When I select a runway for arrival using the cdu, a list of STARS appear on the cdu.  I have to look at all of them on plates to see which is the proper STAR based on the runway and direction I'm coming from.  Is there an easier way to select a STAR?  Often, I select a star and have to delete and edit thru the cdu because I selected an inappropriate star.

Gnacino

 

If you take a look at Aivlasoft's EFB, you'll see it has a function to overlay STARS (and SIDS) when you enter the departure and arrival airports, this means you can pick the one which best matches your route. This is one of the nice things about EFB funstionality in more recent airliner add-ons too, such as the Quality Wings B787, where it can do that right from the cockpit in the sim since that EFB will display such procedures.

Of course if you use an additional ATC program, it may give you a different STAR when you get near you route's end, but of course you can simply stick that one in instead, which only takes a second or two.

Hmm. ..I have efb and didn't know that...cheers. ..very handy feature indeed.

I just check the route on Flight Aware to see what SID and STAR they are using that day.

It depends on how you compile your flightplan. It should start from one of the waypoints on the SID charts and it should end on a waypoint of one of the STARs. Assuming that it's correctly compiled (and filed if online) it always ends on the first waypoint of the related STAR.

An example should be better:

Flight from LIML to LIRN. assuming that arrival is on Rwy 24. Route LOGDI Y663 EKDIR M872 LOMED Z910 AKAMO

AKAMO will be your last waypoint and there's obviously a STAR starting from there, usually AKAM1A

Obviously if online (or using some software) ATC can direct you to another waypoint due to traffic or weather, but in most cases you'll fly the last waypoint STAR.

STARs can be quite difficult to understand on charts, as sometimes I can't even see where the airport is!! If I am not certain, I resort to either RNAV approaches (which have nicely located waypoints on the final approach path), select a suitably located waypoint near the approach path, or just link the last waypoint with an ILS approach (which usually adds a couple of close markers that are a comfortable distance from touchdown). In fact, this is one aspect of simulated flight that I enjoy. I am not trying to become a real world airliner pilot, so part of the fun is compiling a suitable flightplan that works! Whether it matches the real world or not is irrelevant. After all, the AI pilots don't seem to abide by real world procedures

I usually find the "Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning" works best... 

I sometimes use Flightaware but you don't know what runway they are using.  The other thing that's a mystery is when choosing a transition point for either the runway or the star.  I f you pick the wrong one, it is nowhere near your approach and you have to figure out all those discos.  I'm sure that's not how its done.  The QW 787's is great but most planes are not equipped with that..  I've tries using some efb's for Android but not happy with them.  I'll have to find an efb that's easier to use.

Gnacino

 

22 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

STARs can be quite difficult to understand on charts

Makes you wonder how they did it back in the preglass days.

That’s the great thing about using ProATC/X: it assigns the appropriate STAR at the appropriate time. Just like in real life, where you don’t have to (and get to) select a STAR yourself. The same goes for SIDS btw. ProATC makes things easy AND realistic: can’t get any better than that. 

I rather like having to improvise if there are no SIDs/STARs available (or if I can't work out which STAR to use).

PFE and vectors, except for some terrain-constrained airports like SKBO (their STARs are valid for all landing runways, but I'm familiar with that airport).