So you bought the PMDG 737. Maybe you agonised over it for weeks, maybe you impulse-bought it at 2am — doesn't matter. You loaded into a cold and dark gate, stared at the dead cockpit, and thought: now what?

If you're staring at the overhead wondering which of those fifty identical switches is the battery — that's normal. Everyone starts there.

Here's the thing though — the 737-800 is genuinely the best aircraft to learn procedures on. It's based on the most produced narrowbody variant ever built (over 5,000 flying today), and every system is representative of what you'll find on bigger Boeings without being overwhelming. Ryanair, Southwest, Qantas — they all fly this thing on everything from 45-minute hops to 6-hour transcons. PMDG has modelled it down to the circuit breakers.

This guide goes from dead cockpit to wheels up. Every switch, in order. Follow it top to bottom and you'll get airborne.

One thing before we start: this works identically in MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. Same cockpit, same procedures, same systems. This guide is specifically for the -800. The -700 and -900ER share the same DNA but have real differences — the -700 only has one recirculation fan instead of two (changes the overhead AC panel layout), and the -900ER adds a hydraulic tail skid and sealed leading edge slats. Performance numbers differ significantly between variants too. If you're flying one of those, the overall flow is similar but check the PMDG docs for the specifics.

Affiliate disclosure: This guide contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, SimTuts earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely believe improve the flight sim experience.

Before You Touch Anything: Flight Planning

The 737-800 flies short-to-medium-haul. Typically 1-5 hours, so you don't need oceanic waypoints or ETOPS planning, but you do need your numbers before you start flipping switches.

SimBrief is what everyone uses. Generate an OFP and pull out:

Your route (waypoints and airways)
Cruise altitude — FL350-FL390 is the sweet spot for the -800
Fuel — block fuel, trip fuel, reserves
Weights — ZFW and payload
V-speeds — SimBrief calculates these, or use the PMDG takeoff calculator if you want to get fancy

The PMDG EFB (the in-sim tablet) is worth knowing about. It's accessible through the CDU or the PMDG menu and lets you load fuel/payload (the sim's native fuel screen doesn't play nice with PMDG), import routes from SimBrief via ACARS uplink, configure failures, and set ground services like GPU and chocks. You can also load fuel and payload straight from the FMC's own FUEL and PAYLOAD pages. (Don't confuse the EFB with the separate desktop PMDG Operations Center app — that one is for installing product updates and liveries, not for loading a flight.)

Write down your ZFW, block fuel, cost index, and cruise altitude. You'll need all of them for the FMC later.

Phase 1: Electrical Power

Dead cockpit. Nothing works. Everything starts here.

Step 1: Battery Power

Bottom-left of the overhead electrical panel. Find the battery switch.

Battery switch — ON (guard up, then switch up)

The cockpit half-wakes. A few instruments light up, you hear a hum, and warning lights appear everywhere on the overhead. Don't panic — everything is just complaining because there's no real power source yet. Battery alone is very limited and you can't run the displays for long on it.

Step 2: External Power (GPU)

Same area of the overhead. Find GRD PWR. If you set up ground power through the EFB, the AVAIL light will be on.

GRD PWR — press it

Now we're talking. The six main displays boot up — PFDs, NDs, and the upper and lower engine/systems displays. The overhead fully illuminates. You'll see a wall of amber and blue lights up there, which looks alarming but is completely normal. Systems are just reporting their standby status and they'll sort themselves out as you work through the startup.

Step 3: Standby Power

Standby power switch — AUTO

Gives the standby instruments (the small round gauges between the PFDs) backup power if the main buses fail. Set it and forget it.

The Overhead at First Power

The 737's overhead is compact compared to a widebody but there's still a lot going on. Unlike Airbus, everything is grouped by system — electrical, hydraulic, fuel, air conditioning, pressurisation, anti-ice, lights — laid out roughly left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Real 737 crews do a systematic scan across the panel, and that's exactly what we're about to do.

Phase 2: IRS Alignment

Two Inertial Reference Systems — Left and Right. Both need to align before the FMC has reliable navigation data. Takes about 10 minutes.

Step 4: IRS to NAV

Lower-left area of the overhead, near the navigation section. Two rotary selectors:

LEFT IRS — OFF to NAV
RIGHT IRS — OFF to NAV

ALIGN lights come on. The clock is ticking.

