Adding airports to FMC database

[Elsmoko 5]

I've read a topic in the manual concerning additions to the PMDG navdata,  but don't follow it very well.

Is there "step by step" somewhere that explains how to do this with the FMC?  I'd like to add some

of the Antarctic airfields.

Thank you,

Ken Boardman

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Is there "step by step" somewhere that explains how to do this with the FMC?

 

I can't think of any off the top of my head.  Honestly, the best thing to do would be to open the navdata AIRPORTS.txt file and have a look at the existing format and use that as an example.  It's pretty straightforward from what I remember.

[Elsmoko 5]

I'll give that a shot Kyle.  And do some experimenting with FMC  > perhaps I'll get lucky.

Thank you,

Ken 

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I'll give that a shot Kyle.  And do some experimenting with FMC  > perhaps I'll get lucky.

 

Definitely!  Yeah, check it out.  I haven't looked at those files in years, but I do remember getting pretty upset back in college, when the FAA/mil took the DAFIF out of public access.  I started looking into updating those files myself (mostly for SID/STARs and IAPs...because...well...college student) and I don't remember it being too hard.

 

...then again, that's now 8 years ago.

[coa1117 53]

Last year I successfully added VAPO - Pune International to my own PMDG and FSBuild nav data sets. You obviously need raw information such as the airport's LAT/LON, runway designations, length, headings, runway LAT/LON data, etc. Most of the work involved figuring out which files required data and the exact location and formats for entering it. Also, some LAT/LON conversions from DDDMMSS to decimal format will probably be needed. If there are charted approaches you can also add these to the SIDSTARS file for a given airport or create a SIDSTAR file for a new airport. This information from PMDG about the files and data formats will get you started.

 

The biggest problem is that if you're a Navigraph subscriber all of the PMDG nav data files are over-written each data cycle, so whatever new entries you make will have to be manually re-entered. You can also request that Navigraph add airports to their data sets, but I wouldn't hold your breath. About a year ago I requested that VAPO be added, even supplied most of the required information in proper formats, but never got a reply.

 

If you get stuck give me a yell.

[Elsmoko 5]

Thank you Kyle and Jev. I posted the below elsewhere here but I'd appreciate any tips you
could offer regarding the following:

What exactly do the "RW" and "RS" stand for at the beginning of the lines in some of the PMDG airport
data files? At first I believed that RW stood for runway, but now I'm not so sure ~

Also, in the wpnavapt.txt file how is a typical line decoded ? >>
example :
MEMPHIS INTL KMEM27 08946271 35.057781 -89.955856108.7027100292

Some of the data is obvious of course. And I'm guessing that the "08946271" refers to length and heading. And that
appears to be followed by Lat / Lon. I guess what puzzles me most is the length of the Longitude, especially where
it extends past the second decimal point.

Best regards,
Ken

[Tabs 2,790]

Here's how it actually works - I'll use the KPHX Runway 26 entry as an example with color coding so you can see the fields easier:

 

PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL KPHX26 11489258 33.440822-111.992136111.7525801135
 

PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL - airport name
KPHX26 - runway identifier

11489 - runway length in feet

258 - runway heading

33.440822 - latitude of the runway threshold on the centerline

-111.992136  - longitude of the runway threshold on the centerline

111.75 - ILS frequency (is 000.00 if none exists)

258  - ILS front course (note this isn't always the same as the heading)

01135 - altitude of the runway in feet

 

Also - very important point:

Everything in this file needs to be sorted precisely by ascending latitude. You can't just put an airport in at the end. A bunch of aspects of how we sort things on the ND depend on this ordering and if you mess it up, you'll get all kinds of wrong data showing up - stuff like the wrong terrain displayed in the NGX and 777 etc.

[coa1117 53]

What exactly do the "RW" and "RS" stand for at the beginning of the lines in some of the PMDG airport

data files? At first I believed that RW stood for runway, but now I'm not so sure ~

 

Ken,

 

I didn't deal with the ARPT_RWY.dat file when I was working on VAPO, but from studying the entries for my local airport (see below), this is what I suggest.

AP;KFLL;FT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD ;26.072583;-80.152750;6
RW;10L;26.076942;-80.164783;6;11010;096;096;9000
RW;28R;26.076803;-80.140969;5;11070;276;276;9000
FS;09L;26.076948;-80.166573;9;11010;095;095;9000
FS;09R;26.065964;-80.160316;9;10850;095;095;5276
FS;13;26.078892;-80.160393;9;10935;141;141;6930
FS;27L;26.065872;-80.144203;9;0;275;275;5276
FS;27R;26.076792;-80.139091;9;11070;275;275;9000
FS;31;26.065346;-80.145546;9;0;321;321;6930

The lines beginning with "RW" are current working runways. For example, with a huge construction project now underway at KFLL, there is only one working rwy: 10L-28R.

 

Lines beginning with "FS" are

 

- unused designations (for example, KFLL10L-28R used to be  09L-27R)

- runways that are now closed

 

Also, even if a runway hasn't closed or been redesignated, the LAT/LON may have changed since 2007, so these FS entries also display the LAT/LON values in the default FSX database.

 

So, in the case of KFLL, 09L-27R is now an unused designation due to the runway being renamed 10L-28R. Runways 09R-27L and 13-31 are both currently closed. Runway 09R-27L is being considerably lengthened and will reopen sometime later this year as 10R-28L, so this will appear in the file with a "RW" code when that happens. Runway 13-31 is probably closed forever.

 

So the FS lines, I believe, are the runway listings as they appear in the stock FSX runways database, and many are now incorrect. Hope this is correct.

 

And, thanks to Ryan for the great post deciphering the airports data. The color coding was pure genius!

