Having mastered the MD-11 sufficiently to arrive in the vicinity of a chosen airport I need to understand how to select the appropriate STAR for a selected runway.I understand the need of a chart showing our route to the airport. And that this chart makes it clear where we intersect with the various STARs thus making it possible to select the best STAR.Therefore the relevant questions, I assume, are:1. What is the description of the chart that includes our route?2. How do we use this chart?3. Which is the most suitable chart source? I have looked at the following sources.

Europe and US differ in STAR name conventions.US: Each STAR has a name/number. The number is the revision number, the name usually refers to a fix that the arrival route takes you through on the way to the airport. A glance at the chart will reveal if it will work.Europe: I'm still trying to figure this convention out. It seems to me that each STAR name is a fix name followed by a number that simply denotes and different transition and/or different runway. I have to study the charts to figure out which one to use.Regardless of the name, selecting a STAR depends on the arrival direction and landing direction or runway. Take KSFO for example, there are nine arrivals for turbojets and seven of them are for a specific landing direction. Then there are arrivals from the south, east, north and northwest. Once you see this, picking the correct one is just an exercise in elimination... then plan your route to take you to one of the transitions.The easy way to figure it out in the MD11 is to select the runway (which has to be the first step anyway in this FMS) then it lists the availabe arrivals for that runway automatically (if the procedure file is correctly written). Select the STAR based on the direction that you are arriving. Flying to KSFO from KLAX landing 28L/R for example: Slect ILS28R, it will list BSR2 GOLDN5 MOD3 PYE1 RISIT4 STINS1 YOSEM1. Since you are coming from the south (southeast actually) look at the charts and rule out all but BSR2, the only arrival route from the south. As it turns out, all arrivals from KLAX use BSR2 (verify at flightaware.com).You should have charts to do flight planning. It is possible to use flight planning software or copy actual flight plans from online but then you are not doing the planning, you are just copying a plan someone else did.I often build a flight plan from scratch by starting with the destination and arrivals, then work back towards the departure at the origin. First on paper, then enter into the FMS.See also: http://ops.precisionmanuals.com/wiki/SIDSTARS

Food for study and as helpful as usual.I've just read your recommended PMDG tutorial and now need to work on it.Thanks Dan. An enjoyable time ahead.Have a great weekend.Regards...............Cliff

Hello DanNow don

I use FSBuild, but note the SID/STAR it comes up with then delete them before exporting. Then enter those procedures manually in the FMS to ensure you have current procedures (FSBuild can be quite of of date at times).

Thanks Dan, based upon this and some other input I have seen and been given I will go with FSBuild and follow your advice on STAR and SID.RegardsStuart