Option for FMC to use data from FSX instead of AIRAC

[Captain Kevin 586]

PMDG have already made it clear they are not going down that route here in this forum, so not sure why you saying I am still insisting on that.

Somebody gave you a suggestion, in which you then responded by saying PMDG could save you the hassle, which led to my question in the first place.

[hopskip 253]

Cheers for that informative feedback, so you saying this will deal with situation where airport ICAO has been renamed or runway angles etc changed. 

 

For example if its name change, was told you need to use ADE to delete old airport before adding new one.

 

I assume its easy to just lift newer airport from AVSIM if its just runway changes, but its in the case where airport ICAO has changed that I am confused about.

 

Already mistakenly purchased too many PMDG products before realising I have to deal with this database micromanagement, as well as keep my FSX from crashing.

 

Will stick to more practical and user friendly add-ons future to make my life easier I suppose.

 

I am mostly concerned about the airports for now, but the wider picture will do too. Is there a tool for this that I can use for FSX. That will update airports too

 

ICAO name change? easy, use the correct ICAO from the AIRAC, and when you place your aircraft to that location, use the old name. - Or update the airport afcad from avsim.com with a current one.

 

New runways that didn't exist before? (KATL, EDDF, KORD to name a few) update AFCAD with a new one, now the runway does exist in FSX. tada. (May be less good in payware scenery.)

 

Runways changing direction: The actual physical runway still exists, it still points in the same direction, they didn't rip up the concrete and move it a few degrees left or right! So the number painted on the concrete is different, who really cares? The ILS still leads to the right bit of tarmac, no change really required. 09L is 08L now, meh.

 

Don't like SID/STARs and want to use default ATC? easy. Don't plan the flight with SID/STARs. The FMC will still track waypoints when you select direct-to. Can you file DCT YYL DCT CNH DCT RBB J44 LIM DCT GLF DCT RAA J141 LIA? Yup

Can you select runway 08L and then land on a runway that has 09L painted on it? no problemo!

[Fabo 213]

 

 

New runways that didn't exist before? (KATL, EDDF, KORD to name a few) update AFCAD with a new one, now the runway does exist in FSX. tada. (May be less good in payware scenery.)

 

Or just use the old one. Tada. (note: if all else fails, lack of ILS indication will clue you in in any case - I can't imagine an airport that would take a 777 and would not have an ILS at least from one direction on each runway. Then just go around and go for old runway.)

[hopskip 253]

Or just use the old one. Tada. (note: if all else fails, lack of ILS indication will clue you in in any case - I can't imagine an airport that would take a 777 and would not have an ILS at least from one direction on each runway. Then just go around and go for old runway.)

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SCO6/history/20140131/1425Z/WSSS/YBCG

 

YBCG has the following navaids:

 

VOR

 

and that's all.

[Fabo 213]

Well, yes, but it isn't getting any new runways either Yeah, there is bound to be an exception here or there, but you'd probably have to know something about the airport to fly there. It's no Atlanta or Hong Kong.

[ZoomAir 1]

 

 

I did think of a fix, but it would have to be on an airport-by-airport basis. In fact I just tried this with FAOR, Oliver Tambo International, which used to be FAJS, Johannesburg International. The problem is that when I type in FAJS, the 777 database, which is up-to-date, doesn't find it. I think this is the issue you started with. So: Go into FSX>PMDG>NavData. 1) Open Airports.dat with notepad. Find the line for FAOR. Copy it. Paste it just below FAOR. Change "FAOR" to "FAJS". Save it. 2) Open wpnavapt.txt. Find FAOR again. Now you will see four lines of data, one for each runway. Copy them. Paste them just below. Change "FAOR" to "FAJS" on each line. To keep things readable, change the O.R.Tambo name to Johannesburg International as well. Save this file. 3) Go to FSX>PMDG>SIDSTARS. Search FAOR.txt. Copy it. Rename it to FAJS.txt. (This last step will give you all the approaches and departures under FAJS. In this example I already had a file named FAJS.txt because a previous Airac had the old ICAO name, and it wasn't overwritten).

 

Thanks for the detailed info here, someone mentioned earlier about how to reverse PMDG FMC data to match FSX, but did not know how, cheers for the details

 

Currently I have updated FSx with new AFCAD from AVSIM, but had to open the new AFCAD in ADE to change ICAO name and  tower radio name, airport actual name etc

 

AdditPro is looking quite usefull for this kind of job, but FSX now sees both stock and new airport, which is no problem for me if sim is ok with both ICAO present.

 

But this issue now has me delving into bowels of FSX I never wanted to in order to keep my system stable. I suspect many folks with unstable systems occurs when they start doing this level of DIY without the experience required, but all they wanted to do was just fly.

 

The new airport install is a bunch of about 30 files that go in addon\scenery, a very messy solution that means I need to know just what files if need to uninstall the new  Afcad, this is where AdditPro saved the day, it installs and removes my freeware files scattered around scenery folders here and there.

 

 

I think the thread speaks for itself in terms of a GAP in PMDG solution, for those who don't require up to date nav data realism. Even an option to select 2006 airac  from FMC would suffice, I think Wilco Pub FMC's do this.

 

Thanks for the help guys much appreciated Addit Pro and ADE are helping update FSX to PMDG FMC. Figured will go current Airac route so my system is more future proof.

 

 

I think PMDG is discriminating to those who are not nerds.and thats not on :Drooling:

[richardnobes14 13]

 

 

The world to PMDG FMC is FSX, and its a really hard job trying to get the PMDG FMC to see that, it keeps going after data in the real world. and I cant keep up with that. airport name changes, runway angle changes grrr too much.

 

Well actually.............this isn't entirely true. 