IRS Mode	What It Does
NAV	Full attitude + navigation — use this always
ATT	Attitude only, no navigation — emergency fallback
OFF	Nothing

If you try to fly before alignment finishes, your PFDs will show garbage heading and attitude data, the FMC won't navigate, and the autopilot won't engage properly. The PMDG models this accurately.

You've got two options: wait the full 10 minutes (realistic), or enable instant alignment in the PMDG settings. My advice — use instant alignment while you're learning. Once you're comfortable with the procedure, try realistic timing. You'll find alignment finishes right around when you've finished programming the FMC, which is satisfying.

Phase 3: Overhead Panel Scan

IRS is aligning, external power is on. Time to work through the overhead systematically.

Step 5: Hydraulics

The 737-800 has two hydraulic systems (A and B), each powering different flight controls. Unlike the 777's three systems, the 737 uses two plus a standby system.

ENG HYD PUMP 1 — ON
ENG HYD PUMP 2 — ON
ELEC HYD PUMP 1 — ON
ELEC HYD PUMP 2 — ON

The engine-driven pumps won't produce pressure until the engines are actually running, but set them to ON now. The electric pumps provide hydraulic pressure on the ground — you'll hear them kick in.

Step 6: Fuel Pumps

Find the fuel panel on the overhead:

Left forward pump — ON
Left aft pump — ON
Right forward pump — ON
Right aft pump — ON
Centre tank pumps — ON only if you've actually loaded fuel in the centre tank

Leave centre tank pumps OFF if the centre is empty. Running dry pumps triggers LOW PRESSURE lights and it's one of those things that looks scary but is really just telling you there's nothing to pump.

Cross-feed valve — verify CLOSED. Normal position for standard ops.

Step 7: Window Heat

Window heat (L side, L fwd, R fwd, R side) — all four ON

Prevents fogging and ice on the cockpit windows.

Leave probe heat OFF for now. Pitot and static probe heating draws a lot of power and you turn it on after engine start, not before.

Step 8: Passenger Signs and Emergency Equipment

Seatbelt signs — ON (or AUTO)
No smoking — ON
Emergency exit lights — ARMED
Passenger oxygen — verify NORMAL

Step 9: Lights

NAV lights — ON
Logo lights — your call
Wing lights — your call

Step 10: Air Conditioning and Pressurisation

Pack switches (L and R) — AUTO
Isolation valve — AUTO
Bleed air (engine 1 and 2) — ON
APU bleed — OFF for now (turns on after APU start)
Pressurisation mode — AUTO
Landing altitude — set to your destination field elevation
Cruise altitude — set to your planned cruise FL
Outflow valve — verify AUTO

The landing altitude is one people forget. It tells the pressurisation system what cabin altitude to target during descent. Leave it at zero and the cabin depressurises too aggressively on the way down — your virtual passengers won't thank you. Set it to the destination airport elevation, rounded up to the nearest 50 ft.

The packs need bleed air from either the APU or engines. Right now they're sitting in AUTO waiting for a source — they'll activate automatically once you give them one.

Step 11: Anti-Ice

Leave everything OFF unless you're parked in a blizzard:

Wing anti-ice — OFF
Engine anti-ice 1 and 2 — OFF

You'll revisit this during taxi. Rule of thumb: engine anti-ice goes ON if OAT is at or below 10°C with visible moisture.

Step 12: Fire Protection

Quick scan:

Both engine fire switches in normal position
APU fire switch normal
No fire warnings

Nothing to change here under normal circumstances.

Phase 4: FMC Programming

The 737's FMC is probably the most recognisable flight management computer in all of flight sim. Text-based interface, line select keys down each side, scratchpad at the bottom, dedicated page keys. If you've ever programmed a Boeing CDU, this is where that whole paradigm started.

Two CDUs — one on each side of the centre pedestal. They access the same FMC, so pick whichever side you prefer.

For a proper deep-dive, see our FMC Programming Guide. What follows covers the essentials to get you airborne.

Want to practise CDU programming without loading the sim? Our free 737 CDU Trainer lets you work through route entry and performance setup in your browser with guided scenarios and instant feedback.

