Question on CDU programing during flight

[andypanda 0]

I have looked through several forums where some guys have the same question, but have not found an answer yet.

 

 

Let’s assume the following scenario:

 

1. I am at a X airportand have programed my flight. I used a saved company route that already includes SID, route, STAR and approach runway at my destination.
   (I use vroute to generate my flight plans, and of course I’ll have SID, route, STAR and approach already pre-programmed since it saves a lot of time during preflight of the B737 NGX).
    
2. I have taken of, climbed and I am en route to my destination. Everything is fine.
    
3. Before descent or during descent I either get instructions from ATC (for example on VATSIM) to change my STAR and approach runway, or if not on-line I decide based on ATIS at the arrival airport to change my STAR and approach runway.
    
4. Now comes my question / worry:
   - How can I change the STAR and the approach in the CDU, if I have another, active one in it?
   - I have tried lots of things, but the active STAR and approach cannot be erased, and a new STAR and approach put into the CDU.
    
5. I know that in real world flying pilots will not input the approach runway (maybe even the STAR) into the CDU at the departure airport due to unknown circumstances at the destination airport (traffic, wind changes and so on).
   But we FS pilots might do it as per point 1. above.
   
   I am a SE / ME – IFR rated pilot, but I don’t fly anything bigger than a SENECA V, which of course does not have a FMC.

 

 

I would appreciate if anyone could let me know how to do the task in question 4.

 

 

Thank you and have a great weekend.

 

 

Andy

 

Andreas Ziegler

Niederuzwil, Switzerland

 

 

 

 

[Foghorn 4]

I haven't flown online for a few weeks and others can probably eleborate better, but I'm pretty sure you simply enter the new approach/STAR as per the initial setup. This will probably give to two STARS in the CDU flightplan. Then just click on button next to the first fix of the new STAR, then click on the button next to the first fix of the STAR your trying to replace, click on ENTER on the scratchpad......I think that should do it.

 

Give you something to go on until you get a better reply.

[andypanda 0]

Hi Graham,

 

Thank you for your answer.

 

I'll try and let you know.

 

Best regards.

 

Andy

[serviceceiling 135]

I never had any problems overwriting an already activated STAR or approach. If you do have issues with overwriting a STAR or changing your runway you can go to the LEG-page of the CDU and manually erase the waypoints untill a certain waypoint in your route - however, this might take quite some time and it is not the best way to do it. What I do most of the time is leave out the STAR and runway information untill I'm well into the cruise and have sufficient weather and traffic data of my destination. The latter procedure is based more on the real world and on what's most common there. 

 

Could you please be more specific on how you are trying to overwrite a selected STAR and what exact issues you are having doing so? Pictures would be great. 

[andypanda 0]

As I wrote in my question I am aware that in real life nobody inputs all the info into the CDU before take-off.

 

On some flights I also just input departure runway, SID, route and destination airport. The route then ends at a waypoint from where I can choose any STAR and approach to match traffic and weather at the destination.

 

For some reason I can not change anything on the CDU once a ready made plan is in it and active (the plan I generated with vroute), that is my worry and question.

 

I will try to do it again and will make some print screens of it.

[kevinh 409]

You can't easily erase the existing programmed arrival, but you don't need to. You simply select a new STAR and runway. The FMC replaces the old arrival waypoints with the new ones for you.

[joolsd 10]

I think it is always easier not to add SID or STARs in a saved route, from a flight planning program. Just have the bare bones of the route. Then you can add the SID/STAR more easily in the APP page.

[Spin737 102]

My flight plans are often filed with the STAT and SID, so I'll put in everything including the approach I expect. Some short flights in Alaska actually include the approach at the start, as you might not even talk to ATC directly! (That's a special case, though.)

 

As JOOLSD said, it might be easiest to just have a bare-bones company route and fill in the holes later.

[andypanda 0]

Hi guys,

 

Thank you for all your inputs.

 

 

I finally figured out how to change ready-made company routes in the CDU that include departure runway, SID, STAR and arrival runway.

 

 

In the CDU just need to go to the LEGS pages, go to the last page and erase the last entry (point) of the active route.

 

Then go to DEP / ARR in the CDU, arrivals, select a new runway and arrival.

It might give you the choice of transitions, check on the STAR chart to see if they are OK.

 

Changed STAR'S and runways several times during a flight, worked great.

 

Thank's again for your inputs.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

as you might not even talk to ATC directly!

 

FSS and timing up in those parts, right?

[Spin737 102]

FSS and timing up in those parts, right?

It's all through the FSS for us. There isn't much reason to contact ATC, anyway. "You're not radar contact, and you're still cleared for the approach you asked for on the ground. Contact Sitka Radio. . . "

 

Gid'yup.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

It's all through the FSS for us. There isn't much reason to contact ATC, anyway. "You're not radar contact, and you're still cleared for the approach you asked for on the ground. Contact Sitka Radio. . . "

 

haha - thought so. I was consulted within the company I work for, on a project to try to reduce the amount of FSSs up there (and upgrade them). I ended up having to explain to the whole team why FSSs there are a lot more important than the average FSS down here, which they weren't picking up. It was just a numbers game: tons of FSSs in AK; much fewer for the entirety of the lower states.