PMDG 747 - FSX automatic routes

[pinlifter 502]

You don't have to choose a departure SID, but for better realism selecting one would be the best approach. Since the 4 runways at LFPG are all oriented pretty much east and west, you will have to make a turn to intercept the NURMO SID since it's roughly 10 miles to the north. What I like to do with the 747-400 is to use the STEP function in the FMC after setting up my waypoints to make sure things are in order and I'm not going 300 miles in the wrong direction which has happened before. To bring up the display mode to step through your map, turn the dial to the right and you'll see the word STEP appear in the bottom right corner of the FMC. Hit the LEGS button on the FMC to display your route. The dial to the right of the display mode knob lets you control your zoom level on the map.

 

[felipeturbay 5]

hello guys,

 

I am gaining more experience on how to fly the 747, though I have a question:

 

1. It seems that whenever I fly the PMDG 747 I decide when to take off and when to land, instead of ATC giving me this cleareance. How can I involve ATC in order to avoid a crash during take off and before landing?

 

thanks and good day for all!

[FloG 148]

Use the default ATC? I don't know the English key, but in the German version it's the "ö"key, which is located on the right side of the "L" key. The easiest way is to just ask for VFR departure clearance, so you don't need create a flight plan. Be aware, that you won't get any clearances if you don't have visual meteorological conditions (VMC). Alternatively create an IFR flight plan or load one you have created with an external flight planning software(in this case you'll haev to save the flightplan in FSX format). In this case you won't be able to take advantage of the STAR function of the FMC, unless you use a little trick: When you get your initial approach advice ("You're XX miles N/E/S/W, turn to HDG XYZ, expect RWY XY"), click select different approach, and search for one with the same name as your STAR and you will be cleared direct to this waypoint, and once you reach this WPT, you can continue to the RWY.

I prefer the second one myself if I ever fly under ATC surveillance, because it avoids the zig zagging on approach caused by ATC who want to give you vectors in order to bring you to the runway.

[g_precentralis 191]

I would avoid default ATC, you can buy some 3pd ATC software or fly online with real people at ATC.

[felipeturbay 5]

thanks for the tipps regarding ATC!

 

Question guys:

 

- When doing a flight plan (IFR) in FSX that includes the standard FSX - ATC are the routes here "direct" from A to B? or do they follow waypoints? If so, where can you see the detailed flight plan?

 

I just want to synchronise the flight plan of the standard FSX -ATC with the flight plan I find on an internet website...

 

thanks for any tipps!!

[FloG 148]

It depends on what option you choose: There's direct/GPS, high and low altitude airways (high alt airways is what you want) and there's VOR to VOR.

There is something to keep in mind, though: When you create a flightplan that is not a direct route with the default flight planner, this plan may be different from realworld flightplans, for various reasons:

First of all, FSX is more than 6 years old, so its AIRAC is rather old and may be out of dated in some areas (waypoints exist in FSX that don't in RW or the other way round). This can especially annoying, when you do long flights and somewhere in the middle of this route you enter a WPT the FSX planner tells you, and then you discover that the FMC finds this waypoint actually somewhere on the other side of the ocean! (You would recognize this, though, because some distances would be alarming)

Then there's the problem of VOR to VOR across the pond, which is simply impossible, because there's no VOR in reach as soon as you leave the continent. Something similar applies for high/low alt routes across the Atlantic (don't know about the Pacifc, but it's probably the same), because it does not allow the common North Atlantic routes.

And the last one I've encountered so far is that some airports don't allow airway routes to depart there. This happens especially with the airports of Moscow, you always have to fly direct or VOR to VOR. The interesting thing about that is that airway routes can end at those airports without any problems.

 

So in one short sentence: It's possible, but be prepared to have some slight differences.

 

You can also create a "custom" flight plan: After you have chosen your departure and arrival airport and the preferred routing, you get you flight plan displayed on a map. When you click the red line that indicates your route, you can move it and thus create a new waypoint on your route. Be aware, that you can create custom waypoints this way, too, but those WPTs can only be identified by aircraft with the default AP logic. However, if the point you move the red line to is identical with a waypoint that already exists, this WPT will become part of the route.

 

The better way, especially in combination with more complex addons, is probably to use an external tool. For example there's the freeware PlanG, and there also is FSCommander (which I use, it's payware, though). Their databases can be updated, and they are capable of exporting fligthplans in various common formats, so you can load them directly into the FMC.

 

Regards,

Flo

 

P.S. Sorry for the load of info that may be completely irrelevant for you.

[felipeturbay 5]

hey flo thanks man for your time! i really appreciate your information. I think i will opt for the FSCommander option.. i will do more research on this addon just to see how it works! i get back soon to the forum!!

take care and thanks again!

[FloG 148]

If you're looking for some info about FSC, here's the website: http://fscommander.com, they offer a trial version of it, so you might take a look at it before you buy it, since it's a rather expensive tool.