I'm experiencing difficulties trying to get the ATC and FMC to operate smoothly when using flight plans with the 737NGs. Today I flew from KPHX to KSLC on a flight plan created by FSBuild. I had planned on landing at KSLC's 16R and, after having flown the entire distance, ATC suddenly announces that I need to land on 34L. Really frustrating! And all the more so after first having looked up the ILS heading and frequency for 16R on http://www.airnav.com/airports/get I had hoped to make an autoland at Salt Lake. How am I supposed to do this if I have to pause FS2004, to look up a new heading and frequency, every time ATC changes runway approaches? I just don't get it. Don't I need to load the ILS frequency of the runway approach where I intend to land? Looking forward to any suggestions. Thanks!

>I'm experiencing difficulties trying to get the ATC and FMC>to operate smoothly when using flight plans with the 737NGs. >>Today I flew from KPHX to KSLC on a flight plan created by>FSBuild. I had planned on landing at KSLC's 16R and, after>having flown the entire distance, ATC suddenly announces that>I need to land on 34L. Really frustrating! And all the more so>after first having looked up the ILS heading and frequency for>16R on http://www.airnav.com/airports/get >>I had hoped to make an autoland at Salt Lake. How am I>supposed to do this if I have to pause FS2004, to look up a>new heading and frequency, every time ATC changes runway>approaches? I just don't get it. Don't I need to load the ILS>frequency of the runway approach where I intend to land? >>Looking forward to any suggestions. Thanks!>> You can utilize the DEP/ARR page to update the flightplan with the new runway. Also, the MAP view within MSFS contains all the facility information for your destination airport (ATIS, heading, frequencies, etc.)HTHUlysese BrownMSFS was never the same since purchasing PMDG 737NG!!!

The list of ILS, airport elevation etc,etc is on the toolbar/world/map.Or you could install FSNavigator on a free trial period, then you can see all without stopping the game.I am lucky enough to have the Jeppsen charts CD for Europe, so just print out my requireed airports before flightIt is dead easy to change runway in the FMC in a matter of seconds.In real life, the pilots have the charts right next to them with the right one on the clipboard and have done their homework beforehand, just in case of changes. Anyway, I've often heard ATC change things at last minute due to traffic or weather, it's no big deal.So be prepared for changes.

Hi,when you are about 40 miles before your arrival/dest. airport change freq. to hear the ATIS of your destination airport. Then you will have enough time to setup your FMC for the active rwy. Hope this helps.Constantin

Just as in real life, there is no way you can plan to land on any particular runway, until you contact approach or the tower and get the active runway and landing instructions. I can remember many times flying real aircraft and coming in for a landing from 15 miles out and having the landing runway switched from 9R to 27L prior to getting to the airport traffic area due to a wind shift. I only program that arrival runway in my FMC after ATC gives it to me.

>Just as in real life, there is no way you can plan to land on>any particular runway, until you contact approach or the tower>and get the active runway and landing instructions. >>I only program that arrival runway in my FMC after ATC gives>it to me.>Lots of good suggestions here. It sounds to me as though the best thing to do is either to have airport charts or a list of ILS runways avaiable before heading off. Thanks guys!

FYI: the FMC will provide ILS Freq and heading info once the ARR r/w has been selected.

>>Just as in real life, there is no way you can plan to land>on>>any particular runway, until you contact approach or the>tower>>and get the active runway and landing instructions. >>>>I only program that arrival runway in my FMC after ATC gives>>it to me.>>>>Lots of good suggestions here. It sounds to me as though the>best thing to do is either to have airport charts or a list of>ILS runways avaiable before heading off. Thanks guys!>>And also - if you want a more real-life experience, find the ATIS while you are airborne, tune it to an unused COM, and then use that to program your approach/rwy. That's what we do in RL :) Kind regards, Chardy