A Little Help - PDMG 744 - Approach Runway

[Jamiebee 0]

Hi All,I was hoping you'd be able to help me with some difficulties i'm having with the 744 (PAX).I'm really starting to get to grips with firing the queen up, taking off as you should and getting up to cruise altitudes - no problems and a whole lot of fun!The problem I'm having is that, once i start the decent stage of the flight, I still don't know which runway i will be assigned to land on when I get to my destination. I only really find out at 30 - 50 miles out by which time it's really too late to add waypoints to put me onto a STAR approach path.I tried making a few educated guesses but of course the wind has changed direction by the time I reach my destination!I'm not flying using the flight simulators own flight plan (and therefore ATC) - i'm just using the flight following service modeld in FS9.I think I'm probably missing a simple step and I hope someone will be able to offer a few suggestions!With thanksJamie BOxford, UK(edit - added some detail)

[Guest pierre974]

Have a look at the excellent tutorial provided by Sir Holger Seilz (use the search function on the PMDG forum)... You can also check the track lesson 4 by Captain Randazzo, highlighting the use of VNAV for your precision approach...If you use real world weather (like ASV6 online mode), it is very usual that the weather at destination is changing during your flight. You can enter a route for your arrival, but you must be prepared to edit that one according to the ATIS information available during the first stages of your descent (note the frequency and check the ATIS as soon as it is available).Hope this helps.Enjoy :-sun1

[Leffe 4]

Hi Jamie!Some times I use MSFS ATC and then get vectored in, sometimes

[jtsjc1 3]

Jamie, when reading the thread by Cowpatz- (sorry don't know Steve's last name), he mentioned he had RTE1 programmed with the expected arrival rwy.25L and RTE2 programmed for the approach to 24R. He explained this covered both likely possibilities and all you have to do is activate and execute RTE2 if necessary. This was for LAX of course but I found it very helpful. Joe

[Jamiebee 0]

Thank you all, I will give your suggestions a try when I'm next flying! It's so frustrating having a great flight only to have to fly using heading select when you get to where you want to be. One further question for you though - Is there a way to check the weather at the destination before you get there (other than waiting to tune into the ATIS when it's available in the ATC window in FS9)?I've got the approach charts for the airports I'm flying into so have the ATIS frequencies before being promted - Can I tune in before this point?Also, if I wait to tune the ATIS, would I not be too close to join a STAR?Thank you again for your help.Jamie BOxford, UK

[Guest neeraj.pendse]

Here's what I do:1. Use a STAR based on your direction of arrival, program it in FMC in preflight. "Hardcode" it in FS flight plan.2. Do not program IAP in preflight- select it in FMC when runway is given to you. Usually you can add a "runway extention" point 5 miles out which is handy if you are flying a visual approach.3. If possible, ask FS ATC for an IAP that starts at the end of your star- this will allow you freedom to fly your own route.If #3 is successful, there should be no disconnects in the route, and with the ILS properly tuned, you should be able to fly LNAV/VNAV with no problems, and switch to APCH when in range. If not, you might have to massage the flight plan a little or use HDG SEL.EXAMPLE:Approaching San Francisco from the South, I might use the Big Sur 2 arrival (hard coded in the FS flight plan and programmed as BSR2 in the FMC), which takes me to the BIG SUR (BSR) VOR, then to a few intersections on the Monterey Bay, on to MENLO int. I ask for an ILS to 28L, MENLO transition to the FS ATC, and it does not bother vectoring and just gives me descents and "direct to MENLO."Does that help?Later,- Neeraj.

[Guest pierre974]

I second that... It might be helpful to set 2 different arrival routes for opposite runways, thus anticipating the possible wind change. It can save precious time during the approach...

[Jamiebee 0]

Thank you again, I'll be heading home soon to try them out!Jamie BOxford, UK

[Guest neilb]

This is what I tend to do, no idea if its "real world" like but it might be :)At the start of my flight after programming in my whole route I include the STAR (which is normally listed on sites like flightaware.com for US bound flights) and the runway is based on the wind information that I get from ActiveSky. I will listen in on Activesky flightwatch (122.0) and see what the winds are and change the runway as needed.It is my experience that most STAR's in the US at least seem to apply regardless of what runway is in use (some may have an extra leg or so, but its essentially the same route on the STAR) so you really don't have wild changes.Works quite well for me.