A feature in the FMC in the 757 I fly is called RTE COPY and RTE 2. The way I have used it is to enter a primary flight plan (RTE 1) with the SID, enroute portion to the first waypoint of the STAR and destination airport. On the ACT RTE 1 route page I line select COPY RTE. This creates two routes which are the same. I then complete RTE 1 entering the approach and transition point, and STAR. This remains the active route. On the ACT RTE 1 LEGS I line select RTE 2 LEGS. Route 2 comes up with the exception of the approach, transition, and STAR from RTE 1. I then complete RTE 2 using a different approach to a different runway, transition point, and STAR. I then line select RTE 1 and it remains the active route unless I line select RTE 2, activate it, and execute it. RTE 2 then becomes active and RTE 1 is no longer active. I don’t know what the intent of RTE 2 was but I use it to create approaches to two runways that I am most likely to land on. An example would be KTPA. I leave KJFK for KTPA and the Metar indicates winds of 195 at 10 so I would expect to land on 19R, However during the 2.5 hour flight the wind has changed to 340 at 8 so now the runway becomes 01L. I simply activate and execute RTE 2 which has already be set up to land on 01L. RTE 1 was set up for 19R. What does this do? It saves a lot of scrambling at the last minute to get the 01L entered into the FMC. Earlier today I flew the 737-800 KJFK-KDEN and has set up 17L but when I arrived in the Denver area the runway had changed to 8. In a 757 switch from RTE 1 to RTE 2 with three line select punches. In the 737-800 a lot of screwing with the FMC to get a new runway and approach set up. I can’t find any place in the manuals that mention a second route to the same destination. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank youMichael Cubine

Michael, RTE2 only exists in the U11.0 FMC version for the NG, which has not entered service in the real world yet. When it does we may consider updating the NGX to it and you'll see a RTE2 then. There isn't one on any real NG right now though.

Ryan ThanksMichael Cubine