Think I've managed to get it to work.. somewhat at least. Plan your flight WITHOUT a STAR on FSC, then delete the nearest waypoints from the dest. airport until you get a fair bit away, then enter that route in to the FMC. Once you get close to your dest./find out the active runway, switch to FSC again and bring UP SID/STAR/TRANS > STAR > SELECT, then literally scroll through the list of STARs to find an approach that's suitable and heads off from the last waypoint in your flight plan, then choose the exact STAR in the FMC. The problem I've been having (I think) is that the STARs I've been choosing START further back either from where I'm currently at OR the last waypoint in my flight plan, and the plane ends up looping back on itself to head for the first waypoint of the STAR. Also you must make sure that your AIRAC cycles for FSC and FMC match up.

Autogenerated routes generally don't work very well because they almost never align with SID and STAR transition points. Your best bet is to try to find a route in vroute (the freeware version should be fine), then transfer that route to FSC. Another good source is flightaware.com (US only)

Hm, I can't figure out how expensive those credits for Navigraph are...

AFAIK you have to buy at least 100 credits at €10. That will give you five AIRAC cycles, or you can use some of the credits to purchase charts etc. The catch is, purchased credits expire after 9 months, so don't save them too long.

Well, I gave FSC a try. Problem: I can't select transitions... I planned a flight from LFPG to EHAM and choosing a SID was easy but when I wanted to choose a STAR, I found out EHAM doesn't have runway specific STARs. So I HAD to use a transition in order to get positioned right in front of the runway... But I couldn't get it done in FSC. I tried to simply guess one in the 737 FMC, but that went wrong... So in the end I looked for charts on the internet and after some time I found that I probably needed LOMKO... I entered it into the CDU and YES, it worked! I just completed the entire flight: my first not-tutorial flight and all went well. Although... somehow I had to press a lot of AP and APP buttons before I could get both AP's working and autoland too... The odd thing was that the course of the runway was 004 (also according to the info an APPROACH REF) but when I enabled APP or CMD B, the course changed to 003...? Very odd. Also the CDU didn't accept UN837 which was in the FSC FSX plan... Wrong cycle, I guess...? Anyway, it still was great to see all this without stutters: http://fsfiles.org/f...ages/551Big.jpg

Henri I've been using FSC for a few years and it works perfectly for me, but: 1. I always keep AIRAC cycles the same for all my add-ons and I monthly update them as Navigraph releases; 2. I do not insert SID/STAR/TRANSITION on FSC flightplans. As I always fly online (IVAO), I have ATC information on what procedure to use and insert it on FMC or, 3. If no ATC online, I choose according to winds. Then I can choose among those procedures offered by FSC which one is the "best" for me and insert it directly on FMC. Best regards Schmid

Well, I gave FSC a try. Problem: I can't select transitions... I planned a flight from LFPG to EHAM and choosing a SID was easy but when I wanted to choose a STAR, I found out EHAM doesn't have runway specific STARs. So I HAD to use a transition in order to get positioned right in front of the runway... But I couldn't get it done in FSC. I tried to simply guess one in the 737 FMC, but that went wrong... So in the end I looked for charts on the internet and after some time I found that I probably needed LOMKO... I entered it into the CDU and YES, it worked! I just completed the entire flight: my first not-tutorial flight and all went well. Although... somehow I had to press a lot of AP and APP buttons before I could get both AP's working and autoland too... The odd thing was that the course of the runway was 004 (also according to the info an APPROACH REF) but when I enabled APP or CMD B, the course changed to 003...? Very odd. Also the CDU didn't accept UN837 which was in the FSC FSX plan... Wrong cycle, I guess...? Anyway, it still was great to see all this without stutters: http://fsfiles.org/f...ages/551Big.jpg

I also experienced the CRS changing today when flying from EGKK to EHRD. I a was also planning my own flight (after doing the tutorial many times) and also had problems intercepting the glideslope. Had to land manually and overshot the rwy! strange that the CRS changed when intercepting the localiser??

I also experienced the CRS changing today when flying from EGKK to EHRD. I a was also planning my own flight (after doing the tutorial many times) and also had problems intercepting the glideslope. Had to land manually and overshot the rwy! strange that the CRS changed when intercepting the localiser??

I found out it's an option you can turn on or off for the NGX. It has something to do with runway courses being hardcoded in FSX and when the NGX FMC sees the course is different in FSX than it is in the navigraph cycle (or whatever you call it), it will force the FSX course in order to perform a good landing. I won't turn that option off!

I found out it's an option you can turn on or off for the NGX. It has something to do with runway courses being hardcoded in FSX and when the NGX FMC sees the course is different in FSX than it is in the navigraph cycle (or whatever you call it), it will force the FSX course in order to perform a good landing. I won't turn that option off!

