Dead cockpit. Nothing works. You just dropped serious money on the PMDG 777-300ER — arguably the most expensive addon in Microsoft Flight Simulator — and you're sitting at gate B22 at JFK staring at a wall of blank screens and unlabelled switches thinking "what have I got myself into."

Everyone who flies this aircraft starts exactly here.

Here's the thing about the Triple Seven: it earns that price tag. Two GE90-115B engines — the most powerful turbofans ever bolted to an airframe — three independent hydraulic systems, triple IRS, triple autopilot for CAT III autoland, and an FMC that handles everything from Atlantic step climbs to emergency fuel dumping. The 777-300ER is Boeing's flagship long-haul widebody. It was built for 14-hour ocean crossings, and the cockpit doesn't let you forget that for a second.

This guide walks you from that dead cockpit to ready for takeoff. Every switch, in order, with the reasoning behind it. Follow it top to bottom and you'll get airborne — and more importantly, you'll actually understand what you just did.

Quick note: this is written for MSFS 2024, but the PMDG 777 is identical in MSFS 2020. Same cockpit, same procedures, same everything. The guide covers the 777-300ER, though the startup on the -200ER and -200LR is virtually the same. The -200ER runs the slightly less powerful GE90-94B, and the -300ER's longer fuselage means tail strikes are a bigger worry during rotation. But the switches, FMC pages, and sequence? Identical.

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

Long-haul flights live or die on planning. Don't skip this.

SimBrief is your best friend here. Generate an OFP (Operational Flight Plan) for your route. You'll want:

Route — waypoints and airways
Cruise altitude (and step climbs if you're going far enough)
Fuel figures — block fuel, trip fuel, reserves
Weights — ZFW and payload
V-speeds and takeoff data (SimBrief calculates these, or use the PMDG takeoff calculator if you want to be precise)

PMDG Operations Centre is the other tool you'll be using. It comes with the aircraft and you can access it through the EFB or the PMDG menu in-sim. Use it to load fuel and payload (the sim's native fuel screen doesn't play nicely with PMDG aircraft), import routes from SimBrief via ACARS uplink, and configure failures or aircraft options.

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

Phase 1: Electrical Power

Everything starts here. No power, no aircraft.

Step 1: Battery Power

Find the battery switch on the overhead panel — right side of the electrical panel.

Battery switch — flip it to ON

The cockpit stirs. You'll hear an electrical hum, a few instruments flicker on, and the overhead panel lights up with warning lights. Don't worry about those — the aircraft is just complaining that it has no real power source yet. Battery alone isn't enough to run much of anything.

Step 2: Standby Power

Just below the battery switch:

Standby power switch — set to AUTO

Gives the standby instruments backup power if the main buses ever fail. Set it and forget it, but do set it before moving on.

Step 3: External Power (GPU)

On the overhead electrical panel, look for the EXT PWR switch. If ground power is connected (you set this up through the Operations Centre or EFB), you'll see the AVAIL light glowing.

EXT PWR — press to connect

Now we're talking. The six main displays — both PFDs, both NDs, upper and lower EICAS — all start their boot sequence. The overhead lights up fully. You'll see a wall of amber and white lights, which looks alarming the first time but is completely normal. Everything's just reporting status.

Step 4: Bus Tie

Check that the bus tie switches are in AUTO (they usually are by default):

BUS TIE (L) — AUTO
BUS TIE (R) — AUTO

Lets power flow between the left and right main buses so the GPU feeds both sides of the cockpit.

The Overhead Panel at First Power

Yeah, it's a lot of lights. Don't panic. The 777's overhead is massive compared to a 737 or A320 — widebody cockpit, more systems — but most switches are already where they need to be from the cold-and-dark state. The lights extinguish one by one as you work through the startup. Think of it as a progress bar.

Phase 2: IRS Alignment

Start this now. Seriously, right now. The IRS is the most time-sensitive item in the entire startup.

