3rd Party Flight Planner Needed?

[Guest JTEK99]

>(1) You verify that the FS9 database - Oct 2002 - has the>final approach you want to fly, with a transition point from>the STAR to the runway IAF. Reggie:Excellent summary, by the way. Regarding the above, is there any way of verifying if the FS9 database has the approach transition point without firing up FS9?The only way I know of getting that information before I plan a flight is to run FS9 and use the built-in GPS to check the approach transitions available for a particular runway.Is there a more efficient way to do this?Thanks for any info.

[RFields5421 1]

Not really.You could decompile the .BGL file and try to find the transitions in the XML code. Easier and faster to boot FS.

[Guest wji]

"The key element you must research and use is the "Transition" which FS uses as the entry point for complex approach procedure.People who say FS9 ATC will not yet you fly STAR are still using the Novice mode of ATC."Wow, sure sounds good . . . !Any chance of you giving us one of these flightplans?I'd sure like to see it working in my FS9thanks,

[RFields5421 1]

Remember there are a lot of real world GPS units out there and still some early flight computers which do not have SID/STAR databases - pilots have to enter then one waypoint at a time - just like FS2004's flight planner.Flying to Boston is one I've used a bit - I'll try to find in and upload it.First, you cannot choose a STAR for an airport unless you can compare the charts for all the STARs for the airport from the arrival direction you are choosing. Airnav.com is your friend for the US airports - http://www.airnav.com/airport/kbosSome STARs cannot be entered in flight plans - they are only assigned by ATC while the aircraft is in the air. Some are only for slower aircraft, some only for high density jets.GARDNER THREE comes from the Albany NY area and brings aircraft north of KBOS - or in position to go out into the bay before turning to finalINNDY TWO is an RNAV STAR which pretty much matches NORWICH THREENORWICH THREE is a turbo jet only STAR for KBOSSCUPP THREE is for turbojets only and entry points are Hartford CT or KJFK - which it goes south of KBOS - its main spacing is to setup aircraft to land on Rwy 27 at SCUPP intersection - 37 nm east of KBOSWOONS ONE is props for KBOS and all aircraft for KOWD, 1B9, & 3B2 airportsNow realize you can fly Gardner Three and be vectored to make a complete circle land on Rwy 4RYou can be sent to Rwy 15 from Norwich Three or Scupp Three. ATC can and frequently does move aircraft out of the STAR early if there is room in the lineup to land, or extends them out an extra 20-30 nm if they need the spacing.Let's make our flight plan to use NORWICH3 with the Kennedy Transition - and plan to use the "ILS Rwy 4R approach with INNDY Transition"http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0701/00058NORWICH.PDFhttp://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0701/00058I4RC2.PDFNote the approach plate has WINNI as the IAF and the STAR has INNDY as the end point.Now - JFK is a STAR transition - not an IAP transition - so the ATC will not offer you that.You set your flight plan and working back from KBOS - drag the flight planner line to the WINNI intersection - then straight down to the INNDY transion.Also take the flight planner line over the PVD VOR, the ORW VOR the RAALF intersection, the NEWES intersection and the JFK VORComplete your flight plan to your origin airport.When you are approaching KJFK - notice from the STAR plate that you should cross NEWES at FL240That is over 130 nm from KBOS, so ATC will not have started reducing your altitude.A real world pilot will not overly waypoints too high. If ATC does not tell him to descend, he will ask to descend.You need to do that - ask for lower cruise altitudes to get down to FL240 when you cross NEWES.Somewhere near RAALF, the ATC will assign you "ILS Approach Runway 4R" - TELL THEM TO STANDBYSelect the menu option to request another approach, ILS 4R with INNDY transition (might be WINNI transition - I have to check).When you are given that approach, accept it. That will allow you to proceed to INNDY and turn north toward the runway and the IAF of WINNI.Note that you are responsible for getting your speed down to 250 KIAS and altitude down to 11,000 when you cross the PVD vor. You also need to cross WINNI at 4,000, descending to 1800 at MILTT - five miles out.Personnally I like to be a bit lower at the IAF (WINNI) because of the way the ILS works in FS - about 3,000 and down to 1,800 7-8 miles out.The ATC will tell you if the aircraft is too far off the STAR and approach.One other bonus - if you use an RNAV approach rather than an ILS approach - you will get priority over AI aircraft. You can still use the ILS to land on an RNAV approach.

[Guest wji]

"Flying to Boston is one I've used a bit - I'll try to find in and upload it."Thank you, I look forward to flying it and experiencing FS9 ATC as you've outlined it.As a realworld instrument rated pilot and aircraft owner and user of FS9 since the day it came out -- and after entering STAR coordinates into FS9's edited.PLN files -- I've never got FS9 ATC to give me any more than a 90deg DESTination entry to the LOC and then the 30deg. intercept angle.P.S. FS9 Learning Center -- including the 42page Using the GPS Manual -- state nothing about the terminology to which you refer; i.e., "transition", "Novice mode of ATC", "but you as a FS pilot can make the ATC give you options so you can fly that STAR", "NOVICE VECTORS TO FINAL approach, tell the ATC to standby." "Select and ask for the approach and TRANSITON from your STAR to the IAP" [/font size]