Hmm, I was on a course of 238 for finals at EHRD, and it changed to something like 084!!

Hmm, I was on a course of 238 for finals at EHRD, and it changed to something like 084!!

LOL No, on my trip the course went from 004 to 003: 238 to 084 is something completely different...!!!

Lol yes, a 'slight' deviation! I'll have to re-fly it and see if it happens again. I suspect it was more to do with my poor planning of the transition more than anything. Speaking of transitions; I saw you post above Jeroen and wondered how you worked out *which* transition to use for you flight from LFPG to EHAM?

Well, I gave FSC a try. Problem: I can't select transitions... I planned a flight from LFPG to EHAM and choosing a SID was easy but when I wanted to choose a STAR, I found out EHAM doesn't have runway specific STARs. So I HAD to use a transition in order to get positioned right in front of the runway... But I couldn't get it done in FSC. I tried to simply guess one in the 737 FMC, but that went wrong... So in the end I looked for charts on the internet and after some time I found that I probably needed LOMKO... I entered it into the CDU and YES, it worked!

How did you know to use LOMKO? Is is marked on the STAR chart somewhere? I'd be really interested in how this is done.

Ah! Transitions! Don't get me started on that one! My biggest problems with planning a flight is figuring out which trans to use... Thanks to FSC it's quite easy to choose SIDs and STARs: I simply turn all of them on one by one until I suddenly see one that fits the basic plan (and btw that basic plan comes from the internet). But somehow FSC doesn't always want to show transitions... I really don't know why. Anyway, FSC wasn't helpful at all in that regard, so I searched for EHAM-charts on the internet. I already decided I wanted to land on 36C, so I went through dozens of pdf's and finally found some charts of 36C. I don't understand ANYTHING of those charts, I have to admit, but one one of them I saw 'LOMKO' somewhere (in the middle of all those lines and circles and whatnot) and it was the only name that did ring a bell... So I loaded up the 737NGX, went to the CDU and sure enough: LOMKO was there. I entered the flight plan from FSC and on the ARR page of EHAM added LOMKO to the STAR that looked best in FSC. I have to say I mess around a lot with plans... The airac of FSC isn't the same as the NGX one and up to now I always get entries that aren't right... My solution: simply skip that part of the route and line select the discontinuities... or whatever I don't like. Yesterday I flew from EHAM to Heathrow and because the first VIA wasn't right (according to the CDU) I simply had the plan fly directly from the end of the SID to the start of the STAR... And the trans I used there (BIG, which was one I WAS able to find with FSC!) looked so odd (sharp corners just before the runway) that I also line selected the biggest part of that trans out of the plane, so I would have a nice and smooth approach to Heathrow... (Small problem: I did the latter when I almost reached that transition and had to dive with a VS of -2000 and speedbrakes on in order to land well... The passengers weren't happy... ) Also, when I think a certain restriction might get me into problems, I simply DEL it... My main problem with planning is that I don't really know which charts to look for and I don't know how to read them... Over the past 20 years or so I tried to learn it every few years, but I just don't get it... Pity, because the 737NGX is so realistic and flying it the way I do (as far as routes are concerned) isn't appropriate...

I'm finding the same. Sometimes I get it right, other times I mess it up real bad! I'm glad your LOMKO transition worked out well. I'llll try this in the future. I may have to invest in FSC or maybe even EFB from Aivlasoft. It may help me select the correct STAR/transition and I might actually work out how this all works rather than just guessing! It's all a bit of a mystery at the moment! Thanks for your help so far - if I aver figure out how to do this I'll be sure to let you know!

I may have to invest in FSC

You can (legally!) use FSCommander as shareware: it won't let you save and export flights and it will quit after 30 minutes, but that's more than okay with me: I may be a bit clumsy with planning, but even I can come up with a workable plan in 30 minutes. After that I simply enter the plan in the FMC. So give it a try, it's completely free! it's a GREAT tool for finding SIDs and STARs (but I do advice to first search a route online and copy that into the New flightplan option in FSC). The only drawback is that the airac of FSC doesn't work well with the NGX one... and those transitions... But I've downloaded charts now for the airports I frequently visit... who knows, one day I will become a pro at this all. ;)

Cool, I didn't know you could use it as shareware. I'll give it a try along with the EFB software trial (it is on offer now until 22nd August). Could be tempted!

Hi, Just as a matter of interest, which folder do you save your FSC/EFB routes to? is it FSX\pmdg\flightplans or FSX\pmdg\flightplans\NGX very interested to see which one it is. Phil

IIRC you point to the FSX folder and the plans are saved in the right folders. I saw it explained, probably in the read me or the instructions of FSC. Henri