Hi there,There are some uncontrolled airports in FS9 I want to fly to. However, they have no approach plates. Is there a tool I can create my own GPS approaches so I can fly IFR to them?Thnx

You could with the RXP units.But, in 'reality', non-controlled airports are visual, and I actually get some joy out of flying a non-controlled pattern into these facilities. AOPA had a great instructional on their web site which explains the proper procedure if you are unfamiliar.I have quite a few non-contolled airports that do not show up in the RXP Garmin unit database, and have saved them as 'user waypoints'; when I fly within range they show up, so I can lock-on my GPS to take me right to them (if I choose to), but it is up to me to fly the pattern and land.

Can we just add this to FS9's database? I am running Win2K. No RXP.

I do not think there is an easy way to add 'user waypoints' to the default database with the stock GPS units.You could do it though, (I would think), by using a 'scenery program'. But again, don't know if it would show up on your GPS info, or not.

I'm a little confused: Do you mean un-towered? Many untowered airports do have published approach plates, including GPS approaches ocasionally. If an airport doesn't have published approaches then, in real life, you would enter the traffic pattern. ATC's approach or Center controller will simply terminate radar coverage once they have guided you there. Of course you could build a GPS plan to guide you to the airport area and file that as a flight plan. You don't need an approach plate.

Very true...forgot all about the ability of doing that as I only fly with the RXP units.I think he is talking about creating waypoints to guide him to the approach, (as a GPS approach would), at airports that do not have one published.

My issue here is some of those airports are actually in an area with high mountains all around, and most of the time(at least the times I have flown into. Try 55S Packwood, Washington) clouds cover the whole area start from 8K feet all the way down to a few thousand feet. Descenting into the valley from 9000 is very dangerous without some kind of estabished apprach procedure.

ah yes. I face this a lot myself. I use Golden eagle flght planning software (free) and it helps with vertical navigation planning, plus I always buy the sectional chart for the area I want to fly ($8 USD from a real world site). You can determine minimum descents and best approaches. Presumably you have it no worse than real world pilots do under the same circumstances and can plan a they plan.

>There are some uncontrolled airports in FS9 >I want to fly to. However, they have no >approach plates. Is there a tool I can create >my own GPS approaches so I can fly IFR to them?>Airnav says there are no published instrument procedures at 55S.However, in answer to your question there is a tool that will add any type ficticious precision or non-precision approach to the FS9 database. That tool is the BGLComp SDK written by MS.You can write your own type approach plate such as a ILS, LDA, GPS, RNAV, VORDME, NDB, etc. including all the necassary fake waypoints/NAVAIDS. Once the Approach Plate is drawn on paper you write/convert to a XML txt file and compile with the MS BGLComp compiler.All of this will show properly in the default GPS receiver and if you "LOAD" "ACTIVATE" that new approach (as seen in the Garmin GPS receiver) the autopilot will fly the approach for you.You can also add the lines of xml code that will force any AI Planes flying into 55S to properly fly the same approach you wrote.The approaches that you create are not limited to straight in type approaches but FS9/ATC also adheres to any type approach you add such as GPS circle to land once over the airport or curved approaches through valley's. Once you have these new approaches in the default FS9 database where all approaches reside, ATC will use hand holding techniques to vector you to the airport if you ask for their assistance.FSX will have all the same capibilities in this area as did FS9. It is a shame that some Freeware/Payware continue to elude us on what some of the full capabilities FS9 has and how ATC truely works.

Or, if you can take the time to download them, here is where you can get the sectional charts for free. You can view them in a image editor: Photo Shop or MS Paint, as example.http://aviationtoolbox.org/raw_data/FAA/sectionals/current/And US terminals too:http://aviationtoolbox.org/munge/plates_by_state/

>But, in 'reality', non-controlled airports are visual, and I>actually get some joy out of flying a non-controlled pattern>into these facilities. AOPA had a great instructional on their>web site which explains the proper procedure if you are>unfamiliar.You're kidding me right? You're telling us that ALL non-towered airports have ABSOLUTLEY no instrument approach? I can name 5 airports off the top of my head near my hometown that don't have towers and have published instrument approaches.And you can't simply create an approach. Months and months of study must be done by surveyors to determine safe altitudes and approach paths that will not put the pilot at risk of hitting a manmade or natual obstruction.You can, however, request a contact approach. Contact approaches are useful when you know the terrain and landmarks surrounding an airport. You are responsible for not hitting anything that a typical published instrument approach would guarantee clearance.

>You're kidding me right? You're telling us that ALL>non-towered airports have ABSOLUTLEY no instrument approach? >I can name 5 airports off the top of my head near my hometown>that don't have towers and have published instrument>approaches.You are correct, my mistake, my terminology was incorrect. What I meant was airports without published approaches, which are, in fact, typically 'non-towered'/'non-controlled'.Should have caught my own mistake,....it's what I get for replying too quickly at work ;)

I would be surprised if most airports don't have at least a GPS approach. When you say that there are no approach plates, are you sure you aren't looking at some old ones (pre-GPS approaches)?I'm not sure which country you are referring to, but here in the US, at least anything starting with a "K" should have something at least, and many others too. Can you give me an example of one that doesn't have an approach plate?Bruce.

He is refering to 55S Packwood, Washington (USA)I posted above that Airnav says there are no current approaches for this airport old or new including a GPS.One of his options is to write a ficticious approach and add it to the FS9 database (see previous post).

Thanks- I went to AOPA and giot the same:"There are 0 instrument approach procedures currently available online for 55S."One of the few without one, I guess.Bruce.