747-400 FMC and Radar Contact 4

[Guest machammer]

Is there anyway to take the pre-programmed FMC routes and get them into a format that can be read by Radar Contact.I want to be able to fly the FMC loaded route taking ATC commands from Radar Contact.Am I missing the obvious?Thanks in advance to all who reply.Bill

[Guest tmanaon]

You can do that. RC4 uses the pln format (like FS2004 flight plans). You'll have to save the same plan you use in the PMDG FMC in a pln format in FS2004. Then you can retrieve it through RC4 and fly it with RC4 ATC.For intance, i use "Routefinder" to generate my flightplans. When i generate a flightplan i save it to both the PMDG flightplan directory and the FS2004 flightplan directory. Then you can upload it to the PMDG FMC (from the PMDG directory) and also to RC4 (from the FS2004 directory). Anthony

[Guest machammer]

Anthony,Thanks for your reply.I understand your answer. But, what I don't know how to do is to take the pre-programmed PMDG .RTE files that came with the 747-400 and convert them to the pln format. For example the other night I loaded the KJFKEGLL PMDG route into the FMC. Everything worked fine but that was without using Radar Contact. This flight has many legs I don't want to create all these legs in a flight planner program and then save them to a pln file and then use that pln file to load into Radar Contact if I don't have to. Maybe what I'm asking cannot be done.Thanks again to all who reply.Regards.Bill

[lauderj 0]

Bill:You might want to look at the software called FSBuild. This is a very nice route planner and the real nice thing about it is that you can then export the flight plan/route it builds to several FS add-on formats including PMDG, PSS and LDS in addition to Squawk Box (if you fly VATSIM). It's not very hard to use the web site (www.fsbuild.com)offers decent support. If you fly add-on aircraft from various companies, the I would think this is the way to go. It's 29 eur at Simmarket (about $35).Hope this helps,Jerry LauderbaughDelta Virtual Airlines 767 Captain

[Guest Savage]

Just a thought, I'd be VERY dissapointed, and prob now won't buy RC4 if it uses FS9 Nav database.FS9's database can't be updated. There are ALLOT of nav points in FS9's database that actually moved.I use routefinder, then cut & paste that into fsbuild2, then export that to my Queen and FS9 flight plans. Looking at the flight path the Queen takes vs. the flight plan on the FS9 world map - it's never the same.RC4 will therefore always see you as being 'off course' - much like FS9's internal ATC also often will tell you turn right heading xyz and remain on course, whilst you actually ARE on course.

[Guest wisborg]

>Just a thought, I'd be VERY dissapointed, and prob now won't>buy RC4 if it uses FS9 Nav database.It doesn't - it doesn't use any "database". The .pln flight plan includes the coordinates for the waypoints, and that's what RC4 uses. So you can build your flight plan using any kind of database, and it should still work.What's important is that you use the same database for the FMC and for you routeplanner, but except when using the FS2004 flight planner that shouldn't be a problem.The only time problems can arrise is if the distance between two waypoints are too far (I've never had problems if the distance is less than 3-400 nm)./ Jesper

[Guest D17S]

I would like to convert a PMDG ".RTE" flight plan to a MSFS ".PLN" too.Here's why. I find the PMDG data base (especially Dan Down's SID/STAR sets) are much more accurate and up to date fix-sets for departure and arrival sequences. For instance, if you really want to get familiar with a terminal's ARR/DEP patterns, use Dan's SID/STAR data sets from the AVSIM library . . . then work hard with them. They are the real deal. Often, I will generate a general route with FSBuild or FSNavigator and export it into my FMC. From there, I use 744's FMC / ND to build my SID and STAR/IAP. As I described, you just can't beat Dan's modified data sets for accuracy. The flight planners have nothing to match it. That makes the PMDG FMC the best flight planning tool for close-in route planning available ( . . . except maybe that mega buck planner, FliteStar). Once I get my route all set up in the 744's FMC, I want to export that PMDG flight plan to Radar Contact. Essentially, this is the same as filing my flight plan with ATC. But here's the rub. RC requires a ".PLN" format. I can't use my PMDG ".RTE" flight plan because I don't have a tool to convert the '.RTE" into a ".PLN" format. So, we need a converter . . . just like the PLN to RTE converter available at Avsim library . . . but the reverse. It's a "RTE to PLN" converter we're after. Anyone seen one around?

[Guest mmcevilley]

>>Just a thought, I'd be VERY dissapointed, and prob now>won't>>buy RC4 if it uses FS9 Nav database.Radar Contact uses waypoint names and positions as designated in the .pln file which you import before your flight. If your .pln file is correct, Radar Contact will have correct navigation data.Therefore, you are free to use whatever flight planning tool you wish, so long as it can export the flight plan in .pln format.-michael

[Orlaam 306]

This place http://www.fsroute.com/ allows you to export flight plans if you put your departure and arrival airport in, then the flight plan. It's better than nothing. Only drawback is the fact it puts you in random places around the DEP airport. It is updated with new navdata though, so you can use FS9 PLN files with new waypoints and your RC4 and other programs (ASv6) will recognize it.Keep in mind, you still have to discard your VNAV profile and even LNAV once descent instructions are given. You can tell approach you want a full ILS or RNAV approach to let the FMC fly it for you, but only after you contact approach (TRACON), not center (ARTCC).