The 777 has three Inertial Reference Systems — Left, Right, and Centre. All three need to align before the FMC has reliable navigation data, and alignment takes roughly 10 minutes. Everything else you're about to do fits neatly into that 10-minute window, which is not a coincidence — real 777 pilots start IRS first for exactly this reason.

Step 5: IRS Switches to NAV

Find the IRS panel on the overhead (left side, near the top). Three rotary selectors:

LEFT IRS — turn from OFF to NAV
RIGHT IRS — turn from OFF to NAV
CENTRE IRS — turn from OFF to NAV

The ALIGN lights come on. Clock's ticking.

IRS Mode	What It Provides	When to Use
NAV	Full attitude + navigation data	Normal ops — always this one
ATT	Attitude only, no navigation	Emergency fallback
OFF	Nothing	Shutdown

PMDG models this properly. Try to fly before alignment finishes and your PFDs will show garbage — unreliable heading, unreliable attitude, no FMC navigation, autopilot won't engage cleanly. It's a mistake you only make once.

You've got two options:

Wait for full alignment — realistic, about 10 minutes. ALIGN lights go out when it's done.
Use instant alignment — there's a setting in the PMDG options to skip the wait.

If you're still learning the startup flow, use instant alignment. No shame in it. Once you're comfortable, try the realistic timing and you'll notice something satisfying: the IRS finishes right around the time you've finished programming the FMC.

The 777 uses three IRS units instead of two because of long-haul oceanic flying. Triple redundancy lets the FMC detect a faulty unit by comparing all three — if one disagrees with the other two, it gets voted out. When you're 7 hours over the Pacific with no ground-based navaids, that matters.

Phase 3: Overhead Panel Scan

IRS is aligning, GPU is providing power. Now work through the overhead panel. Real 777 pilots scan left to right, top to bottom.

Step 6: Hydraulic System

Three independent hydraulic systems on the 777: Left, Centre, and Right. Each drives different flight controls and systems.

Left demand pump — AUTO
Centre demand pumps (2) — AUTO
Right demand pump — AUTO

The primary hydraulic pumps are engine-driven, so they won't produce pressure until the engines are running. The demand pumps fill in the gaps. Just verify everything's in the right position.

Unlike the A320's colour-coded Green/Blue/Yellow system where Blue is electrically driven, the 777's three systems are all engine-driven with electric backup. Flight controls draw from all three — lose one, even two, and you've still got full control authority. That's a hard requirement for ETOPS over oceans.

Step 7: Fuel Pumps

Fuel panel on the overhead, centre area:

Left main tank pumps (forward and aft) — ON
Right main tank pumps (forward and aft) — ON
Centre tank pumps (left and right) — ON only if there's actually fuel in the centre tank

Don't run the centre tank pumps dry. It won't break anything in the sim, but it's sloppy procedure.

Step 8: Window Heat and Probe Heat

Window heat stops icing and fogging on the cockpit windows:

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

Leave probe heat OFF for now. Pitot and static probe heating pulls a fair bit of electrical load and you don't need it until the engines are running. We'll get to it later.

Step 9: Passenger Signs and Lights

Seatbelt signs — ON (or AUTO)
No smoking — ON (or AUTO)
NAV lights — ON
Logo lights — your call (illuminates the tail, looks great at night)
Wing lights — your call (handy for night walkaround checks)

Step 10: Air Conditioning

Simpler than the A320 here — no flow selector knob. Packs are either ON or OFF, and the system handles airflow automatically.

Pack switches (L and R) — leave in AUTO
Trim air — ON
Recirc fans (upper and lower) — AUTO
Pressurisation mode — AUTO

The packs need bleed air, which you don't have yet from the GPU alone. Once you start the APU and turn on APU bleed, they'll kick in on their own. Leave everything in AUTO and move on.

Step 11: Bleed Air

Isolation valve — AUTO
Left engine bleed — ON
Right engine bleed — ON
APU bleed — OFF for now (you'll flip this after the APU is running)

Step 12: Fire Protection

Quick scan:

Both engine fire switches — pushed in, guarded, normal
APU fire switch — normal
Cargo fire system — armed (DISCH lights should be out)

Nothing to change. Move on.