 

The PMDG FMC derives all of it's data from an installation of an AIRAC cycle (Yes! even the one that came with the product for FREE!!) It gets nothing from FSX for navigation. It uses a series of files to get a list of all the waypoints, airways, airports and navaids. It gets NONE of this from FSX. The FSX default navigation database dates back to 1995. This means that the majority of airways and waypoints are nearly 19 years old. In simple terms this means they are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

 

So despite your best efforts you will never "get the PMDG FMC to see the FSX world" Because everything the FMC uses comes from an AIRAC. The default FSX NAV info uses a completely different system that is designed only to work the FSX default aircraft, NOT to integrate with add ons. Unless you discover a way to use that wretched FSX GPS thing. The FSX NAV DATA has no way of communicating with any PMDG product because everything the PMDG aircraft needs is located in it's own little folder. 

 

I'm no expert but surely FSX NAV DATA could never be integrated because it's like integrating apples with oranges. The PMDG uses an AIRAC based system and the FSX system uses a series massively outdated files thrown together to give some idea of airways, solely for use with the inbuilt FSX flight planning feature.

 

So please do yourself a favour and spend the $8 a month or whatever small price it is to keep the NAV DATA updated. Yes! they good people at aerosoft or Navigraph do all the hard work for you. All you have to do is download and install the little file. Magic!

[Mike777 163]

I think PMDG is discriminating to those who are not nerds.and thats not on :Drooling:

 

I am sorry you feel that way.  I was happy to help, but it needs to be said that PMDG produced a top-of-the-line 777 simulation, and that it was obvious to most people before purchase that this aircraft was not designed to use FSX default data or the default FSX GPS.  Ubersu already pointed you to an earlier Airac that would bring the T7's data closer to that of FSX, and I and other people have made other suggestions as well.  Have you tried them?  I have read many, many posts since this aircraft came out, and no-one else has made this complaint. 

 

You are like someone who buys a high-powered sports car and is then unwilling to learn how to drive a stick shift.  If you can learn how to fly this complex aircraft, you can certainly learn how to install an AFCAD or an Airac. The one difficulty that is a little harder to fix is to change the ICAO of an existing airport.  But that is a rare occurrence.

 

Mike

[ZoomAir 1]

I am sorry you feel that way.  I was happy to help, but it needs to be said that PMDG produced a top-of-the-line 777 simulation, and that it was obvious to most people before purchase that this aircraft was not designed to use FSX default data or the default FSX GPS.  Ubersu already pointed you to an earlier Airac that would bring the T7's data closer to that of FSX, and I and other people have made other suggestions as well.  Have you tried them?  I have read many, many posts since this aircraft came out, and no-one else has made this complaint. 

 

You are like someone who buys a high-powered sports car and is then unwilling to learn how to drive a stick shift.  If you can learn how to fly this complex aircraft, you can certainly learn how to install an AFCAD or an Airac. The one difficulty that is a little harder to fix is to change the ICAO of an existing airport.  But that is a rare occurrence.

 

Mike

Thanks for all the help guys much appreciated, and problem resolved by choosing to update FSX to PMDG using tips here.  

 

Fact that PMDG a/c are top is not in dispute,  Fact that PMDG FMC data does not match FSX is an easy source of hassle for new users. If PMDG marketing is to only those that have all the FSX modification skills in this thread, then I purchased it by mistake and its too late now.

 

In future will warn those new to FSX to try Abacus for a few years before buying PMDG, cause for PMDG they will need very good FSX modification skills.

 

Like I said before PMDG too provides features in FMC to make things easier with each new product, so my money is betting on just a matter of time before PMDG helps with nav data correlation too. Its a move that won't chase away any existing customers, and highly likely to bring new users, nothing wrong that.

 

So please excuse me while I go tinker with my setup till it starts to squeak.

[richardnobes14 13]

 

 

Fact that PMDG FMC data does not match FSX is an easy source of hassle for new users. If PMDG marketing is to only those that have all the FSX modification skills in this thread, then I purchased it by mistake and its too late now.

 

What "FSX modification" skills are you talking about. Contrary to what you think the 777 was provided with an AIRAC file that is rather recent, far more recent than the 19 year old FSX NAV DATABASE. I'm not quite sure when all this "FSX modification" occurs. All I do (and probably what 95% of all users of this forum do) is download a new AIRAC every month with brings everything in the FMC bang up to date. No hard labour, no tinkering and no modification. 

[Tabs 2,790]

Ok this is getting ridiculous. Installing AFCADs to fix runways does not require "very good modification skills" - it's unzipping 1 and sometimes 2 files to the Addon Scenery/scenery folder and running the sim.

 

Our products do assume some familiarity with basic Windows and FSX operation and use - you do realize the inherent conflict here in stating that you want to learn to fly addons that replicate extremely complex real life airliners but on the other hand you don't want to learn how to do a few extremely minor file copy operations that will make the sim better match the real world and what's in the FMC right? In what universe is learning to fly a realistic 777 simulator easier than copying some files?

[scandinavian13 5,192]

What I'm still not understanding is how the data in FSX needs to match at all.  Other than perhaps new runways here and there, I'm not seeing the issue.

[Datalink 26]

 

 

In simple terms this means they are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike

 

That cracked me up!   :LMAO: 

[Don t moderate me this way 882]

I guess it makes more sense to learn just a little bit more about your plane, like entering the relevant ILS frequencies manually ... and why and when!   B)

[SteveW 1,792]

I use a planner that compares the AIRAC to the simulator data and understands the Common Subset that only exists in both. Make a plan from that and it always works in an FMC. Non-existing airports in a plan is not a fault of PMDG but the planners.