Step 13: POS INIT

Press INIT REF on the CDU. You'll land on the IDENT page first — press NEXT PAGE or select POS INIT from the index.

Verify the GPS position matches your gate
Press it into the SET IRS POS field (6R) if it shows a position
If nothing shows up, enter your airport coordinates manually

The FMC needs this for IRS alignment. GPS auto-populates most of the time, but check it's right.

Step 14: ROUTE Page

Press RTE.

Field	What Goes Here	Example
ORIGIN	Departure ICAO	EGLL
DEST	Arrival ICAO	EIDW
FLT NO	Flight number	RYR123
CO ROUTE	Company route if you've saved one	—

Enter origin and destination, hit ACTIVATE (6R), then EXEC.

To build the route manually: enter airways on the left side, exit waypoints on the right. Press EXEC after each change. Use NEXT PAGE if the route spills over.

Or just use SimBrief uplink — import via PMDG ACARS and it fills in route, performance data, and winds automatically. Honestly, once you've done manual entry a few times to understand how it works, uplink is the way to go.

Step 15: DEPARTURES

From the RTE page, press DEP/ARR:

Pick your departure runway
Pick your SID
Select transition if applicable
EXEC to confirm

The single most common Boeing FMC mistake: forgetting to press EXEC. If the EXEC light is glowing on the CDU, press it. Every route change needs to be explicitly executed. Everyone coming from Airbus gets caught by this because the A320 just... applies changes. The Boeing doesn't. Press EXEC.

Step 16: PERF INIT

Press INIT REF, navigate to PERF INIT.

Field	What to Enter	Example
ZFW	Zero Fuel Weight (thousands)	58.2
RESERVES	Reserve fuel	2.5
COST INDEX	0-500	35
CRZ ALT	Cruise altitude	FL370

ZFW — aircraft weight without fuel. Get it from the EFB or SimBrief. The 737-800 is much lighter than a widebody, so typical ZFW is 50,000-61,500 kg depending on load (MZFW limit is 61,688 kg).

Cost Index — this one confuses people. It's basically a speed-vs-fuel tradeoff number. Low = slower and more fuel efficient, high = faster and thirstier.

Ultra-low-cost (Ryanair): 5-10
Standard European short haul: 20-40
Normal short haul: 30-50
Medium haul: 40-70
No idea what to use? Just put 35

CRZ ALT — FL350-FL390 for a typical -800 flight. Shorter legs might cruise FL310-FL350.

Step 17: N1 LIMIT

Press INIT REF, find the N1 LIMIT page.

The CFM56-7B engines offer full rated thrust, assumed temperature reduction, and derate options (TO-1, TO-2). For a normal departure with plenty of runway, pick an assumed temperature derate — enter a temp higher than the actual OAT. You're telling the engine "pretend it's hotter outside" so it produces less thrust, which reduces wear and noise.

If you're at a short runway or heavy weight, just use full rated thrust and don't overthink it.

Step 18: TAKEOFF REF

Press INIT REF, find the TAKEOFF REF page.

Field	What to Enter	Example
FLAPS	Takeoff flap setting	5
CG	Centre of gravity	26.0
V1	Decision speed	142
VR	Rotation speed	146
V2	Takeoff safety speed	152

Flaps for takeoff:

Setting	When
1	Light, very long runway
5	Most departures — good all-round choice
10	Shorter runways or heavier weights
15	Short fields, heavy
25	Very short fields (rare)

Flaps 5 is what you'll use 90% of the time.

V-speed ranges (737-800 / CFM56-7B):

Weight	V1	VR	V2
60t (light)	125-135	128-138	135-145
70t (medium)	138-148	142-152	148-158
79t (MTOW)	148-158	152-162	158-168

These shift with temperature, altitude, wind, and flap setting. Always calculate them properly — don't just eyeball a number from this table.

After entering V-speeds and flaps, note the TRIM value shown. You'll set this on the trim wheel later — it needs to land in the green band on the trim indicator.

Phase 5: MCP Setup

The Mode Control Panel sits above the main instruments, between the windscreens. Same concept as the 777's MCP but physically smaller.

Step 19: Flight Directors

F/D switches — ON, both sides

Command bars appear on both PFDs.

Step 20: Autothrottle

A/T ARM — flip it up

Armed and waiting. It'll engage when you push the thrust levers forward for takeoff.

