Hey guys:I've been rebuilding my flight sim machine and reinstalled all of my PMDG products. Unfortunately, I don't have the latest AIRAC & SID/STAR data. They used to be free from navigraph, but now you have to pay for them. Does anyone know where you can get the last free versions that navigraph pushed out? I know that those are really old ... but they're a lot newer than the ones included with the 737! :( Thanks!Dan

Hi Dan,Navigraph's FMS data really isn't all that expensive. 10 euros will get you 100 credits on Navigraph... With those, you can buy 5 different AIRAC cycles.That's 2 euros per cycle. Of course, you can always get the 20 euro package... allowing you to get the annual cycle updates. I think this is much better than flying with old an outdated navdata. Not to mention that it would be very difficult to fly online on VATSIM or IVAO with old FMS cycles.

Does anyone know where you can get the last free versions that navigraph pushed out?

They still offer a free demo cycle, 0609, look at the bottom of this page: http://www.navigraph.com/www/fmsdata.aspThe changes since then are significant, especially the number of new RNAV procedures and RNP approaches.

You can get some SID/STAR databases from here for several countries:http://planepath.com/html/dafif.html

The problem with different SID/STAR files and databases is the possibility that the base data don't reflect the AIRAC data required to map the procedure...This is why I prefer to stick with the one stop shop at navigraph. If the SID/STAR files I then use are matched specifically to the AIRAC (thanks Dan, by the way... :) ), then I know I will have no errors with waypoints/fixes etc not being recognised...Andrew

+1 for Navigraph, I get the sid/star files every 2 to 3 months and also use the charts. If you are using a complex sim then you should use the most up to date info (within reason). I think you shouold give it a try, it will not cost you too much. If you dont like it, dont go back for more.

Each airport file in the SID-STAR procedure .txt file has all fixes it uses mapped to coordinates. I don't think it will get out of sync. I just checked one from planepath.com. The airport .txt file also contains the AIRAC version it was derived from.

The problem with different SID/STAR files and databases is the possibility that the base data don't reflect the AIRAC data required to map the procedure...This is why I prefer to stick with the one stop shop at navigraph. If the SID/STAR files I then use are matched specifically to the AIRAC (thanks Dan, by the way... :) ), then I know I will have no errors with waypoints/fixes etc not being recognised...Andrew

Each airport file in the SID-STAR procedure .txt file has all fixes it uses mapped to coordinates. I don't think it will get out of sync.

The problem with having different sidstar and navdata cycle data is ususally related to runways. Note the sidstar file declares the runways in the RNWS section, whereupon interpreting this the FMS program goes to the navdata to get the runway data. If there are new or renumbered runways the process halts. Less frequently, sidstars will use the keyword NAV instead of FIX, which is an external reference to the navdata and this can also trip you if a vor or ndb was decommissioned as an example.