FSX-MS Navigraph - AIRAC Update

[forshaw 47]

Hello Folks;

So I finally decided to purchase Navigraph AIRAC update in order to effectively fly SID's & STAR's. Since this is my first time and very new to Navigraph stuff, I definitely need help and have specific questions to make sure I purchase the correct thing.

1St. these are the add-ons I currently have and use, other then the aircraft I am assuming I will have to update at least the Flight Planner and maybe the add-on airport. Not sure how I will update them.

• Aircraft: PMDG-747 V3; iFLY 747-8 V2, QW 757. All FMC will have to be updated
• Flight Planner:  PRO ATC X, FS Commander
• Add-on Airports: 9 Airports Us only

What else would I need to update? Do I have to update the actual  FSX itself and if so what files exactly do I have to update? I am assuming I will be getting lots of difference files

Will Navigraph allow me to use these files with any app in FSX are there any limitations as to what I can update?

I see there is a FMS DATAManager on their site. I am assuming this is something I should get since it seems to add a seamless process for updating the FMC for the aircrafts..

I haven't signed up and purchase ( I guess subscribe) as yet; before I do I want to make sure I select the correct files and any associated information so that I can update everything I need.

Any additional information and confirmation would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks very much.

Best Regards.

Forshaw.

[Pat Mussotte 92]

Hi Forshaw!

If you have Active Sky, Topcat you can update them too!

Regards

Pat

[spesimen 135]

3 hours ago, forshaw said:

What else would I need to update? Do I have to update the actual  FSX itself and if so what files exactly do I have to update? I am assuming I will be getting lots of difference files

Will Navigraph allow me to use these files with any app in FSX are there any limitations as to what I can update?

I see there is a FMS DATAManager on their site. I am assuming this is something I should get since it seems to add a seamless process for updating the FMC for the aircrafts..

the FMS data manager is pretty much all you need. it will scan and find add-ons that are compatible and give you the option to backup and update them.

in the odd case where it can't detect one of your addons for some reason it lets you add them to its list by pointing at the proper directory.

there's no updating of FSX required. although the ancient navaids in the FSX scenery will no longer not fully match up with your new AIRAC data.

is this a problem for you? some planes like the PMDG ones, simulate most things from the AIRAC data, so you might not notice the difference, although if you fly long enough you might run into some discrepancies of an outdated vor frequency or something. if you use relatively recent airport addons, they will usually be already updated to their current state when they were released, and some like OrbX, flightbeam, etc release updates pretty regularly.

for the original FSX airports and navaids in the countryside there is a free update for FSX at https://aero.sors.fr/ which will most likely be all you need if you are flying heavies with sophisticated FMS. i believe it is updated quite regularly and updates navaid locations and frequencies, and they also have files that update the ILS frequencies etc. if the main addons you planning to fly are already using navigraph this will probably cover 99% of what you need.

if you want an absolute match between the FSX scenery, perhaps to use some aircraft that don't make use of the navigraph data directly, or if you need 100% accuracy for whatever reason, there is a product called FSaerodata that updates all of your FSX scenery approaches/navaids/etc using a compiled version of the navigraph data. it is the most comprehensive solution but also an additional subscription cost.  if you're unsure about the cost of another additional subscription i'd suggest trying the free one from aero.sors first and see if it suits your needs. based on the aircraft you listed it seems unlikely you need the whole enchilada.

there's not really any limitations as to what you can update, either a product uses data that is compatible with their format or it doesn't.

good luck! its a lot of fun flying with current charts and having them all at your fingertips.

cheers,-andy crosby

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by spesimen

[TextRich 88]

Get and install these to update your FSX at the same time you update your Navigraph:

https://www.aero.sors.fr/navaids3.html (World and ILS/Rwy updates, monthly)
https://www.aero.sors.fr/navint.html (Fixes updates, monthly)
https://www.aero.sors.fr/navaids.html (Magvar data update, yearly)

Edited May 14, 2019 by BF Bullpup

[vadriver 247]

6 hours ago, forshaw said:

So I finally decided to purchase Navigraph AIRAC update in order to effectively fly SID's & STAR's

why ... if they match your charts (ie of the same cycle)  😣

[forshaw 47]

7 hours ago, Pat Mussotte said:

Hi Forshaw!

If you have Active Sky, Topcat you can update them too!

Regards

Pat

Hi Pat;

Active Sky I also have, so duly noted.

Thanks.

Forshaw.

[forshaw 47]

3 hours ago, vadriver said:

why ... if they match your charts (ie of the same cycle)  😣

Hi John;

To be honest I didn't really want to go down that path, I have been flying FS/FSX since it came out and have been using the standard FSX ATC with no issues, they do their own victor with no SID & STARs's..The issue started when I decided to use PRO ATC x for flight plan and ATC and had lots of problems trying to program the PMDG FMC to match the SID and STAR's given by PRO ATC x..There were a lot of 'discons" (especially for STAR's not so much the SID's) and it was tough to get it to work. Some waypoints listed in the online charts and PRO ATC X was invalid in the PMDG FMC. Also the AIRAC for the PMDG (as everyone knows) is early 2017 (7xx) and the PRO ATC X is mid 2018 (high 8xx). I did post the issues, I have been experiencing, on the PMDG, Pro ATC x and this forums and they all stated that I need to update due to mismatches.

