Are stars and the matching arrival runway programmed at the T/D (Top of Decent) or are stars and arrival runways programmed at the gate before departure?

Are stars and the matching arrival runway programmed at the T/D (Top of Decent) or are stars and arrival runways programmed at the gate before departure?

There is a good thread currently going about this very topic:http://forum.avsim.net/topic/336619-sids-and-stars/

Hi,In RL or in FSX?

STARS can be programmed at any time, but they are finalized by ATC about 100 NM from teh destination. The reason is winds can shift at any time.Cheers,- jahman.

Hi,In RL or in FSX?

Real life. I know in FSX it can be done anytime right?

STARS can be programmed at any time, but they are finalized by ATC about 100 NM from teh destination. The reason is winds can shift at any time.Cheers,- jahman.

That is not universally true. In some countries, including the UK, STARs terminate at a hold from which an approach can be made to any runway independent of wind direction. The choice of STAR depends on the airway used for the last leg of the en-route section. For example, Ockam STARs terminate at the OCK VOR anmd OCK 4B is for Arrival via (U)L980, (U)P87. Arriving aircarft are stacked there and pulled off the bottom of the stack and radar vectored to final approach. The following shows typical westerly operations at Heathrow with arrivals in red and departures in green.