Hi guys, another one from me. I was flying SBLO-SBGR. I had in my 737 ngx fmc a waypoint with a FL150A restriction. About 40 miles from the waypoint, RC gives me PD to FL120. So, I go to FL150 until the waypoint, and then, after the waypoint I plan to go down to FL120. Turns out that, way before the waypoint, RC asks me to descend to FL120 and asks me to do it in less than 30 miles. So, I do as the ATC says, and disrespect the FL150A wpt restriction.Is this right? Can the ATC disrespect a waypoint alt. restriction? Or am I doing something wrong? Maybe something wrong with the plan?In my controller info, I'm using the Alt. Restrictions normally.

Controllers control aircraft, not FMCs. RC doesn't know about altitude restrictions. It uses an algorithm to determine when you should start your descent to ensure you're at FL110/11,000ft or FL120/12,000ft 40 miles from the arrival airport.

If you are using a Boeing type Smith's FMC you can put a range ring around your destination airport. I use one at 40 miles out and another at 30 miles out which is where usually speed restrictions occur for the arrival traffic pattern.On the PMDG 737 FMC FIX page put in the ICAO airport code (same as destination). Then in the scratchpad put in /40, click the bearing/distance LSK, and EXE the change and on your ND you'll see the ring. I then use the descent arcs using IAS and V/S as necessary to insure the trend arcs end before the crossing restriction.

I have gotten crossing restriction conflicts in every flight lately even today into Key West. I get a message that I missed my crossing restiction even though I was never give a restriction. Then I am forced to turn away from my destination and half the time never contacted again so I must cancel my IFR. Do I need to reinstall Radar Contact?

If you missed acking a command that may have stalled RC4. You must be current on acknowledgments. Same with waypoint credits.For your Key West arrival you would have received a command to descend to 11,000 or 12,000 feet depending on your arrival direction. Since you are in US territory where the transition altitude is 18,000 feet (otherwise RC would have commanded a flight level which requires standard pressure of 29.92 inches) you must be on the local pressure stated in the command and at that altitude by 40 nm out from Key West.Check out the tutorials in the updated RC43 manual:http://www.jdtllc.com/v4/rcv43.pdf

Ron, I was at the assigned flight level and had no notice by RC to meet a crossing restriction. It told me I had missed it and turned me. This has happened on all of my flights lately and I don't know why. I have been using RC4 for some years and only had crossing restrictions maybe 10% of the time. I would say this has happened in the past 4-6 weeks and I haven't added any scenery or a/c. I am getting ready to repeat the KATL-KEYW flight again and see if it happens again.

If you were at an altitude below 11,000 or 12,000 feet then you may not have received the crossing restriction. It sounds similar to descend to 11,000 or 12,000 feet. I need you down in 30 miles or less. It is part of your final phase of center communications before being handed off to approach. If it was below the transition altitude for the area you would have been given local pressure in millibars or inches for your barometer setting.What weather application are you using? Are you using ASE for FSX? If so, be sure FSUIPC is current and all service packs are in place for ASE. While there have been no altitude reporting changes in FSUIPC there are modifications to acommodate changes in ASE's method of weather control.For the US the transition altitude is 18,000 feet. You say you were at an assigned flight level which means you were at 18,000 feet or above (FL180 or above). There would have been a descent below that entering the LOW strata of center possibly to 17,000 feet and then the crossing restriction issued.Also, run the scenery rebuild again with the latest version of makerwys.

Ron, this time the flight worked out properly. I was lower than 18,000 on all of my previous flights as instructed by RC. I always use the altitude requested by RC and that was not an issue. For some reason the program seemed to believe it had given me a crossing restriction such as "cross 40 miles from xxx at xxx feet". That has not been the case lately when it said I missed the crossing restriction and then redirected me. I will keep a close eye on my route info in the FMC and RC to figure out what is going on. I believe it may have something to do with approach waypoints with the PMDG 737NG as I changed my procedures recently that may conflict with RC protocols. John

Your flight planner determines the altitude by your request or by maximum that can be reached on a short run. I shot DAL792 from flightaware.com plan through FSBuild for the B737 with the filed cruise of 36000 feet (FL360) which RC might change to an odd FL350 due to its direction rules following RVSM:FSX will take an FS9 plan so here it is for you to try:[flightplan]title=KATL to KEYWdescription=KATL, KEYWtype=IFRroutetype=3cruising_altitude=36000departure_id=KATL, N33* 38.12', W084* 25.41',+001026.00departure_position=27Rdestination_id=KEYW, N24* 33.21', W081* 45.34',+000003.00departure_name=HARTSFIELD-JACKSON_ATLANTA_INTdestination_name=KEY_WEST_INTLwaypoint.0=KATL, A, N33* 38.12', W084* 25.41', +000000.00,waypoint.1=FUTBL, I, N33* 35.17', W084* 35.04', +000000.00,waypoint.2=ZALLE, I, N33* 27.25', W084* 35.04', +000000.00,waypoint.3=THRSR, I, N32* 57.40', W084* 25.16', +000000.00,waypoint.4=LUCKK, I, N32* 18.01', W084* 24.29', +000000.00,waypoint.5=HEVVN, I, N29* 49.19', W083* 53.42', +000000.00, Q104waypoint.6=LEGGT, I, N29* 13.22', W083* 30.38', +000000.00, Q104waypoint.7=PLYER, I, N28* 56.51', W083* 20.08', +000000.00, Q104waypoint.8=SWABE, I, N28* 35.16', W083* 06.31', +000000.00, Q104waypoint.9=PIE, V, N27* 54.27', W082* 41.03', +000000.00, Q104waypoint.10=CYY, V, N26* 09.12', W081* 46.41', +000000.00,waypoint.11=KEYW, A, N24* 33.21', W081* 45.34', +000000.00,Good luck with those short KEYW runways especially getting out. :)FYI: If you specified low altitude routes (V routes instead of J routes) then the maximum altitude would be restricted to 17,000 feet I believe. Don't recall. That may be why your planner used a cruise for 18,000 feet. The direct distance is 645 miles.Also here is a probably helpful paper on FMC, planner, and ATC coordination:

