DC-6

TUTORIAL 2

Copyright © 2016
Precision Manuals Development Group
All Rights Reserved
DC-6 Pilot Introduction Disclaimer and Copyright Information

Disclaimer and Copyright Information

This manual was compiled for use only with the PMDG DC-6 simulation for
X-Plane 10. The information contained within this manual is derived from
multiple sources and is not subject to revision or checking for accuracy. This
manual is not to be used for training or familiarity with any aircraft. This
manual is not assumed to provide operating procedures for use on any aircraft
and has been produced for entertainment purposes only.

It is a violation of the owner’s copyright to distribute this document or any

portion thereof without permission of the author.

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Copyright© 2016 Precision Manuals Development Group

This manual and all of its contents, pages, text and graphics are protected
under copyright law of the United States of America and international
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Laminar Research, the Laminar Research Logo and X-Plane 10 are registered
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DC-6, the distinctive Boeing logos, product markings and trade dress are
trademarks of The Boeing Company. Some graphics contained in this
manual were taken directly from the simulator and altered in order to suit
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with permission.

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Disclaimer and Copyright Information DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Table of Contents
Disclaimer and Copyright Information ..........................................................2
Introduction.................................................................................................... 4
Overview ......................................................................................................... 5
Addon Sceneries .......................................................................................... 5
Default - KSEA ....................................................................................... 5
Default - CYVR ...................................................................................... 5
The Flight Plan ............................................................................................... 6
Setting up X-Plane .......................................................................................... 7
Getting Started................................................................................................ 8
Takeoff..........................................................................................................15
Climb ............................................................................................................16
Cruise............................................................................................................19
Descent .........................................................................................................23
Approach ......................................................................................................24
Taxi ...............................................................................................................26
Shut Down ...................................................................................................27
Next Up ........................................................................................................28

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Introduction

Introduction
Welcome to Tutorial #2 for the PMDG DC-6! In the last tutorial, we
provided an understanding of how to operate the aircraft. By the end of this
tutorial, you should be able to fly one of the most advanced versions of a
commercial propliner currently available for the X-Plane platform using
routing more appropriate for the time in which the aircraft was flown.

Here in Tutorial #2, we will expand upon the concepts of Tutorial #1 by

including cold and dark procedures, and VOR to VOR navigation. Finally,
Tutorial #3 will be a much longer flight to include the VOR to VOR
navigation and much more involved fuel management. This last tutorial will
be released in a future update.

In order to concentrate on flying the aircraft and the techniques discussed in

the tutorial, much like the first tutorial, this will be flown without weather.

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Overview DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Overview
Our schedule today takes us from KSEA – Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport in Seattle, Washington, to CYVR – Vancouver International Airport
in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Vancouver is the most populous city in the province of British Columbia, and
is one of the most linguistically and ethnically diverse cities in Canada. Also of
note, it is consistently one of the top five cities in the world for livability and
quality of life.

Addon Sceneries
Default - KSEA
Default - CYVR

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction The Flight Plan

The Flight Plan

The flight plan is a modern approximation of what a DC-6 crew might have
flown at the time. The flight time is approximately 60 minutes, plus the time
spent on the ground. We will be cruising at 8000 and the full flight route is:

KSEA..PAE.V23.BEZOV.V23.EGRET..TATGO..YVR..CYVR

There is a saved situation included with this tutorial. It can be installed by

placing the included DC6B_scenario_ 2.txt file in the DC-6B aircraft folder
of your X-Plane directory: X-Plane 10\Aircraft\PMDG\DC-6\DC-6B. If you
have already created a scenario, you may want to back it up prior to
overwriting it with this file.

If the Introduction Manual and Tutorial #1 have not been read, please review
them prior to completing this tutorial. Since this tutorial is more involved,
you may want to read this document through before flying the tutorial itself.

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Setting up X-Plane DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Setting up X-Plane
• If you are continuing from Tutorial #1 without closing the sim, skip this
entire page.

• Start X-Plane.

• Select the DC-6, KSEA, day, clear weather, and load into a flight, as
you will not be able to load a situation until this point.

• If you would like to follow along with the same time of day, set the
time to 01JUN16 at 1900 local.

• Click on the Hard Drive icon on the left side of the screen to load
the Scenario Manager.

• Select Scenario 2 and allow everything to load.

