation details before you start your flight. You will soon learn, if you haven't already, that these small details are big issues when it comes down to completing your approach in the best and safest manner possible. I have flown these approaches thousands of times and I always make sure that I have a pen and a notepad handy next to me every time I make a flight. I like to jot down runway length and elevation before I start flying. Sometimes airport ID's too, For me, it's an invaluable piece of data that I have immediate access to during the most critical times.
Approaches
I have tried to make these approaches as interesting and as varied impossible. For instance, in these volumes you will land your aircraft on over a dozen different types of runway surface some will amuse you, some will amaze you. I won't spoil your fun by describing each and every surface, but I can assure you they are all very interesting and highly enjoyable. You will travel all over the world visiting every difficult and dangerous airport MSFS 2004 has to offer - that right, the lot! I promise you, I will not hold anything back. I will share with you absolutely every difficult approach that I Know of. Some of the approaches in these volumes are really quite awesome, there's simply no other word to describe them, and although I have flown them all, on countless different occasions, I never tire of them, I'm still overwhelmed by their spectacular originality. You will fly in all types of weather conditions, from clear blue skies to thunderous cyclones. You will fly standard stock aircraft supplied by Microsoft in the original package. If you have altered the configuration of your aircraft from the original version, I imagine that your newly assigned aircraft will appear on your screen in their place. If an 'error message' appears carry on regardless and select an aircraft of your choice. Which brings up another point; to increase your enjoyment of these approaches try using all sorts of aircraft from your drop down menu; bend the rules a little and take things to the extreme. Push yourself, your aircraft, and MSFS 2004 to the max.
Clouds
Did you know that the clouds change every time you play the videos? Well they do! Try this: play a video and observe the cloud formation, then close it and open the video up again. You will notice the clouds appear the same - no noticeably changes, right? Well,that's because they virtually are the same, within that very short time frame! But if you repeat the above and come back and reopen it say, in ten minutes time, the clouds will have changed formation and position. Cumulus will always remain cumulus of course, but the arrangement will be different. I mention this for good reason. Some of the approaches which you'll make in these volumes will, from time to time be obstructed by clouds, forcing you to 'go missed.' If you dont want to 'go missed' and would prefer to get on with flying other approaches, you can close the program and return to it later, hoping that you'll get a favourable cloud formation to complete the approach. Isn't it a shame that you can't do that in the real world?
Flying the 'heavies'
The introduction of 'heavy' aircraft won't come into serious play until much later in the DDDA series, but there will be the odd one here and there to keep you amused and your interest alive. We have new simers joining our hobby every day and there seems little point in including 'heavy' aircraft early in the series if they can't fly them. With that point in mind new simers would be wise to practice their 'heavy' aircraft techniques right now, in preparation for what is to come in the future. In the final volumes of DDDA you'll get plenty of 'heavy' aircraft practice I can assure you!
Although I have brought up this point before I would just briefly like to mention it again. Most commercial airports are safe to fly in and out of - so lets be absolutely clear about that. It's good that they are, otherwise nobody would fly at all! Therefore it should be always be remembered that very few commercial airfields can truly be classified as dangerous. Let me assure you that in due course you'll be introduced to the dangerous airport in these volumes. But don't get your hopes up too high and expect all of the airports that you'll fly into with 'heavy' aircraft will be dangerous. They most certainly are not. The vast majority of airports that you'll visit flying 'heavy' aircraft, will be pretty ordinary looking affairs. The dangers that you will encounter and invariably will have to deal with, will largely be dangers associated with bad weather condition, and believe me, you're going to have your hands full with these when they're served up to you! Many of you have been flying for years with hardly a whisper of wind into injected into your weather settings; all that is about to change when you fly in DDDA. Once you learn how to fly in the wind you will be able to fly into any airport in the world with absolute confidence, and your overall enjoyment of flying a flight simulator will be greatly enhanced. And what's more, you'll probably never fly an aircraft again without adding a gust or two of the nasty stuff to your weather settings each time you prepare for a flight. The best golfers in the world are great wind players. The same holds true for aviators.
GPS
The black screen of the GPS can get dull and boring even on short flights. To inject a burst of colour into the cockpit press the 'terrain' button.
