Gents,Ok well I am still sticking to learning this great airplane. I have been running the KLAX to KLAS route a bunch of times. For the most part, I am figuring out most my problems but I still have a few questions. Remember, I am fairly new to anything about flying real navigation! I bought a trackIR for use with IL-2 which I played a lot. I had never messed with any flight sims except the Flight Unlimited 1&2 and then I guess I really did not get it. Well, I love the TrackIR and decided to puchase anything it supported (this was June). So I bought FS2002 in June. Well, I keep my other 100+ PC games in my closet with all my Army gear. Let's just say that I only open the door to get a new set of BDUs and my Kevlar/LBE and Ruck. I am now sporting a CH Yoke and Pro pedals and about 700 bones in add-ons. Bottom line is I really enjoy this stuff and it is great to be a part of the community. But I am a newbie so patience is requested. But.. I am a quick student. I chose a difficult bird like this so I could learn the right way first.1. Most SIDs into KLAS 25R or 25L vector you from around Boulder City at a 275 into landing. Since this isn't the appraoch path of 256, what do I do? My current procedure has been to press VOR/LOC when I see I have the localizer and the APP once the plane makes the turn at Boulder City. I capture glideslope, but of course I am way off the approach angle. Do I disconnect the AP then fly past the Boulder City waypoint to a point where I could be inbound on the 256 after a left turn and then reset the AP? What do you guys do?2. I use FS9. It seems I stop extremely fast on landing, even without reverse thrust. If I engage the reverse thrusters at a landing speed of 114, it is like an STOL craft or so it seems. Is this like the real thing? I just flew a real-life flight from BHM to LAS in a 737-700 and I don't remember stopping like that, we used quite a bit of runway. It is no big deal, just wondering (i.e. I know this is just a sim and I am fine with that).3. I cut/pasted my FSBuild generated flight plan from FS2002 to the FS9 flight folder. I then converted the same .pln to a .rte which I put into the appropriate place for the 737NG. In Fs9 I loaded the plan and I used the company route LSK to load the same KLAX-KLAS plan in the FMC. All works great except the ATC and the FMC flight plan don't always jive. Is this because the MSFS ATC is pretty clueless? Or, is there another reason it wants to send me on different vectors (especially on approach)?Thanks,Mike Stinchfield

Hi Mike.1. I

I appreciate the help. Yeah, I have spent some time up north (Alaska)staring at the aurora borealis through NVGs, lol. Well, my next unit will be mech infantry so I will get a taste for the "tank" stuff.1. I guess my original question didn't make much sense and I used the wrong terminology (SID should be STAR). What I am asking is...how far are you expected to follow a STAR? When are you "free" to manipulate the approach yourself without getting in trouble for getting outside parameters for the STAR?2. Yes Autobrakes were to MAX. That is probably why.3. I figured I could not depend on a fun but not very realistic ATC to stay up with an add-on of this caliber.Mike Stinchfield

Of course, if I am making no sense to anybody, please let me know..bump :)Mike

Mike, it's Friday, all terminology mistakes are automatically forgiven :-lolAs far as when you can deviate from an assigned STAR, whenever ATC tells you you can ;)Once assigned by ATC, they are going to expect you to follow it. It is there to ease THEIR workload so they can have planes doing predictable things and not have to micromanage the pilots who hate being micromanaged by an earthbound creature :-lolIf you deviate, expect to get told by them that you are deviating in the most embassassing possible manner that they can come up with just to tell your fellow fly boys that YOU are hopelessly inept compared to them super smart controllers.Ray

Ahhh, I understand a little better now and although I have not been flying myself, I have used a radio as a grunt quite often. Nets are always full of "control types" and opportunity to embarrass:)Thanks for the answer. Do you use the Radar Contact program for your ATC? Am I right that it will actually direct you on a realistic STAR? I see there is an export button for it in FSBuild. It would just be nice to have the flight a little more like a real thing instead of always having a generic MS ATC approach to each airport. They usually divert me right after Dagget too; if I were to follow FS-ATC I never would fly any part of the chosen STAR. I would rather just go without ATC than fly an unrealistic approach.Thanks, Mike

Mike,You shouldn't deviate from an approach procedure (STAR) or a departure prodecure (SID or DP) unless ATC tells you to do so. If you wish to, you have to ask them and they'll need to respond confirming the alteration of your flight path. They carry the "word of God" because they have the big picture and us pilots don't. ATC looks at their scopes with an air of expectation, not discovery. This way when an aircraft has an issue, they can deal with it because they have that predictive ability. Hope that helps. :)Now for the best part:You wrote.. "...Do you use the Radar Contact program for your ATC? Am I right that it will actually direct you on a realistic STAR?..."First, yes, that's a great product and version 3 really ups the ante. There are some bugs, though, when dealing with AI traffic (such as vectoring you into an AI aircraft's flightpath). IMHO, it's leagues better and more immersive than the FS9/2002 ATC.In addition to RC, I'd suggest joining up with VATSIM (www.vatsim.net / www.vatusa.org). VATSIM is basically a world-wide network of live pilots and ATC and is a great method of obtaining that "suspension of disbelief." You fly with live pilots and live Air Traffic Control (you can see them in the air). VATSIM also utilizes live voice as well. If you already know about this group, I apologize for waxing on, however, if you haven't, definitely look into it. It can be a ton of fun, especially when you're still learning and you're approaching a busy airport (KLAX, etc.) with many live pilots where the live controllers are kickin' a** and lining everyone up. When you get it right, it brings a smile of satisfaction. Many of the ATC's are also very helpful in teaching you the procedures.P.S. Ooh-ah, Ranger. :)- Chandler"Don't kid yourself. In the Corps, the phrases 'I wish...' and 'I desire...', uttered by a senior, are an order."

Chandler,Thanks for the info. I will definitely have a peek at Radar Contact. I would love to do Vatsim but unfortunately Fort Benning lacks any sort of broadband availability. I hit 28.8, if I am lucky. So anything demanding like that would be unrealistic for me. But if I still lived off post...uhh...not gonna happen..wife says:(This is actually one post with real nice housing, at least for us snobby officer types:o So we are here until PCS. I'll have to wait for Fort Lewis in a couple years. FS10 and Vatsim...hmmmmmmmmm.Thanks,Mike P.S. Isn't it hooah? :) :)Talk to you later Marine.

Ahhhh, FS10 and Vatsim. Now there's a thought! :)You may actually have some luck with VATSIM and any connection over 20,000- just may have to stay off the voice portion and go text only.Take care,ChanP.S. You're absolutely right, it is hooah, but I always hear ya'll drop the 'H' when you say it. Duly noted, though, Ranger. :)