If they "guess" the STAR and the rwy correctly, it'll also reduce pilots' workload during approach.

I don't know if this is real life procedure, but this is what I do. I make an educated guess as to the arrival by looking at the METAR, and if I'm right, it saves a lot of workload, especially briefing the arrival/approach.

Hi Kyle,

Wow thanks for the detailed reply.

Yes I realise that in the real world Sids and Stars may change but I wouldn't think that they would in FSX.

 

You're welcome.  Yeah, if I remember correctly, the default FSX ATC doesn't even recognize SIDs and STARs.  The flight planning programs that add them to the plans just do so by adding in the fixes of the STAR directly.

 

 

 

What happens in the real world should the wind direction change mid flight and there for the arrival runway and Star needs to be changed? I guess you just delete the existing ones and enter the new ones - would be a nuisance to pilots especially should that happen when only a few miles away which not much time left.

 

In the States, most of our STARs are not runway or operations-depedent.  As such, the wind direction change isn't too much of an issue.  That said, you can put the STAR in at departure time and normally be okay.  If the operation changes (wind change, etc.) while you're on the STAR, they'll allow you to finish it, generally.  If it's absolutely necessary, the controller will just vector you on the track of the other STAR.  What generally happens is the TRACON tells the ARTCC ("Center") to reclear all aircraft after a particular aircraft on the new STAR.  That way, it gives the crews time to react.