Planning my route

[VirginAus737 0]

Hey guys, first of all would just like to say a huge thanks to Ryan for writing up the two guides for the 737, very long for me but very rewarding and I think I am getting the hang of all these new navigation aids. Its certainly far better than using the fsx atc to guide you around. But although I understand it all and feel really pro (obviously not) I am wondering where all the info comes from for this guide. Where do I plan out the route and find all the way points necessary for my flight. I am considering getting Topcat at after seeing it in the guide and I see that it can give lots of helpful info like runway length aswell. I have found airport charts on basin which I download to my Android Tablet and have sitting there. But its really that route planning that leaves me unsure.

 

Thanks,

[ck777 2]

If you are flying in the U.S, www.flightaware.com is a great resource for finding real world routes. I use it for just about every flight. You can also check out www.simroutes.com, which is a pretty good free route planner.

 

I also have the paid version of vRoute, which is okay. I think the free version allows you to do routes as well but can't remember.

 

Topcat is great and can't say enough good things about it!

 

Cheers,

Chris K.

[VirginAus737 0]

Thanks for that, will check it out! Also I would like to ask what most of you guys use for ATC, excluding vatsim because I do like my ai, because I just feel its such a waste having such a high powered similar and not knowing how to use it properly and using default fly here fly there fsx at.

[EGLL77W 1,508]

Here are my main resources for getting Routes & Flight Planning:

 

http://www.edi-gla.co.uk/fpl/index.php - My main source for Flight Plans as they're Real World.

http://flightaware.com/ - UK - Canada & USA Routes, then US/Canada - UK Routes.

http://www.simroutes...ParseRoute.aspx - Always use this to see where my route is going, to get validation that all Waypoints & Airways work within FSX & Download for Squawk Box and sometimes my Aircraft.

http://blackswan.ch/nat/ - To get Weather forecasts over the Atlantic & if I'm flying current NATS confirm them with my FP and take note of the TMI.

Friends - A few of my good friends who share some real world flight plans!

 

They're all free. I used to use http://rfinder.asalink.net/free/ but I noticed after getting into Real World Flight Plans it's wrong. However if you're not fussed about that it's good. Not sure on the paid version.

 

Hope this helped,

 

Cheers

[davidz 26]

If you are interested in flight planning in Australia, the ERSA Flight Planning Requirements give a lot of guidance, as well as a large list of preferred routes (perfect if you're flying Virgin flights ;) ).

 

The AIP Australia website: http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/aip.asp

 

Once you have accepted the copyright notice, click on ERSA, then Flight Planning Requirements.

[VirginAus737 0]

Thanks David and Luke! I love to fly in Australia on all the Virgin flights. Will probably try these out and come back with a few questions after the queens birthday footy match.

[WR269 365]

If you fly in Australia, go to www. Vatpac.org and select pilot assist.

 

Here you can find real world flight plans between any main city pair on Australia as well as current charts and aerodrome diagrams

[Joseph_Van 7]

Professional flight planner WWW.PFPX.com will be the new wayto do flight plans.

[VirginAus737 0]

Just one problem with TOPCAT, when I have the 737 and right configuration for the -800 I cannot select the allow derated takeoff or allow combination of both options. Any ideas? And still open for suggestions for ATC.

 

never mind, fixed now.

[Sekstifire 9]

I would very highly recommend using one of the big online networks for ATC, they totally blow the competition (computer program ATC) away.

[VirginAus737 0]

I am actually considering getting back to the virtual flying once I get all this mastered, I don't want to be holding everyone up. My first non tutorial flight went pretty well. I landed at YSSY using the oils and landed safely too. A few problems though. My nd and flight plan have been uploaded. First problem is my top of decent is basically over the airport, so I resolved that before it was too late by starting the decent myself. Second problem is that random magenta route line that is coming out from the dense waypoint area which is where the airport is, I don't think I programmed it in. I just punched the exact route in the fmc route page without any corrections cos I didn't know of any.

 

Thanks

 

Please excuse my speed and vnav error, I had a fsx crash and it effected a few things excluding what I mentioned earlier which I picked up earlier in the flight. Here is the flight plan which wouldn't upload earlier, just a generic one from simroutes.com.

 

[WR269 365]

Why dont you stick to flying that same route a few times until you are comfortable with your flight?

 

Vatpac is a division of vatsim and every monday night there is a "milk run" event where atc is available between sydney and melbourne.

 

Wednesday night is "New Pilots night" so atc sometimes comes along to help anyone who wants to learn flying in fu controlled airspace.

 

For your flight, DOSEL is the initial point for the ML to SY route...when you have entered the route into the FMC, go to the TO/ARR page, and here you select your SID for departure....from ML it will be a DOSEL7, then select the runway you will use, and they get added to your flight plan on the NGX's FMC.

 

Normally you will be advised the STAR for arrival into SY, if you are flying offline, the STAR via waypoint RIVET into Sydney is a RIVET9 (the numbers change, dont worry if yours has a different number). Also here you select the landing runway for SY.

 

The STARS into SY have a "manual" portion where you are normally vectored to the start of the ILS...for example, the start for rwy 34L is SOSIJ....you will see your STAR programs a downwind leg but nothing to intercept at SOSIJ...simply fly this portion manually. The VATPAC website has all the approach charts as well as the airport charts, they will show you the altitude restrictions and the route to be flown on the approach...make sure you use them.

 

I strongly suggest you visit the Vatpac website, there are some wonderful tools for pilots as well as tutorials to help you out.

[VirginAus737 0]

Thanks, I had the dosel7 and rivet9 entered as I was going through the app/dep page so I am not sure about that but I will check out vatpac as well.

[VirginAus737 0]

Well instead of terminating the route programming at SY I stopped it one leg earlier at RIVET and then I programmed the approach via SOSIJ and this time I got the T/D on the ND in the right spot. Still have the magenta line coming out from Sydney, I don't know if it matters though. My plan for learning is to do a few flights on my own then revise with the tutorial, then I should be ready for vatsim in no time.

[WR269 365]

Ok, the SY in your plan refers to the Sydney vor. Delete it, you dont need it, it will only confuse the FMC.

 

Your route should follow the Rivet Star until left downwind for rwy34L and then you manually intercept Sosij, it then goes to the ILS terminating in "RWY34L".