Step 21: Heading

HDG window — dial in your runway heading

You'll switch to LNAV after takeoff for FMC routing, but runway heading is your backup reference.

Step 22: Altitude

ALTITUDE window — set your initial cleared altitude

Critical. The aircraft won't climb above whatever you set here.

Step 23: Baro

BARO knob — set current QNH

Get it from ATIS, SimBrief, or the EFB.

Step 24: Course

COURSE (L and R) — set if using a VOR/ILS departure

For RNAV departures it doesn't strictly matter, but I always set it to runway heading anyway. Good habit.

Phase 6: APU Start

You've been at this for a few minutes now — overhead done, FMC programmed, MCP set. Time to fire up the APU so you can get off the GPU and have your own bleed air for engine start.

Step 25: Start the APU

Lower-right of the overhead:

APU switch — rotate to START, release

It springs back to ON. The APU begins its start sequence. Watch the APU GEN OFF BUS lights — they'll be lit initially.

Wait for the GEN OFF BUS lights to go out. Takes about 60 seconds.

Step 26: APU Generator and Bleed

Once it's running:

APU GEN bus switches — verify ON (usually auto-connect)
APU bleed air — ON

The packs wake up now. You'll hear the air conditioning start running.

Step 27: Disconnect GPU

GRD PWR — OFF

You're self-sufficient on APU power now.

Phase 7: Before Engine Start

Step 28: Beacon

Beacon — ON

Tells ground crew engines are about to start. Do this before you begin pushback.

Step 29: Pushback

If you're at a gate, start pushback. Use the PMDG's built-in pushback via the EFB, a third-party addon, or MSFS default (Shift+P).

Starting engines during pushback is standard procedure — you don't need to wait until you're clear.

Step 30: Start Levers

On the centre pedestal, find the two engine start levers (the 737's fuel control):

Start lever 1 — verify CUTOFF (aft/down)
Start lever 2 — verify CUTOFF

You'll move these to IDLE during the start sequence to introduce fuel. (On the 737 the start levers have just two detents — CUTOFF and IDLE. There's no "RUN" position like on the 777 or 787.)

Phase 8: Engine Start

Same basic idea as any Boeing — pneumatic bleed spins the engine, you introduce fuel at the right moment.

Engine 2 first. Same convention as the 777, and for the same reason: ground crew and service equipment — cargo loaders, the GPU, the pushback headset — sit on the left side by engine 1. Starting the right engine first keeps that side clear of intake suction and jet blast while the crew is still working around the aircraft.

Step 31: Engine 2 (Right)

Engine start switch 2 — rotate to GND

Starter valve opens, APU bleed air spins the engine. N2 starts climbing.

At roughly N2 25% — move start lever 2 to IDLE

Fuel flows. You'll see EGT spike as combustion begins.

Watch the gauges:

Parameter	Normal	Bad Sign
N2	Steady climb to ~60%	Stagnating or dropping
EGT peak	<725°C	Exceeding limits = hot start
N1 at idle	~20-21%	—
N2 at idle	~59-63%	—
Oil pressure	Rising within 30 sec	No pressure = shut down immediately
Fuel flow	500-700 kg/hr at idle	Erratic readings

Start switch returns to centre automatically. Wait for everything to settle at stable idle.

Hot start? EGT climbing past limits — start lever back to CUTOFF, immediately. Hung start? N2 stops climbing before reaching idle — same thing, CUTOFF.

Step 32: Engine 1 (Left)

Same thing, other side:

Start switch 1 — GND
At N2 ~25% — start lever 1 to IDLE
Monitor gauges
Wait for stable idle

Step 33: Verify Both Engines

Quick scan with both running:

N1 on both sides: ~20-21%
N2 on both: ~59-63%
EGTs within limits
Oil pressure normal
No engine-related caution or warning messages on the annunciator panel
Fuel flow stable and symmetrical
Engine generator lights out (GEN OFF BUS extinguished)

Phase 9: After Engine Start

Engines running. Now configure for taxi and departure.

Step 34: APU Shutdown

The engines provide bleed air and power now, so the APU's job is done:

APU bleed — OFF
APU switch — OFF

You'll hear it spool down.

