CPAN sends sim to Pause
First I have Pause on Task permanently turned off. However when I complete my calculations in
cpan (opened as Admin), and click send to simulator I get Pause. It appears as if no information has got to the aircraft. In the Fuel page I get no entries, so I copy them across from the CPAN...I inserted 3000kgs of fuel into CPAN but the gauge in the Q400 shows 1350x2. (Now I realise this could be correct but I would like some guidance). However is the fuel page, which is really a load and fuel page is not populated...should it be?
Comments
This is how it should be.
First, when you send data from the CPAN to the plane, the sim will pause. This way you know the transfer has succeeded. This is how it should be.
Secondly, sending the data from CPAN to the plane actually loads the plane! The data is not being send to the FMS! So when you click on SEND DATA fuel is being loaded (as you should be able to see on the MFD), pax are being loaded, etc. The actual weight of the plane will change!
The Fuel page on the FMS is merely there for _calculation _of fuel at destination etc. You have to enter all data into the FMS manually. Fill in pax, hit ENTER, hit ENTER again to ackowledge the total weight of pax, fill in cargo, hit ENTER, fill in fuel, hit ENTER: those are all the fields that are required. Now the FMS will be able to calculate fuel at arrival etc.
You don't (and can't) load fuel and pax etc. using the FMS FUEL page!
Again, this is how it should be!
Also take note that the FUEL page on the FMS does NOT show you the actual fuel on board! You can enter ANY number there and it will only change the _calculations _but not the actual fuel on board: actual fuel on board is taken care off with the CPAN.
Also take note that the actual ZFW in the sim (at least this is occurring in the FSX version) differs from the one calculated in CPAN. In the sim PAYLOAD menu the sum of the Empty Weight + Payload gives you the ZFW. I subtract the CPAN value from that total and then subtract that mall difference from first entry in the payload detail menu. That puts the sim back in sync with CPAN. The fuel load seems to transfer correctly, however, I don't understand why the difference occurs but that little fix puts everything back in order for me. When I begin setting up my plan in the FMS, I first go to the FUEL page and enter line by line my fuel requirements along with my corrected ZFW. I do not include fuel for the APU because that is not tracked by the FMS. I will make a final adjustment entry when holding for takeoff after first balancing my tanks for takeoff.
Craig
Thank you both. Now all I have to do is land the darned thing.....I know the routine, that's not the problem, just the centreline!