Tried to do the return leg default TNCM to FSDT's KDFW, but no matter what, including clearing all the saved panel states, I just could not get the ACARS to  give me the go ahead to Request the PFPX-created and saved Flightplan. Checked that the Flightplan was in the correct usual folder. Had no issues with departing KDFW. Just the return leg, same aircraft, just changed the Flt No to GTI637. ACARS accepted the Departure and Arrival airports but would not go to that SYNC  bit at the bottom, no matter how long I waited for the IRSs to align, etc, including trying a Instant setting, etc.

Is there an issue with the default TNCM?  I'd like to get the FT TNCM when next on sale

16 minutes ago, vc10man said:

Is there an issue with the default TNCM?  I'd like to get the FT TNCM when next on sale

Scenery has nothing to do with ACARS.

Sounds like you might not have waited the 900 seconds for ACARS to drop out to PREFLIGHT, or you might not have logged back in properly, by matching the entries on the RTE page and PREFLIGHT page.

Thanks for the reply, Kyle.First with the 747-400 on its own before I bought the 747-9i very recently, I have now got the hang of getting the ACARS to give give me the okay to Request  the Route, which, as I stated, I did check was in the 777 and 737 Flightplans folders respectively. My routine is turn the IRS rotary switches on, then go to the FMC and dial in the Ref Airport to give me my IRS Position, then I go to the ROUTE page and type in the ORIGIN airport followed by the DEST airport, then the FLT NO which your erstwhile colleagues, Chrsi and Dan pointed out to not use the PFPX-generated Flight Number but the Call Sign designation, GTI in the case of Atlas Air 747-8i.

Then I go to the centre display where it says DLINK-PREFLIGHT-DLINK INIT Page 1 where I type in the ETD UTC time, in that case, 09:00am as I sort of thought would be the time roughly on St Maarten, then  ETE time 5 hours later, then the Airline ID, in this case AT, till I get CXN SYNC followed by DLINK ACT.

Only then, I head back to the FMC Route 1 page, REQUEST<SEND, except in this instance the 747 and GENERIC were greyed out. I went back to PFPX, again saved the route TNCM- KDFW, again checked it was in that 777 Flightplans folder, but still could not go past the greyed out Route Files page.

Hence my initial post.

Just tried it all over again at EGCC to EDDF and not even a pip-squeak of an issue.

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by vc10man

To explain this in a little more detail for you, as Kyle indicated, you were flying a second segment and it takes 900 s (15 m) for the ACARS to reset from the previous segment and allow you to preflight the next segment.  You cannot turn around after arrival and start using the datalink until this time has elapsed.

Dan, Kyle, it was nothing to do with the second segment although your point is cogent enough, because I had not a single issue loading EGCC to EDDF. Then went back to TCNM and tried again. Again,same greyed out 747 and Generic. I then decided to look at every place that PFPX had placed that TNCMKDFW01.rte flightplan, and lo and behold found two in the P3Dv4 Files. Deleted one, and tried again, and this time the lower 777 and NGX folders were displayed to give me that flightplan.

I only flew into TNCM last night and then only set about the return leg tonight, a full 24 hours later, so surely the ACARS has had time to re-set itself as it was a clean P3D start?

Anyway, problem is now resolved by me, so.................

..................Q.E.D.

A bad flightplan.  I wasn't looking over your shoulder.... couldn't tell if the datalink was up or not from the problem statement.  These things are tricky because we often leave out important pieces of the puzzle when trying to provide a description.  Very good that you found it.

8 hours ago, downscc said:

A bad flightplan.  I wasn't looking over your shoulder.... couldn't tell if the datalink was up or not from the problem statement.  These things are tricky because we often leave out important pieces of the puzzle when trying to provide a description.  Very good that you found it.

Sorry about that, Dan, as I have never until last night, ever had an issue with the ACARS on either the -400, with which I have made numerous flights, or the -8i less so. Hence, that's what threw me off ,as I go through a routine. First, after loading the -8i, the FP from PFPX, then AS, then last EFB2, so wondered whether the default TNCM had comms issues as the MyTraffic6 bgl was loading the scenery.

Live and learn, in this game. Thanks to you and Kyle for your kind inputs, once again the pillars of rock here.