Step 35: Packs

Pack L and R — verify still in AUTO
Isolation valve — AUTO
Bleed 1 and 2 — ON

They've switched to engine bleed automatically. Cabin air is flowing.

Step 36: Probe Heat

Now that engines are running and you have proper electrical power:

Probe heat switches A and B — both ON

They're grouped together on the overhead. Turn them all on.

Step 37: Anti-Ice

Based on conditions:

Engine anti-ice — ON if OAT ≤ 10°C with visible moisture
Wing anti-ice — ON if icing conditions exist, but be careful using it on the ground. It bleeds hot air and can damage slats if you run it at low speed for too long. Generally save wing anti-ice for after takeoff unless you've got heavy ice building up.

Step 38: Flight Controls Check

The 737 uses a yoke. Move it through full deflection:

Full left, full right — watch the ailerons
Full forward, full back — elevators
Full left rudder, full right rudder

Check the flight control indicators on the lower display to confirm correct movement. Unlike an Airbus where you'd check the ECAM, on the 737 you can also just look out the window and see the surfaces moving.

No fly-by-wire here. It's cables and hydraulics with a feel unit providing artificial resistance. The yoke moves proportionally to surface deflection, and — this is the big one if you're coming from Airbus — you have to manually trim the aircraft in flight. It won't auto-trim for you.

A note on hardware: The difference between a joystick and a proper yoke is most obvious on the 737. A Honeycomb Alpha yoke gives you the push-pull and rotation that maps directly to the 737's controls — trim adjustments and crosswind corrections feel natural in a way that a twist grip just can't replicate. For throttle, the Honeycomb Bravo gives you dual levers with reversers, a gear lever, flap switch, and trim wheel. Rudder pedals matter too — 737 nose wheel steering through the pedals is essential for taxi and crosswind landings. For a full comparison across all price ranges, see the best hardware for airliners guide.

Step 39: Trim

On the centre pedestal, use the trim wheel (big wheel on either side) or electric trim on the yoke to set stabiliser trim to the value from the TAKEOFF REF page.

Get the pointer into the green band on the trim indicator. The FMC gave you a specific number — match it.

Trim matters more than you'd think on the 737. The horizontal stabiliser is relatively small for the fuselage length, so wrong trim means massive yoke forces during rotation. Get it right or you'll know about it immediately.

Step 40: Flaps

Flap lever — move to your takeoff setting (1, 5, 10, 15, or 25)
Verify flap indicator shows correct position
Verify leading edge slats are extended

Step 41: Speed Brake

Speed brake lever — verify DOWN DETENT (fully forward and down)

If you're coming from the A320, note the difference: you don't arm ground spoilers before takeoff on the 737. Speed brake goes to DOWN DETENT. For landing, you'll move the speed brake lever to the ARMED detent — ground spoilers deploy automatically on touchdown when the lever is armed.

The lever can look like it's in the detent when it's actually slightly out. Push it firmly. This one bites people more often than you'd expect.

Step 42: Autobrake

Autobrake — RTO (Rejected Takeoff)

The selector has positions: OFF, 1, 2, 3, MAX, and RTO. For takeoff, use RTO — it slams on maximum braking automatically if you abort.

Step 43: Transponder

On the centre pedestal:

Enter your squawk code
Set mode to TA/RA

Phase 10: Taxi

Step 44: Parking Brake

Release it. The lever's on the centre pedestal — pull to release.

Step 45: Taxi

The 737-800 is nimble compared to widebodies. Some tips:

Speed: 20-25 knots straight, 10 knots in turns
Thrust: The CFM56s respond quickly. A brief push to 25-30% N1 gets you rolling, then pull back toward idle. The 737 keeps rolling with very little thrust on flat ground.
Steering: Tiller for tight turns, rudder pedals for straight taxiway corrections
Brake check: Tap the brakes early in the taxi to make sure they work

Step 46: Before Takeoff Checks

Run through these while taxiing:

FMC route — check the LEGS page. No discontinuities (dashed lines = gaps in your route, fix them)
Engine displays / annunciator panel — no amber or red messages
RECALL — press it to check for hidden advisories
V-speed bugs on the PFD speed tape — V1, VR, V2 should be visible
MCP altitude — matches your clearance
Quick mental briefing — departure runway, SID, initial altitude, what you'd do if an engine quit

Phase 11: Lineup and Takeoff

Step 47: Approaching the Runway

When cleared to line up:

Landing lights — ON
Strobe lights — ON
Runway turnoff lights — ON
Taxi lights — OFF

Step 48: On the Centreline

Feet on the brakes. Quick final checks:

PFD: Speed tape near zero, altitude shows field elevation, QNH correct, flight director bars showing, V-speed bugs visible, correct flap indication.