Phase 4: FMC Programming

The FMC is the brain of the operation. Navigation, performance calculations, fuel predictions, thrust management — it all runs through here. If you've used a 737 CDU before, the 777's FMC will feel familiar but with more depth. More pages, more options, and long-haul specific features like step climbs, equal time points, and alternate fuel planning.

Both CDUs on the centre pedestal access the same FMC, so program from whichever side you prefer.

For a proper deep-dive into FMC programming, we've got a separate FMC Programming Guide. What follows here covers the essentials.

Step 13: POS INIT (Position Initialisation)

Hit the INIT REF key on the CDU, then select POS INIT (line select key 6R, or it might come up automatically).

Enter your gate position — type the coordinates (e.g., N40°38.4/W073°46.7) or just verify the GPS position looks right
If GPS is showing your correct location, press it into the SET IRS POS field

Setting the correct position helps the IRS align faster. You can skip it and the IRS will figure things out via GPS anyway, but it's good practice and takes five seconds.

Step 14: ROUTE Page

Press ROUTE (or find it through INIT REF).

Field	What to Enter	Example
ORIGIN	Departure ICAO	KJFK
DEST	Arrival ICAO	EGLL
FLT NO	Your flight number	BAW178
CO ROUTE	Company route (if saved)	—

After entering origin and destination, hit ACTIVATE (prompt at 6R) then EXEC to confirm. Now you can enter airways and waypoints.

Building the route manually:

First waypoint or airway goes on line 1L
For airways — airway name on the left, exit waypoint on the right of the same line
Keep adding down the page
NEXT PAGE if your route spills over (it usually will on long-haul)

Or just uplink from SimBrief. If you've set up the PMDG ACARS connection, the entire route imports in one click — route, performance data, winds, the lot. Honestly, for a 777 doing KJFK-EGLL with a route that's 40+ waypoints, manual entry is painful. Use the uplink.

Step 15: DEPARTURES Page

From the ROUTE page or DEP/ARR key:

Pick your departure runway
Pick your SID
Pick the transition if there is one
EXEC to confirm

The FMC builds the departure into your route — waypoints, altitude constraints, speed restrictions, everything.

Step 16: PERF INIT (Performance Initialisation)

Press INIT REF, then PERF INIT page.

Field	What to Enter	Example
ZFW	Zero Fuel Weight (thousands)	195.2
RESERVES	Reserve fuel	8.5
COST INDEX	0-9999	85
CRZ ALT	Cruise altitude	FL350
STEP SIZE	Step climb increment (optional)	—

ZFW is your aircraft weight without fuel — grab it from the Operations Centre or your SimBrief OFP. Typical 777 ZFW ranges from 190,000 to 235,000 kg depending on how many passengers and cargo you've loaded.

Cost Index on the 777 goes from 0 to 9999, which is a much wider range than the A320's 0-999. Some rough guidelines:

Long-haul economy operations: 50-100
Long-haul premium: 80-150
Don't overthink it — 85 works fine if you're not sure

CRZ ALT — for a typical transatlantic flight, you're looking at FL350-FL390 depending on weight. Heavier = lower.

Step 17: N1 LIMIT Page

INIT REF, then N1 LIMIT page.

Here's where you set your takeoff thrust. The GE90 offers:

Full rated thrust — maximum everything
Assumed temperature — enter a temp higher than actual OAT to trick the FADEC into reducing thrust
Derate options — TO, TO-1, TO-2

For a standard departure with a decent runway length, assumed temperature derate is the way to go. Reduces wear and noise. Just make sure the assumed temp is higher than the actual outside temperature (otherwise it won't do anything).

Step 18: TAKEOFF REF Page

INIT REF, then TAKEOFF REF.

