HI Guys,I need some help. For the last few months, I've been flying STARS and SIDS using real world charts and flight plans. I've learned what I could about the charts from reading online, but I still have unanswered questions, to which I can't find a "real" tutorial anywhere.So far, I've had pretty good success using STARS, and programing the FMC with the proper altitude and speed restrictions. Last week, I tried to take a real world flight that I've been on many times. It's KSMF to KBUR.The flight plan is FROGO6 FRA REBRG DERBB CEEME1. So, I read the CEEME1 STAR, created the flight plan in FSBUILD, loaded it, and took off. Once in cruise, I went to the LEGS page, and added any restrictions for the approach. VNAV did what it was supposed to do to hit each waypoint properly, however, there were some that were just to hard to make, and this pushed my approach back so that I was too high by the time I hit FIM and ready to intercept the localizer. It wasn't the NGX's fault, or the FMC, I'm sure it was the flight plan and how it was programmed by me. I tried it twice, with the same result.So, my question is this. Can someone who is experienced with using RW STARS and programming the restrictions in the FMC let me know how they would have programmed the FMC with this flight plan and approach so I can compare and see where I went wrong?I've attached the CEEME1 STAR to this note. Any help would be appreciated. I just can't figure out where I'm going wrong, espeically since I've flown so many others correctly.Thanks in advance!John

John, did any FMC warnings appear regarding drag required? That mandatory altitude and speed on this STAR make for a very steep approach and I would expect to have to deploy speedbrakes after REYES. 2 and some change minutes to drop 2000' and lose 30 knots airspeed is quite the challenge when heavy.Also, just for interest, you might be interested in VATUSA's tutorials:http://vatusa.net/training/tiki-index.php?page=reading_sids_stars

Hi Paul,Yes, drag required did show up a few times, and I did deploy speed brakes. It seemed to be excessive. Thanks for the link, I will give it a read.John

Hi John, keep in mind ATC will be giving you vectors and altitudes to fly.. The ILS into rwy 8 is a 3.00 Glidepath, so that's normal.. You rarely fly a full STAR into an airport.. ATC will give you the correct headings and altitudes to line you up nicely.. Sounds like you're flying the full star then having to descend rapidly.. You want to be at 3700 feet 12 miles out for RWY 8.. Give it a try.. cheers.

The REYES minimum altitude restriction on the chart to me seems inconsistent with the rest of the arrival procedure. I have another edition of the chart with similar date validity where it is different (13000) but still inconsistent.

The guys that design these charts are quite knowledeable about what they do so I think its "us".Maybe between the STAR en the approach chart there is a transistion which will give you more track miles?Bert Van Bulck

The 14,000 (13,000 in the other edition) feet minimum in REYES lies between two flight segments, those before and after the subject fix, requiring 11,000 feet flight.