Perhaps I am used to NGX, but I was wondering why I can't program the FMC waypoints if I take off without a flight plan.  

If you take off with no DEP/ARR set, you can't program the route anymore - you get the invalid operation message.  If you try something like DIRECT->[some way point or airport], you can't do that either.  If you go to Route -> divert to, it shows all the airport around you, but selecting one of the airport and clicking on divert now does not work either.  So, once you are in the air, it seems that if you did not enter some sort of route into FMC, there's nothing you can do.  Lets assume you had a situation where you had to reboot the flight computer during the flight, what then ? you can't enter your route or waypoints anymore? It seemed to have worked fine on NGX, but not on 777 (p3d 2.5) ... Is there a way ? has anyone managed to do that succesfully ?

 

Thanks.

Perhaps I am used to NGX, but I was wondering why I can't program the FMC waypoints if I take off without a flight plan.  

If you take off with no DEP/ARR set, you can't program the route anymore - you get the invalid operation message.  If you try something like DIRECT->[some way point or airport], you can't do that either.  If you go to Route -> divert to, it shows all the airport around you, but selecting one of the airport and clicking on divert now does not work either.  So, once you are in the air, it seems that if you did not enter some sort of route into FMC, there's nothing you can do.  Lets assume you had a situation where you had to reboot the flight computer during the flight, what then ? you can't enter your route or waypoints anymore? It seemed to have worked fine on NGX, but not on 777 (p3d 2.5) ... Is there a way ? has anyone managed to do that succesfully ?

 

Thanks.

Please sign all posts with your full name as per forum rules.

 

If the FMC loses power and regains power, the previous route will still be in the system but will need reactivated. Please see FCOM v2 Chapter 11, Section 32 page 6.

Thank you,

 

So there is no way - once you are in the air, you can't program your route or destination or even direct point. ... hmm..

 

 

Paul Wojo.

Thank you,

 

So there is no way - once you are in the air, you can't program your route or destination or even direct point. ... hmm..

 

 

Paul Wojo.

According to the FCOM, entries in the route origin field are not valid in flight for the active route but should be valid for the inactive route. Neither works at the moment. Entries for the destination should be valid for either route I think. Entering a route in flight is not normal but it should be possible. The only way I can make it work is by loading a company route. Once loaded it can be edited.

 

Probably worth contacting PMDG support to get a definitive answer.

Don't think any 777 take off with out a filled flight plan and why would you?

Don't think any 777 take off with out a filled flight plan and why would you?

Of course not but that's not the point. Why inhibit route entries in this way if they are possible in the real aircraft?

 

It seems odd you can only edit an existing route. That might be how the real aircraft is but it's an odd thing to simulate deliberately if that isn't the case.

I noticed this way back before SP1 but no one could confirm if it was a realistic behavior?

 

Don't think any 777 take off with out a filled flight plan and why would you?

 

You'd probably use it for entering RTE2 in flight.

I did end up asking PMDG support about this, but the response I got was pretty much 'why would you' ... Of course I would not, unless my 777 was fitted with snow studs and I was taking off from Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica that has no ICAO - compass nav then ? ... :-) ... 

 

Time to let this one go....

I guess the time required to code these changes isn't justifiable for the single digit number of users who might need it. It's a compromise.

I always use raw data only  for my short circuits, where I do not even enter the DEP ARR entries in the ROUTE page :-)

 

Of course I am then unable to get the V speeds, without using an external calculator, and I also have to manually set my radio navs ...

 

But it works, and it's good to train some simulated emergencies ;-)

I did end up asking PMDG support about this, but the response I got was pretty much 'why would you' ... Of course I would not, unless my 777 was fitted with snow studs and I was taking off from Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica that has no ICAO - compass nav then ? ... :-) ...

 

Time to let this one go....

My answer to PMDG support would be "why would you" code it this way? There's no logic to it and the FCOM doesn't support it. It's perfectly reasonable to take off with no RTE 2 plan. What if you want to create that in flight? As this is coded you can't.

 

It's not good simulation to ignore an obvious error because it's not something most users will encounter. It's not as if some additional modelling is required to make it work. Some code was added to stop it working.

I do agree, but in the end its up to them if they decide to act on it.  From a programming point of view, I can't see, why it would make any different to be able to program the route in the air or on the ground (at last in terms of nav data) ... I mean, your position is known whether you are on the ground or flying through the air.  For the moment, the only way this works is if you enter RTE1/RTE2 FROM/TO - don't even have to Active it ... 

But yes :-) ... Its almost as if there is a piece of code in the simulator saying: if(in the air) -> can't do ... :-)

It's their decision, but it seems a very un-PMDG like reason. Of course they have a lot on right now, much of it imposed by the need to support an unexpected new platform, FSX:SE. But if they were to add it to the list for SP2 I don't suppose it would increase the total workload much.

 

 

"why would you"

Just like I said