Field	What to Enter	Example
FLAPS	Takeoff flap setting	5
CG	Centre of gravity (%)	25.0
V1	Decision speed	149
VR	Rotation speed	154
V2	Takeoff safety speed	161

Flap settings for takeoff:

Flap Setting	Slat Position	Flap Position	When You'd Use It
1	Extended	Retracted	Not a valid takeoff setting — Flap 1 is a slats-only configuration used for maneuvering, not takeoff. Only 5, 15, and 20 are valid for takeoff.
5	Extended	5°	Light weight, plenty of runway
15	Extended	15°	The standard choice — you'll use this most of the time
20	Extended	20°	Heavy weight or shorter runway

Flaps 5 gives you better climb performance but eats more runway. Flaps 15 gets you off the ground sooner with a slightly shallower initial climb.

V-speed ranges by weight (777-300ER / GE90-115B):

Takeoff Weight	V1 (kts)	VR (kts)	V2 (kts)
220,000 kg (light)	135-145	140-150	148-158
260,000 kg (medium)	148-158	153-163	160-170
300,000 kg (heavy)	158-168	163-173	170-180

These shift a lot with temperature, altitude, wind, and flap setting. Always calculate them properly — don't eyeball it on a 300-tonne aircraft.

Once you've entered V-speeds and flap setting, the FMC spits out a pitch trim value. Write it down or remember it — you'll set it on the trim wheels later.

Phase 5: MCP (Mode Control Panel) Setup

The MCP sits above the main instrument panel, between the two windscreens. Your primary autopilot interface.

Step 19: Flight Directors

F/D (Flight Director) — ON on both sides (captain and first officer)

Flight director bars appear on both PFDs. They'll give you pitch and roll guidance through takeoff and climb.

Step 20: Autothrottle

A/T ARM — ON (flip the switch up)

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

Step 21: MCP Speed

IAS/MACH window — you can leave this blank (the FMC commands V2 automatically) or dial in your V2 for reference

Step 22: MCP Heading

HDG/TRK window — set to your runway heading

The 777 uses LNAV for FMC-guided lateral navigation, which you'll engage after takeoff. For now, just set the heading bug to runway heading as a backup.

Step 23: MCP Altitude

ALTITUDE window — set your initial cleared altitude (whatever ATC or the SID gives you)

The aircraft won't climb above this value until you dial in something higher. Forgetting to update it after getting a higher clearance is a classic embarrassment — levelling off at 5,000 feet when you've been cleared to FL350.

Step 24: Course Setting

COURSE (L) — set to the ILS/VOR course for departure if applicable (leave it alone for RNAV departures)
COURSE (R) — same

Phase 6: APU (Auxiliary Power Unit)

You've been at this for a few minutes now — overhead scan, FMC, MCP. If you're using realistic IRS timing, you're probably about halfway through alignment. Good time to get the APU going.

Step 25: APU Start

Find the APU section on the overhead (lower left area):

APU switch — rotate and hold to START, then let go

It springs back to ON by itself. The APU begins its start sequence — watch the lower EICAS for EGT rising and RPM increasing.

Wait for two things:

APU RUNNING on EICAS
AVAIL light on the APU switch panel

Takes about 60 seconds. Go refill your coffee.

Step 26: APU Bleed Air

Once AVAIL shows:

APU bleed — ON (on the overhead bleed air panel)

The packs come online automatically if they're in AUTO. You've got cabin air now.

Step 27: Disconnect GPU

The APU handles both electrical power and bleed air now, so you don't need the ground unit anymore:

EXT PWR — OFF (press to disconnect)

The aircraft is self-sufficient.

Phase 7: Before Engine Start

Step 28: Beacon On

Beacon — ON

Tells ground crew that engines are about to start. In the real world, nobody walks near the aircraft with the beacon flashing.

Step 29: Request Pushback

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

You can start engines during the push — standard airline procedure, saves time.

