PMDG Parking Brake - Solution

[Turok144]

Hey everyone,

Many of us here, PMDG owners, have struggled with GSX Pro saying that "the parking brake needs to be set" even when we've set it and applied the chocks.

Well I have good news!  Today I realized that there's a glitch with the PMDG parking brake!!!  Most of us, like me, were setting the parking brake using the default keyboard command (CTRL + Del) on the numpad.  We all heard the clicking so it should work right?  No, not all the time.  I also always wondered why the red brake light was not turning on.

Anyways, I watched a video and by pressing the toe brakes on your rudder pedals for 2 or so seconds and then with the mouse clicking on the brake lever, this engages the parking brake on or off and the visual red light turns on/off accordingly.  Additionally, you can visually see the before and after state of the parking brake lever.  This was not visible when using the keyboard shortcut (CTRL + Del) and you could not tell if the brake was on or off.

Now you know!

I let Emanuel at PMDG know as well.  Hopefully they will fix this glitch in the future, but by using the rudder brakes and the mouse, this works like a charm.

[Cerb737]

It’s not a bug. In fact it is something PMDG have introduced in a recent update. It’s exactly how the parking brake works in the real aircraft. Hold down toe brakes fully and pull lever  to engage, press toe brakes fully to disengage.

If you use keys to operate the brakes then apparently you must hold the keys for a few seconds to get the full brake pressure and then use as above.

[Turok144]

It’s not a bug. In fact it is something PMDG have introduced in a recent update. It’s exactly how the parking brake works in the real aircraft. Hold down toe brakes fully and pull lever  to engage, press toe brakes fully to disengage.

If you use keys to operate the brakes then apparently you must hold the keys for a few seconds to get the full brake pressure and then use as above.

Try it (CTRL + Del) It does not work.  The lever will click and partially move but will instead return to the forward position, it will not hold in the full parking brake position.  The only way to get the the lever mechanism to hold in the fullback position is by using  the rudder pedal brake and by using the mouse. Additionally the red engaged light will not remain on by using the keyboard shortcut. Although the results of the brake usually does work by using the keyboard shortcut, you will not know (visually) if the lever is engaged or not.

[Pirateinparadise]

I let Emanuel at PMDG know as well.  Hopefully they will fix this glitch in the future, but by using the rudder brakes and the mouse, this works like a charm.

You probably didn't need to let him know. He did a video telling all of us about it back in July.

 

[Cerb737]

Try it (CTRL + Del) It does not work.  The lever will click and partially move but will instead return to the forward position, it will not hold in the full parking brake position.  The only way to get the the lever mechanism to hold in the fullback position is by using  the rudder pedal brake and by using the mouse. Additionally the red engaged light will not remain on by using the keyboard shortcut. Although the results of the brake usually does work by using the keyboard shortcut, you will not know (visually) if the lever is engaged or not.

I have rudder pedals so am not 100% but looking up keystrokes I think Ctrl+Del is the parking brake by default? If you are just pressing that it won’t engage as you need the brakes to be depressed. If this is the case and as I said I am not 100% on keystrokes but if you hold down the key for brakes and then use the mouse to engage the parking brake does that work?

[Turok144]

I let Emanuel at PMDG know as well.  Hopefully they will fix this glitch in the future, but by using the rudder brakes and the mouse, this works like a charm.

You probably didn't need to let him know. He did a video telling all of us about it back in July.

 

Yes, that's the video I watched and that's how I learned about the use of the rudder pedal brakes in conjunction with the use of the mouse.  Works like a charm!

[Turok144]

Try it (CTRL + Del) It does not work.  The lever will click and partially move but will instead return to the forward position, it will not hold in the full parking brake position.  The only way to get the the lever mechanism to hold in the fullback position is by using  the rudder pedal brake and by using the mouse. Additionally the red engaged light will not remain on by using the keyboard shortcut. Although the results of the brake usually does work by using the keyboard shortcut, you will not know (visually) if the lever is engaged or not.

I have rudder pedals so am not 100% but looking up keystrokes I think Ctrl+Del is the parking brake by default? If you are just pressing that it won’t engage as you need the brakes to be depressed. If this is the case and as I said I am not 100% on keystrokes but if you hold down the key for brakes and then use the mouse to engage the parking brake does that work?

Yes, the keyboard shortcut works most of the time but my experience with the shortcut is that it doesn't always work 100% of the time and thus the message from GSX Pro saying that the parking brake is not on.  Using the keyboard shortcut does not indicate, visually, whether the brake is engaged or not and neither does the red engaged light stay on.

[Cerb737]

I am sorry I don’t think understand.

You need full brakes (if using keys it needs holding down for a couple of seconds) and then the parking brake to set it. Assuming Ctrl+Del is just the parking brake it won’t work.  Not sure if you can use keys for brake and then use Ctrl+Del for parking brake simultaneously but as we all have a mouse I expect the key for brake would just normally replace a lack of toe brakes and then you mouse click the parking brake.

I don’t have any issue with the PMDG parking brake and GSX. If the parking brake is set (red light) it recognises it, once released GSX recognises that as well.

EDIT: just looked up default msfs2020 keyboard shortcuts. Does holding down NUM DEL for say 5 seconds (brakes) then while still holding it also press CTRL (CTRL + NUM DEL = parking brake)  work? Would try it myself but not at PC.

[Turok144]

I am sorry I don’t think understand.

You need full brakes (if using keys it needs holding down for a couple of seconds) and then the parking brake to set it. Assuming Ctrl+Del is just the parking brake it won’t work.  Not sure if you can use keys for brake and then use Ctrl+Del for parking brake simultaneously but as we all have a mouse I expect the key for brake would just normally replace a lack of toe brakes and then you mouse click the parking brake.

I don’t have any issue with the PMDG parking brake and GSX. If the parking brake is set (red light) it recognises it, once released GSX recognises that as well.

EDIT: just looked up default msfs2020 keyboard shortcuts. Does holding down NUM DEL for say 5 seconds (brakes) then while still holding it also press CTRL (CTRL + NUM DEL = parking brake)  work? Would try it myself but not at PC.

Well, I'll be both dammed and a monkey's uncle!!!  After reading your post, it suddenly dawned on me to keep Del pressed and then click on CTRL.  It worked!  Both the red light indicator came on as well as the lever remained in the back position.  These shortcut keys can sometimes drive me batty!  Okay mate, good work for helping me solve this dilemma.

Yes, I do believe by keeping just the Del key pressed during a landing will also slow down the aircraft.