Passenger view
We are so conditioned to viewing flights from the cockpit, through the eyes of a pilot, that we completely forget how a passenger might view the flight. When you've flown a particularly fine approach and landing with a 'heavy,' lets face it, you usually drool over the darn video replay until you've either worn it out or it's time to retire to bed. Well, you do don't you? We all do it's all part of the goddam addiction! Well, sometimes it's just as thrilling to view the flight from a passenger's perspective! Instead of using the pilot view on video replay, why not select 'virtual cockpit' mode and swing the view around to the left window and imagine that you are the passenger? Flying your aircraft as steady as a rock and making the whole approach and landing as smooth as possible, not only satisfies the passengers but also satisfies yourself. Swapping roles and pretending that you are a passenger is just like flying in a real plane. Not only that, you get to complain loudly and vehemently when the captain (your alter ego) hits the tarmac with an awful thud: "I'll never fly with this darn airline again! Never! You can take your lousy airline and shove it right up your a !"
Best way to fly them
In my opinion the best way to fly these approaches is to start with the first one in each volume and work your way through them progressively. Repeat each approach until you feel you have mastered it, then move on to the next approach and so on. If you don't do it this way I'll tell you what will happen you'll end up with up with a whole bunch of approaches that you have only half completed and not truly mastered at all. You may find that some approaches need to be practiced three or four times before you come to terms with them; others will take you a dozen or more attempts. Many of the STAR approaches take considerable time and practice before you can honestly say that you have gained mastery over them. Of course we all know that there is no such thing as the perfect approach and landing, but as pilots, whether in the real world or virtual world, it should never stop us from striving towards that unreachable goal.
Final Word
There are usually (10) approaches per volume, and some volumes contain more if I considered both ends of a runway deserved recording. But based on a (10) runway volume, and assuming that each approach takes six minutes (which is a reasonable average,) it would take you and hour to complete each volume. If each approach is repeated until you get it right, it's quite conceivable that there's several hours of entertainment wrapped up in each volume. Here's another suggestion for your consideration. Once you have mastered every approach in each volume, why not adjust the settings to make them more difficult to accomplish. Each approach can be changed I'd say a minimum of about four times, and before you know it you'll have forty approaches per volume on you hands. Change the settings randomly, and for goodness sake don't 'save' the files or you'll have them coming out your ears - remember I've got a lot of volumes yet to release and you'll end up with thousands of files if you save them all! Surprise yourself with your own inventiveness, and if you happen to develop some really good weather settings write them down in a notebook for future use and perhaps share them with friends.
I have received an enormous amount of pleasure putting these approaches together for you. This project has given me quite an experience and education, and I'm a far better simer now than when I first started. Quite frankly I've improved out of sight, and so will you too. If you get the same amount of pleasure practicing these approaches, as I have had putting them together, then it has all been well worthwhile.
Look for volume 60 of Doherty's Difficult and Dangerous Approaches at your favourite website coming soon.
Now, go and have some fun.
PS: If you really enjoy flight adventures which challenge your imagination and stimulate your appetite for outstanding simulation experiences why not try these two excellent downloads - that is if you are not doing so already!:
Firstly, there's David Dossiere's 'Hopping Around the World'(HRW) series which enjoys excellent downloads. David seems to have been around forever, and David hasn't taken any short cuts either, that's probably because it takes quite some time to fly around the world! David's already gone half way around the universe and his adventures are excellent value - tricky too, because it's not alway easy flying with David due to instrument and mechanical failures which seem to be his speciality - getting from 'A' to 'B' can sometimes be an enormous nightmare. Why not catch up with him now and visit some terrific airports along the way. You can snare David on his personal website or simply visit AVSIM and seek him out there lurking in the library always prepared to download an adventure or two to you.
Secondly, there's Steve (Bear) Cartwright. Steve should be a familiar figure to all AVSIM devotees. Steve also seems to have been around forever and he has produced some excellent articles and developed some fine free software contributions for the flight simulation community over the years. His latest offering is 'Crossing of North America'(CNA), which is an exciting VFR crossing of Alaska flying a variety of interesting aircraft which are freely downloadable from AVSIM.These adventures are also enjoying excellent downloads too. With Steve's long experience he gives you the best advice on downloading aircraft, panels, sounds etc. So,trust him, he won't lead you astray. If you haven't flown helicopters before and were too afraid to even try, download Steve's tutorial now - it's a beauty, and you'll be up in the air and flying like a real pro in two to three hours.
You can find both of these developers by simply running their names through the search engine of ASVSIM.
