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curt1

Using approach plates in FSX

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The more I get into this hobby, the more I want to do things in detail. I'm familiar with approach plates, but what is the most sensible way to use them while using FSX? If I want to fly into Chicago O'Hare for example, I will need all the approach plates for that airport. I could print them off online, or try to get a terminal procedure book from a local airport possibly. I just wonder what most of the hardcore simmers do. I'm surprised there's not a handy addon where you can just pull up the charts for the entire US while flying. It almost seems like a must have if you want to get as real as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.Curt

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You will need the plate for the runway and type of approach you plan to fly. If there are STARS in use you will need the relevant one also. If it's a large airport you will need the airport diagram for the taxi instructions once on the ground.

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I could print them off online, or try to get a terminal procedure book from a local airport possibly. I just wonder what most of the hardcore simmers do.
for years i've printed the charts i need. have many 3-ring binders of these organized for flights. most SIDs/STARs/rwy/etc change little over the years so even those that are 'out of date' are 100% close enough for FS (and on-line) flights. if a new approach is released i'll just print the new chart.but ... FS is not current. FS9 has 6 year old 'airports' and FSX uses 3+ year old data. if a new runway, or airport, are opened you need to download a user made 'edit' to 'update' FS. (KMSP comes to mind as an example of FS being out of date to the current runway configuration.)
I'm surprised there's not a handy addon where you can just pull up the charts for the entire US while flying.
there was ... jeppesen had simplates. no longer available. i do have a FS2002 version of this product. to be honest it isn't worth the money as you can download the same charts from the FAA for free -http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_tppthe best 'purchased' chart if have are the high altitude jetways chart i purchased back when i flew FS2000. yes, VERY out of date now. MORE than good enough for FS. i also have victor (low altitude) charts. i don't use these often anymore as i fly jets in FS (back when i 'started' i flew 'low and slow'). these charts can be purchased from any pilot supply store.another option is to ask any 'real world pilot friend' for their old charts. if they don't have any she/he can assist in you making a purchase.--

D. Scobie, feelThere support forum moderator: https://forum.simflight.com/forum/169-feelthere-support-forums/

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Yep I too use NACO charts for US flying.I also use SkyVector for sectional and enroute chartshttp://skyvector.com/


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Guest jshyluk

One problem, as has been mentioned, is that the FSX airport data is out of date for some places. One solution is to look for older plates, or simply draw your own. It's not a difficult art project, as long as you only do a small number. Another solution is to use the data set native to flight sim. Flight Sim Commander comes to mind for that, and there are others. The other problem is display. FSX sometimes does not play well when you have a lot of stuff running in the background. In FS9, there used to be a utility where you could customize the Kneeboard to show whatever info you wanted, including a link to the Internet or to your approach plates. I don't know if there is a similar utility for FSX. Some sim captains will put the plates on a laptop. I just print them out or draw my own.Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

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Guest PPSFA

You can find everthing you need for FREE at www.airnav.com, plates, sids, starts, sectionals, ifr enroute charts, the works. I use a second computer for this as well as pulling up real world weather radar etc. so it doesnt interfer with FSX.

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You can find everthing you need for FREE at www.airnav.com, plates, sids, starts, sectionals, ifr enroute charts, the works.
airnav is just direct-linking to the FAA data (the PDF charts come directly from the FAA's server, not airnav's). the sectionals are direct-linked from skyvector ... again, not on airnav's server(s).airnav is nice in that it is 'all in one'. you can go 'for free' from the FAA and skyvector directly.--

D. Scobie, feelThere support forum moderator: https://forum.simflight.com/forum/169-feelthere-support-forums/

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A lot of good replies, thanks everyone! I have just the one monitor, and I can see adding a second one would help tremendously; one for flying, the other for pulling up online charts. Up to now, I've been too cheap to print out the charts (costly ink), so I pause the sim, look up the plate I need, unpause the sim, totally unrealistic. So I guess I better print out what I need or find the money and room for a second monitor.Curt

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Guest PPSFA
A lot of good replies, thanks everyone! I have just the one monitor, and I can see adding a second one would help tremendously; one for flying, the other for pulling up online charts. Up to now, I've been too cheap to print out the charts (costly ink), so I pause the sim, look up the plate I need, unpause the sim, totally unrealistic. So I guess I better print out what I need or find the money and room for a second monitor.Curt
Second monitor is great if you fly in windows mode, second puter is much better, even a cheap laptop.
airnav is just direct-linking to the FAA data (the PDF charts come directly from the FAA's server, not airnav's). the sectionals are direct-linked from skyvector ... again, not on airnav's server(s).airnav is nice in that it is 'all in one'. you can go 'for free' from the FAA and skyvector directly.--
Yup, thats why I use it, it's 'all in one', and all current, including METARS

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FWIW Naco now calls itself National Aeronautical Navigation Services (AeroNav Services). There's an outfit called FSWidgets that sells an "electronic flight bag" product and there are other EFBs around. Don't forget the default GPS has terminal approaches in it, and some of the addon GPS do as well (and more current) such as the RealityXP and the Flight1 Mustang. scott s..

