FMC Routing

[Guest ivorlm]

Today I flew from EGLL to ENGM and I select High altitude airways in the flight planner. When coming to enter the waypoint after the route, the FMC will tell me invalid entry. What is meant by this? have the latest nav data, that is, 0505. I did the same route but VOR to VOR and I did not find any problems. ThanksIvor

[Guest glenb]

Ivor,A number of things can cause that error. I want to understand what it is you are entering into the FMC. If you are trying to use a waypoint that is in a flight plan created by MSFS 2004 the waypoints may no longer be in use or in the NAVDATA or SIDSTAR files. The navdata shipped with the MSFS is static and is a database from 2000. Often you can not compare a flight plan from MSFS with one created using the latest NAVDATA files.If you are entering a waypoint on the right side of the FMC with the left side blank you should get DIRECT to that waypoint. If not it means that waypoint is not in the database. If you are entering a waypoint on the right side of the FMC and you have an airway on the left it means that waypoint is not a part of that airway.That error can also be caused by a space before the waypoint in the scratch pad or if there is a message in the scratch pad.Hope this helps.

[Benji 3]

Ivor, In my opinion the FS9 flight planner is very poor.Try this link for flight planning http://rfinder.asalink.net/free/This uses current AIRAC cycles and is a much better planning tool.Regards

[Guest ivorlm]

So what do you do with ATC? You don't file anything and request a flight following? If this is the case, when reaching destination, how would you know which runway is in use, that is, how would you know which runway atc is going to authorise you to land on. I guess you need to know the landing runway since one has to enter the star from quite a distance before. RegardsIvor

[bobbyjoh 11]

Ivor,The MSFS is VERY poor, I use FSBuild v2 http://www.fsbuild.com/ which always builds a valid route. During the build process it will build a valid .pln file for the MSFS ATC to follow and it also builds the .rte file for the FMC to follow, all the issues you have raised have been solved. FSB uses the most current ARINC cycle so you are on a consitant database.CheersBob

[Guest ivorlm]

Bob,Thats exactly the product I need. Will the program work on all PMDG addons, that is, does it work on the 737NG (600/700/800/900)? Also, once I purchase the product, do I have to do any updates to the program first?ThanksIvor