I have a question to pilots, when you fly do you program FMC SID/Flight legs/Star and runway at which you will land from the gate before departing the airport or do you program StAR and landing runway during flight as you get closer to landing airport? -= Andrei Malishkin=-

Most times the STAR filed in the flightplan is very likely to be the one you will fly in the US, which is the limit of my experience. The STAR is included in the fms route but not always the approach, but someplaces like KLAS are almost always landing the same so it depends. You really don't know which approach in other cases until either ATIS or approach control tells you what to expect.

Most times the STAR filed in the flightplan is very likely to be the one you will fly in the US, which is the limit of my experience. The STAR is included in the fms route but not always the approach, but someplaces like KLAS are almost always landing the same so it depends. You really don't know which approach in other cases until either ATIS or approach control tells you what to expect.

so realisticly you program your flight plan with SID and Flight plan and star and apporach would be added as you get closer to airport then.sounds good, thanks for info.-=Andrei Malishkin=-

Yes, in the United States, you will typically have your STAR in the FMS before pushing back from the gate. You'll add the approach/runway usually shortly after contacting approach. Europe is quite different. Many STARs there are runway dependent and get entered near the transition. Of the same flavor as SIDs. In the states they get filed as part of a flight plan. In Europe, they are typically only applicable to one runway or pair of runways as well and you will be assigned a SID with you IFR clearance, but you don't file it with the FP.

so realisticly you program your flight plan with SID and Flight plan and star and apporach would be added as you get closer to airport then.

Andrei,you may also add the most probable STAR and approach when at the gate, this will give you more accurate fuel and time predictions (because otherwise you might have just a straight line from your last enroute fix to the destination airport).Both is done on real aircraft so neither is more realistic than the other. Changing the STAR and approach on descent if you had entered one already is very easy.Regards,Markus

Andrei,you may also add the most probable STAR and approach when at the gate, this will give you more accurate fuel and time predictions (because otherwise you might have just a straight line from your last enroute fix to the destination airport).Both is done on real aircraft so neither is more realistic than the other. Changing the STAR and approach on descent if you had entered one already is very easy.Regards,Markus

Cool thank you all for the info.-= Andre Malishkin =-

I normally use ActiveSky to determine what the weather is at my destination. Since I fly Europe mainly (<2hrs flight time) , I won't enter the STAR just jet when at the appron.I do use the Jeppesen charts to determine the most likely STAR and enter that part already without entering the final runway.Furthermore, using RC will help since I can get ATIS information of my destination within some 30nm. That'll give me the final info e.g. runway. Entering that in the FMC is the final part then.So..for me it's a combination of ActiveSky, Jeppesen SID/STAR info and RC4

At least speaking for Europe, most of the time you won't quite even fly any STAR at all. I believe it's all more about lost COM procudures. In that case you then know what to do. And yes, the STAR can very well be filed in the FP. :(

Thought I'd add another question onto this topic... cheek I know lolLanding lights..... ok off at 10000ft BUT what if the airport is at or above 10000ft or near that altitude?Is it then so many feet AGL? or within so many nm of the airport?John Ellison

Thought I'd add another question onto this topic... cheek I know lolLanding lights..... ok off at 10000ft BUT what if the airport is at or above 10000ft or near that altitude?Is it then so many feet AGL? or within so many nm of the airport?John Ellison

It's a combination of company SOP and commen sense, there is no hard and fast rule about landing lights on or off at 10000ft it varies depending who you fly with and the current conditions, also Landing and departing in Heavy fog with landing lights on can actually be very dangerous due to disorientation. lights are about see and be seen and have consideration for other pilots and ground staff.Rob

At least speaking for Europe, most of the time you won't quite even fly any STAR at all. I believe it's all more about lost COM procudures. In that case you then know what to do. And yes, the STAR can very well be filed in the FP. :(

True. In Europe a complete STAR is hardly flown at all. Mostly ATC will guide.

True. In Europe a complete STAR is hardly flown at all. Mostly ATC will guide.

Well, it depends...Here in Spain, in regional airports with not very much traffic (say 20-30 operations a day) STARS are flown every day by airliners.ATC vectoring is only needed in congested airspace where traffic separation is critical.

Well, it depends...Here in Spain, in regional airports with not very much traffic (say 20-30 operations a day) STARS are flown every day by airliners.ATC vectoring is only needed in congested airspace where traffic separation is critical.

The same applies in Turkey. At Istanbul where traffic is quite dense, incoming traffic flies a great part of the STARs and starts getting vectored or direct-to instructions about 15-20NM out with altitude instructions.

as far as i can get in very crowded airfields there are Stars for each direction you come from, in medium airports each runway has its own STari can be wrong

well ok @above, I was mainly referring to more congested airspace areas, that is, in my case, Germany. :(