Thanks Bob, maybe I'm back to square one.I'll have another look this weekend in Map view, and if I still think I'm onto something I'll try to suss out a screen print here.CheersTim

When you enter everything into the fmc and you press activate does atc get your flightplan in ifr rules cheers jimmer

Hi Bob, hopefully you're not bored with this yet.....; )I set up the following flight plan last night, and surprise, surprise, it didn't work. Can you please have a very quick look and tell me what I'm doing wrong. EGLL DIRECT WOD UA1 COWLY UA1 HON UB3 CREWE UB3 WAL UA25 DCS DIRECT EGPKI got as far as entering UA1 when I got the 'Invalid Entry' message. I got a couple of 'Not In Database' but I know what that means so it doesn't concern me.I entered it on the RTE page (2/2) and after it got dirty, I mucked around (very technical!) with the FMC until I saw 'MOD RTE' and though Ah-ha!, there's the problem.But alas, under MOD (modify) I still had the 'Invalid Entry' message...All sad for Tim.This doesn't seem like quantam physics - I must be missing something quite obvious which is the most frustrating of all.I must be doing the basics of FMC correctly, as I can cruise through entering a flight plan with no worries and it works perfectly. It only turns to (delete word)....custard when I try to add routes on the left.I look forward to your comments if you're still about.CheersTim

Tim,I got home late tonight and gave your route a quick look. The route logic is fine. The good news is that I get the same message when entering UA1. The bad news is I'm not very familiar with GB's airways and restrictions. (i.e. some can only only be flown in one direction etc.) Hopefully one of our European simmers will jump in at look at you airway selection. I will have more time tomorrow to look at. Sorry!:)Bob..

Thanks Bob. I find it interesting your comment about it being flown in only one direction.With all due respect to FS, I can't imagine it being that....exacting.Anyway, appreciate your comments again. Gives me a glimmer of hope....CheersTim

Tim and others, I am having identical problems with the 739 FMC. It will not accept some airways (although it will accept others) but it is fine with waypoints.I have downloaded the latest AIRAC cycle from http://www.navdata.at/php/airac/airac.phpand I have run the self-extracting file. It appears to have put a folder called NAVDATA atc:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator 9FMCWPcontaining text files including the airways file called wpNavRTE.txtIt seems that any airway in the above file is OK but others such as UL613 are not there. Is there any way to get a complete database of airways?

Eeh, it's a sad old so-and-so who replies to his own posts... :)I think I may have found the solution. It seems that there have been changes to airway designations, and the map view in FS9 is out of date. Perhaps the airways absent from the Navdata file aren't absent at all, but are there under their new names.I just tried planning routes on Routefinder (the free version, so Tim's wife needn't worry!) both within the UK and within Europe, and the airways and waypoints worked like a dream on the 739 FMC.Suddenly I like this hobby again!Delightedly

Do you find Routefinder a bit unpredictable though ? I've ran the same route a couple of times and its come up with different way points. Another examople, I've done Bristol (EGGD) - Palma (LEPA) and Bristol to both Ibiza and Mahon - you would expect identical routes for 95% of the way but sometimes they are substantially different, especialy the return. Also the flight I did irl to Hong Kong last year, bore no resemblance whatsoever to the one Routefinder came up with.Anyone any comments ?

This is such an interesting thread - learned a lot.>>No need for maps. Have a look at this site; www.rfinder.asalink.net/freeThe link is incorrect. It should be http://rfinder.asalink.net/free/