I did read the manual and the tutorial flights but there it still is unclear to me how to make sure I can fly a STAR exactly the way it is in the plans, both laterally and vertically.

 

What I did: build my plan in FSBuild, including the STAR. Exported it all to FS9 and FSNav. When starting FS9 I also pulled up FS9 to see whether the full route including the STAR is in there. It is. Opened up FS9 flight planner, again all waypoints of the route including the STAR were included. I program my FMC with the route and STAR, all is in there including the altitude restrictions of the STAR. Thus, until here all is well.

 

I then do my flight with with RC. All is well inflight. At one point ATC contacts me and asks me to descend to (example) FL190 at my own discretion. Since I haven't reached my TOD point yet I acknowledge and stay where I am. At the TOD I descend in VNAV mode. RC is still happy.

 

But then suddenly it is starting to vector me. Why? I don't want any vectors and I don't need them, I have my STAR. So from the RC menu I select "IAP approach". The options I am given are the "default" procedures from FS9, but none corresponds to the STAR that I have planned, filed, put in FMC and actually want to fly.

 

What to do? What must I file and/or what must I tell RC at which stage of the flight to make sure I can fly my STAR?

The IAP option applies from about 35 miles out from destination and will let you navigate on your own until on final. (You must ack the first vector before the menu option becomes available.) To get a desired STAR you must include the waypoints in your flight plan sent to RC and those must be in sync with your FMC database. If your STARs are runway specific then only include the common waypoints to all runways to accept RC's runway assignment which has ai activity as its first assignment.

 

To sync you FMC database with FSBuild 2.4 do at least on navigraph.com subscription to get data for FSBuild and your FMC if supported. FSBuild has an option in the build menu to build from the checkpoint table. It must be set for each session. You can then edit out runway specific waypoints within 35 nm of destination before sending your plan to FS for RC import and after you are in that range use IAP to finish arrival with your FMC.

 

Here a tip sheet I wrote regarding that:

 

 

i guess the question boils down to, are you flying the plane, or is atc controlling flight.

 

this is covered in the manual under the flight planning under the star. you don't know what runway you're going to get at the destination airport, possibly 4 hours from now. how can you put into your plan the star you're going to fly? you can't. you can plan to a point outside 70 miles from the destination, and then find out what runway you're going to get.

 

and to cover the folks that still want to do what you're doing, the iap approach was put into the code. as soon as you talk to approach, ask for an iap, and fly what you want to fly. don't be surprised if you have an ai taking off on the runway you're landing on.

 

jd

Hi JD,

"i guess the question boils down to, are you flying the plane, or is atc controlling flight?"

 

RC4 is an ATC program (a very good one) and ATC stands for "Air Traffic Control" so, yes, ATC is controlling the flight and, yes, you are flying the plane.

Sorry, I don't see the "boiling point" of the question. Or are you suggesting that pilots under air traffic control are not "flying the plane"?

RC4 just doesn't assign SIDs and for STARs, as ronzie explained above, you have to ask for it.

 

I seem to remember that the feature "Assign SID/STAR" was planned for RC5, but perhaps I am wrong.

 

Regards, Andreas

Andreas,

 

If you spend much time flying in real life, you know that the airport approach and runway frequently change even a few miles out. You get comfortable in your STAR and ATC changes your route because the wind changes, noise regulations require the change, runway light bulb changes, rubber removal, etc.

 

JD is stating how it works in real life. The goal of ATC has little, if anything, to do with making sure that the pilots don't have to change their FMC/FMS settings a hundred miles out.

Regarding TOD:

 

RC uses a standard called the 3 in 1 rule that approximates a profile descent between two altitudes. RC uses your cruise altitude where you are and then calculates TOD based on the difference to the ATC crossing restriction you will get. Without manipulation you FMC calculates TOD based on the airport surface altitude. That can explain the difference.

 

RC in its in-flight menu has Pilot's Discretion that let's you delay your descent.

 

Here is what I do based on using the Boeing Smith's FMC as used in the PMDG 737 and probably 747 FMC. Go to the FIX page of the FMC. For the FIX ident put in the destination ICAO airport code. For the place\bearing\distance just enter \40 and EXE the change. This will put a range-ring of a dotted circle around the airport at 40 nm out from destination. As you start the descent the descent trend arcs will show where you will reach the target altitude. Adjust V/S and power so the descent arcs end just before that circle watching your N1 for best idle descent.

 

From RC's TOD it will try to give you a near idle descent issuing the altitude changes from TOD to the 11,000 or 12,000 foot crossing restriction. (The crossing restriction is hard coded into RC and using NOTAMS will not relax RC's restriction on that. Be sure you have your altimeter set to local or standard pressure (don't use the FS B key) depending if you are going to a flight level (standard pressure 29.92 in or 1013 mb)assignment or altitude in feet (local pressure as issued by RC controller). If you are not at the crossing altitude RC will issue you delay vectors until you are at it.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_%28aviation%29

 

In general you include a STAR based on your arrival direction looking for the transition start point of the STAR coinciding with your enroute plan waypoints. A STAR may be runway specific or generic to a point near the initial approach fix common to all runways where you'll get vectors for the intercept or lining you up to the IAF to complete on your own where local radar is not available.

diajohn,

 

no, I didn't spend any time flying in real life but I spent a lot of time using RC4 so I think I know what the goal of ATC is and what RC4 can/cannot and will/will not do. My fault, if my post sounded like I exspect RC4 to honour a STAR chosen at the departure airport.

 

I just wanted to point out that RC4 cannot assign SIDs and STARs even at the appropriate phases of flight.

 

Regards, Andreas