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

If you fly on the VATSIM network and have MSN Messenger or Yahoo Messenger (I am Deaf - So we would chat in real time on there then on VATSIM in private chat once we logon) I will be happy to meet you at any airport of your choosing and go through each step with you. I use FS Commander 9 so I can walk you through building the flight plan, and then programming the FMC Flight plan. Will fly the route with you so I can answer any questions you have during the flight. Can't do it today though, I am currently flying the NGX from Nice, France to Dubai, United Emirates which is a 6 hour 30 min flight. After that doing a 4 hour flight from Dubai down to MALE Atolls in the Indian Ocean.

Thanks for the offer, Paul! However, I don't fly on AVSIM and I am not into MSN and the likes. ;) But I really appreciate the offer! In the meantime I had a 'conversation' on another forum where someone posted a tutorial on all this (it's Dutch, so posting a link probably isn't too helpful... it's a pure coincidence a tutorial was posted on this forum too!). And I think I finally discovered that if you want to do this as real as possible (or even when you want to do this, period) there is no real easy way... you just NEED to check charts...! On that Dutch forum I finally found out how to look at charts (which one you have to check first, how they relate to each other, etc.) and where to look on them for important information. I also discovered some other things, so let me share with you what I learned and discovered so far... Correct me if I am wrong anywhere, PLEASE! I registered (for free) at www.ead.eurocontrol.int and now have access to ALL charts I'll ever need (for Europe anyway). At this moment (already) I don't even need (or WANT to use) FSC for choosing SIDs and STARs! It's much more fun checking out those charts! When I want to take off from EHAM, I first get a basic route from the internet (currently I use simroutes.com or rfinder.asalink.net/free but maybe you don't even need to download a route... more on that later. Then I find out which runway to use and then I look at the chart which shows all SIDs for that particular runway: here is an example from such a chart (RWY 18C): I found out that (at least with EHAM) every runway has different compatible SIDs, so whenever you use a plan from the internet, don't simply use the SID and STAR that comes with that plan, because it could well be the chosen routines are not 'compatible' with your runway! I needed to go straight south, so I need the LARAS 1X SID! Easy as that! No more guessing! (The online flightplane said I need the WOODY SID, but that one doesn't even connect to RWY 18C...! So never simply use a SID from a plan!) The same goes for the STAR. Check the charts and choose the STAR that connects to the end of the flightplan. On the STAR chart you have to look for the IAF: the initial approach fix, which is the end of the STAR: from there you are taken to the runway. so far it seems that IAF also is (or could be) the name of the Transition you need! Next thing to do is to look at the approach chart for the runway: usually you will see that same IAF on it, so you can see where you are going from there. If all is well, everything should look the same on the various charts as on the 737NGX ND. (Sometimes however the IAF is the end of it all and you are vectored to the runway: howver, as far is I can tell the 737NGX CDU connects everything, so you should be fine... or you should simply position yourself in front of the runway... not too sure about that yet. ) The easiest thing to do is to enter the newly found SID, STAR and TRANS in FSC to the route you copied into it from the internet (so siply type it into the flightplan line) and press OK to create the new plan: obviously the SIDs and STARs have to connect to airways. I just was told that FSC can even create a new plan when you simply enter the airports, SID and STAR: it will connect everything using the appropriate airways! Can't check it right now but that would mean you can even skip copying plans from the internet. Well, this is how far I got up to now... I am still learning, so don't take this all for granted! Oh, one more thing: you also really need to use the same AIRAC for the 737NGX and FSC... I still have to figure out how much that costs and if it will work with the shareware version of FSC.

Yes, FSC will automatically make a plan (without SIDs and STARs) between the two airports you choose. You simply click on the top bar whether you want low altitude airways, high altitude airways or VORs, and the waypoints appear on the plight plan and on the map. Then you choose a SID and a STAR. Choosing a SID I find rather trivial - you choose one from the list that goes in the right direction. I have more problems with STARs - for example flying from San Diego to KLAX (Los Angeles) I can't find a single STAR that comes from the South and puts me in a reasonable position with respect to the runway. And since one cannot put a waypoint between a STAR and the airport, one is left in a awkward position for an autoland. Henri