San Jose, Costa Rica (MROC) to Tegucigalpa, Honduras (MHTG, shortest runway in international airports), Central America

 

Flight plan route: RAMON4.ARENA UA502 TNT RNAV.SOUTH.RWY02

Flight time: 1 hr

Recommended FL: 340 to 380

 

After flight, report if you still alive!

Just tried this and still alive.

The RNAV approach (I chose RNAV rwy 02 from FMC?) is pretty sick, but I don't understand why it's there? It would be much easier to make it way wider as the mountains do allow it. Or maybe I need FSgenesis to fix the terrain?

Also apart from the approach I thought the runway wasn't that short. I almost failed the approach and landed about halfway but was still able to stop the NGX 737-600 easily

I'd like to try this challenge, Geoff. Should be good fun as a challenge.

 

Is this all I need? Are there no VOR and ADF frequencies to navigate by? Or is the piece under Good Luck the actual FP and I take it that Rxxx are the VOR radials and the frequencies are listed after the waypoints?

 

Correct..

 

If you fly it on the FSMP server, you are required to file a flight plan, so ATC knows what you are intending to do,

The suggested, shortened flight plan to file is

+FP IFR|{your tail#}|{your a/c type}| KSAN-NAV CHALLENGE-KLAX | ALT BLOCK 030-070

 

If you are flying on another server, such as Vatsim, then you might need to file a Flight Plan that meeds their requirements.

If you fly in FSX "FREE FLIGHT", then you do not need to file one.

 

 

The actual ROUTE to fly, is defined by the folloing sequence of VOR, NDB, radials and radial intersection.

 

ie

Depart KSAN on RWY 27 (runway heading) to Intercept and fly the Radaial 200 deg OUT from MZB, climbing to 3500 ft.

Then while on that 200 Radial, intercept and fly the Radial IN to PGY

etc etc

 

-RWY 27 HDG TO R200 OUT MZB (117.80 MHz) Climbing to 3500'
-INT AND FLY R260 IN PGY (109.80 MHz)
-INT AND FLY R195 IN JLI (114.00 MHz)
-Climb to 5000'
-INT AND FLY R105 IN OCN (115.30 MHz)
-INT AND FLY R345 OUT MZB (117.80 MHz) TO DME 40.0
-DIR TO SJY (227.0 KHz) and DEPART HDG 360
-INT R070 OUT PSZ (112.20 MHz)
-Climb to 6000'
-INT R330 OUT PSP (115.50 MHz) UNTIL IN RANGE OF VCV (109.40 MHz) THEN DIR TO VCV
-Climb to 7000'
-INT AND FLY R200 IN PDZ (112.20 MHz)
-INT AND FLY R090 IN LAX (113.60 MHz)

 

(Note: one deliberate mistake in the radial IN/OUT directions, can you spot it ?)

 

The idea is to practice intercepting and flying VOR Radials. basic RNAV VOR Navigation WITHOUT attempting to put the course into a FMC.

 

AN additional CHALLENGE might be to consider this to be a new SID, and attempt to program it into the 737NG's FMC.

Not being a 737 FMC programming expert, I don't know if it will actually allow you, as the pilot to enter the information as supplied. ??

You might have to plot out the course on a CHART, determine the VOR Radial intercepts as USER DEFINED waypoints, and then enter the Lat/Long of those waypoints into the FMC. ?

 

The other part of the Challege comes if you fly the intended course in IMC conditions, obeying the altitude restrictions.

The course actually takes you "around a mountain" whose peaks are higher than your flying altitude.

If you "mess up" and do not fly the intended course reasonably accuratly, you might well end up in a mountain side.

 

One reason for posting the Course, as in reply to the OP's question, and also to see if anyone who is proficient in programming the 737ng's FMC, can figure out a simple way to program in this course, without having to resort to pre-plotting it out on a Chart, in order to get user-defined waypoints for the turns.

 

If you add the pressure of flying in full IMC, and knowing there are mountains near by, it is certainly a YOKE CLUTCHING experience ! Not to bad in a smaller GA plane -- yet to try it in, by hand, in a large passenger jet. (not too realistic, but an interesting challenge to fly on a sim)

Thanks for that detailed response, Geoff. No, I don't subscribe to any online/offline ATCs such VATsim, FSMP, etc so will attempt it as per your instructions. A good opportunity to drag out my Carenado Baron.

 

Adding SIDs in the PMDG range of aircraft's FMCs is no problem for me as I do it all the time.

Try these two in the NGX:-

 

Kathmandu, Nepal (VNKT) to Paro, Bhutan (VQPR) particularly a landing on Rwy 33.

 

Iain Smith

Just tried this in 100% darkness - impossible. You can't even see the runway until you almost crashed because it has no lights. All my alarms were going off all the time... TERRAIN, PULL UP, BANK ANGLE!!!!!

After 5x go around I decided to try from the other side.. But while adjusting my map I didn't see the mountain coming........... :(

Thanks for that detailed response, Geoff. No, I don't subscribe to any online/offline ATCs such VATsim, FSMP, etc so will attempt it as per your instructions. A good opportunity to drag out my Carenado Baron.

 

Adding SIDs in the PMDG range of aircraft's FMCs is no problem for me as I do it all the time.

