Need some help with FMC and Fsbuild

[maranelloboy05 0]

I read this wonderful tutorial when I got the 747 last week and everything went very smoothly, http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/. I have no issues getting my created flightplans into the FMC, starting it up, getting off the ground and following the created path. My problem comes with the approach. The plan I export from Fsbuild gets me to the airport, but it puts me at an angle to the beginning of the runway. Now I've been reading the forums and it looks like this is how it is supposed to work, is it? I assume I have to pick an approach on the DEP/ARR page of the FMC, but I can't find a tutorial on how or when to do this. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? All the tutorials I've found put you down right on the runway with no change to the flightplan once loaded into the FMC.ThanksChris Schlumpf

[PHXMD-11 86]

You need to select an approach. On the FMC, press the DEP/ARR button. Select the arrival page for the arrival airport. Select the runway, star, and transitions you want/need/or are told to fly. Press the EXEC button.Also make sure that you have your approach speed and flaps selected on the arrival REF page which can be selected by pressing the INIT REF button. You don't want to land at say 240 knots if there aren't any speed restrictions on your arrival.When the time comes to do this, you can plan the approach at the origin airport for fuel planning. This is what I do to make sure that the winds and complete route is entered to ensure I have enough fuel. I don't like running low on fuel halfway over the Atlantic (or worse somewhere between Asia and LA.You can also plan your arrival before your descent point.If you have any other questions, feel free to ask away. There are definitely people here who know what they are talking about when it comes to this stuff. Or feel free to send me a PM and I'll help you out.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Kenny

[maranelloboy05 0]

You need to select an approach. On the FMC, press the DEP/ARR button. Select the arrival page for the arrival airport. Select the runway, star, and transitions you want/need/or are told to fly. Press the EXEC button.Also make sure that you have your approach speed and flaps selected on the arrival REF page which can be selected by pressing the INIT REF button. You don't want to land at say 240 knots if there aren't any speed restrictions on your arrival.When the time comes to do this, you can plan the approach at the origin airport for fuel planning. This is what I do to make sure that the winds and complete route is entered to ensure I have enough fuel. I don't like running low on fuel halfway over the Atlantic (or worse somewhere between Asia and LA.You can also plan your arrival before your descent point.If you have any other questions, feel free to ask away. There are definitely people here who know what they are talking about when it comes to this stuff. Or feel free to send me a PM and I'll help you out.

Thanks, I'll give it another shot. I thought I had done that earlier today, but I think I kept trying different things and got it screwed up.-Chris Schlumpf Edited January 15, 2012 by maranelloboy05

[vc10man 732]

I read this wonderful tutorial when I got the 747 last week and everything went very smoothly, http://smithplanet.com/fs2004/pmdg/. I have no issues getting my created flightplans into the FMC, starting it up, getting off the ground and following the created path. My problem comes with the approach. The plan I export from Fsbuild gets me to the airport, but it puts me at an angle to the beginning of the runway. Now I've been reading the forums and it looks like this is how it is supposed to work, is it? I assume I have to pick an approach on the DEP/ARR page of the FMC, but I can't find a tutorial on how or when to do this. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? All the tutorials I've found put you down right on the runway with no change to the flightplan once loaded into the FMC.ThanksChris Schlumpf

Hi Chris. Kenny has more ore less given you some pointers.However, having done a straight 100 flights each lasting more than 8 hours in the last 2 months with the PMDG 747-400+400F(I've set myself a target of 100 flights each for the aircraft in my hangar)using FS2Crew, maybe I can add my t'pence worth.Assuming that you do not have a flight planner such as FSC8 or 9, or EFB, if you use the Map facility from the FSX menu(World-Map),locate the airport you are intending to land at. This will hopefully, give you the ATIS frequency. Seeing that you have stated that you have followed that tutorial, you should then be able to input that ATIS frequency into your Comms Radio. When you are roughly about 60-70 miles from that arrival airport, you will get a scrolling list of which Rwy has been designated as the landing Rwy.From there, fire up your Dep/Arr button on the FMC, look for that Rwy and the associated STAR and transition(charts are available,some freeware, for you to check this out).You should then have a flightplan to take you down to that designated landing Rwy. You will still have time to descend.You should be looking to approach the landing Rwy threshold no faster than 150kph/30 flaps to give you a smooth glide-in and flare-out before applying RT.If you can, try to get the FS2Crew button or voice versions, as it takes away a lot of the workload as you busy yourself preparing for an approach, but that is only my own choice.

[maranelloboy05 0]

I'm definitely doing something wrong still. I'm getting a disconnected FMC error. I don't think I'm choosing the right approach, does anyone have a link for a good tutorial on STARS?Chris Schlumpf

[vc10man 732]

I'm definitely doing something wrong still. I'm getting a disconnected FMC error. I don't think I'm choosing the right approach, does anyone have a link for a good tutorial on STARS?Chris Schlumpf

Do you mean 'discontinuity' or 'disconnected'? If it's the former, then all you do is clean up the FMC Legs page and move up the waypoint till that discontinuity clears.

[maranelloboy05 0]

SUCCESS!! I'm really not sure what I was doing wrong before, going from SFO to LAX it was still putting me at the runway even after selecting an approach and fixing the discontinuity. I then switched to a quick PHF to BWI and it went perfectly, well for the most part. Flying this way is a bit different than with the flightplan from the original tutorial, but I got the plane on the ground safe and sound.I just can't believe how different this plane is than the default, thank you everyone for all the help.Chris Schlumpfedit: Looking back at the Fsbuild flightplan I remember what else I did differently, I did not use a SID or STAR in fsbuild when I made the plan, I wonder if that is what was screwing it up.

Edited January 16, 2012 by maranelloboy05

[vc10man 732]

Happy Landings!

[Ericd 4]

I'm definitely doing something wrong still. I'm getting a disconnected FMC error. I don't think I'm choosing the right approach, does anyone have a link for a good tutorial on STARS?Chris Schlumpf

One of the best tutorials I've ever seen for the 747 you can find here:http://www.fs-tutorials.com/en/tuto_B747_400_PMDG.phpEvere tiny step is explained including a picture (a big one)If you read part 1 (English version) you can read the others too (French) because it is only looking at the pictures.He explain sid and stars but even the way to insert the route.Great tutorial.After you read this one, all the other FMC's in different planes are easy to understand.Succes.Eric

[downscc 1,327]

I found it easy to use a flightplan generator such as FSBuild without including departures and arrivals, but just the route. This way, I manually select the sid/star with the FMS and are assured of loading the current fixes/waypoints. These things do occasionally change, even if just for weather. Makes the saved flightplan more versatile.

[maranelloboy05 0]

That link has a lot of good info, I'll have to wait for the weekend to get through all of it though, thanks.I think I will start building the fp without any departure or approach, at least then I could use the VFR function for the default ATC.