As per your point you are correct, if everything is on the same version there shouldn't be any issue. However, the PMDG FMC is well over a year older than PRO ATC x and the only way to get them in sync is to upgrade my FMC.

i don't mind if updates are off by a few months or maybe a year but 2 1/2 years across the board and  1 1/2 yrs between products may cause problems.

If you still think i have other options do let me know.

Thanks again.

Forshaw.  

[forshaw 47]

7 hours ago, spesimen said:

the FMS data manager is pretty much all you need. it will scan and find add-ons that are compatible and give you the option to backup and update them.

in the odd case where it can't detect one of your addons for some reason it lets you add them to its list by pointing at the proper directory.

there's no updating of FSX required. although the ancient navaids in the FSX scenery will no longer not fully match up with your new AIRAC data.

is this a problem for you? some planes like the PMDG ones, simulate most things from the AIRAC data, so you might not notice the difference, although if you fly long enough you might run into some discrepancies of an outdated vor frequency or something. if you use relatively recent airport addons, they will usually be already updated to their current state when they were released, and some like OrbX, flightbeam, etc release updates pretty regularly.

for the original FSX airports and navaids in the countryside there is a free update for FSX at https://aero.sors.fr/ which will most likely be all you need if you are flying heavies with sophisticated FMS. i believe it is updated quite regularly and updates navaid locations and frequencies, and they also have files that update the ILS frequencies etc. if the main addons you planning to fly are already using navigraph this will probably cover 99% of what you need.

if you want an absolute match between the FSX scenery, perhaps to use some aircraft that don't make use of the navigraph data directly, or if you need 100% accuracy for whatever reason, there is a product called FSaerodata that updates all of your FSX scenery approaches/navaids/etc using a compiled version of the navigraph data. it is the most comprehensive solution but also an additional subscription cost.  if you're unsure about the cost of another additional subscription i'd suggest trying the free one from aero.sors first and see if it suits your needs. based on the aircraft you listed it seems unlikely you need the whole enchilada.

there's not really any limitations as to what you can update, either a product uses data that is compatible with their format or it doesn't.

good luck! its a lot of fun flying with current charts and having them all at your fingertips.

cheers,-andy crosby

 

Hi Andy;

Thanks for the very informative information, I really appreciate it. it's helps by providing me with at full picture and how everything ties together😊. I am not really looking for 100% accuracy across the board. Most of the things don't change that often. For me if I get updates once a year (across the board I keep things in sync) I am very happy. 

In terms of Airports I only use the popular  Add-Ons (and they are pretty much up to date) 8 in North America, 3 in  Europe and 1 in China. I never fly into a default.

I think the only airport that's going through some drastic changes in terms of Runways is KORD (Chicago) They are adding and decommissioning runways, FsDreamteam came out with an update and they are still behind.

Thanks for your valuable input and advice.

Kindest Regards.

Forshaw.

  

[threebears 14]

On 5/14/2019 at 8:34 AM, spesimen said:

...."for the original FSX airports and navaids in the countryside there is a free update for FSX at https://aero.sors.fr/ which will most likely be all you need if you are flying heavies with sophisticated FMS. i believe it is updated quite regularly and updates navaid locations and frequencies, and they also have files that update the ILS frequencies etc. if the main addons you planning to fly are already using navigraph this will probably cover 99% of what you need." 

I subscribe to the Navigraph Airac service, because I mostly 'fly' the Majestic Dash Q400 and the PMDG 737, both of which have programmable FMCs.  Just for interest I dowloaded the free FSX update from aero.sors.fr. to see if it would work on my standard Microsoft FSX airports etc.  The installation went fine, but the first time I tried to programme a flight in my PMDG 737 it was clear there was a conflict of some sort and within minutes of starting the whole flight 'crashed to desktop'.  I uninstalled theaero.sors programme (fortunately without problem, and everything is fine again. Does anyone know if it's possible to update the FSX 'on board' navdata without affecting Navigraph Airac on particular a/c?

regards

Andrew

 

 

[TextRich 88]

Hi Andrew.  The aero.sors.fr downloads is for the FSX data only.  If the add-on aircraft uses the same data, then there will be no conflict.  If a third party product uses Navigraph, they both must be of the same data cycle (which is updated at the last week of each calendar month).  The aero.sors.fr data is updated a few days after Navigraph's updates.  Check the current available cycle on the download pages.  I wait for the latter's cycle to be updated before I update both my add-ons and my FSX.