Here is my problem. We'll see if anyone can answer this one, if you do you will get a free ride in my 737.

 

I am trying to build an approach that is not in the database.

 

My fixes are:

 

ALEUT 200/4100A

EYUYO 160/2500

AFPIV 145/2500

USUHU 145/1900

Discontinuity

ALEUT (I cant put a constraint in here, why?)

 

First off in descending order ALEUT is an IAF, EYUYO,AFPIV are intermediate fixes and USUHU is the missed approach fix and AFPIV is also the missed approach hold point. Every time I try and put a constraint into the hold point it says ALTITUDE CONSTRAINT EYUYO in the scratchpad. I cant even do it with the hold page. What is the reason for this? EYUYO has nothing to do with anything. It makes no sense to me, I am using it as a second fix after flying over the first one. The FMS or the engineers that designed it should be smarter than that.

 

Can someone please explain how to build my own approach and that use the same fix on different segments and put constraints in please. I will give you a ride in my plane. This is driving me nuts. The FCOM says very little about it.

 

Thank you

The missed approach procedure can be added within the sidstar procedure file, but the route in the RTE or LEGS page terminates at the runway. The sidstar file syntax is not difficult, I was self taught using Terry Yingling's tutorial (look for how to create 737 procedures in the library) in a few days. It took a little longer to be very proficient, but that level of knowledge is not required to do an approach.

You cannot manually build approaches in the real thing either - there's a lot of invisible encoding that marks waypoints as approach and missed approach and the pilot is not able to enter these things. In the real world you have all the approaches in the FMC and they're all correct - unfortunately that's often not the case in the sim world, but it's just what we have to deal with. As Dan said, if you learn to code the procedures in the PMDG/SIDSTARS folder you can make whatever you want and it'll work.

Very true Ryan,

 

I have experimented with the text encoding and in deed it works like a charm. In order to understand it, you have to take a procedure that is already there, see it in action/fmc/plates and then you will be able to understand the "code".

 

One interesting thing just like in reality is that you cannot manually program in the FMC the DME arcs but they are coded in the approches if there is one (Honolulu 19nm DME arc comes first to mind). You can pseudo program them with FIX Bearing Distance points say from 10 to 10 degrees and get an accurate result but not like you would do it in the procedure.

 

Hope this helps:)

 

Ionut G. Micu

Romania

Thanks guys, I was able to program an aircraft flyable "approach" using FMS way points that exist in the database for that GPS approach, the only thing I was not able to do however was to put that constraint at a way point that serves a dual purpose i.e. IAF and MAHP the second one would say invalid entry or "waypoint constraint at (following fix name)" error message. The aircraft flew the approach well in VNAV but after I went to the MAHP and I tried again at that point to put a constraint in there again the FMS crashed and I had to use the FO's side to divert to my alternate. So I guess this is what happens when I try to do something with the FMS that is was not design to do? That's fine if it is, I was just wondering if I had a problem with the software or if the real one might do that as well.

 

I will look into learning how to program this in with the file. I will look for that tutorial. Thanks allot.

So I have read the tutorial and have made an attempt to build the gps e into PADU. I get an FMS error:PADU ERROR:ALEUT FIX N/A.

 

I had to create a notepad file for PADU because there was not one in the sid/stars folder. I followed all instructions from the tutorial to the letter and I confirmed all fixed are in the FMS database. I triple checked all spelling and syntax and cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I also cant paste into this box otherwise I would paste the notepad file into here.

 

ALEUT is in the database and it is the IAF. I did not include the transition because there is only one and it starts 60nm from the IAF so is not applicable for me. could this may be the reason, no transition?

 

The approach does not show under the airport app/dep page either but the runways do.

 

Thanks

ALEUT must also be defined in the txt file itself.

 

Now good thing about NGX is, you only need to reload the FMC route so that proc .txt reloads, and that is easily done in the plane on the CDU FMC page RTE - just click on LSK L1 twice, reselecting DEP airport.

Writing the error in syntax is also nice...

I don't think they need to be defined unless they are not in the PMDG NGX sid/star database navdata. All of the fixes for this approach are in there because I verified with the FMS. I can type in ALEUT and it takes me right there. No errors are present for any of the other fixes either so this is what has me a little confused. I even checked the syntax again and it is good, I think. I must be overlooking something simple here, I just can't figure out what it is.

 

Or maybe I am not understanding you.

Got it! Terry gets a ride on my plane. Thanks Terry. Now I know why PMDG did not call me to help program their 777. Although my lack for being able to read between the lines led me to believe that I did not need the latlon of all the fixes in their if they were already in the database, which they were. But apparently they need to be. If Terry Yingling reads this he should update the tutorial to make that a little more clear. Otherwise great tutorial. Pretty cool how the whole approach shows in the database now. Thanks to downcc for the info on where to get this as well. You get a ride as well, just tell me where and when. In my plane of course.

 

Now we will see if I can finally make it into Dutch Harbor and safely land w/o running of the end. Following all the limitations of course. In the 700. The 800 and 900 wont do it w/n limits. After a night of hard drinking in one of those crazy horse bars in Cold Bay I think I will be ready for it, Alaska style! :Kiss:

 

Thank you

I don't think they need to be defined unless they are not in the PMDG NGX sid/star database navdata. All of the fixes for this approach are in there because I verified with the FMS. I can type in ALEUT and it takes me right there. No errors are present for any of the other fixes either so this is what has me a little confused. I even checked the syntax again and it is good, I think. I must be overlooking something simple here, I just can't figure out what it is.

 

Or maybe I am not understanding you.

 

No, they have to be defined in the txt file always to be used in an NGX compatible procedure. There was an old keyword "NAVAID" for our previous products that did it by searching the navdata, but no one used it so for the NGX it's "FIX" only and they must be defined in the FIXES list at the top of the file.

 

This has nothing to do with just typing a waypoint name into the FMC in flight - that's always going to search the navdata.

Rog, thanks I got it now. What a great thing to have learned.