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Just to add another site... www.runwayfinder.com I find it much better then skyvector for charts. I also use a laptop next to me (very old, but doesn't matter) to display the charts, weather radar, metar reports, and wind/icing/turbulence charts.

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This is where realism is at crossed purposes with reailism.. :( For example.. fling into KORD, you will likely never be, "cleared for the approach" , as in, be expected to fly a plate as published.. ATC will hold your hand right up to ILS intercept, maybe even need you to fly their version of it, depending on traffic and weather. The only action you'll have to take, is to tune the ILS in... and the only descision you'll have to make, is to declare a missed at DH. And even that is unlikely, because they wouldn't let you fly it in less than minimums..and would politely remind you, if you weren't nailng the needles.For flights into smaller airports.. your thorough pre-flight planning *wink* will have you knowing which approach you'll be flying (or at least narrowing it down to two)..so you can study the plates beforehand.. and jot down any non-standard specifics without having to print them out.. and again.. unless it's an airport where the approach takes you below radar coverage, you'll be vectored right up to something close to your turn to final (unless you're a student and TELL them that you intend to fly the whole approach.. DME-arcs, procedure turns and all). That was real-world stuff.. now we get into the FSX complications.. FSX ATC can be so off the wall, that I don't even use it. I simulate in my mind, everything from filing, to clearance-delivery.. to enroute altitudes/headings.. And then at my destination, I go ahead and fly the whole approach. It's fun and it's good practice. I happen to have terminal procedures for most of the country. Considering how much time you'll invest while learning and practicing this stuff (and how much you've invested in a computer, and other hardware..).. the cost of a dozen or more terminal procedure bundles is money well spent. Plus.. there's something fun and realistic about having to thumb through one, when your plans (or the weather) change on you at the last minute. Now, to mix FSX and realism... you have to ask yourself.. If someone threw you into a sim situation.. one mile visibility and a stiff wind.. plopped a complex VOR approach plate on your lap and said..fly it... could you ? I'm a real-world instrument pilot, and that would leave me with my hands full..LOL .. So, 90% of my simming approach flying, is JUST to stay sharp. I approach (pun intended) each flight like I would a real one. There's no way in Hades that I'd takeoff into IMC , without dedicating an approach at an unfamiliar airport to memory. I'd have the plate handy of course, but more as a security blanket than soemthign I'd be trying to interpret while descending through clouds :( In summary.. I'd advise you to go down the airport (or online store), and stock up on terminal procedures for the states you'll be flying. Their nice references to have.. add greatly to realism.. and you can even study approaches at random, to keep your plate-reading-skills honed. The few times when you do have a plate that doesn't match what's in the FSX data-base.. it just throws that unexpected wrench into the works for you handle. Being forced to the an alternate will make all that pre-flight planning pay off (as you breath a sigh of relief after a quick recalculation to confirm that your fuel on-board will get you to that alternate.. :(

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Guest WarpAir

fOR THOSE who have other required stuff running in the background along with FSx, like chart stuff, If you dont have second PC, you could use a tool called setaffinity to put things like chart tools and weather programs on your last core, thereby limiting the efffect they will have on your cpu resources.Using setaffinity tool to (i think its now called priaffinity) put stuff on last core means permamnent, so no need to set agian after booting PC each time.As far as the realism gained from flying sids and stars go, i would have liked to do that myself, but charts are only easy to come by if you flying US and Europe, and i fly randomly world wide, trying to find chart for airport in timbuktu could take too much of an effort.Still my main motivation for looking into sids/stars is cause RC4 ATC has lead me into mountain a few times, cause it does not help with terrain avoidance. So flying sid/star naturally means i am safe from terrain.There are some very good Sid/Star/FMC tutorial on YOutube, but i will not be using Sid/Star till i can acesss charts for airports worldwide simply by entering ICAO into a webpage or some tool.Just the way i am, if something cant be used globally in FSX, i dont bother with it, for example i dont buy scenary that is specific to certain area, or airport addons, unless its an upgrade to all FSX airport.But for anybody interested in SId/Star there is a very very good YouTube tutorial

this link is to part 1 of i think 5. So just follow the links to see all 5.Till world wide charts are easy to acess like ILS frequency data, i will be using ATC vectoring for my approaches.

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