Yesterday in my last attempt to fly the Jetstream (ended in engine melt down at the blocks) when I tried to program the FMC I encountered a few problems.

 

The manual says that after the INITIALIZATION screen one should press ENTER three times and it will switch to another page, the Flight Plan page. Well, I did so and it never changed, it was stock at Initialization. I don't remember what I finally did to move to another page.

 

The other problem was that my departure airport (MPRH) was not found in the database! I was left with the dilemma, forget the hour of checklists done so far and start all over or go on without FMC. I opted for the 2nd option.

 

So, what can I do if my departure airport is NOT on the JS41 database? how can I still program and use the FMC?

 

 

So, what can I do if my departure airport is NOT on the JS41 database? how can I still program and use the FMC?

 

Did this airport previously go by a different ICAO than MPRH?  I googled it and found that it has recently had major renovations.  If you are using an old AIRAC (old navigation data) it might not be in the database.  You can tell which AIRAC you are using probably from the Ident page of your FMC interface.

 

Mike

It has always been MPRH (Scarlett Martinez, Rio Hato). It was mostly unused for the past decade or so and this airport has a major highway going right through the middle of it (the US built it that way when they had there an air force base many many many years ago).

 

By the end of the year it will become a full international airport (highway going underneath through a tunnel) with ILS, passenger terminal and all.

Maybe it's just not included in the navdata you have then.

 

 

When that happens to me at small airports with other addons I just make a custom waypoint for the airport. And I believe in the GNS FMC that is in the JS41 those custom waypoints can be saved.

MPRH is in the AIRAC 1308 July-August 2013 for FS Commander.  I will check this evening if it is in the PMDG AIRAC for the same period, but it probably is since they come from the same Navigraph data base.

 

Mike

MPRH is not in the AIRAC supplied with the aircraft, but it is included now with the latest AIRACs from NavDataPro and Navigraph.

It is in PMDG's AIRAC 1308 from Navigraph.

 

Mike

MPRH is in the stock scenery but not in the AIRAC supplied with the aircraft. I think you can specify your location manually in the FMC, or, if you are feeling adventurous you can add the airport to your AIRAC with notepad before starting the flight, or you can get the latest AIRAC and store it in the NavData folders:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\PMDG\NAVDATA

and

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\PMDG\SIDSTARS

making a backup of your original AIRAC before starting. :}

The NAVDATA included in the JS41 is very very old indeed as it dates back to August 2008. MPRH is indeed not listed in the AIRAC though this airport exists at least since World War II. It also doesn't list the DAMAX fix.

 

Can anybody paste me the MPRH entry from their wpNavAPT and airports.dat I don't need the rest, just want to try my next attempt to get the JS41 in the air from Rio Hato.

 

BTW in the airport file I see this:

PANAMA CY INTL-TOCUMEN  MPTO03L08799031  9.072806 -79.387322000.0003100056

It appears to have the following fields:

 

1. Airport name, almost invariably truncated/chopped off
2. airport ICAO code
3. Runway number & designator
4. some mysterious number
5. reference latitude
6. reference longitude
7. mysterious number

Here you go:

 

MPRH  8.374028 -80.128889

 

CAP SCARLET MARTINEZ    MPRH16 04380160  8.370455 -80.117975000.0016000105
CAP SCARLET MARTINEZ    MPRH34 04380340  8.370346 -80.117941000.0034000105

Thank you very much Mike & Michael H.