Step 30: Verify Fuel Control Switches

Centre pedestal, find the two fuel control switches (sometimes called engine start levers or cutoff switches):

Fuel control 1 — verify CUTOFF
Fuel control 2 — verify CUTOFF

You'll move these to RUN during the start sequence to introduce fuel. But not yet.

Phase 8: Engine Start

The 777's engine start is hands-on compared to Airbus. No single switch that automates the whole thing — you manually control the sequence with engine start switches and fuel control levers. It's straightforward once you've done it a couple of times, but the order matters.

Why engine 2 first? The APU's bleed air feeds primarily to the right side pneumatic system. Starting engine 2 (right) first gives you the most efficient bleed air path. Once it's running, engine 2's bleed can cross-feed to help start engine 1.

Step 31: Start Engine 2 (Right Engine)

Engine start switch 2 — rotate to GND (ground start)

The starter motor engages. Watch the lower EICAS — N2 begins climbing as the starter spins the high-pressure spool.

At roughly N2 rising through 20% — move fuel control switch 2 to RUN

Fuel flows, combustion starts. Now watch it carefully:

Parameter	Normal Range (GE90)	Watch Out For
N2 (during start)	Steady increase to ~60%	Stagnating or dropping
EGT (peak during start)	<650°C typical	Over redline = hot start, act fast
N1 (idle)	~20-22%	Should settle smoothly
N2 (idle)	~58-62%	Smooth ramp up
Oil pressure	Rising within 30 seconds	Nothing showing = shut it down
Fuel flow	~500-700 kg/hr at idle	Erratic readings = problem

Wait for stable idle. The start switch returns to centre on its own once the sequence completes.

Hot start? EGT blowing past limits? Fuel control back to CUTOFF immediatly. Let the engine cool down, then try again.

Hung start? N2 plateaus before reaching idle speed — the start has stalled. Fuel control to CUTOFF, start switch to OFF.

Step 32: Start Engine 1 (Left Engine)

With engine 2 stable at idle:

Engine start switch 1 — rotate to GND
At N2 through 20% — fuel control switch 1 to RUN
Same monitoring as before
Wait for stable idle

Step 33: Verify Both Engines

Both engines running and settled:

N1 gauges: roughly 20-22% each
N2 gauges: roughly 58-62% each
EGT: comfortably within limits
Oil pressure: green arc, both sides
No amber or red EICAS messages
Fuel flow: stable and symmetric

That's a good start. Two GE90s at idle — you can feel the hum even through the sim.

Phase 9: After Engine Start

Engines are alive. Now get the aircraft ready to move.

Step 34: APU Bleed Off and Shutdown

Engines are providing bleed air now, so the APU can take a rest:

APU bleed — OFF
APU switch — OFF

You'll hear it spool down. Everything the APU was doing — electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic — the engines handle from here.

Step 35: Packs and Air Conditioning

Verify Pack L and Pack R — AUTO (should already be running on engine bleed)
Verify isolation valve — AUTO

Cabin air is now running on engine bleed. Nothing to change, just confirm.

Step 36: Probe Heat and Anti-Ice

With the engines running and providing full electrical power:

Probe heat (captain, F/O, aux pitot, elevator, alpha vane) — ON, all of them

Anti-ice depends on conditions:

Engine anti-ice — ON if OAT is 10°C or below with visible moisture, or icy ground conditions
Wing anti-ice — ON if you're in icing conditions (but don't use it during ground taxi — it's meant for flight, with a few specific ground exceptions)

Step 37: Flight Controls Check

Grab the yoke and move it around:

Full left, full right — ailerons and spoilers deflect (check on the lower EICAS flight controls page)
Full forward, full back — elevators move
Full left rudder, full right rudder — rudder swings

The 777 is a fly-by-wire aircraft — Boeing's first — but it feels nothing like the A320. Boeing's FBW philosophy uses a conventional yoke with backdrive and force feedback, so the column physically moves and resists you as if there were mechanical linkages. There are no cables to the control surfaces; your inputs go through the Primary Flight Computers (PFCs) which command hydraulic actuators. But unlike Airbus, Boeing's system allows the pilots to override the computers, and the control column displacement corresponds to surface deflection. It feels heavier and more direct than an A320 sidestick. Anyone coming from the A320 will need a flight or two to readjust.

