Have the PMDG 747-400 for FS9; getting it when possible for the FSX. What is considered to be the best site / source for airport charts (SimCharts, nDac, Simplates etc.) for flying Vatsim routes? Looking for your opinions, anecdotes - Also, is the PMDG 747-400 (either version) natively programmed to use one set of charts over another when entering information into the FMC? Thanks ever so much, water4fuel :-)

Please sign your real name... forum rules.You didn't mention which part of the world. US terminal procedure charts are available from many sources including the FAA for free: http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_tppUK charts are found at http://www.ais.org.uk/aes/login.jsp but you have to register and pretend that you are living in the UK.The FMC flight plan entry is independent of chart symbology, and although I never fly real world without them, the enroute charts are seldom needed to create a flight plan for simulation. There are several on line route sites and for the US there is flightaware.com for realtime routes.I've been thinking about nDAC for months now, so others replies will be of interest to me.

Hi,This is the best site http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/publicuser/...ic/pu/login.jsp for real-world and up to date European aviation charts and maps... NOTAMs are also available ;-)Registration is free and you get everything you want in pdf format. :-)Enjoy!Gregory GrzesiaczynskiEDDF, EPWR

Here is a australian SIDS/STARS FLIGHT PLAN PROCEDUREShttp://www.airservicesaustralia.com/public...ocChartsTOC.htmThanks,Dilip

Here for US Chartshttp://www.aeroplanner.com/flightplanning/approachplates.cfmDilip

Gregory: Thank you, I've added this one to my favorites.

>Here for US Charts>>http://www.aeroplanner.com/flightplanning/approachplates.cfm>>>DilipThat is a pay site and so rather unsatisfactory. ;-)Know of any free ones?I use SIMX Charts which arer excellent for simming.

Thanks to all for the great ideas / replies. Did I read somewhere that the PMDG requires nDac updates or airac (sp ?) info due to the parameters it uses? Thanks againMark Maynard

I don't know if this will work for FS9, but when you get FSX, a handy program for airport charts is called 'Airport Chart Gauge V2', available in the download section of this site. You can open it while in flight just like the GPS on other planes. It works in my PMDG 747.It scans your airports and creates a database of all your airports. You can call up any airport in FSX and it gives you runway info, taxiway marking, frequencies including ILS. You can zoom in and out and move up and down. Also something hard to find in other charts, it gives you parking number assignments as FSX see them. If you look at the pictures, the red dots are actually parking numbers when you zoom in closer.Here's a pic on another plane I have. If you try it, make sure you use your mouse wheel when moving/zooming/inputing info.

Mark:You are right, there is navigation data that comes with the Queen but this is outdated within a month. The data is two kinds, SIDSTARs and NAVDATA available from Navigraph for a couple of Euros/month.I recommend a visit to the PMDG OPs Section, a wiki-based knowlege base. I did an article on this topic: http://ops.precisionmanuals.com/wiki/SIDSTARSThere's many other good things there as well (tip: select all pages view from the main page).There are also SIDSTARs available from several contributors, these are in the article as well.

Thanks for that. Should be really useful.Direct links areView http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...gau&DLID=119551Download http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=119551

Thanks Dan, really appreciate your reply and all the replies everyone has added here for the question I had. The nDAC site seems interesting, as well as the Jepperson SimCharts 4.0 material. Again thank you, and thanks Dan for sharing your knowledge with fellow pilots at the PMDG Ops site.Mark MaynardKBGR

Really nice addon - thanks for letting me know of it. :-))Mark Maynard KBGR

The very best place for Vatsim charts is via Vatsim's own Charts Centre! This has the links for most countries sources for charts:http://charts.vatsim.netNote that in the last few days the UK authorities have released a new charts website which no longer requires registration/login and is FAR easier to navigate than the previous one was! The Vatsim charts centre probably hasn't yet been updated to the new UK site:http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html

Thanks Bill... I am busy familiarizing myself with Vatsim's PDF's so I can be a responsible pilot while on the Vatsim network. I appreciate that Vatsim has new pilot mentors such as yourself. Thanks for doing that outreach service, and the wonderful tip you included in your posting. Mark MaynardKBGR