Hi, when you create a flight plan to a destination and the destination has no STAR, does the flight plan go all the way toward the VOR over the airport even if you get vectored? Or do you end the flight plan at a point about 50 to 100 miles away to get vectors towards the airport? Thank You. :-)

Hi,I use FS Navigator to make my flightplans. Then I check in the FMC if it has the same SIDs and STARs. If some part is missing I use the NDBs, VORs and intersections in FSNav to fill up the gaps. Most of the navdata are also in the PIC FMC.There are probably many other ways to resolve this, but this is just the way I do it. I know you can create your own SID's in PIC but I haven't done that sofar.Also visit http://www.navdata.at/ where you can find a whole bunch of additional, well, you know.:) Hope this helps.:-wave Arthur

I guess that in real life there will be little ILS airports without STAR. The site Eham8 mentiones has a lot of SID/STAR, so you might be lucky.If you can't find a proper STAR my suggestion would be to end your flightplan at a intersection/VOR on the last airway that has a reasonable distance to the airport.If you give me the destination we could try to work it out.Kind regards,Stephan Haas

Ok I got 3 flight plans here as examples, the first 2 are short flights and the other is a 3 hr International flight to South America. There were no STARS that I can recall or in the PIC FMC.NY LaGuardia (KLGA) to Buffalo NY (KBUF)Neion J223 CORDS J132 ULW V270 ELZ V164 BUFNY LaGuardia (KLGA) to Washington National (KDCA)Biggy J75 MXE V378 BALMiami FL (KMIA) Cali Columbia (SKCL)SKIPS BR53V SWIMM A315 JOSES UA315 OBN UG444 EJA UG431 GIR Now the first flight to Buffalo ends at the BUF VOR, which is at the airport. The second flight stops at BAL VOR, which is 26 miles from DCA. The third flight ends 104 miles from the Cali VOR.Ok Now :-) I

My suggestion is that you try and file a flight that takes you all the way to an initial approach fix.In the case of Buffalo, the VOR there can provide you with an easy transition to the ILS23, ILS5, or VOR-A approach.Hope that helps.Ian Elchitz CYWG

Ok so let me make sure, should I use the Victor or Jet airway to the airport VOR, or stop the Victor or Jet airway at the Intersection/VOR just before the airport VOR then just go direct to the airport VOR? Thank You.:-)

November678x ,Most airports that dont have published stars have some kind of published approach. Usually an initial approach fix that aligns you with the ils course. I dont use a flight planner of any sort but I have high altitude enroute charts and approach charts for the areas I fly and make all my flight plans manually. You can visit your local fbo and purchase these for pretty cheap ,the high altitude enroute charts will give you all the published jet airways that you can enter on the route page, and the approach charts will give you all the waypoints to enter for the approach. They also contain all the publish departures for airports.here's a link that will give you some sources for approach chartshttp://www.geocities.com/bobandrepont/iap.htm

Well,You could take a J airway all the way to the VOR but the problem is that in the US the J airways start at FL180 and above. So if you are below that - you are not on the Airway - and have no way of making sure you are clear of terrain.You probably want to transition from the J airway to the V airways as you get closer to the airport. The Low Altitude enroute charts all have Minimum Enroute Altitudes (MEA) published on the airways - so you know how low you can safely be.I'm not really sure how to answer your question. As far as a FLIGHTPLAN goes - file one to the VOR at/near the field or the Initial Approach Fix as I mentioned above.Actually FLYING the aircraft - ATC should provide vectors and terrain separation for you to the IAF of one of the approaches. Following that, and depending on class of service - they will either take you all the way in, give you to a tower, or cut you loose on advisory frequency and ask you to call them on the ground or cancelling IFR.Don't forget that when the weather is nice - it's a treat to look out the window and fly the aircraft - even the big ones - but hey, again I must offer a disclaimer that I have never done any of this in the real world, I'm a total virtual pilot.Ian