[Tabs 2,790]

The ARPT_RWY.dat file is not something you ever need to edit - it's a cache of sorts that the FMC uses, it'll generate the data as it needs it.

 

RW = real world, FS = FSX. It's a way of cataloging differences between the real life navdata and FSX's world.

[Elsmoko 5]

OK Ryan. Sorry for stirring up the old thread on this.  It happened by reflex while I was doing what a

good poster should do, by looking for answers in threads that already exist. I forgot about this thread.

I'm old, butt I'm forgetful. 

  I've been trying for a few days to add a few "Antarctica X" airports to the navdata and I've not been

100% successful as yet.  With respect to earlier replies, I've not made changes to the ARPT_RWY.dat file

and I'm working with just the airports.dat, and wpnavapt.txt files. I've used the VHHX manual installation

guide(for PMDG FMC) to get me in the ballpark, but I'm obviously overlooking something. Can't get the FMC

to accept my NZPGNZCH saved (FS Commander) flight plan when entered in the "co route" block; and the NZPG

runways don't appear on the DEParture page. The lines below illustrate what I've done so far. I used

ADE160 to open the NZPG scenery (bgl) file to obtain runway specs and then ran the T7 in FSX

and let new lines be created in the ARPT_RWY.dat. I then changed data the McMurdo NZPG lines below

as necessary to match what appeared in the ARPT_RWY.dat file.

 

wpnavapt.txt NZPG lines :

 

MCMURDO STATION PEG NZPG08 10000309-77.957161 166.551514000.0030900000

MCMURDO STATION PEG NZPG15 11024016-77.952072 166.489395000.0001600000

MCMURDO STATION PEG NZPG26 10000129-77.958916 166.682709000.0012900000

MCMURDO STATION PEG NZPG33 11024196-77.980484 166.538956000.0019600000

ROTHERA EGAR18 02875180-67.563833 -68.123333000.0018000013

ROTHERA EGAR36 02875000-67.571167 -68.130833000.0000000013

WILKINS YWKS09 10499094-66.689686 111.487472000.0009402353

WILKINS YWKS27 10499274-66.691970 111.559683000.0027402519

 

The airport.dat line for NZPG follows >

 

NZPG-77.955197 166.522621

EGAR-67.570500 -68.129333

YWKS-66.690833 111.525000

 

Regards,

Ken

[Elsmoko 5]

Update, I've got the NZPG rwys appearing in the FMC now and it all looks good, except I still can't

enter the flight plan via the "co route" block and when I select the runway and approach procedure

for the DESTination airport (NZCH), the FMC gives me a "PIN" error on the scratch pad and gives

a lit Execute light that won't extinguish when pressed, and the FMC generally stops working correctly.

If I try to pursue the issue then the FMC stops functioning altogether (freezes).

What's a "PIN" error?

Ken

[Elsmoko 5]

Maybe proximity to the South Pole is hampering this. I'm nearly positive I've accomplished the necessary

steps correctly. I've started from scratch several times after restoring the original nav data files.

I've tried using the VHHX manual modification guide(for PMDG db) . I've tried using the guide offered by

PMDG @ >>

http://support.precisionmanuals.com/kb/a60/pmdg-navdata-glossary

 

After all this, when the original nav data is restored the FMC still works "as advertised". Amazing !! >

It should be tied in knots by now ~

But I'd still like to know what a "Program PIN error" is.

Ken

[Tabs 2,790]

Program PIN Error means the FMC crashed internally (this is what the real unit says if something happens too). There's something in your FS Commander files causing that. (this program seems to be really terrible, I always get complaints like this about routes made with it at support)

 

I would try creating and saving your routes inside the actual FMC. Those should always work.

[Elsmoko 5]

Thank you for the info about Pin Error Ryan. Although I've successfully exported hundreds of routes to the PMDG FMC

and been able to successfully enter them into the FMC via the "co route" block, I will look into this as best I can.

I am able to enter the NZPGNZCH route and waypoints via the DEP and DEST blocks and the route pages, but then the FMC

fails when I enter the NZCH arrival / procedure / STAR.

Everything returns to normal (thankfully ~ after the original FMC nav data files are restored to the ..\PMDG\Navdata

folder.

I consider this still a "work in progress", but I'm back to flying now...... I will appreciate any additional

suggestions that you or others may have. If VHHX can be successfully added to the PMDG database, then so should

NZPG, NZIR, and NZWD (just my thoughts ~

Best regards,

Ken

[jobint123 0]

Last year I successfully added VAPO - Pune International to my own PMDG and FSBuild nav data sets. You obviously need raw information such as the airport's LAT/LON, runway designations, length, headings, runway LAT/LON data, etc. Most of the work involved figuring out which files required data and the exact location and formats for entering it. Also, some LAT/LON conversions from DDDMMSS to decimal format will probably be needed. If there are charted approaches you can also add these to the SIDSTARS file for a given airport or create a SIDSTAR file for a new airport. This information from PMDG about the files and data formats will get you started.

 

The biggest problem is that if you're a Navigraph subscriber all of the PMDG nav data files are over-written each data cycle, so whatever new entries you make will have to be manually re-entered. You can also request that Navigraph add airports to their data sets, but I wouldn't hold your breath. About a year ago I requested that VAPO be added, even supplied most of the required information in proper formats, but never got a reply.

 

If you get stuck give me a yell.

Hi, I have installed the AIRAC1412 for PMDG and ProATCx, but still in the FMC "VAPO" doesnt show up, no SID and no STAR. likewise many airports are missing in India, Middle East... Could you help me how can i update details into the navdata and to which all folders, also from where to obtain the details. it will be of really great help if you could guide me step by step. Thank you. 

Jobin.