GTN Trainer and F1 gauge all installed and powers up in my PC12.   I now cannot use the GNS 530 to enter a "direct go to" route and follow it with the AP and am confused about how to load flightplans in the GTN 750.  

This is what my manual says but it is gobbledygook to me and if this is what is required to follow a route in AP I am going to be disappointed.  This is more hassle than an FMC.  Is there any way to just punch in an ICAO destination as you can with a Garmin 530? Or do you have to write a program each time in notepad and save it and load it?  I really don't have the time for all that.  What is worse is that the plane will not follow the FSX route in the 530 when I press NAV in the AP.  Not a happy purchaser!

"3. Flight Plan File Guidelines
Garmin uses a text based flight plan format that is derived from the IMI/IEI
messages format specified in ARINC 702A-3. But that’s just a side note.
Let’s take a look at the syntax of a usual Garmin flight plan:
FPN/RI:F:AIRPORT:F:WAYPOINT:F:WAYPOINT.AIRWAY.WAYPOINT:F:AIRPORT
Every flight plan always starts with the “FPN/RI” identifier. The “:F:” spec-
ifies the different flight plan segments. A flight plan segment can be the
departure or arrival airport, a waypoint or a number of waypoints that are
connected via airways. The entry and exit waypoint of an airway are con-
nected to the airway via a dot “.”.
The flight plan must be contained in the first line of the file. Anything after
the first line will be discarded and may result in importing failures. Flight
plans can only contain upper case letters, numbers, colons, parenthesis,
commas and periods. Spaces or any other special characters are not al-
lowed. When saved the flight plan name must have a “.gfp” extension."

 

8 minutes ago, expat said:

and am confused about how to load flightplans in the GTN 750

Click on the Flight Plan icon on the home page, then along the bottom click on Menu then click on Store icon. If you have any FP saved that is were you call them up or save them! 

Thanks very much for your help and quick reply.  With a Garmin 530 you can just enter an ICAO and the AP in NAV will follow the route.  Why can't the next generation Garmin do that?:  I cannot believe there is no simple "direct to" function like the 430/530 have and would not have bought it if I knew you had to almost do the equivalent of "dos" programming each time you wanted to go somewhere.  Also not happy the Carenado default 530 no longer works.  Not sure why everyone thinks the GTN is so wonderful. 

OK I have saved/stored a simple single waypoint flight plan.  But the PC12 AP won't track it in AP.  When I press NAV it turns away from the route. 

 

I have not used the 750 since P3D v4 came out but am positive the direct to exists - I used it all the time. Can't remember exactly how to guide you but this looks familiar:

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/442986/Garmin-Gtn-750.html?page=115

Once you get the hang of it, you will never want to see the 430/540 again!

 

There is a Direct To soft key located towards the bottom right corner of the bezel. The 750 DTO is the same paradigm as the 530/430

Garmin has a series of tutorial videos on a lot of the functions of the GTN series - just search on YouTube.

33 minutes ago, expat said:

OK I have saved/stored a simple single waypoint flight plan.  But the PC12 AP won't track it in AP.  When I press NAV it turns away from the route. 

Make sure GPS is selected along the bottom and that the FP is activated. You'll love it once you get use to all it has to offer!

58 minutes ago, expat said:

Thanks very much for your help and quick reply.  With a Garmin 530 you can just enter an ICAO and the AP in NAV will follow the route.  Why can't the next generation Garmin do that?:  I cannot believe there is no simple "direct to" function like the 430/530 have and would not have bought it if I knew you had to almost do the equivalent of "dos" programming each time you wanted to go somewhere.  Also not happy the Carenado default 530 no longer works.  Not sure why everyone thinks the GTN is so wonderful. 

OK I have saved/stored a simple single waypoint flight plan.  But the PC12 AP won't track it in AP.  When I press NAV it turns away from the route. 

 

Direct to is very much in the 750

select a point from The nav directory, vor, ndb, airport, fix, intersection etc and then hit the D key on the right side of the gtn. It's an actual "hard" button not on the touchscreen, 

easy.....

OR... push the Direct-to button and key in the airport code.

It actually is a lot easier than the GNS 

If you can see a destination on the map screen you can also click on it and then push the D button.

Thanks all for the support. Why I stay in flight simming everyone is so helpful! Will try these good suggestions and report back.

Quote

 

. push the Direct-to button and key in the airport code.

It actually is a lot easier than the GNS  

 

DOH!   I just knew I was missing something and it was right there under my nose. Happy camper now! 

You know what would be totally insane. If they did the GTN750 to emulate on a iPad. 

Yes indeed that would be cool.People flying are now using Garmin level apps in their iPhones to fly around GA.  Not a surprise.