 

Cool -- an FMC Guru !! Maybe you can tell me briefly how one would enter the VOR radial intercepts of the Nav Challenge into the 737ngx FMC. ( Pretty Please ! )

Cool -- an FMC Guru !! Maybe you can tell me briefly how one would enter the VOR radial intercepts of the Nav Challenge into the 737ngx FMC. ( Pretty Please ! )

Hey, hey, hey, I'm not that much an FMC Guru. What I meant is I use a pro FP like FSC v9 to create a route, match that to the charts for a particular departure/arrival airport, get the relevant SID/STAR data from a variety of sources, then add that to my PMDG a/c FMC. But, I had once before done the VOR radial input a long while back and now cannot recall how I did it. But I'm sure I got the H/u from somebody here.

 

Sorry, Geoff.

I also really like

• YSSY(Sydney) to YHBA(Hervey Bay) Only has an Rnav approach and short runway and is great with Orbx scenery OR Reverse flight is good also if you have a heavy load out of YHBA. I did this last night was a great trip with plenty of weather.
  

• YSSY to YBNA(Ballina) is another good one for short runway ops
  

Try São Paulo (Congonhas) to Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont)

SBSP - SBRJ

The busiest route in Latin America (More than 70 daily flights). Very challenging and beautiful approach at Rio.

Use GOL 737-800 SFP or 737-700. Don't do it with the normal 800. The SFP was made specially by GOL's request so they could operate at SBRJ with the 800.

 

You can find the charts here:

Select English language and search for SBSP and SBRJ

Use charts:

SID KUBOT 1B (Not on fmc. Use SID COSME or insert fixes manually)

Airway UZ37

STAR KUBOS 1A (Not on fmc. Use STAR COSME or insert fixes manually)

IAC RNAV (GNSS) a RWY 02/20 (NOT on fmc. Insert fixes manually on legs page)

 

You won't find SID KUBOT or STAR KUBOS on fmc, since navigraph hasn't updated it yet. However, you'll find the old SID and STAR COSME, which is basically the same as the new ones.

 

Now, the text in charts is in portuguese, but most of it is the basic information you can get it from the image. Here goes some info about the approach:

 

- SBRJ uses visual approaches for both runways whenever possible. Only when visibility is poor runway 20L is used with more precise approaches that gives them lower minimums, but these may conflict a little with SBGL's airspace.

- The approach chart is for all the 4 runways.

- Big planes as 737s use either 02R or 20L.

- The runway is 1323 m, so if you see you are going to touch after the touchdown zone, GO AROUND.

- Auto brakes MAX, obviously.

 

For runway 02R:

- Turn right at DINA and fly in the direction of Botafogo beach as seen in the video.

- Start the turn left above the beach with 30 degrees bank and above 800 feet.

- You should end the turn aligned with the runway at about 500 feet.

 

For 20L:

- Cross above the airport and then do an open turn left when you are getting to the other side of the bay.

- To make it easier, fly the base leg right above the bridge Rio-Niterói seen in the video.

- There's a part of the bridge that's higher for ships to pass under it. When you're getting to it it's when you should start your turn to final.

 

Sceneries:

SBSP: by Rubens Gonsalves. Awesome, very authentic scenery.

SBRJ: Tropical Sim

 

That's it. Hope you like it!

Just tried this in 100% darkness - impossible. You can't even see the runway until you almost crashed because it has no lights. All my alarms were going off all the time... TERRAIN, PULL UP, BANK ANGLE!!!!!

After 5x go around I decided to try from the other side.. But while adjusting my map I didn't see the mountain coming...........

 

I'm pretty sure that to try that in darkness in RL would be illegal! :crazy: It is definitely a VFR approach with the emphasis on the V!

 

Iain Smith

I'm pretty sure that to try that in darkness in RL would be illegal! :crazy: It is definitely a VFR approach with the emphasis on the V!

 

Iain Smith

hehe you're right, but it wasn't dark when i left :(

 

Your norway flight was a lot easier! Nice approach between the gletcher (came from sea-side), and short runway

Your norway flight was a lot easier! Nice approach between the gletcher (came from sea-side), and short runway

 

If you use real weather (Active Sky or whatever) and there is a lot of low cloud then it gets more difficult. So much so that recently a new specially equipped A320 of Atlantic Airways made the first ever satellite guided approach and landing by a commercial aircraft.

 

It is expected that this will give the Faroe Isles a much more reliable service, especially in winter.

 

Iain Smith

EHAM to LOWI

 

Aerosoft's scenery for both

If you use real weather (Active Sky or whatever) and there is a lot of low cloud then it gets more difficult. So much so that recently a new specially equipped A320 of Atlantic Airways made the first ever satellite guided approach and landing by a commercial aircraft.

 

It is expected that this will give the Faroe Isles a much more reliable service, especially in winter.

 

Iain Smith

I was using real weather.. it looked like this

Try ENGM (or anywhere else) into Vagar EKVG in the Faroe Islands.

With FSGlobal2010, approaches 13 / 31 are spectacular.

EGKK (RWY08L) To LOWI (RWY08) Special Permission approach. Have not done this but heard good reports, download the airport chart with restrictions off Austrian airline authorities website.