• After everything loads, you will be at the general aviation ramp in a

cold and dark state.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Getting Started

Getting Started

The aircraft is cold and dark, but with the help of the AFE, things will move
relatively quickly. Run the Before Start flow, where the AFE will set
everything up for you, up until the point where you will start the engines. To
save yourself some time later, set the VLOC 1 frequency to 110.6 (PAE).

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Getting Started DC-6 Pilot Introduction
After the AFE finishes the flow, you will be ready to start Engine #3. The
start sequence is 3-4-2-1.

• To start the engine, look up to the overhead and click on the starter
switches. They will remain in position until the engine starts or the
starter limit is reached.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Getting Started
• Once the engine starts, look back down at the pedestal and move the
fuel control for Engine #4 to AUTO RICH.

• Look back up to the overhead and set the ignition switch for Engine
#4 to BOTH, and the engine start selector to 4. Once this has been
done, click on the starter switches.

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Getting Started DC-6 Pilot Introduction
• With Engines #3 and #4 started, remove the ground power unit
(GPU).

• Repeat the start procedure for Engine #2 and then #1.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Getting Started
• If you would like to, enter the new flight plan into the GPS for
situational awareness:

KSEA..PAE.V23.BEZOV.V23.EGRET..TATGO..YVR..CYVR

(X-Plane does not support the entry of airways in the default GPS, so
simply enter KSEA, PAE, BEZOV, EGRET, TATGO, YVR, and
then CYVR. The route above was simply shown for completeness.)

• Note that part of your previous flight plan might have carried over
from the last leg. If so, you will see the magenta arrow next to KSEA
and not PAE. To set PAE as the active leg, click PUSH CRSR, select
PAE, click MENU, and then Activate Leg. While you are here,
ensure the VLOC 1 frequency is set to 110.6 (PAE).

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Getting Started DC-6 Pilot Introduction
• Once everything is fully set up, run the After Start flow.

• Because we will be transitioning into dusk, you may want to set the
lights now, while you can still see the knobs relatively well.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Getting Started
• Since the taxi is so short, open up the AFE window and run the After
Start and Before Takeoff checks. Taxi straight ahead and to the left
to reach Runway 34L.

• Check to ensure that your trim is set properly for departure.

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Takeoff DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Takeoff

• When you are ready to begin your takeoff roll, open the AFE panel
and click Takeoff (Dry).

• Hold the brakes until the “full power set” is announced.

• Rotate at approximately 100 knots and fly the takeoff profile

described in Tutorial #1.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Climb

Climb

• After the AFE sets climb power, continue to trim the aircraft so that
it continues to climb at 150 knots. Note that the AFE will also
continue to maintain the climb power so that you do not need to
increase throttle as you climb. When the trim is set so that you can
let go of the yoke briefly, continue below.

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Climb DC-6 Pilot Introduction
• Look down at the back of the pedestal to find the GYRO PILOT
switch on the autopilot. Single click it to turn it on, and then look
below it and to the left to find the AP MECH DISCONNECT.
Single click it to turn it on. This will cause the AP to hold wings level
and the current pitch. If the speed is too low or decreasing, roll the
CLIMB/GLIDE wheel forward. Roll the CLIMB/GLIDE wheel aft
if the speed is too high, or increasing.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Climb
• After departing, rotate the OBS knob on the NAV1 gauge such that
343 is at the top, with TO (the up arrow) is displayed at the top
right. When this is done, select LOCALIZER mode on the control
knob.

• This will set you up to intercept the 343 radial of PAE.

• As you near 8000, smooth out some of the climb with the
CLIMB/GLIDE wheel, and then engage ALTITUDE CONTROL.

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Cruise DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Cruise

After leveling off, allow the aircraft to accelerate to your cruise speed before
running the cruise checklist and reducing power and RPM. This will allow
the aircraft to settle onto the speed faster, improving efficiency, particularly
on longer flights.

• While the speed is increasing, since you are nearing PAE, delay
running the cruise checklist to set up flying the outbound radial off
of PAE.

• Set the AP MODE switch to GYROPILOT, and then rotate the

OBS knob so that 329 is at the top of the gauge with a TO
indication.

• As you approach the VOR – you can determine this by watching the
DME indication tick down on the far left of your panel (just above
the transponder) – you can either finesse the aircraft onto the new
radial with the TURN knob, or simply reselect LOCALIZER and
the aircraft will turn onto the radial itself with relative ease.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Cruise
• Run the cruise checklist

• As your speed increases, you will need to readjust your rudder trim.

