Folks

 

I was flying SFO-LAS last night in the 146-200. I fly off line and really only use the FSX ATC for taxi/take off and landing/taxi instructions with maybe a bit through B/C airspace clearance if I can be bothered. All flights are VFR as far as the sim is concerned.

 

So I was looking through STARs and found those out of the west seem to end up very late downwind for 25L. How to I get to 07R from there? Do we complete the STAR and fly a circuit of some sort to get to anything other than 25L/R, or would we expect vectors from approach for a visual?

 

I called up the tower about 30 DME and was instructed to join straight in for 07R. I was high, but had the runway in sight. Being a little jet with big flaps I just got all the drag out and dropped down, with a couple of gentle S's to lengthen the descent a bit but I can imagine a 738 (and actual passengers) might be less forgiving.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

The preferred arrival from the west is the keppec star...this is a really long down wind leg...I know you said you're flying vfr, but from an IFR star arrival point of view, you'll flow into this traffic and land on 25.

 

I may not completely understand your question, but a 737 wouldn't be flying a star arrival with traffic landing on 25 and then ask ATC to land on 07 vfr.

 

If this doesn't answer your question please re state.

The wind at the time was easterly(ish), hence the default ATC instruction to use 07R. If the STARs set us up for 25L/R only, would a liner ever use the other runways? If the answer to that is no, then I should have just continued on to 25L and landed with a tail wind. If the answer is yes, how do we get there?

Ahhh I see now...thanks for clarifying...based on the winds and what you have said, the airport would not be doing KEPEC THREE arrivals to 25R.

 

With those winds, for flights coming out of the west, they would be expecting you to be flying the CLARR TWO arrival and planning for a 07L landing, which is a VOR approach.

 

Note that in the real world, the FMC route isn't completed at the gate for the destination STAR and runway, until you're on the descent and can listen to the ATIS for traffic info. Then the pilots can program in the star and runway in use.

If the winds are light, you'll usually land on 25L with a tailwind.

 

If they are stronger and exceed the tailwind limitation, you'll most likely switch to the 19s using the RNAV visual 19L/19R

 

It's rare to see an aircraft do an approach in on the 7s because of terrain issues, but there is the RNAV visual for 7R in that rare instance.

Thanks guys.  07 didn't smell right, and figured that the 01/19s weren't just built for show.

 

Mike