I've been playing the flight simulator series by just running it up and flying a plane for 5 minutes or using FS's GPS to navigate. all this has gotten boring to me and i'm up for a challenge..what i'm saying is...where did you all you guys start?i only know navigation by means of vors.but my major chokepoints are: entering holds(teardrop etc.), adf navigation, what the heck airways/jetways are and how to navigate by them, and flight planning.thanks for your wisom :D

Well I guess most of us started the way you are, just 'playing' with FS, running through the pilot training in FS and then getting hooked and wanting more realism and asking questions like yours.For navigation try this sitehttp://www.navfltsm.addr.com/index.htmand this site should give you some useful info and toolshttp://www.tooby.demon.co.uk/P_Assist_Home.htmlAirways are like freeways for planes, in general you cannot fly anywhere you like but fly using the airways. Two types of airways, low level and high level known in the USA as Victor airways and Jetways, flying above 18,000ft you use the Jetways.Airways are navigated by using VORs and intersections and sometimes by NDBs.Some airways are one-way streets so it pays to make sure you are not flying along one the wrong way.When you file an IFR flight plan its structure is SID (DP in the USA) - enroute - STAR.The SID/DP is a Standard Instrument Departure or Departure Procedure and is a set course to get you from a specific runway at your departure airport to the start of your enroute part of the flight plan.the STAR is a Standard Terminal Approach Route and is the opposite of the SID - it gets you from the end of your enroute flight to the selected runway at your destination airport.SIDs and STARs are printed charts and can be found on the Web, try http://www.airnav.com/http://www.myairplane.com/databases/approach/index.phpThe enroute part of a flight plan is usually the longest section and consists of one or more airways.The site I use for flight planning is http://rfinder.asalink.net/ (click on the 'free area' on the right of the main page)You only need to enter your departure and destination airports and the flight level you will be cruising at and the program will give you a valid route and flight plan listing VORs, intersections and airways. It also gives you a shorthand version suitable for filing when you fly on line with VATSIM or IVAO.You may find that the default flight planner and map view in FS is a bit limited in that it cannot easily be updated and the map view is small.I think it is fair to say that most of us use 3rd party planners, the two most popular are FSNavigator and FSBuild, both are payware but there is a freeware vesion of FSBuild with less functions than the payware version. there are other flight planners out there.http://www.fsnavigator.com/http://www.fsbuild.com/Hope this gets you started and when you have digested all that come back with any questions :-)

This excellent post should be made permanently available for all of those with the same question. Even I that have been flying since the early 80s find it usefull. Thanks Vulcan.Dave Vega

Close, but no cigar.First, you are not always committed to low enroute airways especially if VFR. In either IFR or VFR you can depending on traffic density below 18K file or fly direct. If you are in class B airspace for VFR, you may find VFR corridors you may be restricted to.It is not unusual for smaller and even medium commuter types to fly direct to reduce length of certain legs if accepted by ATC. For IFR especially, terrain in certain areas may play a role in the effectiveness of NAVAID coverage.The VFR pilot in non-controlled airspace has the freedom to fly by visual nav and is not committed just to Victor routes. The only obligation is to fly according to the seperation from terrain type, other aircraft, and clouds.For the heavier traffic especially originating at the larger airports you will find preferred routes in addition to SIDS. They may be comprised of waypoints both on and off J routes or V routes. They are published for different altitudes.For the higher FLs used by airliners, you may find your SID contains an initial off-airway route direct to the first NAVAID consisting of quite a long leg. At that point depending on your distance to destination you may fly along a J route until entering the area of a STAR. ATC may have fly part of a STAR but probably will vector you off it to merge with traffic in the destination area. While SIDS and STARS exist for many dense area airports, they are by no means universal and ATC at their discretion can have you depart from a STAR or SID at any point. Consider them as good practice and advisory in nature but the final authority is ATC.For the commuter pilot on down through GA an interesting site to visit is www.stoenworks.com.For those in the U.S. a good inexpensive hard copy book to acquire, in my opinion, is the FAA's Instrument Flying Handbook which includes chart interpretation, holding procedures, aircraft considerations, rules in different airspaces, and flying technique.

In the UK the published STARS at Heathrow (EGLL) and Gatwick (EGKK)terminate at holding points, not runways. EGKK has published Approach Procedures from holding points to the NDBs for use without radar control. EGLL does not.

Thanks for the replies pointing out specific details but I was trying to give a simple and genral overview of the questions for someone who hasn't a clue about airways and flight planning.I am sure as PiNoytYp_R reads more he/she will pick up the more detailed aspects.

Yeh nice job Vulcan! Thats a good introductory post for someone just getting into flying. The deeper aspects of it will surely follow - like you said!

Trying to be helpful, you can download the FAA's Instrument Flying Handbook. I did and found it very helpful. Howver, I've forgotten the address :(

Here's a great one, more about real world flying it's a whole education: http://www.whittsflying.com/

163 page .pdf plus another 118 page file here:http://av-info.faa.gov/data/traininghandbo...083-15-1of2.pdfhttp://av-info.faa.gov/data/traininghandbo...083-15-2of2.pdf