[ronzie 21]

RC4 has a database build utlity that scans all your scenery and AFCADS including add-ons going by the priority you have in your scenery.cfg. This is for airport runways and runway navaids. You simply run this utility whenever you modify scenery or afcads. This keeps it in synch with your scenery airport data as you maintain it.As stated elsewhere in this thread, the position of waypoints in the FS9 .pln file format is given in absolute coordinates and this is what is used by RC to determine your track. Here is a short flight plan in FS9 format:AppVersion=9.0.30612title=KMSP to KMCIdescription=KMSP, KMCItype=IFRroutetype=3cruising_altitude=32000departure_id=KMSP, N44* 52.49', W093* 13.00',+000840.00departure_position=4destination_id=KMCI, N39* 17.51', W094* 42.50',+001024.00departure_name=MINNEAPOLIS_ST_PAUL_INTLdestination_name=KANSAS_CITY_INTLwaypoint.0= , KMSP, , KMSP, A, N44* 52.49', W093* 13.00', +000000.00, waypoint.1= , MCW, , MCW, V, N43* 05.41', W093* 19.47', +32000.00, waypoint.2= , DSM, , DSM, V, N41* 26.13', W093* 38.55', +32000.00, waypoint.3= , LMN, , LMN, V, N40* 35.48', W093* 58.03', +32000.00, waypoint.4= , BQS, , BQS, V, N39* 37.50', W093* 52.31', +15000.00, waypoint.5= , KMCI, , KMCI, A, N39* 17.51', W094* 42.50', +01024.00, This was prepared by FS Build 2. This does not affect the VOR tracking which is determined by FS9 but does affect how these might appear on GPS or ND displays which use the .pln file for plotting the waypoints on the display.FS9 does have a communications frequency database that it uses to announce and if you opt to autotune your COMs for you.As far as enroute navaid frequencies that appear on a flight planner navlog such as FSBuild produces, that probably comes from AIRAC cycles converted to its format.

[Guest machammer]

Sam,You are correct. What I am looking for is a "RTE to PLN" converter. I have been reading all these post. Which BTW I do apperciate. But no one seemed to understand what I was asking for.Let's hope we find one. If not I guess the only way is to list the legs in the RTE and manually put them into the Flight Planner of you choice. So that Radar Contact can read it.Thanks for your reply.Bill

[Guest tmanaon]

Bill,Like i said, Routefinder makes it easy. It develops the plan for you with a click of the button (all you do is enter beginning and end airports and prefered enroute altitude)and you send it immediately to both PMDG and FS2004 (as a pln file). I am not aware of any software that will take your existing PMDG flightplan and convert it to the pln format.Anthony

[Guest machammer]

Anthony.Thanks for your replies.I use FS Navigator and FlightSim Commander. But, as you said I don't know of any software that will take the PMDG flightplan and convert it to the pln format. And that is what I need.Regards.Bill

[ronzie 21]

I understand what you are looking for but other folks and myself were just commenting on an alternate way.Some of my flight plans are taken from real world US filed plans from the flight routes that are current on www.flightaware.com. Just expand the flight of your choice and you will findf the filed route (including the DP and/or STAR). I paste them into FS Builds route window. Occasionally I need to change an arrival such as ABC.3 to ABC.2 to match FS Builds DP/STAR database which is selectable in FSB's dropdown for source and destination. When FSB exports to FS9 and PMDG, the DP and STAR waypoints are already in the plan.If you know the first few points in the STAR you can put them into your plan. In RC4 you can elect at approach time to fly an IAP and if you wish follow the remaining STAR waypoints as determined by the FMC using LNAV right up to the IAF.Note that for a typical regional or cross-country flight there are very few entries in the flight plan so you can do dual entry manually if you wish. It is better to let FSBuild (v2) create the plan and export to RTE and PLN so that all waypoint locations are in synch. In the FMC just import the plan as a CO ROUTE. This has worked very well for meAs an aside, FSB2 will interface with a weather program such as active Sky 6 to calculate enroute fuel burn and also take parameters for taxi, hold, alternate, and extra fuel durations so you can get close to your required fuel load. There already are threads on this in this forum.The two last paragraphs preceeding emulate most of what a dispatcher does and you should be able to do this with your tutorial plans as well.

[Guest machammer]

Ron,Sometimes one (me)can't see the forest for the trees. I now understand what you and others were trying to do. I'll look into the other possibilities and see where it goes.Thanks for opening my eye's.Regards.Bill