MCP: Altitude set, heading set, A/T armed, both flight directors on.

Step 49: Takeoff

Cleared for takeoff:

Release brakes
Advance thrust levers smoothly — push to about 40% N1, let the engines stabilise for a couple of seconds, then push up to takeoff thrust

You can either press the TO/GA buttons on the throttle levers or manually advance to the target N1. The autothrottle engages and holds thrust based on your N1 LIMIT settings.

Autothrottle holds N1
Check the FMA (top of PFD) — shows thrust mode and armed modes
Verify symmetric thrust on both engines
80 knots — crosscheck both PFDs. This is your last easy abort point.
V1 — committed. Hands off the thrust levers.
VR — smooth pull back on the yoke. Initial target is 8-10 degrees pitch to clear the runway, then continue pitching to about 15 degrees after liftoff. Don't rotate directly to 15 degrees on the ground — at lower flap settings this risks a tail strike on the -800.
Positive rate — gear up

Step 50: Initial Climb

Autothrottle manages thrust. At thrust reduction altitude (typically 1,000-1,500 ft AGL), power automatically comes back if you're using VNAV.
LNAV — press it on the MCP. The aircraft follows the SID laterally.
VNAV — press it. The aircraft follows the FMC's vertical profile.
Retract flaps on schedule:

Speed	Action
V2 + 15 (ish)	Start bringing flaps toward 1
Flap retraction speed (shown on PFD)	Flaps up
Manoeuvre speed (clean config)	Verify fully retracted

At the transition altitude — switch from QNH to STD (press STD on the EFIS panel or rotate the baro knob)

You're flying. LNAV follows the SID, VNAV manages speed and thrust, and the 737 is accelerating toward cruise. For a typical short-haul flight, you'll be at cruise in 15-20 minutes.

Common Mistakes

IRS Not Aligned

What happens: PFDs show unreliable heading and attitude. FMC can't navigate. Autopilot won't engage. ND is blank.

Fix: Check the overhead IRS panel. Both selectors to NAV. Wait. This is exactly why Step 4 has you doing IRS immediately — everything else happens while it aligns in the background.

Forgot to Press EXEC

What happens: You spent 10 minutes programming the route. LNAV won't engage. FMC seems to be ignoring your flight plan. The EXEC light is staring at you.

Press it. Just press it. On a Boeing FMC, every change needs to be explicitly executed. If the EXEC light is on, something is waiting for confirmation.

Wrong Weight Units

What happens: V-speeds are either absurdly high or dangerously low. Fuel predictions make no sense.

Fix: Check that the FMC expects the same units as your SimBrief output (kg or lbs). Get this wrong and every performance number will be garbage.

No Bleed Source for Engine Start

What happens: You turn the start switch to GND and... nothing. N2 doesn't budge. Silence.

Fix: The starter needs pneumatic pressure to spin the engine. If the APU isn't running (or APU bleed is OFF), and you don't have external air connected, nothing's going to happen. Start the APU, turn on APU bleed, then try again.

Trim Not Set

What happens: At rotation, the yoke feels like it weighs 50 kg. The nose barely comes up, or it pitches up violently.

Fix: Set stabiliser trim to the FMC's TAKEOFF REF value. Pointer in the green band. On the 737, wrong trim is instantly obvious — the yoke forces tell you immediately.

Speed Brake Out of Detent

What happens: Caution messages after takeoff. Or on landing, spoilers don't auto-deploy.

Fix: Push the speed brake lever firmly into DOWN DETENT before takeoff. It can look like it's in position when it's slightly out. It's common to spend 10 minutes troubleshooting takeoff config warnings when the entire problem is the speed brake lever being 2mm too high.

Takeoff Config Warning

What happens: Advance thrust levers, get a loud horn and TAKEOFF CONFIG message.

