Approach FMC Question

[Marcusb98 0]

I am flying from KPIT to KATL in my Level-D 767.... I am using Radar Contact 4 for ATC.When I am setting up the flight in the FMC, I enter my departure runway, and SID as directed by ATC. I enter the flight plan that I have put together using flightaware.com. KPIT > BURGS > HVQ > KONGO > ODFODF is the last waypoint before I need to enter a STAR. However, when I arrive at ODF I am not close enough to the airport (KATL) to receive instructions on which runway I am to use. So therefore, I cannot enter a STAR. What am I missing? Should I put another waypoint into the flight plan that gets me closer the airport? Thank you in advance for your help!

[Flamin_Squirrel 71]

If you're using radar contact then if it's not already vectored you towards the runway then just fly direct to KATL. You'll get the vectors and landing runway information when you get closer at which point you can enter the runway into the FMC.

[Marcusb98 0]

So I need to enter KATL as a waypoint in the flight plan?

[Flamin_Squirrel 71]

Yeah. Not strickly realistic I know, but it'll work.

[Marcusb98 0]

Yeah. Not strickly realistic I know, but it'll work.

I guess my thoughts are in "real" flight planning, the pilot should know his STAR before he begins the descent... It seems like "last minute" isn't the way the real airlines function... Or maybe I have it wrong... But I would think that if an airline is sending me from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, they should aready know which direction I should approach from...

[Flamin_Squirrel 71]

Yes they would know, before they even took off. That said, they can change landing runway even during decent. You can use Radar contact to get weather en route, that'll give you a good idea of which runway you're going to land on.BTW, ODF doesn't seem to be the initial intersection on any STAR for KATL.

[Marcusb98 0]

Yes they would know, before they even took off. That said, they can change landing runway even during decent. You can use Radar contact to get weather en route, that'll give you a good idea of which runway you're going to land on.BTW, ODF doesn't seem to be the initial intersection on any STAR for KATL.

ODF isn't the first waypoint... Its the last waypoint that flightaware.com showed on the route I was using... After ODF, they selected FLCON3 as the STAR...