• Plan to descend at EGRET, but to make sure everything is set for the
descent, run the descent flow at BEZOV. Read the next couple pages
ahead of time, since a lot of what will be going on will happen very
quickly.

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Cruise DC-6 Pilot Introduction
• Absent a specific noted changeover point on a chart, standard
procedure is to change to the VOR ahead of you by the halfway
point. For us, this would be the HUH VOR (113.0), but this would
mean changing to a couple VORs in the span of a few minutes. For
this reason, we will skip switching to HUH, and skip directly to the
YVR VOR (115.9). BEZOV is 25 DME from HUH, which makes
it 38 DME from PAE (the chart notes the total leg distance between
PAE and HUH as 63). Of course, if you chose to add the plan to the
GPS, you can monitor that as well. As we near BEZOV, we will
change off of LOCALIZER to switch to YVR and monitor the
intercept.

• Set 115.9 (YVR) as the standby frequency in VLOC 1.

• As you approach BEZOV, run the descent flow, turn the AP

MODE switch to GYROPILOT, and then swap the frequencies in
VLOC 1. Next, set the OBS to 295. The vertical needle of the
NAV1 gauge should be full right since we are to the “left” of this
radial being south of it.

• A common rule of thumb for leading turns is 0.5% of your

groundspeed for a 90 degree turn. Since our turn is about 30 degrees,
we will take half of that as a conservative simple figure. For us, this is
about 50% of 1.1, so we should begin the turn to 295 with 0.6nm
left to EGRET (49 DME from PAE).

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Cruise
• In order to make things slightly simpler, begin a 500 foot per minute
descent prior to attempting to lead the turn so that you are only
concentrating on a single thing at once.

• As the needle centers, reselect LOCALIZER.

• At the end of the descent we will fly a visual approach, aided by the
ILS to Runway 08R.

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Descent DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Descent

• As your speed increases, check your vertical speed indicator (VSI)

and use the CLIMB/GLIDE wheel to adjust the vertical speed as
necessary.

• YVR will approach quickly. Approaching it, switch to GYROPILOT

and use the TURN knob to turn left to a heading of 260.

• Reduce the vertical speed when nearing 2000, and engage

ALTITUDE CONTROL. Leveling off will help decelerate below
175 knots in order to be able to set Flaps 20.

• Run the In Range flow after leveling off.

• While the AFE runs through the flow, set the VLOC 1 frequency to
109.5 and set the OBS to 083. This will give extra visual cues for the
visual approach to Runway 08R.

• Add flaps incrementally up to Flap 20 as the speed decreases under

175 knots.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Approach

Approach

The speed should decrease to about 175 abeam IGVAN, which is defined by
9.7 DME of the localizer we have tuned. This also marks a decent point to
turn inbound.

• Turn the TURN knob such that the turn indicator on the turn and
slip indicator is between the middle marker and the right side arrow
(a half-standard rate turn). If the needle on the NAV1 gauge does
not begin to center, stop the turn on a heading of 060 until the
needle centers.

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Approach DC-6 Pilot Introduction
• Engage APPROACH mode.

• When you are ready to do so, turn the PILOT SWITCH off, and
then set the AUTOPILOT MECHANICAL DISCONNECT to
off.

• As you get close to the glideslope, run the landing flow.

• Set Flaps 30 when established on final and let the speed reduce to
120 knots.

• Allow your speed to bleed off while on final and set Flaps 50 to
maintain 110 knots.

• Aim to be over the threshold at 105 knots, flare, and touch down.

• Let the speed naturally reduce with the assistance of light braking.
Provided you land near the touchdown zone, the runway is long
enough that there is no need to jump on the brakes.

• Exit to the right.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Taxi

Taxi

• After exiting the runway

• Run the after landing checklist

• Taxi south on Taxiway T to the General Aviation ramp.

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Shut Down DC-6 Pilot Introduction

Shut Down
The ramp is rather small for General Aviation aircraft, but maneuver as best
as you can to fit the aircraft on the ramp, away from the taxiway.

• After arriving at the parking spot, set the parking brake.

• Run the shutdown checklist.

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DC-6 Pilot Introduction Next Up

Next Up
The next segment will be a much longer cargo flight, adding fuel
management to the task saturation of VOR and NDB navigation. If you
would like to, open the Scenario Manager and save this flight, though the
next flight will require its own saved scenario. Look for Tutorial #3 in a
future update.

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