Edited February 20, 201214 yr by ronzie

I am still not sure what happens when I put waypoints in enroute. The waypoints and any restrictions are already in RC as generated by FSBuild. I have used routes generated by FSBuild, VRoute and Flightaware. The PMDG does not take the SIDS and STARS directly as generated so I put some but not all of the STARS waypoints in the FMC during my flight. I did it today on my return KEYW-KATL in the 737. Again RC said I had missed a crossing restriction and redirected me away from my planned route. It had not given me a restriction and I was at 13,000 ft at the time and had been for a bit. Luckily I still had some close in waypoints left on the route and RC allowed my to go direct to one. Otherwise RC would likely have forgotten me as on previous flights where this happened.Next time I will try putting the STARS in without singleing out only some of the waypoints. I will do in in two experiments. Before I depart and enroute on two different flights. Will post results later in the week. Somehow my procedures are creating a conflict.

If you are using FSBuild 2.4 if you wish you can update with Navigraph at no extra cost if you maintain a subscription for the PMDG products. That MAY keep your FMC and planner in sync. If you use STARS and approaches by Dan Downs he modifies them to simulate vector points and a full RNAV IAP. These are only for the FMC.I suggest you do create a log for jd with this flight as requested so he can figure out when and if a crossing restriction was issued.I have never had for a high altitude flight a missing issuance of the crossing restriction providing there are no outstanding acknowledgments in the menu.When you cross that range ring at 40 nm out, what altitude are you at. Also in the RC options tab what altitude deviation do you allow. I use the MCP for altitude (and use V/S as necessary). I don't set a hard altitude in the FMC as it is a bit time consuming and the approach is fast.I will assign the STAR but not the runway in the FMC until RC assigns the runway.As far as not accepting labels of terminal procedures as determined from flight aware there is a note in that paper regarding version numbers in the procedures differing between real world routes and what is in the data bases.I originally asked about the weather app you are using because I wonder if RC is reading and delivering the correct altimeter pressure to meet the crossing restriction. If your app uses dynamic weather it should give you the pressure at your current position, not destination.

Ron,My NAV data is synced with the latest from Navigraph on PMDG and FSBuild. Normally RC has me at 11 to 13,000 feet at the 40 mile mark. That is why the crossing restrictions are a bit puzzling. I have been using FSRealWX lite for my weather and altitude doesn't seem to be a problem. I use 500 feet for my deviation. I let the FMC calculate altitudes except my cruising altitude which I set based on RVSM standard and normally from FL35 - 40 unless it is a very short flight.I autoload the flightplan with the FMC and make adjustments as needed for changes in the departure and arrival runways. I don't usually use STARS as RC doesn't assign runway until within 50 miles of the destination and most STARS begin much further away. I found that using this method left me off course more often than not late in my flightplan as RC assumed the STAR and PMDG FMC did not. I thought the KEYW flight was a bit odd as there are no STARS at that airport making it different than the others. As noted, I will experiment with using full STARS and not imputting selected waypoints from the STAR and see what happens. After some thought, it seems RC assumes I will be using the STAR generated by FSBuild complete with the altitudes. By not actually flying the full STAR, I am probably creating a conflict with RC and it tells me I missed a crossing restriction then vectoring me to another heading. I assumed RC was in full control within 50 miles of the destination and complied with the heading and altitude instructions as given. Let me go ahead with changing my technique and see what happens.

Unless you request an IAP RC within 30 nm will issue vectors starting when you contact approach. Up to that point whatever STAR waypoints are in your .pln sent to RC must be crossed and your FMC must follow those waypoints. The waypoints that need to be crosses are in the status portion of the RC window and will pop off when crossed. If in the RC options you have check point ding checked you'll hear a chime as you get credit for them.One thing to note about FMC departures and arrivals is that you must cross within two miles in approach and departure phases and five miles within center phases. Some aircraft have bank limits set that prevent crossing within those limits. Slowing IAS may help or using MCP HDG allowing a very slight path overshoot so you are near enough to those checkpoints can help. If you have for departure and arrival and a near or on field navaid is close to runways those tolerances may be missed and I recommend they be eliminated from the flight plan as noted in my document.Once the .pln is sent to RC and it agrees within your FMC those checkpoints sent to RC should not be eliminated from your FMC LEGS page.RC is always the ruling factor and unless in your RC flight setup for departure one of the altitude restrictions (or your first checkpoint is within 30 nm) and for arrival outside of 40 nm you still must cross the checkpoints sent to RC and they must agree with your LEGS page.If you miss a checkpoint outside of the departure and approach phase you can choose in RC to go to the next checkpoint from your present position. To update your FMC on a Boeing type on the LEGS page LSK the checkpoint you want to go to and then LSK the top position in the LEGS list and EXE the change. If you have been commanded to go from your present position to the same waypoint from RC giving vectors and then a resume own navigation command double LSK the top checkpoint in the LEGS list and EXE the change.

Edited February 21, 201214 yr by ronzie