I quite usually come across flight plans with the airway repeated multiple times. For example, the route for KPHL to KLAX:

 

PTW PTW320 SARAA J64 RAV J64 EWC J64 PUB J64 PGS RIIVR2

 

Note that J64 is repeated multiple times. How is this supposed to be entered into the FMC in the RTE page? (or Legs, whichever applies)

 

Cheers guys,

Personally, I would just start with SARAA then do J64 then have my exit point be PGS and it'll do exactly what is on the filed flight plan. You would do that on the RTE page.

 

There is a reason the filed flight plan looks like that, but I can't remember what it is. Maybe something about heading changes in the airway at those points??

 

EDIT: You could put that route in the FMC just as it appears, but it would take more time obviously. It would work either way.

 

EDIT: So in the TO column, first you would have PTW, then you'd have SARAA on the next line. Then in the VIA column you'd enter J64. Then in the TO column you'd put PGS. Then you would go to the DEP/ARR page and select the RIIVR2 arrival and PGS transition and insert it and the FMC will do the rest. I always double-check in the legs page to make sure everything is right. One of the nice things about flightaware.com, is that many times, you can click the "Decode" button and it will give you all the legs so you have something to comapre to when verifying the route on the LEGS page.

So in the FMC it would go:

 

VIA TO

XXXX SARAA

J64 PGS

 

Hopefully this looks right xD

The flightplan filed has the repeated flightplan due to other information inserted at those points. This information is not relayed by flightaware for some reason, and generally includes stuff like planned step climbs or speed changes (including Mach to KIAS format changes from Land/Radar to Oceanic/Procedural). Some of them may also be FIR boundaries with EET's or the like.

 

Trent Hopkinson

The flightplan filed has the repeated flightplan due to other information inserted at those points. This information is not relayed by flightaware for some reason, and generally includes stuff like planned step climbs or speed changes (including Mach to KIAS format changes from Land/Radar to Oceanic/Procedural). Some of them may also be FIR boundaries with EET's or the like.

 

Interesting... I didn't know that..

So in the the information should be entered in the FMC as I posted above, yes?

 

EDIT: So in the TO column, first you would have PTW, then you'd have SARAA on the next line. Then in the VIA column you'd enter J64. Then in the TO column you'd put PGS. Then you would go to the DEP/ARR page and select the RIIVR2 arrival and PGS transition and insert it and the FMC will do the rest. I always double-check in the legs page to make sure everything is right. One of the nice things about flightaware.com, is that many times, you can click the "Decode" button and it will give you all the legs so you have something to comapre to when verifying the route on the LEGS page.

 

Brilliant, thank you man, it's appreciated

Interesting... I didn't know that..

So in the the information should be entered in the FMC as I posted above, yes?

 

Yep, Although I think PTW needs to be there too? PTW isn't Philadelphia, and is likley to be the first position you get cleared to track "Direct To" after the departure vectors.

 

Not sure if PTW320 is an RNAV waypoint or just the Radial outbound from PTW.

Therefore I would insert:

 

VIA TO

XXX PTW

XXX PTW320

XXX SARAA

J64 PGS

 

If PTW320 isn't an RNAV waypoint, then there is going to be a bit of looking at what you need to do.. First the obvious, is SARAA on a 320 track from PTW? It probably is... then

 

 

 

VIA TO

XXX PTW

XXX SARAA

J64 PGS

 

should work. Look up the PTW VOR frequency, and set in 320 on the radial. Be ready to switch to VOR/Raw Data if needed. Do this before departure. I'm guessing in some cases ATC may ask you to track some heading then join the PTA 320 radial and from that position cleared as filed via SARAA.

 

No real point putting J64 in 4 times in a row since it's all part of the same airway.

 

If you are filing the flightplan for Vatsim or something, and was not step climbing, I'd file it:

 

PTW PTW320 SARAA J64 PGS RIIVR2

 

If you wanted to step climb frequently for some reason, and maybe if RAV is an FIR boundary where you are still climbing, I'd check how high the FMS predicts you to pass RAV at. Let's assume it's climbing through a predicted FL277 at RAV.

 

PTW PTW320 SARAA J64 RAV/N0430F280 J64 EWC/N0460F360 J64 PUB/N0460F380 J64 PGS RIIVR2

 

(Please note these altitudes have been made up at random, They may be 'plausable' but don't represent any actual flight data.)

 

/N0460F360 means 460 Knots True Airspeed at Flight level 360.

/M078F380 would mean Mach 0.78 at FL380. - Used over oceanic or procedural (non-radar) airspace.

/K1080S1180 would mean 1080km/hr at Flight Level 11800 metres altitude (in China and, some old former Soviet Union countries, Russia only uses Metric below transition altitude now.)

 

 

 

Trent Hopkinson

It's because you have to file one waypoint in each ARTCC that you transit (RW). As for the beginning, you'd be assigned the PHL9 SID, radar vectors PTW (Pottstown) PTW320 SARAA .. etc. PTW320 is the 320 radial from PTW. If you look at the enroute chart in that area you'll see that SARAA is a fix on the PTW320 radial, so you don't have to enter that into the FMS.

 

so your flight plan route would be the one you got from Flight Aware, but for the sake of programming the FMS all you'd need is the PHL9, PTW SARAA J64 PGS RIIVR2

Beautiful. Cheers fellas.

I'm all ready to start using my shiny new AIRAC as well B)

Thanks guys, incredibly valuable thread for a noob, can't believe how many knowledgable people there are here!