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Purpose of the FIX Mode key

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What is the purpose of the FIX key ( see Menu Mode Keys ) and what datas have tobe entered ? And what do they indicate or perform ? And what if left empty ?I appreciate if somebody could explain.ThanksHubert Werni

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It's my understanding that this provides information for a fix in the database, but it is not the place to create fixes. If you need to create a fix, that is done on the legs page and there is information on how to do this in the manual and in the pmdg ops wiki section.


Dan Downs KCRP

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What is the purpose of the FIX key ( see Menu Mode Keys ) and what datas have tobe entered ? And what do they indicate or perform ? And what if left empty ?I appreciate if somebody could explain.ThanksHubert Werni
Are you talking about the FIX key of the FMC ?If yes, that is one of the most powerful tools onboard the aircraft.It has two sub-pages where you can enter any fix (by their name) you want, being VORs, NDBs, Intersections, ILS locs or Airports, and up to three radials and three circles (being the centre the Fix itself), in the format RADIAL/RADIUS.The Fix, the radials and the circles will be presented in your Navigation Display. Afterwards you can use those lines for multiple purposes like tracking a VOR radial with the HDG function of the MCP without having to use the NAVRAD page, distances to alternate airports, distances for anythig you want (start a descent, start a turn, follow a DME arc...)I love using the FIX page, my favourite one in the FMC :(

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In long haul flights the FIX is also used for ranges to airports enroute to more easilly see which is the closest 'company' alternates for the route.Very handy for abeam points I find when going to an airport with no established approach.John Ellison

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Most common use I've seen for the FIX page is to actually draw the DME arcs and radials that are used in many SIDs. The pilots will set it up on the ground during preflight. Having a picture right there on the ND is really great, enables you to fly pretty complex stuff in HDG SEL or hand-flying pretty easily.


Ryan Maziarz
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BRG/DIS---/---It's not mandatory to enter anything there, only the boxes mean you MUST enter data.Now, if you enter there a bearing and a distance (for that particular fix) a bearing line and a circle with a radius equal to the distance entered will be depicted in your Navigation Display. As I said before, those green dashed lines on the ND can be used for many navigational purposes.Given that you have an active route, the abeam point from that fix will be the point whith the shortest distance from your route to that fix. The info you get is:- The bearing from the fix to that nearest point of your route- The distance from the fix to the abeam point- The Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) to that point- The estimated altitude at which you will be passing the abeam point

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BRG/DIS---/---It's not mandatory to enter anything there, only the boxes mean you MUST enter data.Now, if you enter there a bearing and a distance (for that particular fix) a bearing line and a circle with a radius equal to the distance entered will be depicted in your Navigation Display. As I said before, those green dashed lines on the ND can be used for many navigational purposes.Given that you have an active route, the abeam point from that fix will be the point whith the shortest distance from your route to that fix. The info you get is:- The bearing from the fix to that nearest point of your route- The distance from the fix to the abeam point- The Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) to that point- The estimated altitude at which you will be passing the abeam point
Thanks,however I still do not understand the following :I entered a flight plan Cologne ( EDDK ) to Frankfurt ( EDDF ) into the B-747-400 FMCAt the EDDF airport I enter EDDF in FIX which provides : 312 degrees / 75 ( I understand that part ) When selecting abeam I am getting confused with the following datas :337 degrees / 4.7 and a PRED ( whatever that abbreviation means ) of 88I try in vain to figure out what those numbers indicate.Herbert Werni

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Herbert, With those numbers, I presume you are landing on rwy 07L at EDDF, aren't you ?Can you post your complete EDDK-EDDF flightplan ?

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Herbert, With those numbers, I presume you are landing on rwy 07L at EDDF, aren't you ?Can you post your complete EDDK-EDDF flightplan ?
Yes,here is the flight plan with all the legs in the FMC ( EDDK to EDDF )318 degrees DK034011 DK035063 DK037139 COL137 LANIR157 ETARU149 DF095068 DF071068 DF061158 DF026248 LEDKI247 RW25LThanks for your supportHerbert Werni

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Herbert, here is your arrival:http://events.edff-fir.de/realops2009/char...ITION_RWY25.pdfNow, 312/75 is the relative position of EDDF from EDDK.When you enter EDDF as a FIX, you are entering the ARP (Airport Reference Point) for EDDF.Look in the above chart at the DF095-DF071 leg. There is a point in that leg in which your route will be forming a 90

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Well,you did a good job to explain and I appreciate it.Now I try to figure out why thatABEAM point is needed and what the purpose ( advantage ) is.RegardsHerbert Werni
Never used that feature myself.Perhaps any of the RW Pros in this forum could put some light on it. :(

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You might get a clearance to fly such and such a heading until ABEAM a fix. For sim purposes, you could fly a downwind until abeam the FAF and go a little further then do your turn to intercept final course.


Dan Downs KCRP

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Another feature of the abeam is if you are "off route", i.e. on a radar heading and you need to do a fuel check at a certain waypoint that you are not flying over you can put the "fix" in, then when you fly abeam it you take your fuel reading from there.

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Another feature of the abeam is if you are "off route", i.e. on a radar heading and you need to do a fuel check at a certain waypoint that you are not flying over you can put the "fix" in, then when you fly abeam it you take your fuel reading from there.
Off on a tangent a little but you could also do it by pressing the ABM POINTS Prompt (bottom right of LEGS) prior to hitting the EXECUTE button when creating a Direct To clearance in the LEGS Page.That will give you all of the ABM Points for the waypoints prior to the DIRECT intersection.CheersPaul

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