I find that when following a star with a 180 degree onto finals I struggle to get fully established and fight hard to do so. Perhaps my choices are not as per real world and I'm using the incorrect ones for the approach to the runway. If I was to approach EGLL from the general direction of France as an example, irrespective of runway how would one select the correct star and transition? I guess the charts would provide all the answers ? please correct me!

Depending on the traffic flow, runway in use, and arrival direction, the star will funnel in traffic. If you have access to the star publication, you can easily judge which star you need to use based on your arrival direction.

Hi Shannon, STAR's are arrival procedures from the enroute point. These leads you unto the IAF. So if you are comming from Paris the route could be like this: LFPG SID ATREX UT225 VESAN UL613 SANDY STAR EGLL So from SANDY we now have to choose a STAR and you are correct a chart would help enourmusly. So we are comming from a south east direction and BIG VOR is in that direction so we'll choose a STAR that ends there and starts at SANDY. If you go to EDITED BY ADMIN Jeppesen copyright you'll find charts for EGLL and on page 10-2 we have the relevant chart. the STAT you'll be looking for is BIG1F. Now you simply select the runway in use in the left hand side of the ARR page and then select BIG as the TRANSITION. You'll find those at page 10-2F in the Jeppesen charts. Now for the speeds. here is what Airbus recommends for a stable approach: 9000 ft above airport elevation at 30 nm from touchdown; and, 3000 ft above airport elevation at 15 nm from touchdown (to account for deceleration and slats/flaps extension). Once you get a hang of the speed and decend management she is really easy to control and predict. I've been 5000feet above profile and still made it with out going extra distance. Use the tips that Jack provided in the pinned threads. Thats it!

If I was to approach EGLL from the general direction of France as an example, irrespective of runway how would one select the correct star and transition?

Arriving from France, most likely you would be flying the BIG3B STAR which begins at the ALESO intersection. Payware tools like Aivlasoft EFB or Flightsim Commander are a big help when choosing a STAR. You can get the same information from charts that are available for free, though. UK charts can be found here: http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=6&Itemid=13.html

Excellent advice , flying whilst communicating on IPAD, I am trying to download charts on it. I have a better idea now,thank you!Excellent advice , flying whilst communicating on IPAD, I am trying to download charts on it. I have a better idea now,thank you!