If I'm to make a fairly short flight into a bigger airport (in my example KEAT to KSEA) I wan't to use the GPS. What should be entered as the destination waypoint? I could enter KSEA directly but that feels unpractical. I would like to enter a approach or at least an IAF fixpoint. But I don't know what approach ATC will give me.So what is the best way to do things? How would it be done in reallife. If for example the destination is the first waypoint you need a waypoint to navigate to1) Enter dest airport directly and when you are assigned approach don't use the GPS to control the autopilot.2) Try guess a IAF or approach and enter it. Change this in flight if not correct3) Choose a convinient waypoint on the way and wait to select approach in the GPS4) More options ?

Enter dest airport and ask ATC for approach with transition, when you are handed off to appr on dest airport. By default they give you vectors to ILS but you don't have to accept it.You should see those avaliable in GPS proc page, you can preselect most probable one then activate, it's really fast.If there is no transition approach avaliable, just ask for visual and fly away.So, I'd say 2 and 3 are valid, just ask ATC for the approach/transition you want.

What I do is enter the airport direct from the GPS at the originating airport. The when I'm 30 nm (FS limit which I hate) out of the destination airport I ask for clearance to land. When I get runway X I then press the procedure button and enter that runway X with available STAR from the list and activate it.

Do this sample flight.http://www.avweb.com/news/reviews/182453-1.html

In addition to the excellent tutorial you recommended, AOPA has one that is pretty basic but a good place to start.Regards,Jimhttp://www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/gps/gps.html

#2 is closest. Rest makes little sense. Why don't you look into the Garmin's 530 manual - they offer many excellent examples how to fly approaches using this unit.Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/pmdg_744F.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg

>What I do is enter the airport direct from the GPS at the>originating airport. The when I'm 30 nm (FS limit which I>hate) out of the destination airport I ask for clearance to>land. When I get runway X I then press the procedure button>and enter that runway X with available STAR from the list and>activate it.I tried that once but there was one little inconvenience. I was approaching from the north and the approach was from north. When activitaing the approach the plane first went to the airport and then turned back north to get to the first waypoint in the approach list.

>>What I do is enter the airport direct from the GPS at the>>originating airport. The when I'm 30 nm (FS limit which I>>hate) out of the destination airport I ask for clearance to>>land. When I get runway X I then press the procedure button>>and enter that runway X with available STAR from the list>and>>activate it.>>I tried that once but there was one little inconvenience. I>was approaching from the north and the approach was from>north. When activitaing the approach the plane first went to>the airport and then turned back north to get to the first>waypoint in the approach list.>Just check your flight plan. and delete the Airport waypoint.

I tried that once but there was one little inconvenience. I was approaching from the north and the approach was from north. When activitaing the approach the plane first went to the airport and then turned back north to get to the first waypoint in the approach list.That shouldn't happen. If you can get the airport at 30 nm or so then activating the approach when you get the instructions should allow you to fly the chosen approach. If you wait until you're on top of the airport then of course your plane will fly the approach route taking you back along the route and then back to the airport.Once you're a few nm from the airport towards the end of the approach route you'll get clearance. I guess you waited to activate the approach when you got clearance. You should activate it when you get it at 30 nm or so and your clearance will come towards the end of the route.