MSFS 2024 737-8 MAX Cheat Sheet - Career Mission

737 Max Career Mission

======================

EFB: submit flight plan to ATC & send to avionics before you start anything else

Board Passengers as soon as able to start (don't leave until all passengers on board)

Request Baggage (don't leave until all baggage reported on board)

Request Catering (doesn't seem to report back to me when done, watch in external view)

Request IFR clearance -- note your plane ID like RAW####

Acknowledge IFR clearance (IF the radios actually work, they often don't)

You may need to manually initiate the pushback or it might prompt you (remove parking brake)

You'll need to complete the pushback, use the radio comms panel to stop or direct left/right if needed

At some random point I haven't figured out you will also get permission to start the engines (right now I'm just using ctrl-e)

Engine start seems to take a LONG time and shows up in N2 first

request and acknowledge taxi clearance, taxi, and take off (use the EFB plane checklists to assist not missing things)

NOTES:

IPS (de-icing) and window heating is on the overhead panel, upper right

NAV radios are on the middle pedestal - tune in both left and right NAV radios

My current recommendation is DO NOT use autopilot or autothrottle until after FL100 (10,000 feet), it keeps forcing me into overspeed and SPD INTV doesn't seem to work properly either.
NEVER spawn your Career plane at a new airport, test in Employee mode first!

From EFB note your cruise altitude and ILS frequency.

IN PLANE FMS

Verify Data in [Legs], remove any discontinuities you want (or plan to fly them manually/autopilot heading)

[EXEC] after any changes, will turn green

[Init Ref] (ensure on Perf Index page)

[ZFW][ZFW] (auto set)

350 -> [CRZ ALT] (set flight level)

6 -> [RESERVES]

100 -> [COST INDEX]

[N1 LIMIT>]

[TAKEOFF>] 

5 -> [FLAPS]

[CG][CG] (auto set, set trim to value given)

[V1] (auto set)

[VR] (auto set)

[V2] (auto set)

133.8 -> [TOW] (set take off weight, can maybe skip this)

[EXEC] after any changes, will turn green

Also check Settings > Weights & Balance

CENTER COMMS PEDESTAL

turn up the brightness

dial in the ILS frequency on BOTH nav radios, ACT(ivate) it

DEPARTURES

select departure runway 

AP PANEL PREP

DO NOT enable autothrottle until 10k

dial in cruise altitude

activate LNAV

activate VNAV

activate F/D on both sides

speed selector to v2+10 (150)

dial in your departure heading

SPD INTV should allow you to override the FMS speed but I've had issues with it

ABOVE 10k

check heading

C/O switch from IAS to MACH

enable autothrottle

activate autopilot

DESCENT (before T/D point or when ATC tells you to descend)

Dial in the floor altitude for the ILS approach or runway altitude + 2000'

To start manually:

    FMS [VNAV] [NEXT PAGE] (to page 3) [DES NOW>] (maybe can't do it if a step climb is still pending?)

Otherwise should start automatically at T/D 

ARRIVAL/APPROACH

(select your runway)

EFB Estimated Landing Weight (133.0) into approach page as GROSS WT

Soft Key next to desired flap setting (probably full flaps) and use soft key to insert that into the FLAP/SPD entry

ILS and COURSE values should be displayed here also

Ensure NAV radios set to ILS frequency

Ensure COURSE on Captain and Copilot are both set to correct COURSE value 

Arm speed brake (ctrl \)

Deploy flaps and gear according to needs, can use speed brake if need to slow down faster

NOTES:

T/C (top of climb), S/C (step climb), T/D (top of descent), E/D (end of descent)

To manually activate a leg on the FMS, [LEG] softkey on the waypoint you want next, and 'paste' (softkey) that into the top waypoint slot

To delete a leg, select the leg using the softkey and then softkey to 'paste' it into the slot above

Simplified Speed Schedule on approach: 200kts until initial approach fix, 180kts at initial approach fix and 5 deg flaps, final approach speed (~140 kts) & start lowering flaps to 30 (or 40), arm the spoilers & set autobrake

AIRPORT NOTES

-------------

DOK = Departure okay

AOK = Arrival okay

ILSOK = ILS approach was okay

BADILS = ILS auto-landing not recommended

NOBOARD = no boarding phase, might have issues

BADCOMMS = radio/clearance messed up

ROOF = starts on roof or otherwise broken airport

YEET = plane is yeeted into the sky during departure, NOT OK

"Safer" Departure Airports

==========================

KMIA -- DOK, AOK, ILSOK (smoothest ILS landing so far)

SBGL -- DOK

KIAH -- DOK, AOK

TTPP -- DOK, AOK

KIND -- DOK (VIP)

Departure Ok But No Boarding

=============================

SERO -- DOK, NOBOARD

MYGF -- DOK, NOBOARD

MPDA -- DOK, NOBOARD

SEQM -- DOK, NOBOARD

Only Tested Arrival

===================

SEGU -- AOK, BADILS

KPQI -- AOK, BADILS

EGLL -- AOK

KFLL -- AOK

CEL -- AOK

SKBO -- AOK, ILSOK, BADCOMMS

SCFA -- AOK-RNAV

Broken Airports

===============

SAAR -- YEETS

KCAK -- (reported) ROOF SPAWN

ROUTES

======

SKBO ✈ SEGU -- could not request IFR, on landing did NOT get credit for arrival, "skip to descent" almost immediately failed the mission due to being "too far off course" -- 2 hours utterly wasted

KIAH ✈ MYNN -- did not give me credit on landing after skip to descent, also seems after skip to descent autopilot is unreliable/freaks out: https://youtu.be/giMUa0YiOBQ?t=2868

Hit me up on Bluesky @drdarkstar.bsky.social