Something isn't set for takeoff. Usual suspects:

Flaps still at 0
Trim outside green band
Speed brake not in detent
Parking brake still set

Pull thrust back to idle, fix it, try again.

Quick Reference Checklist

Electrical:

Battery — ON
GRD PWR — ON
Standby power — AUTO
IRS both — NAV (do this early, alignment takes ~10 min)

Overhead scan: 5. Hydraulic pumps (all four) — ON 6. Fuel pumps — ON for all tanks with fuel 7. Window heat — all four ON 8. NAV lights, seatbelts — ON 9. Emergency exit lights — ARMED

FMC: 10. POS INIT — verify position 11. ROUTE — origin, dest, airways, waypoints 12. DEPARTURES — runway, SID, transition 13. PERF INIT — ZFW, reserves, cost index, CRZ ALT 14. N1 LIMIT — derate or assumed temp 15. TAKEOFF REF — flaps, CG, V-speeds, note trim

MCP: 16. Flight directors — both ON 17. A/T ARM — ON 18. Altitude — initial cleared altitude 19. Heading — runway heading 20. Baro — QNH

APU: 21. APU — START, wait for stable 22. APU bleed — ON 23. GRD PWR — OFF

Before start: 24. Beacon — ON 25. Pushback 26. Start levers — CUTOFF

Engine start: 27. Start switch 2 — GND, at N2 ~25% start lever 2 — IDLE 28. Stable idle, then repeat for engine 1

After start: 29. APU bleed OFF, APU OFF 30. Packs — AUTO 31. Probe heat — ON 32. Anti-ice — as required 33. Controls — check full deflection 34. Trim — set (green band) 35. Flaps — set 36. Speed brake — DOWN DETENT 37. Autobrake — RTO

Taxi and takeoff: 38. Transponder — TA/RA 39. Landing lights, strobes — ON at runway 40. Thrust — TOGA or derated 41. VR — rotate ~15° 42. Positive rate — gear up 43. LNAV, VNAV — engage 44. Flaps — retract on schedule

Where to Go from Here

Cold and dark to airborne — that's your first milestone done. The 737-800 is a brilliant learning platform because it's representative of modern airliners without burying you in complexity.

Descent and approach. This is honestly where the 737 gets hard. Understanding VNAV PATH vs VNAV SPD — one follows a computed profile, the other just chases speed targets — takes a while to click. The PMDG models the FMC's descent logic accurately, including the infamous "DRAG REQUIRED" message that means you've blown your descent profile and need to do something about it. Expect to mess this up many times before it becomes intuitive.

ILS and autoland. The -800 can do CAT III autoland with both autopilots engaged. Setting up a precision approach means understanding the FMC's approach phase, getting the right ILS frequency loaded, and knowing when to expect glideslope capture. Worth learning properly — there's nothing quite like watching the 737 plant itself on the centreline in zero visibility.

Online ATC (VATSIM/IVAO). The 737 is the most flown aircraft on these networks by a wide margin. Your startup needs to be efficient when there's real traffic behind you and a controller waiting for you to call ready. A smooth cold-and-dark to taxi in 15 minutes is the goal — and following this guide a few times will get you there.

Airline SOPs. Different operators fly the 737 differently. Ryanair's procedures aren't the same as Southwest's, and neither matches Alaska's. If you want to simulate a specific airline, look for their FCOM or publicly available training docs. The PMDG is accurate enough that real-world SOPs apply almost perfectly.

Other 737 variants. Once the -800 clicks, the -700 and -900ER are easy transitions. Same cockpit, different performance numbers. The -900ER needs more tail strike awareness (though less than the 777-300ER), and the -700 is lighter and more fun on shorter routes.

The PMDG 737-800 is the best-selling payware airliner for a reason. Deep enough to spend hundreds of hours on, approachable enough to fly on day one. Take your time with the systems and you'll have a foundation for every Boeing you touch after this.

If you've followed this guide and things still aren't clicking — or you want someone to walk you through your first flight live — consider booking a session with one of our experienced flight sim tutors. A 30-minute session with someone who knows the 737 inside out can save you hours of frustration. Browse available tutors and find one who specialises in Boeing procedures.

PMDG 737-800 Cold and Dark Startup: Complete Step-by-Step Guide