I got a route from KLAX to KCVG from my virtual airline so I went to simroutes.com and download a flight plan in PMDG format. I then loaded it into the FMC but was unable to use autopilot with it. I then tried to manually make it in the FMC following the first tutorial's instructions. But while I was setting waypoints I didn't know which ones to use as there were so many. I selected one with vectors which was actually another problem further along. I took off and was able to engage autopilot but soon realized the plane would not follow the waypoints. There was no purple line connecting to the first waypoint and all the plane wanted to do was go to waypoint (VECTOR) which had no end to it. The nm left until I reached it was dashed out and so was the speed. I tried deleting it but had no sucess. The plane was supposed to go to waypoint SLI and continue on to more waypoints but it only wanted to go straight. Are there any freeware flight plan builders for the NGX that fill in all the info into the FMC that also allow autopilot to engage?

Firstly, you should learn to enter the route manually into the FMC. It is good practice.

 

The reason you got VECTORS is because the SID is via ATC vectors. If no ATC, just clean it up in the LEGS page (select next waypoint in the list/see Manual).

 

That said, between LAX and CVG I got the following routing from simroutes.com:

 

LAXX6 TRM J134 ICT ENL MOSEY5

 

LAXX6 is the SID (departure procedure) and MOSEY5 is a STAR

 

So the route is basically TRM J134 ICT ENL. Where J134 is an airway and the others are VORs.

 

In the FMCs route page you enter origin and arrival airports, then you enter TRM in the first "TO" then J134 in the first "VIA" then the rest of the VORs in the remaining "TO" fields. Activate and execute. That way you have the route all set before starting with the SID/STARs.

 

Then you may input the rwy and SID on the departure page after getting it the ATIS and ATC clearance.

 

You will probably find that the final VOR is a transition point which will take you onto the STAR. So, when you enter a STAR you should find ENL as one of the transitions.

 

However, you do not have to add the STAR and arrival airport before departing. In fact, in real world you would normally leave that blank until getting ready for descent and arrival into your destination (again, after getting the ATIS and talking to ATC).

 

Not sure if all this made any sense, and I have probably forgotten something. But hopefully it made things a little clearer though. If not, just ask.

Is it possible that you could explain procedure with pictures as I put in J134 into the first VIA and it came through as an invalid entry. The TRM also came up as three different routes. I was able to add the rest of the way points but on the nav map it did a direct route to TRM and skipped all the other waypoints. It also said that I didn't have enough fuel to make it there. The distance to TRM was 4100 nm so I think it may have been the wrong one.

Not at my FSX computer right now... but I will try anyway without pictures.

 

1. The "TRM" you picked was clearly not the right one. TRM is a designator for the Thermal VORTAC 116.2 mhz, see chart for LAXX5 departure out of KLAX:

 

http://laartcc.org/charts/DP-LAXX.pdf

 

You picked the wrong VOR with the same designation as Thermal so therefore you will get an invalid entry for the airway J134 also (J134 is a "highway in the sky" which starts at Thermal VORTAC).

 

2. I take it that you are really new to this, so I'll give you an advice: Always google and use charts for SIDs (departure procedures from the origin airport) and STARS (arrival route into destination).

 

For example, for Los Angeles international Google "KLAX charts" and you will get everything you need from several websites. The charts may not be completely up to date, but they should be ok for FS

First, before I answer anything, I ask that you go try the tutorials. It makes it very difficult for anyone to help you if you don't have that common knowledge. To be honest, most of these issues would have been answered had you taken a look at them.

 

All of those flight plans "work" with the autopilot. I can guarantee that. The plane is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing. You just don't know how to ask it to do what you want it to do.

 

I know that probably seems harsh, but as an instructor, I find it upsetting when people are handed valuable information (in this case, the tutorials), and ignore them. We're all here to help, but think of the cool and advanced things we could all be talking about if we didn't have to answer the simple stuff all the time.

 

[...] I put in J134 into the first VIA and it came through as an invalid entry.

 

Computers are powerful, but they're very dumb. They can't read minds. What you're asking the FMS to do is fly via an airway, but you haven't told it where to start on said airway. 90% of the time, if a flight plan begins with a Jet route (J###), that route begins at a VOR on the field. Since that is the case here, you would just enter LAX, then J134, then the next way point.

 

There was no purple line connecting to the first waypoint

 

You're not going to have a perfect idiot line (magenta/purple) line from departure to destination all the time. Often, you'll have VECTOR legs because ATC will vector you after you depart in order to get you to your first fix. For these departures, all you need to know is how to use the heading bug, and then how to go direct to the first fix (explained in the tutorials).

 

Go ahead and read this:

http://pilotcerts.laartcc.org/object/ZLA-common-pilot-errors.html#laxx

 

It'll explain what should have been done.

I know that probably seems harsh, but as an instructor, I find it upsetting when people are handed valuable information (in this case, the tutorials), and ignore them. We're all here to help, but think of the cool and advanced things we could all be talking about if we didn't have to answer the simple stuff all the time.

 

I agree with you Kyle, but I just saw that he is just 13 years old. ^_^

 

Alex: You just had some really good advice from Kyle there. The NGX is fairly complex to begin with because it is like the real 737. Be patient, study the tutorials and learn how the systems work. It's easy when you know what you're doing.

 

If you need any more assistance, do not hesitate to ask though. If you want, I can give you a few routings which we can go through step by step.

_{The advice above is very good. One further thing that came to mind which will help you particularly if you are flying without a SID, is that at any time after you have taken off, you can go to the LEGS page, click the waypoint you want to go to and click again on the top row, even if the way point you want to go is already at the top. The FMC will then ask you to activate the change and once you do, you will get the purple line from your current position to that waypoint after which LNAV will start working again.}

_{The tutorials are really helpful and it is useful to take some notes while doing it for the first time and you will learn to fly the plane in no time.}