'Distances from waypoints'

[Guest Muppet22]

Couldn't think of a better title... anyway,If I fly accross the Atlantic or any other ETOPS route, I want to find the 'mid-point' so that in the event of an emergency I either turn back or continue forward to the nearest airport. The procedure for doing this is one I understand as explained in the ETOPS 'tutorial' by Mark McGrath I believe. Say if my mid-point is 102nm after 5630N, how do I make this into a kinda waypoint on my ND? The tutorial says you would type 5630N/102 which is how it's done in the real world, but the PIC FMC doesn't like it. Am I just being stupid or is this a fault with PIC? (Never thought I'd say that :-))ThanksTom EvansBAV 757/767 Training Captain

[Guest Mark McG]

Tom,the tutorial was written before the FS2002 update came out.Enter 5630N as a FIX in the FIX page.Enter 102NM as a distance.You can now see where the Mid Point lies.Mark

[Guest Muppet22]

MarkOf course, thanks!Tom EvansBAV 757/767 Training Captain

[Guest]

Don't forget there are two "midpoints" in the real world, one geographic and one based on time which accounts for forecasted winds aloft and shifts the midpoint around a bit.If you are battling a strong headwind on a west bound hop across the Atlantic, then have to do a "180" back to your departure point, that headwind suddeny becomes a tailwind component increasing your groundspeed and you will get back to your departure point faster than if you pressed on to your original destination.So the return segment may be longer in miles, but quicker due to a higher GS.....its one of those things we update constantly enroute.I have not read the tutorial mentioned in this thread so it may have covered this wonderful mental excersize.....Jus' sumptin to consider....Timothy