Hey guys,

 

I've finally had some time to put some hours into the NGX...about time it's been 9 months or so! My question is though, how can I change my T/D so that I can reach the Crossing Restriction in time? For example, I flew from YYZ-YQM and there is no waypoints around 30nm away from the airport. So how could I change my descent profile to ensure that I'm at 250B/11000B at the 30nm range around the airport?

 

Any help is much appreciated.

 

By the way, is there any WestJet pilots on these forums? If so I'd love to talk to you. I'm right around YYZ and know a few pilots who fly out of there (more so FedEx than any other company) but if I could potentially chat to a real life WestJet or SunWing pilot (anybody operating a 37 out of YYZ) that would be awesome!

 

Thanks guys!

Use the Moncton VOR and make a Phantom Waypoint 30 miles away from it in the FMC and then set your Restriction in the Lateral Part of the Legs page.

There's a couple ways to do this:

 

The best way is probably to make a 30nm ring around the airport using the FIX page (enter the airport ICAO into LSK 1L, then enter /30 into LSK2L). Click LSK 2L and it'll give you a waypoint in the scratchpad that you can insert on the LEGS page - this is the exact point your flight path intersects that 30nm ring. You can then set the speed and altitude at that waypoint on the right side of the LEGS page entry for it. This lets you use VNAV PTH normally.

 

You could also do it manually though by drawing the 30nm ring and then use V/S mode in conjunction with the green arc on the ND to hit the restriction. Use the 3 for 1 (3 miles for every 1000 feet you have to descend) rule to decide when to start down - so if you're at FL350 and you want to be at 11000, that's 24000 feet you have to lose - 24x3 = start down at around 72nm away from the 30nm ring. Adjust V/S as you get closer to ensure you meet the restriction. I'd add at least 5 or 10 miles for slowing down to 250 too.

Or create an Along-Track Displacement waypoint in the LEGs page.

 

Select YQM to the scratch pad (I'm assuming its on your Leg's page, if its not, add it)

Type in the scratch pad: /-30 after YQM. Example: YQM/-30

Push the left line select key abeam YQM.

A new waypoint will appear above YQM in the legs sequence that is 30nm from YQM, called YQM01 .

Now type in the scratch pad: 250/100 (altitude and speed restriction to cross YQM01 at 250 knots and at 10,000 feet.

Push the right line select key abeam the new waypoint YQM01 to insert the altitude and speed restriction.

The FMC will calculate a TD to cross 30nm from YQM at 250 knots.

 

John Floyd

This is all great. Ron, Ryan and John your responses and answers are much appreciated! I plan on doing another flight tonight. This shall be a much better descent :)

 

Thank you!

The along-track method is only going to work if you have the airport as a waypoint in your flightplan though - the FIX page method will work with anything at all that ATC tells you, doesn't have to be a flightplan waypoint.

Hey Ryan,

 

The YQM VOR is really close to the airport so I just used that, and put a 40nm deviation for it. 250/10000 and ATC cleared me to 12000 for the Crossing Restriction. The plane wanted to me 2000 below so that went flawlessly :) Much better than trying to scramble to get down as I had to before. Most successful flight to date. I'm quite pleased! Now off to do that so-called "World Issues" homework...how that has to do with anything and flying I'm not sure. Guidance counsellor thought it would be a good idea to take! Haha.

 

Thanks for all your help guys. Now onto maybe some longer flights :) Maybe YYZ-TNCM? Or YYZ-LAS?

 

WestJet better hire me straight out of flight school with the NGX slowly being tackled by me :P Ah I'm just estatic and getting WAY ahead of myself.

 

I really appreciate it, you guys made my night!