Dear All:What am I doing wrong? Whenever I select an ILS runway, I get the usual Route DISCO. I don't seem to know what eactly to do next! Can someone tell me EXACTLY how I am supposed to close the disco? I thought I was supposed to down select the DILS runway to the scratch pad & then insert it onto the set of empty boxes. I usually get my runway from ATC when I am about 30 to 40 miles out. I then select it from the arr/dep page. Then I get the RT DISCO to appear. I read the FMC manual THOROUGHLY. I still just do NOT get it! Every time I select a runway, I get all these other fixes insered, included a holding pattern that I never even told to appear. Please, can someone tell me EXACTLY what to do in the FMC when I select a runway for arrivals? The best I can do is to start deleting every fix in a manner as if I am manually creating a Direct-to scenario. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!Thank you so much!Sincerely,Chris Catalano

I had the same problem. Easy solution. DO NOT insert your final destination when you plan a flight. Once you get your approach clearance and runway, go into dep/arr page and select the runway. Problem over

ChrisThis may appear a bit complicated but when you do it, it's quite easy.Let's assume you've programmed your route and included the destination runway (I'm assuming no STAR). Towards the arrival, ATC changes your designated runway. Here's what to do:1. Open FMC dep/arr page and click on arrivals. Your runway will show as (active). Click on it (the disappears) and press EXEC. You've now de-selected that runway and a Route Discontinuity will appear on the Legs page.2. Back in Arr page, click on the new assigned runway, Activate it and press Exec. Then go back into the Legs page.3. Now there should be a waypoint, then the Route Disco, then your new runway. Press the LSK (Line Select Key)for the new runway (it will appear in the scratchpad), and then the LSK immediately after the Waypoint entry. This will insert the new runway above the route disco line. Repeat for any other waypoints shown after the Runway (e.g. a missed approach point).4. Finally, press Activate and Exec and the Disco will have disappeared.Hope this helps a little.Toni.

Couple of questions guys (& THANKS for the input!)Re:>Repeat for any other waypoints shown after the Runway (e.g. a missed approach point).You mean that it is normal to have other points AFTER the runway I selected? I thought these were errors! Is this correct?Also, is it normal to select an arrival runway BEFORE you even takeoff?Finally,if I do not put the arrival destination in the FMC before I fly, will it be able to calculate the correct distance of the flight?Thank you both very much.Sincerely,Chris

Hi Chris,The waypoints and possibly a HOLD after your arrival runway are for the missed approach procedure for that approach.Hope this helps.

Chris, when you enter your original flight plan, the final waypoint is the AIRPORT you are landing at, not the RUNWAY. That keeps your ETA/Fuel/Range within par.When you enter the general area of the airport, then you update your existing flight plan with the exact STAR & Runway that you will be flying from either whatever you want (or realistically from whatever ATC tells you you'll be doing).Route Disco's are a regular part of flying, they are not errors as such, they are just the FMC's way of telling you that there is a gap (quite possibly deliberate) in your flight plan between two points.The FMC automatically adds these when you make changes because it expects YOU (the pilot) to connect the dots instead of it guessing and being potentially wrong without you having confirmed anything.Ray

In real life winds/runway usage can change while your enroute. High altitude winds can also be diferent than surface winds. When I was trying to figure the whole deal out (FMC) I would enter a runway for my destinatin, it was ALLWAY's the wrong darn one, when I got clearence to land? IFR or VFR.I then decided to wait untill I was airborn and get an idea of the wind situtation, well that didn't work either. Now I program my arrival in the FMC --> DIRECT TO --> the airport. When I receive landing instructions I enter the runway in the FMC and let ATC direct me to the VOR-LOC to capture the glideslope. Never had a controller direct me to a Transition/Star. Perhaps at some point if I get to fly on-line it will happen. Maybe fs9 isn't smart enough to have a controller do this. Hell I'v had em fly me into mountains.I live where a SID goes right over my house from KBOS. Some times you can see a dozen vapor trails at once, other times none. However, if you go to Logan, plane are comming and going constantly 24/7.Runway usage is constantly changing, (wind). It ain't like they decided to only dispatch aircraft when the wind happens to be blowing in the correct direction.Take the day off, the wind ain't right?Dont think so!Regards

>> Never had a controller direct me to a Transition/Star.One day perhaps FS will have SID/STAR handling, and we'll have such stuff, but to Microsoft, it seems that it is beyond the scope of a general aviation simulator so it has never made the list.It is not that they couldn't include it (as they do purchase the Jep's data for everything else), it would just highlight all the other stuff that is missing by doing so.Maybe by FS2008 we'll have it integrated and no longer have to use external navigation data. Keep writing them fan mail requesting it.Ray

You can plan your route with a final destination runway in the fmc and if ATC direct you to a different runway, you could always request a different approach. If they are adamant about you landing at a certain runway, simply go into the fmc and delete your runway and enter the ATC preferred runway.Goran

Anytime you add or remove from your route you will have Route Discontinuities. If you select a RWY you will get a one Route Discontinuity, if you select a RWY EXT, you will get Two Route Discontinuities. There is good reason for this which will come to you in time ;) Part of your issue is one of proper flight planning. A good way to deal with Route Discontinuities is to look at the route with EFIS in plan mode with the FMC Legs pg showing. This way you get an idea of what waypoints to connect and what order they belong. [h4]Best Wishes,Randy J. Smithhttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/betaimg.jpg