Hello Everyone: Since FS ATC doesn't use SIDS / STARS -- how do you file your flight plan - so you can follow your own SID / STAR route? I am guessing file as VFR and then ask for Flight Following - the contact your landing airport when the time comes?? Let me know - thanks again!PS. Just got the 737 NG yesterday -- enjoying every minute of it...

Actually I've filed a route in FS flight planner including the SID. It a bit of work to edit the SID in FS flight planner as you have to manually find all the waypoints but they are usually there. Or something close to it. FS ATC is quite generous when it comes to drifting off course.SAme thing could be done with the STAR if you know in advance which one you'll use. It's dang stressing to do the flight planner in the descent segment of the flight. Of course there's always the PAUSE function.Hope it helps,

File the last waypoint of the SID as your first FP waypoint, and try to use non-runway specific STARS for your approach (File that in your flightplan). After take-off, acknowledge the ATC instructions, but fly the SID anyway (they may ask you to expedite your turn, but they won't cancel IFR). The same goes for the approach. At some airports, you can request alternate approaches, where the transistion points may coincide with the end-point of your STAR. Otherwise, just ignore the heading vectors, but follow the descent instructions and you'll be fine. But remember to acknowledge every ATC transmission, regardless of whether you intend to follow it or not :).BTW, this only works in FS9, but not in FS2002.Cheers,Gosta.http://www.hifisim.com/images/as2betateam.jpg

Hey all,Remember STARs do not need to be followed all the way down. Over here in the UK most STARs don't end at an IAP for an approach, most end several miles away from the airport with a holding pattern as the terminating feature i.e. they are not runway specific. From here, or anywhere along the route, ATC will vector you to the IAP. Remember that STARs are mainly there to ease the workload of ATCOs. By making all the aircraft heading to an airport follow fixed routes, which include alt. and speed restrictions, the controller has less work to do when vectoring. The fact that STARs end this way over here, coupled with the fact that when using standard routes within the UK the pilot knows before takeoff which STAR he/she will be flying, makes flight planning that much simpler (for me at least :))As Mats said above, you can build SIDs into flightplans with careful use of waypoints ATC won't start b!tching unless you're well off course. STARs can be built the same way. When ATC starts vectoring me on my way down, I'll more often than not comply with there directions. I to, just as a real life aircraft, would be vectored off course to the IAP/FAF.Alot of people say it's too hard to fly properly, using real life procedures, within FS. In reality it isn't, you just have to be able to manipulate the FS ATC to follow your route ;)Another thing before I go. When you are getting close to your TOD point the FS ATC may not have given you a descent clearence. To combat this simply ask for a reduced cruise level from the ATC window. I explained the ins and outs of this in another post [a href=http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=136&topic_id=42509&mesg_id=42509&listing_type=search#42515]here[/a] (the 'P.s.' of my first reply and the whole of my second reply)Hope this helps :)CheersDavid