Hi guys,Couple of quick questions for my PMDG 737-800/900.1) Sometimes if i do a completly manual take off, the VNAV function won't kick in. Message comes up on the FMC saying "Not on intercept heading". What have I done wrong?2) With regards to Navigation. When you generate a flight plan in FS9, I usually select High Altitute airways. Most of the time, I can program these points into the FMC, and if there is an airway to be used, the FMC will accept that instead of typing in each and every waypoint. Sometimes not tho. It just says "Invalid Entry". Is this because those airways arn't registered with the FMC?3) SIDS/STARS. I understand how these work, but given that you must generate a flight plan in FS9, how do you successfully employ/make use of them so that you can enter them into the FMC, and not be "off course" as far as FS9 ATC is concerned?4) When will the 747 be here?!?! I can't wait!Thanks guys

1. You already gave the answer yourself: the plane is not on intercept heading of the route! The aircraft is turned ayway too far from the route: so turn the plane manually until it points towards the route a bit better. The plane has to be in a corner of xx degrees in order to be able to intercept it and for LNAV and VNAV to work. (I have to look into the manuals to give you more info about that corner...)2. The FMC uses the AIRAC from Navdata: this is a very up to date databse of all navpoints etc. The FS database is not... Which brings me to question 3...3. The problem is: the FS flightplanner is CRAP. It sucks. It's not realistic at all. If you really want to fly with the FS ATC you are way better off with a program like FSNav or FSBuild: they can plan REAL plans (specially FSBuild) and they can export these routes to FS (to file for ATC) and to the PMDG 737 (to load into the FMC, although it's nicer to enter it manually of course). This way the plans are exactly the same: ATC will follow the plan just as it is in the FMC. If you try to fly with an FSBuild plan and use an FS plan for ATC you will be "off course" all the time.Those planners can also put SIDS and STARS into the flightpplan, so ATC will follow them too. The FS planner has never heard of SIDS and STARS, so...BTW In Europ (don't know where you come from) STARS aren't entered into the plan: the are entered into the FMC as soon as ATC tells you which STAR to use for the specific runway you have to land on. More often you will just get vectored towards the runway and you won't need the STAR at all (you only fly the STAR the way it is published when there is no ATC). So, in that case you can leave the STAR out of the plan and ATC will vector you automatically towards the runway.4. Tomorrow? next year? Who knows...

If you want to flightplan your flight, go herehttp://rfinder.asalink.net/free/Just type in your start icao and your end icao, click find route and it'll work it out for you. If you are making a transtlantic flight, make sure NAT tracks are enabled. Very usefull tool!CheersTimhttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo.gif

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Sometimes the "not on intercept heading" will occur when I'm spot on the correct heading, so i guess its some sort of internal error. Never mind. Thanks heaps, I'll get onto FSBuild.

No that is for LNAV not VNAV and you must be within 3 miles to engage and on intercept heading (crosses the route on the ND)...Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]http://www.rawbw.com/~bdoolin/shinault/Animation1.gifCaution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro | Windows Xp Pro 64 |

1. You can also make a DIRECT towards the next waypoint on your route. click LSK1L on the LEGSpage twice and hit EXEC. The plane will fly directly do that waypoint if possible.If this does not work, you can always use heading select initially to turn towards the next waypoint...3.That is not true mr Jeroen van Engelen. There are some countries where you have to file a STAR in your flightplan. Germany for example. FSNAV and FSBUILD are crap. Use the link in the Tim W's post for best results, or join a VACC and fly online on the VATSIM network. Lots of VACC's do have a realworld flightplan service.

I completely agree with you mister Rellehenk.Just some common sense will bring you from A to B.And concerning FSnav/FSbuild.....throw it away. Hellogoodbye is pretending to be die-hard, so I don't understand why he is recommending such lousy software.What's no crap? Real chart...puzzle your own route or use reliable sources for correct and validated FPL's.

To answer the first question,LNAV engagement criteria in flight:-active route entered in FMC-within 3 NM of active route, LNAV engagement occurs with any airplane heading-outside of 3 NM, airplane must: *must be on a intercept course of 90 degrees or less *intercept route segment before active waypointFloyd

"...FSBUILD are crap."What in Gods name are you talking about? The free online planner mentioned is excellent in getting a route between A and B (another nice online tool is www.pmflightplanner.com), but how can you dismiss a flight planning tool that among many things let you choose among a bunch of different aircraft profiles, import current wind data, calculate a flight where you set ZFW and a number of fuel settings (taxi fuel, alternate fuel, extra etc) and then create export files in a number of formats? You

>That is not true mr Jeroen van Engelen. There are some>countries where you have to file a STAR in your flightplan.>Germany for example. >FSNAV and FSBUILD are crap. Use the link in the Tim W's post>for best results, or join a VACC and fly online on the VATSIM>network. Lots of VACC's do have a realworld flightplan>service.Yeah, you're right about Germany... But I didn't know about any other countries tha require STARS in the plan!The link from Tim is fine indeed (use it myself) but it won't help you if you want to fly with the FS ATC, which is what the topic starter wants... Hence FSNav and FSBuild... I got the idea the topic starter is quit new to FS and PMDG 737 so I wouldn't advice him to start flying online in Vatsim right now.>I completely agree with you mister Rellehenk.>>Just some common sense will bring you from A to B.>>And concerning FSnav/FSbuild.....throw it away. Hellogoodbye>is pretending to be die-hard, so I don't understand why he is>recommending such lousy software.>What's no crap? Real chart...puzzle your own route or use>reliable sources for correct and validated FPL's.>Er... I am pretending to be a die-hard? LOL I'm no die-hard at all and I never pretended to be one! I've only been flying seriously for a few months now!I'm just trying to be helpfull, that's all. I'm very sorry for that... And welcome to this forum: I'm sure we all are looking forward to read a lot more of these helpfull posts from you.

Thanks for your help guys. I am fairly new to FS9. I've tried to get VATSIM up and running but had nothing but problems. I might give it another crack as I'm getting kinda tired of the problems associated with the FS9 ATC. Cheers,