Well based on your post, id Suggest a freware 767 with lonny paynes panel.Jason

I consider the FMC>a small feature in my list of priorities. Perhaps if I find a>simple, consice procedure to program the FMC to fly between 2>points with my PMDG 737That's not exactly realistic. FMC's are for complex routes via Airways. So A and B might be your starting point and destination, but in between there are a plethora of navaids and radar fixes to follow. Like this flightplan from Heathrow to Kennedy Intl:EGLL CPT4K CPT SHA BURAK UN533 MALOT TRAKC DOTTY J580 YQY J575 YQI STOOL PLYMM PLYMM4 KJFK>How's the sounds of the 767?Realistic. Which means no engine roars, just whines. And during cruise you don't hear the engines at all, just the fans from the ac blowing and the wind.

You can just enter the dep and arr airports in the FMC then activate the route and it'll make a decent direct route for you. Or you can just fly it manually set to vor radials and ndbs( good to brush up on manual IFR) if you don't want to use the FMC. Well if you want the easy direct feature, guess we'll just wait and see if some progrmamer makes a MS Garmin like addon for the levelD or pmdg.(or find a way to hook up the MS Garmin 500 to the levelD/pmdg's autopilot, maybe have to make another addon switch to choose between FMC or GPS).But I agree it takes a while(at least more than a minute) to enter in routes in the FMC. What I usually do to streamline it is make a flight in flight planner. Then I pull up the kneeboard window with the flightplan. Then enter in an abbreviated course. If there are multiple waypoints and VORs on one Jet airway I just enter the beginning and ending skipping all the waypoints in between, So the overall flightplan may end up just 3 pages(along with adding dep and arr runways and sid/stars also). Just picking VOR to VOR may be the fastest way to route also. Need a programmer to write conversion programs to translate the LevelD XML format from MS flightplans and other formats to levelD/PMDG as well.

I wasnt into FMCs until I got the PMDG 737....now I wont fly without it...

Programming the FMC in the LDS 767 is essential, not just because of the route info but the weight and balance info, winds, runway selection. It just will not fly properly without the FMC being programmed correctly. If the weight and CofG data is not enetered the autopilot trim and engine thrust is all out of wack and is does not fly very well. In addition the FMC is required to get the IRS system aligned. Once you learn how to do it you can program the FMC in 2 minutes.Mark.

OK, let me ask you a stupid question since as you know, I don't use FMC. If I wanted to fly from JFK to LAX or JFK to SFB, how would I find the jet routes or VORs to fly? Where do I look?JC

You could do it a number of ways.1) You could use the FS flightplanner to find either a jetway or vor-vor route for you, write down the waypoints and enter them in the FMC2) You could use FSBuild or FSNav to create a flightplan in a similar way, in fact you can import these plans directly in most FMC's, so if you use these you need not input any route data in, also a few FMC's can read flightplans made with the default FS flightplanner.Dan.

This will do it for you: http://rfinder.asalink.net/free/Doug

Almost every Vatsim FIR will have a preferred routes page for pilots that lists the routes for most common routes.Here is the page for LA ATRCC http://www.eleventhstreet.com/fb2/showplans.aspxMark.

Man, I sure wish I could get on VATSIM. Tried twice but never could figure it out. Maybe the next release.....Doug

JC you wouldn't like the LDS767, the sounds are too realistic. You hardly hear a rumble at 32,000ft. You shouldn't here that inside the Concord either. I have yet to see a good Concord sound set produced. Is your Concord the SSTsim or PSS version??? PSS has better sounds but if your comments are concerning the SSTsim version, I know you won't like the LDS767... :-hang Don't buy it, it'll save you the hassle of posting support post complaining about the sounds...

JC all you do is open your Kneepad, click on the flight plan button and type in your route you see on your default Kneepad to the FMC. Very Simple... It's actually more simple than some of these suggestions...

FREEWARE Super Flight Planner 3.0 is in the LibraryThis may be another solution that allows you to save flight plans in numerous formats.Very robust program, and does what you ask with no cost to you. :-)Here at Avsim:http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...util&DLID=58247Regards,Joe****************Grab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

I enjoy the GPS because I like to look at the terrain I am flying over, where the airports are, mountains, etc. All this realism-nonsense is just that. You people go way over the top in your quest for absolute realism. So what if somebody wants to fly using the GPS? Maybe they get enjoyment out of it in a different way, who are you to tell them what they should and should not do? Some people don't have the hours it takes to learn proper FMC programming, personally if you are that addicted to realism, go out and be a pilot. And to turn the tables... What fun do you get in programming everything and watching the bird fly from wheels up to touchdown? That takes little skill, anybody can read a book and press a few buttons. You enjoy being a passenger and a programmer rather than a PILOT? This is just a game, lets treat it like one people.

Thanks Doug. Checked it out. Looks pretty neat.JC