Make sure everything moves correctly and in the right direction on the EICAS synoptic.

Hardware note: The 777 uses the same yoke-based controls as the 737, so the same gear works for both. A Honeycomb Alpha yoke maps directly to the real thing — push/pull for pitch, rotation for roll. The Honeycomb Bravo throttle quadrant gives you a proper dual-lever setup with reversers, which matters more on the 777 than you'd expect — the GE90s produce so much thrust that taxi requires a very light touch. And rudder pedals are genuinely valuable here. The 777's wide-track main gear and tiller steering make ground handling a proper skill, especially on tight taxiway turns.

Step 38: Trim Set

Centre pedestal — set the stabiliser trim to whatever the FMC TAKEOFF REF page told you:

Stabiliser trim — set via the trim wheels (the 777 displays trim in units on the indicator near the thrust levers)

Get this right. On a heavy widebody, wrong trim means enormous control forces during rotation — and on a 300-tonne aircraft, "enormous" is not an exaggeration.

Step 39: Flaps Set

Move the flap lever to your takeoff setting (5, 15, or 20):

Check the upper EICAS — flap indicator should show the correct position
Leading edge slats should be extended

Step 40: Autobrake

Autobrake — set to RTO (Rejected Takeoff)

If you abort the takeoff at high speed, RTO mode slams on maximum braking automatically. Always set this for departure.

Step 41: Transponder

Centre pedestal:

Dial in your assigned squawk code
Set mode to TA/RA (Traffic Advisory / Resolution Advisory)

Phase 10: Taxi

Step 42: Release Parking Brake

Release the parking brake (handle on the centre pedestal)

Step 43: Taxi to the Runway

A few things to know about taxiing a 777:

Speed: 20-25 knots on the straights, 10 knots max on turns. The outer main gear swings through a much wider arc than the nose wheel. Take corners slowly or you'll clip edge lights.
Thrust: The GE90s produce absurd amounts of thrust at low N1. A quick nudge to 22-25% gets you rolling, then pull back to near idle. On flat ground, she'll coast along happily.
Nose wheel steering: Tiller gives you up to 70 degrees for tight turns. Rudder pedals handle gentle corrections.
Brakes: Tap them early in the taxi to make sure they're working. You'd be surprised how often this gets skipped.

Step 44: Before Takeoff

While you're taxiing out:

FMC route check — pull up the LEGS page. Make sure there are no route discontinuities (they show up as dashed lines). If you spot one, press the waypoint below the gap into the gap line to close it.
EICAS — should be clean. No amber, no red.
Recall check — press RECALL on the EICAS to surface any hidden advisory messages.
PFD speed tape — V1, VR, V2 bugs should all be visible.
MCP altitude — still matches your cleared altitude? Good.

Phase 11: Lineup and Takeoff

Step 45: Approaching the Runway

Cleared to line up:

Landing lights — ON (all of them)
Strobe lights — ON
Runway turnoff lights — ON
Logo lights — OFF (don't need these for takeoff)

Step 46: Lined Up on the Runway

On the centreline, brakes held. Deep breath.

PFD — quick scan:

Speed tape near zero
Altitude shows field elevation
QNH correct
Flight director bars showing
V-speed bugs visible

MCP — quick scan:

Altitude: initial cleared altitude
Heading: runway heading
A/T ARM: on
Both flight directors: on

Step 47: Takeoff Roll

Cleared for takeoff. Here we go.

