Finding the active runway

[aerdt 0]

Is there a tool/add-on that let's me find out the active runway (other than ATIS) for the origin and destination airport. I have read that Flight Deck Companion is supposed to have a feature like this. Can anyone confirm or suggest another utility?I know that I can request another runway on approach, but then usually the AI still flies the offical "active", which doesn't make things very realistic.Thanks.

[Guest jopedope]

check the METAR weather for the airport and calculate which runway will be in use. i do it a lot and in 98% of all cases my calculations were correct.

[Rudi 0]

You can also listen to ATIS for the airport.

[Guest jopedope]

yeah but the guy said "other than ATIS"sometimes (mostly actually) you're just too far away from your destination airport and before departure you'd like to know what runway you can expect (flight planning etc)i think that is why he's asking this

[aerdt 0]

Let me clarify: I am asking to find out the active, because in real life the departure/arrival runway is generally known and can be added into the FMC for planning/arrival time purposes.I know I can just listen to ATIS to find out the active, but that just works when I am already approaching the destination.

[Guest aca_dia]

In real life unless it

[RFields5421 1]

The most important button on an FMS or a GPS is the "Direct to ->" button.Even on a regular run to a planned airport and the planned runway, flight crews will often be cleared "Direct to" the waypoint two or three down the flight plan/ route / STAR.You can open FS - go to your destination airport - check the weather, or use the FS download real world weather screen - and cursor over to check the destination airport weather.Or use a real world METAR.That should be sufficient for planning.But be prepared to change the arrival, approach and runway inflight.If you do not want to take the chance of having to reprogram the FMS - then only use real world weather in the static mode - not with real world updates. Then the runways will not change during the flight if weather changes.(PS - One reason there are two FMS computers in real aircraft is the ability to reprogram one for changes which occur inflight.)

[aerdt 0]

In real life, usually dispatch gives you the current active for both the origin and destination and files it with the flight plan. In 95% of the cases, that will be the departing/arriving runway as well, unless, of course, the weather conditions change significantly.Right now, I have ASV running via WideFS, so I always know the weather conditions at the airport and can guess the active.

[jcboliveira 1]

FSUIPC has the necessary info so it's just natural that several addons also have that. I believe that FDC has that. However the info is based in AI movement so doesn't work all the time.Jos