Hi im just wondering if there is a way to know what SID/STARs TRANS and runway to use at the depature and arrival airport before you actualy fly, with real world weather. anyone ?

Hi Thorbjorn,I'll try to explain you the way i use to select runways and include my selection in the flight plan.As far as i know, the runway and subsequent SID/STAR selection mostly depends on weather (Guys, please correct me if i'm wrong). There are several ways you can configure your departures and arrivals using weather data. But you should always remember one principal rule common for all of them regardless of the airport of origin, airport of destination or country you're in - ALWAYS (during both departures and arrivals) HEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND!For example, you plan a flight from KSFO to KJFK. Assume you're at the gate of the San Francisco Intl Airport with all weather data available to start planning your departure runway and SID (the procedure is almost identical to STAR and landing runway selection) at the destination airport. Remembering the above rule, we read the weather report, which shows the following: WIND 278/18, where 278 is the direction of wind and 18 is its speed in knots. Keeping short, if you look at your map of the airport area you can see that there are two runways with directions approx. close to the direction of wind - 28L (282) & 28R (282). The other runways are: 1L & 1R, 10L & 10R, 19L & 19R. As the only two runways matching the direction of the wind provided in weather report are 28L & 28R we choose one of them to depart. If you have ActiveSky weather engine it would be quite helpful in downloading real-weather data from internet and using it during the flight planning. Here you'll find all weather information necessary for the flight planning before starting FS2004. EVen if you use FS2004's in-built weather engine, as soon as you download the weather data from internet look for the wind data provided in the right box close to the weather map. It shows you both the direction and the speed of wind at the area (location) you are in. If the wind direction angle significantly varies from the directions of runways available then (as far as know) you should chose the one with direction closest to the direction of the wind. But be careful, in real wolrd flights the crew also takes the xwind or cross-wind component value into consideration. Otherwise, the safety of the crew and passengers will be seriously endangered.I hope this was helpful.Regards,RustamBina Intl Airport (UBBB - GYD), Baku, Azerbaijan

The SIDs and STARs you use depend on the direction of your flight route - you might want to consider investing in a flight planning utility like FSBuild2, it makes it very easy to actually see which SID/STAR is the best fit for your route.

>Hi Thorbjorn,>>I'll try to explain you the way i use to select runways and>include my selection in the flight plan.>>As far as i know, the runway and subsequent SID/STAR selection>mostly depends on weather (Guys, please correct me if i'm>wrong). There are several ways you can configure your>departures and arrivals using weather data. But you should>always remember one principal rule common for all of them>regardless of the airport of origin, airport of destination or>country you're in - ALWAYS (during both departures and>arrivals) HEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND!>This is not the case. Many airports have a preferred runway system, and will use a specific runway with a tailwind up to a certain value. Heathrow for example has such a system, with the 27's used with a tailwind up to 5 kts. In addition, a rota is used to determine if 27L or 27R is used. A good place to get all of this is from the local Vatsim site. For EGLL, look here: http://www.vatsim-uk.org/Airport-Informati...cc/EGLL/rwy.aspSteve

If you are using VATSIM so that the AI are following the same control (that is composed of other VATSIM aircraft only) that would most certainly be true.However, to merge with FS created AI (offline ATC) one must follow their rules.Many airports perhaps the most complex might have preferred runway STARS but once a flight is activated there is no way to modify the ATC flightplan submitted to FS. You can guestimate the runway in use from the data at the destination and hope FS AI follow it at the time of creating the flight plan and include your preferred STAR points in it.DPs(SIDs) in my experience are more runway dependent at times but the procedure in guestimating what FS ATC and AI are using is the same.At some point in a DP FS ATC will tell you to resume your own nav at which point if you included waypoints of the DP (and you picked the correct one) you just might be in sync with ATC and AI for that portion of the DP. The same applies to the STAR when you break out for vectors.If not concerned with AI you can on arrival I believe request a specific approach for the runway of your choice in FS9. Same for departure.I am using Radar Contact 4 which includes in this latest version a look at existing AI patterns if present to assign runways. If it is a question of a different STAR or DP for a near parallel runway that meets crosswind limits I'll request it on DP or arrival. Of course I keep an eye on the TCAS for any potential conflicts with AI.So far I am using mostly DPs and STARS that offer best enroute merge with the direction of DP or arrival and are not fully runway specific. Many have an appropriate breakout or merge point and I just follow ATC.Again, it is a different story with VATSIM or other on-line ATC and that can be well appreciated by those that use it.