Diverting

[severniae 78]

Hi All,

 

Just a quick operations question if I may;

 

I've been wanting to practise the abnormal operations and one I want to try is an engine failure in flight/at V1 and other diversions. I've never tried a diversion at all and can't quite figure out what to do on the FMC to make it happen properly. I enter an airport in the alternate destinations page but always seem unable to make that go through to my current route. If anyone could let me know the proper operation (always interested to know how this is all done in the real world!) I'd be much obliged.

 

Before anyone says it I am working my way through the manuals that came with it but just not gotten to the part that explains the FMC yet -I'm getting there!!

 

Thanks,

James

[scandinavian13 5,192]

The ALTN page is really there to list all of the alternates in the case that you need them. If you're flying along and you're between two diversionary airports (contrary to the prevailing simism, your alternate isn't always at the end of your route), that page will help you make the call to press on to the next one, or turn around and go to the last one. You have to actually go into the alternate airport's page to then activate it. Simply adding it onto the ALTN page just adds it there for reference.

(Wrote that off of memory, so it may be slightly off)

 

I definitely wouldn't recommend reading through the manuals as if they were a book. If you need an item, jump ahead and address it, and jump back. No sense in not gaining the information you need because you're not at that point in the manuals. I promise, they don't contain any spoilers (of the literary sense, anyway).

 

In the end, always remember aviate, navigate, communicate.

If you need to divert, chances are, you're going to tell ATC "we need to divert to KXYZ airport" and they'll come back with some sort of vector in that direction. Turn, get going toward the new destination and if it all comes down to it, just enter things directly on the LEGS page. Also, take a glance at the bottom of the DEP/ARR page, last two LSKs on the left and right. Add in the new one and just line select it up to the top of your flight plan.

 

The FMC is a tool to help you do your job. If it gets in the way of that, leave it out. I'll be honest with you, as cool as the thing is, when I'm flying practice approaches, I'm not bothering to look down and reconfigure the route at all. I add in my weights, performance info, and a RTE of KIAD to KIAD and use raw data in between. The FMC doesn't get touched at all except to update the VREF speeds.

[severniae 78]

So when I go to the alternate airports page, how do I add it into my flight plans?

 

Also is this the same process that would be used if I were to have an engine out on takeoff and decided to land at the airport I just launched from?

[rsvit 16]

So when I go to the alternate airports page, how do I add it into my flight plans?

 

In alternate airports pages you can add enroute and destination alternates and view distance, fuel, time to them and nearest airports. This page if for reference only. If you want to divert, use procedure from FCOM vol1. page SP.11.7.

 

Also is this the same process that would be used if I were to have an engine out on takeoff and decided to land at the airport I just launched from?

 

Then you can go to DEP/APP page and select approach for your departure airport. Also ATC can vector you.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Also is this the same process that would be used if I were to have an engine out on takeoff and decided to land at the airport I just launched from?

 

Exactly as Rostyslav said (note on the DEP/ARR page, you see both DEP and ARR entries for your DEP airport):

Then you can go to DEP/APP page and select approach for your departure airport. Also ATC can vector you.

 

 

 

....however, if you look at the tutorials, you'll find that this information has been added in (raw data - i.e. not using the FMC) prior to departure. You do not want your head down in an urgency/emergency situation.

 

The most likely scenario is that ATC will vector you, if you're not in visual conditions. If you are visual, they may still provide instructions to follow, but you likely won't enter in all of the information into the automation. Again, it's there to help, not get in the way. In a situation like that, if you're visual, chances are you'll use the highly technical process of looking out the window to get back on the ground while the pilot not flying runs numbers to ensure you're under weights, and mans the radios.

[Spin737 102]

To change your DEST, you need to go to the RTE 1 page. In flight, the RTE defaults to RTE 2 pg, so you need to hit the PREV PAGE button. There you can change your DEST to whatever you need.

 

If it's a matter of being low of fuel, get pointed in the right direction and worry about the box later. Hopefully you had a plan before you needed to divert.

[Fabo 213]

In flight, the RTE defaults to RTE 2 pg, so you need to hit the PREV PAGE button. There you can change your DEST to whatever you need.

 

Is it possible to enter diversion route from PPOS (for ex via airways, as suggested by dispatch) into RTE2 and then activate it, ISO changing RTE1 directly?

 

 

If it's a matter of being low of fuel, get pointed in the right direction and worry about the box later. Hopefully you had a plan before you needed to divert.

 

I will add to that, that FMC can be a good bit of help in that, if you can read your ALTN page well (provided specific airline has it available - it is available in the NXG), you can calculate the precise amount to put in as "reserves", and then the airplane will tell you as soon as it thinks you are not going to make it. Also if you are in a holding, it will tell you how long can you keep holding until it is time to let go and divert. I have used that function a couple times in heavy events online. Was immense fun for me and for the ATCs, not much diversions on the network.

[skysurfer 76]

Place the Alternate Airport Identifier at the top of the LEGS page (1L).

 

Do not EXECute this selection, initially, so that the original routing magenta line can be monitored for perspective in establishing a route offset, if possible. Relationship to the Alternate can be seen with the dynamic white segmented line on the Map.

When relationship to the original routing is no longer necessary, EXECute and proceed direct to the alternate.

Clean up the remaining LEGS page information, as necessary, to establish accuracy of the PROGRESS page estimations of time and fuel.

Change the RTE page (page 1) DEST to the ICAO identifier for the Alternate to enable Arrival / Runway selections.