Adding Nav Data Approaches to Cycles

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

There are several airport in Australia that I plan to fly the NGX into. These airports ALL have published instrument procedures (usually RNAV approaches). I currently update my cycels with Navigraph but they are missing A LOT of very very good/important airports. Is it possible to add my own navdata using Coordinated from my Apporaches Plates? They would be like RNAV Runway 32 etc. If it is possible maybe there is a tutorial somewhere, thanks muchCheeers

[jpchabert 0]

What you could easily do is enter the waypoints following your charts in the FMC and then programming all the altitude and speed constraints. The FMC (or equivalents) that come with PMDG products are fully capable of handling those constraints perfectly.If the waypoints are virtual waypoints (like a distance/heading from a VOR, etc.), you can enter them manually as well in the FMC. I won't go into details on that but it's all in the FMC manual. After doing that, you can save the flight plan and re-use later. Cheers

[gman1986 14]

Go to planepath.com and there is a detailed tutorial on how to create SIDs, STARS, and approaches. It's quite fun testing them out. Also I had a very helpful person from the forums help me, Dan Downs.Let us know what toy create and we'll test them aswel .

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

Go to planepath.com and there is a detailed tutorial on how to create SIDs, STARS, and approaches. It's quite fun testing them out. Also I had a very helpful person from the forums help me, Dan Downs.Let us know what toy create and we'll test them aswel .

Ok thanks, I'll check that out. I'd like to keep my Current AIRAC cycle from Navigraph, if I edit these files is that ok? I dont really want to "input" then into the FMC I'd rather write them as the procedures that way I can use them whenever I want too.

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

I just reliazed that the apporach plates I have dont give me the Coordinates for the FIXES!!!! So I guess I am screwed!@

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

NEVER MIND! I just looked in the Designated Airspace Handbook from Air Service Australia and they are all there!

[gman1986 14]

They wont mess with your cycles. Just make sure you back up every sidstar file that you edit. Also you don't necessarily need coordinates as alot of fixes are either a defined bearing and distance from a vor for example and also for rnav approaches which use specific fixes, and you don't have the fix lon lat, you can usually find the fix in PMDG's folder where all the navigraph stuff is installed. I'm not sure as I'm not at my pc, but I think there is a file with all the fixes listed in fsx with their coordinates, so with a bit of investigation work you should find the lat and lon coordinates for the approach.

[downscc 1,327]

I use a free tool from the FAA to estimate the lat/lon for fixes (CompSys21: http://aeronav.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=aeronav/applications/programs/compsys ) such as on an arc. There is usually enough info on the chart to deduce the fix location. I don't recommend this unless you really enjoy charts and solving navigation problems.

[Tabs 2,790]

Ron,I'd suggest making separate files for these that you keep in a different folder outside of your PMDG navdata folder - that way when the Navigraph cycles come out, you can still just update those and then take your custom data and paste it in. If you put them right into the navigraph files you'll probably end up accidentally overwriting them. I've done that before after adding stuff.

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

Ron,I'd suggest making separate files for these that you keep in a different folder outside of your PMDG navdata folder - that way when the Navigraph cycles come out, you can still just update those and then take your custom data and paste it in. If you put them right into the navigraph files you'll probably end up accidentally overwriting them. I've done that before after adding stuff.

Ryan, Ya thanks man, making RNAV approaches isn't that hard. I know that the Approaches are actually in the SID/STAR sections, but do I need to also add my RNAV Approahces fixes to the files labelled FIXES? THanks

[Tabs 2,790]

Yes, you'll have to add things to both the FIXES section and the actual approaches/sids/stars sections.

[Serge 8]

G'day Ron,It might be worth checking out this website:http://www.austscene.com/They have Departure and Approach procedures for Australian Airports as per the current Air Services Australia data in both PMDG and LevelD formats.Hope this helps (and saves you some work).Cheers,Serge

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

Thanks for the website. I checked it out and it seems to have most of the same Airports that Navigraph offers. One thing I found odd was that in the FIXES section of the Nav Data they have some approach fixes for these RNAV runways but they arn't "built" into the SID/STAR category. I guess i should take those fixes and there coordinates and build them into the SID/STAR section.

[Serge 8]

Thanks for the website. I checked it out and it seems to have most of the same Airports that Navigraph offers.

No worries. I believe these files are intended to be used in conjunction with the Navigraph data. They just update/replace the relevant Australian and NZ airport procedures that Navigraph already provide.

One thing I found odd was that in the FIXES section of the Nav Data they have some approach fixes for these RNAV runways but they arn't "built" into the SID/STAR category. I guess i should take those fixes and there coordinates and build them into the SID/STAR section.

To be honest I'm not familiar with the inner workings of these files. Perhaps you could email the guys at Austscene about it.Cheers,Serge

[fakeflyer737 1,012]

I tired to e-mail them but Firefox wont let me use hotmail and so I don't have there address. So are you saying that these Oz Nav Data is suppose to be used over-top of the Navigraph stuff, I mean I fly into all those Oz fields and if its better more up to date data then I'd love to use it.