Hi All,Since I'm new to NG's, I have one more very fundamental question:How do we file IFR plans and get IFR clearance since for a NG flight we make use of the FMC and program the route ourselves. Am I correct in assuming that for the PMDG NG's, we don't create flight plans as we do for other MSFS default aircraft by clicking on the 'create flight plan' option?So since we make use of the FMC and don't create the .pln routes, the MSFS recognizes departures as VFR.. so if I was to throw in weather....how would I get ATC clearance, also how would I ask to be vectored in for ILS....How do I get the 'Select Approach' option in ATC?The only logical thing I can think of is to create an IFR plan as well in the MSFS menu and then choose waypoints in the map view in accordance to the waypoints we're flying using the FMC. But then, would the FMC and MSFC Nav database be the same?Do shed some light on this...Thanks,PranavMSFS'04

Pranav,You've correctly identified the problem. To use FS ATC (or an add-on such as Radar Contact) with the 73NG, you'll need 2 identical flight plans = 1 in *.pln format for FS and 1 in *.rte format for the FMC.To get you started, you could download my set of 100 real world NG plans - 73ngfpl1.zip - available from the library here. The .zip file contains 100 plans, each with an idendical *.rte and *.pln version for this very purpose. In the long-term, you'll want the freedom to make your own plans so I suggest a flight planner such as FSBuild. FSBuild will produce full airways routes from the input of just the departure and destination airports and its great advantage to you is that it can produce identical *.rte and *.pln flight plans at a single pass.Pete

also review the freeware PLN2RTE program here on the avsim file library. this will conver the FS9 pln file into a rte file that PMDG FMC can read.it works very well

>To get you started, you could download my set of 100 real>world NG plans - 73ngfpl1.zip - available from the library>here. The .zip file contains 100 plans, each with an idendical>*.rte and *.pln version for this very purpose. Maybe someone could post a link to that file here, because I can't find it using the Avsim Search option...

I assure you it's there Jeroen. Go to the Advanced Search and paste 73ngfpl1.zip in the File Name box or type Pete Pitman in the Author's Name box.

Ok, I think this is the direct link:http://library.avsim.net/index.php?CatID=fs2004fpP.

PranavOne thing you have to do is put yourself at a gate if you fly online. Even if your not you most likely want to be at a gate when you initiate a flight. Not good manners to get loaded to the active runway.So, what I do is use fs9 "Create a Flight" option and select a gate at the departure airport. You dont really need to select the destination. After your loaded to the gate you can import your flight plan with the FMC.The one thing I dont seem to be able to do is designate a gate with FSBuild, thats why I do the above. Hopefully the gate function will work with the 744, if the INS works properly I,m sure that will be the case. If it can be done PMDG will do it.When you launch fs9 Create a Flight you can use the load button button. The problem is the dialogbox is kind of crummy, too small and it,s hard to distinguish which FP is what, alltho it will list it in the same format as the FMC, example KBOSKATL but it will stll put you on the active runway.If someone knows how to designate a gate with FSBuild I,m all ears...err..eyes.Good Luck

Thanks! Got it now! :)

>In the long-term, you'll want the freedom to make your own>plans so I suggest a flight planner such as FSBuild. FSBuild>will produce full airways routes from the input of just the>departure and destination airports and its great advantage to>you is that it can produce identical *.rte and *.pln flight>plans at a single pass.>PeteI looked a bit around the FSBuild site: there is no demo, is there...? There only is a free older version, but that one doesn't support PMDG 737NG export, does it...?

Try FS Nav. They give you a 20 flight free trial. I took the free trail and when it expired, it drove me crazy flying wihtout it until I could get it activated. Flight plans export to both FS9 and PMDG, and you also get a moving map with airports, runways, ILS frequencies, everything you need to fly. It really keeps you from getting bored on a long flight too. http://www.fsnavigator.com/download.htm

Thanks for the tip but I've heard the FSBuild plans are more realistic (like using one-way airways the proper way). Or maybe I should say FSNav is less realistic... ;)When I look at the FSBuild site and read the tutorials, it looks to me you get a better and clearer look at (for instance) all the airways you can use. In FSNav it all looks a bit messy to me (those airways). I used the demo some time ago. I also had a hard time getting all constraints the way I wanted them (or better said: I couldn't get it done): FSNav let me fly to 18000 at my first waypoint (which was completely impossible because it was really close AND there should have been a 6000 constraint there). And besides that: you can only plan while you are in FS...But maybe I just need to read the manual better... ;)Anyway, I know a lot of people use both (FSBuild for planning and FSNav just for the ingame map), so... this tells me FSBuild is a better planner. (And cheaper too, though by a margin... ;) )

>If someone knows how to designate a gate with FSBuild I,m all>ears...err..eyes.>>Good Luck>There is a way to set the gate in FSBuild. Edit fsb_pref_rwy.txt file with the gate next to the airport you fly from. The only problem is start at that gate all the time. I wrote a small application that will allow you to choose the gate from the departure airport and update the FS9 flight plan automatically. If you are interested I would be willing to share this application. Ron

I tried the demo version of FS build and didn't care too much for it. Too many things lacking it for me, and the idea of making the Flightplans exactly like the real world was not that important to me. I like the in FS Nav Map, Nav Freqs and the export to PMDG. It also is cool to be able to zoom in on the airport while flying to see the lengths , widths and approaches available, the map even has the taxiways. I would probably consider both if all I has was FS Build, but I can't get motivated at this point to buy FS Build because I know realistically, I would probably never use it.

FSBuild 2 is definitely the way to go. When flying offline, I get it to export a flightplan to FS2004 and I print out the FSBuild generated Navlog and use it to manually enter my route into the FMC. This is the most realistic way to do it as real pilots will enter the route into the FMC unless they are using a company flight plan which is held within the FMC.When flying online, I get FSBuild to export the flightplan to squawkbox to save filling in all the spaces manually.