Hi all,It's common phraseology to hear something like "Depart CELMI heading 350 for vectors ILS 16L" out here at DEN.Is there some way to program into the FMS a "Depart fix heading," especially when there's a discontinuity to work with between the termination of the STAR and the final approach course. I know how to make a waypoint based off of the fix, but I don't really want to do that if there's a way to simply have it depart a fix to whatever your heading bug is set to. Thanks!~Nate

>Hi all,>>It's common phraseology to hear something like "Depart CELMI>heading 350 for vectors ILS 16L" out here at DEN.>>Is there some way to program into the FMS a "Depart fix>heading," especially when there's a discontinuity to work with>between the termination of the STAR and the final approach>course. I know how to make a waypoint based off of the fix,>but I don't really want to do that if there's a way to simply>have it depart a fix to whatever your heading bug is set to. >Thanks!>>~NateThe way to handle this instruction is to set the heading bug in advance and then activate the heading hold mode when reaching the fix.When you're getting vectors, ATC is responsible for giving you headings and altitude assignments until you intercept the localizer below the glideslope. You're highly unlikely to use LNAV again until the missed approach portion.I recommend that you set up the FMC to be going direct to the final approach fix (put it in line 1 of the LEGS page) as you get the vectors - that will cause it to sequence through the approach and thus the missed approach will be ready when you need it.

Yah, that's how I've been doing it. Easy enough I do suppose, I just wondered if there was an automated way to do it, IE - let the FMS / MCP automatically switch over to HDG after reaching the disco on the LNAV track. Thanks!~Nate

Yup, absolutely how it's done in the real world too - preselect the ATC "depart" heading on the MCP and punch HDG SEL after passing the fix...