Firstly, I have to say that I really enjoy using RC4. It makes the flying experience over a 100% better. However, there are some problems that I repeatedly see. I have posted a similar note before, but the feedback given to me at the time has had no effect.I have just flown an approach to Perth, WA, in the PMDG MD11. I checked the weather at 75 miles and was told that the runway in use was runway 03 and I set up the STAR appropriately. When I was passed to to Perth approach frequency I was initially told that the runway in use was runway 03, and then with no delay, was told that the runway in use was runway 21! There had been a good 5 minutes between the initial request for weather at 75 miles to being handed over to the approach frequency.As an aside, I intended to use the WAVE2 STAR for runway 03. As soon as I entered this into the FMC and the aircraft turned to intercept the WAVE waypoint, I was constantly badgered by the controller that I was off course until I got close enough to YPPH for me to select an IAP approach. The flight plan only had YPPH as the final waypoint at the time. Why did RC4 not allow me to change course? Hope you can offer some comment or workround.Chris Hall.

Firstly, I have to say that I really enjoy using RC4. It makes the flying experience over a 100% better. However, there are some problems that I repeatedly see. I have posted a similar note before, but the feedback given to me at the time has had no effect.I have just flown an approach to Perth, WA, in the PMDG MD11. I checked the weather at 75 miles and was told that the runway in use was runway 03 and I set up the STAR appropriately. When I was passed to to Perth approach frequency I was initially told that the runway in use was runway 03, and then with no delay, was told that the runway in use was runway 21! There had been a good 5 minutes between the initial request for weather at 75 miles to being handed over to the approach frequency.As an aside, I intended to use the WAVE2 STAR for runway 03. As soon as I entered this into the FMC and the aircraft turned to intercept the WAVE waypoint, I was constantly badgered by the controller that I was off course until I got close enough to YPPH for me to select an IAP approach. The flight plan only had YPPH as the final waypoint at the time. Why did RC4 not allow me to change course? Hope you can offer some comment or workround.Chris Hall.

i'm afraid it is as good as it can be.i'll remind everyone again, how arrival runways are chosen.at 75 miles, when you get arrival atis, i look to see if any ai are landing or departing. in the end, i always follow what the ai are doing.if there are no ai visible at 75 miles, and there usually isn't, then i looks for the longest ils runway favorable to the wind. if there are no ils runways, then i pick the longest runway favorable to the wind. in your case, it was 3when you are 40 miles out, i look at it again. same criteria. ai, ils/wind, finally windif ai all of a sudden appear after contacting approach, then i follow the ai. if i didn't, you might be in for a rude landing, with ai taking off into your final descent.jd

This is the STAR WAVES chart I have to refer to:http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/public...PPHSR08-121.pdfFirst, WAVES, the common waypoint/transition should be in the flight plan sent to RC. If not, RC would expect you to proceed direct to YPPH from the waypoint before WAVES until you contacted approach, acknowledged it and it then gave you the first vector at which point you could request the IAP to navigate on your own so you could use the FMC for coupled navigation.From an 0711 AIRAC here the FMC path stored for WAVES2 Runway 3:STAR WAVES2.03 FIX WAVES FIX HAYCO FIX HARMN FIX TIMMY TRANSITION KEELS FIX KEELS FIX BRIGG FIX SAILS RNW 03Distance directly from the airport at WAVES or shortly after (at about 30nm) might be close enough to get you the IAP so you could turn the aircraft shortly after WAVES.The ILS 3 approach in the FMC ( http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/public...PPHII04-117.pdf ) reads:APPROACH ILS03 FIX CI03 2500 FIX FI03 1650 RNW 03 TRK 015 UNTIL 1500 HDG 270 VECTORS TRANSITION TIMMY FIX TIMMY AT OR ABOVE 3000CIO3 and F103 are pseudo waypoints to establish points for altitude information for the points shown in the vertical profile. The points following RWY03 are the missed approach instructions.Note that WAVES is also common to RWY 21. Here's the FMC code for WAVE2.21:STAR WAVES2.21 FIX WAVES FIX WOOFY FIX C316I FIX C326I FIX C336I FIX C346I FIX C356I FIX C006I FIX HAIGH TRANSITION KEELS FIX KEELS FIX BRIGG FIX SAILS RNW 21which will take you to the LLZ merge on ILS 21:APPROACH ILS21 FIX CF21 2000 FIX OM21 1480 RNW 21 TRK 195 UNTIL 1500 HDG 270 VECTORS TRANSITION HAIGH FIX HAIGH TRANSITION PRL FIX PRLNB FIX OVERFLY D032I AT OR ABOVE 2500 TRANSITION SPUDO FIX SPUDO TRK 262 UNTIL 11.0 FROM FIX PH FIX C042I FIX C032I FIX D032I TRANSITION WOOFY FIX WOOFY FIX C318I FIX C328I FIX D335I FIX C345I FIX C355I FIX D006I The point is with WAVES as the common point in the plan sent to RC, then on your FMC on an IAP you can enter and change your STAR and ILS at the last minute by entering them on the DEP/ARR page from the STAR choices and approach choices and then editing as necessary on the LEGS page. (I'm used to the 737NG FMC but I believe the MD11 is similar.)Be sure to read the description in the STAR chart which is slightly different than the FMC code but you should get the idea if you want to LNAV your approach to get on the LLZ for either runway.This AIRAC did not have the RNAV 03 approach in it.

----------------------snip----------------------As an aside, I intended to use the WAVE2 STAR for runway 03. As soon as I entered this into the FMC and the aircraft turned to intercept the WAVE waypoint, I was constantly badgered by the controller that I was off course until I got close enough to YPPH for me to select an IAP approach. The flight plan only had YPPH as the final waypoint at the time. Why did RC4 not allow me to change course? Hope you can offer some comment or workround.Chris Hall.