Release brakes
Push the thrust levers forward smoothly — roughly 40% N1 first, let the engines stabilise for 2-3 seconds, then advance to your target (TOGA or derated)

Setting	How	When
TOGA	TOGA switches on the thrust levers (full forward)	Short runways, heavy, when you need everything
Derated	Set in FMC N1 LIMIT, then TOGA switches	Normal ops
Assumed temp	Set in FMC N1 LIMIT, then TOGA switches	Engine life, noise reduction

Autothrottle catches and holds target N1
Check the FMA at the top of both PFDs — you should see TO or TO-1/TO-2
Both engines producing symmetric thrust? Good.
80 knots — PFD callout confirms. Cross-check that both PFDs agree. Last easy point to stop.
V1 — callout. You're committed now. Whatever happens, you're going flying.
VR — pull back smoothly. And I mean smoothly. The 777 is not a 737. Don't yank. Aim for about 8 degrees pitch initially, then ease up to 15 degrees as you lift off. The -300ER has a long fuselage and will happily scrape its tail on the runway if you get aggressive. It's not a great sound.
Positive rate — gear up.
Follow the flight director bars. They know where to go.

Step 48: Initial Climb

You're airborne. Now:

At thrust reduction altitude (typically 1,000-1,500 ft AGL), the autothrottle backs off to climb thrust automatically in VNAV. If you're not using VNAV yet, press N1 on the MCP for climb thrust.
LNAV — press it. The aircraft picks up the SID and follows the lateral route.
VNAV — press it. Vertical profile management — climb speeds, altitude constraints, thrust.
Flap retraction as speed builds:

Speed	Action
Flap retraction speed (PFD shows it)	Takeoff setting → 5 → 1 → UP
Manoeuvre speed (UP)	Flaps fully clean

At transition altitude, switch baro from QNH to STD (press the baro selector on the MCP).

You're flying. LNAV follows the SID, VNAV manages climb speed and thrust, and the 777 is accelerating toward cruise. For long-haul, the FMC handles step climbs, optimal speed changes, and fuel predictions from here on out. Sit back, monitor, and enjoy the view.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Forgetting IRS Alignment

Your PFDs show useless heading and attitude data. FMC can't navigate. Autopilot is acting drunk. The ND shows no position.

Check the overhead. If the IRS switches are still at OFF, turn them to NAV and wait. All three need to align. The whole point of doing Step 5 first is that everything else happens while they spin up.

Wrong Weight Units in the FMC

V-speeds look insane — either way too high or terrifyingly low. Fuel predictions make no sense.

The FMC's weight unit (kg or lbs) doesn't match what SimBrief gave you. If your OFP says 195,000 kg and the FMC is expecting pounds, your performance data is completely wrong. Check the PERF INIT page and sort out which unit system you're in.

No Route Activation

You spent ten minutes programming the route, but the FMC seems to be ignoring all of it. LNAV won't engage.

You forgot to press EXEC. The Boeing FMC doesn't apply changes until you explicitly execute them — that glowing EXEC light on the CDU is waiting for you to press it. Unlike some aircraft where changes happen in real time, Boeing wants you to confirm.

Engine Start with No Bleed Source

You rotate the start switch to GND and... nothing. N2 sits there. Starter isn't engaging.

The engine starter needs pneumatic bleed air to spin. If the APU isn't running or APU bleed is off, and you haven't got external pneumatic air, there's nothing to turn the starter. Fire up the APU first, get bleed air flowing, then try again.

Forgetting to Set Trim

Rotation feels like arm wrestling. The aircraft either refuses to pitch up or lurches nose-high violently.

You didn't set the stabiliser trim. On a widebody at takeoff weight, the wrong trim setting creates control forces that are genuinely frightening. Set it to the FMC's computed value on the TAKEOFF REF page. Precisely. Don't occassionally skip this step thinking it'll be fine.

Rotating Too Aggressively

You pull back at VR like it's an F-16 and hear a sickening scrape. The tail just hit the runway.

The 777-300ER is a long aircraft. Rotate gently to 8 degrees first, then 15. The tail sits far behind the main gear, and the geometry allows tail strikes at surprisingly modest pitch angles — especially at heavy weights. Treat the rotation like you're easing a bus around a corner, not launching a fighter.

