I successfully accomplished the tutorial and want to plan my own flights now - without using company routes. Are there any recommendations for a suitable program, working together with MD-11? F.O.C. looked good at first glance, but acccording to support forum it doesn't get much love from the Dev's anymore.

Don't worry if the MD-11 calls it a CO route. Just type in a origin airport and destination airport at simroutes.com. Download this flight plan then save it to your 'PMDG flight plans' folder.Ex: origin=CYOW destination=CYYZ then your route gets displayed so download this as a PMDG flight plan from the drop down box then save the plan in PMDG flight plans folder. There is no plane specific routing. Does that answer your question?

Well, sorta.Simroutes let me generate routes straight from departure to destination, but not adding waypoints. For a complete flight plan I'd have to search and download a predefined route. Actually, I was looking for a program where I can plan and subsequently modify everything from the scratch, considering real weather, fuel, airways, traffic, etc. A highly detailed and realistic tool for flight planning and studies. Something like FOC maybe but able to create .rte files for the MD-11.

Actually, I was looking for a program where I can plan and subsequently modify everything from the scratch, considering real weather, fuel, airways, traffic, etc. A highly detailed and realistic tool for flight planning and studies. Something like FOC maybe but able to create .rte files for the MD-11.

FSBuild integrates with weather programs such as Active Sky, does fuel calculations and exports to the MD-11. It is very powerful and has an open architecture that allows new aircraft to be integrated (e.g. I can use it with the Flight1 Mustang that was released a few months ago). The user interface could do with an overhaul though - it has a rather steep learning curve.Building long routes for use with the MD-11 from scratch is very time consuming if you have to do it on a computer screen, without access to paper charts. The routes that I use are mostly from either Vroute or Routefinder, then I run them through FSBuild to get fuel data, cruising altitude and navigation log.Another option is Flightsim Commander. It lets you create and edit routes and save them to the MD-11, but as far as I know it does not integrate weather. It doubles as a moving map application, and if you fly online on IVAO or VATSIM it will show you areas with active controllers which is nice if you are not sure if you are flying into controlled airspace or not. Like FSBuild it will take a route string from another source and let you edit it. Both FSBuild and FSC have route autogeneration features that you can use as a starting point. I believe FSC offers a 30-day try before you buy option.Tom

www.fsbuild.comI don't own it: too complicated and too much for me, but this might just be it for you. No demo unfortunately.EDIT:Oh, Tom beat me to it.

Frank,Try FS Build . It's the best Flight Planning tool out there; and it will export to the PMDG.

considering real weather, fuel, airways, traffic, etc.

For best realism you can always go to flightaware.com and pull up real flight plans used by airlines, operators today for hundreds of city pairs. In case of oceanic or longer routes you will have the best possible flight plan since winds aloft and wind-optimal routing will be properly accounted for. No other flight planning tool (apart from real airlines operation centers) would give you this latter capability.

Thank you for suggestions, guys. Guess I'm going to pick FS Build then.

Hi Frank,A few days ago I posted some comments / suggestions about this very topic in another thread which got buried on page 6 or 7 of this forum. here is the link to the thread. My post is the last one on the page: http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=244509&hl=Cheers,