I'm running the PMDG 737NGX with P3D V4, Active Sky, and Navigraph Data. Just wondering what is the best way to create flight plan routes and load the route into the FMC? I know there are several software programs out there that do this, just wondering what others are using and what would work best with the PMDG FMC.

Thanks John Swanson

Hi John:  Anything that creates a properly encoded .rte file will work with the FMC of any PMDG product (that has a FMC).  The file name convention used by PMDG is AAAABBBBnn.rte where AAAA is origin ICAO, BBBB is destination ICAO and nn is optional digit such as 01.  Save the flightplan file to either PMDG\FLIGHTPLANS or PMDG\FLIGHTPLANS\NGX and load the flightplan into the FMS by using the CO ROUTE field on the RTE page.  Be sure to review this information in the NGX Introduction document.

Most of the routes I use are real world routes that I get from FlightAware (good for the Americas, some of Asia and Australia but most European entites treat this data as classified not releasable to the public).  Most NGX routes can be hand entered as quickly as using a 3d party program to create them.

When you want to learn more about flight planning you enter a new world, in fact dispatchers must be licensed by their local authority to do that job.  Add weather, EROPs and costs and it can be complex.  Only PFPX comes close to meeting this complexity and is popular, there are also many ways to get flightplans off the net such as simbrief but others will have to chime in on this approach.

Simbrief is a great tool to plan your flight and it's free!

It takes into considiration a lot of parameters en is pretty easy to use.  Just make sure to check there tutorial video on youtube.

There is a possibility to download the flightplans you just made and put them in the right place to work with the PMDG-range of aircrafts (includng the wx-files used by the B747 and B777.

I have also PFPX, witch is top.  Learning curve is a bit steeper, but hey, it's a hobby and you have plenty of time.

I'm sure there are more planners pay- and freeware around the WWW.

Flightplans itself you can find here: Routefinder, Real world flight plan database, Skyvector, Flight plan database. 

There are plenty more around, others will jump in to point you in the right direction.

Thanks for the replies, I decided on getting PFPX.

John Swanson