The Complete Checklist at a Glance

Electrical Power:

Battery — ON
Standby power — AUTO
EXT PWR — ON (if GPU available)
Bus ties — AUTO
IRS (all three) — NAV (do this immediately — alignment takes ~10 minutes)

Overhead Panel (while IRS aligns): 6. Hydraulic demand pumps — AUTO 7. Fuel pumps — ON (all tanks with fuel loaded) 8. Window heat — ON (all four) 9. NAV lights — ON, seatbelt signs — ON

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

MCP: 16. Flight directors — ON (both) 17. A/T ARM — ON 18. Altitude — set initial cleared altitude 19. Heading — set runway heading

APU: 20. APU — START, wait for AVAIL 21. APU bleed — ON 22. EXT PWR — OFF (disconnect GPU)

Before Start: 23. Beacon — ON 24. Pushback 25. Fuel control switches — verify CUTOFF

Engine Start: 26. Start switch 2 — GND, at N2 20%+ fuel control 2 — RUN 27. Wait for stable idle 28. Start switch 1 — GND, at N2 20%+ fuel control 1 — RUN 29. Wait for stable idle

After Start: 30. APU bleed — OFF, APU — OFF 31. Packs — verify AUTO/running 32. Probe heat — ON 33. Anti-ice — as required 34. Flight controls — check 35. Trim — set for takeoff 36. Flaps — set for takeoff 37. Autobrake — RTO

Taxi and Takeoff: 38. Transponder — TA/RA 39. Landing lights, strobe — ON at runway 40. Thrust levers — TOGA or derated 41. At VR — rotate smoothly to ~8°, then 15° 42. Positive rate — gear up 43. LNAV, VNAV — engage after takeoff 44. Retract flaps on schedule

What to Learn Next

Getting airborne is just the start. The 777's real depth shows up after departure.

VNAV descent planning — the FMC calculates a top-of-descent point and builds a full descent profile with speed and altitude constraints. Learning the difference between VNAV PATH (following the computed profile) and VNAV SPD (chasing speed targets without a path) makes or breaks your arrivals. Long-haul descents start from much higher altitudes than domestic flights, so getting this right takes practice.

Oceanic procedures — NAT tracks, CPDLC, strategic lateral offsets, equal time points. The 777 was designed for this stuff. The FMC handles NAT track entry and ETP calculations natively. Once you've done your first North Atlantic crossing with proper procedures, domestic flights feel boring.

Autoland — the 777 has three autopilots: CMD L, CMD C, CMD R. For a CAT III autoland in zero visibility, you engage all three so they can cross-check each other. Setting up and monitoring a triple-autopilot approach is a whole procedure on its own, and it's deeply satisfying when it works.

ETOPS planning — any ocean crossing puts you more than 60 minutes from a diversion airport, which means ETOPS rules apply. The FMC calculates equal time points — where you'd divert if an engine quit — and understanding ETOPS fuel planning adds a whole layer of realism to your long-haul ops.

VATSIM long-haul — flying a 777 across an ocean on VATSIM means oceanic clearances, position reports in non-radar airspace, simulated HF radio, and handoffs between oceanic control centres. It's the pinnacle of what flight simulation can be, and the 777 is the perfect aircraft for it.

The PMDG 777-300ER is one of the deepest aircraft simulations available for MSFS. Just the startup teaches you systems management concepts that transfer directly to every Boeing widebody — master this and the 787 and 747 will feel like meeting an old friend. Take your time with it. The 777 rewards patience more than any other addon I've flown.

If you've followed this guide and things still aren't clicking — or you just want someone to walk you through your first long-haul setup live — consider booking a session with one of our experienced flight sim tutors. The 777 has enormous depth, and honestly, a 30-minute session with someone who knows the aircraft inside out will save you hours of frustration and forum-trawling. Browse available tutors and find one who specialises in Boeing widebody systems.

PMDG 777-300ER Cold and Dark Startup: Complete Step-by-Step Guide