RTA page and WPT ALT function on DES page not working??

[737Andi 6]

Hi,

I'm not able to enter any waypoint in thr RTA field for some reason. The RTA menu is brought up either via the CRZ or PROG page. I had it working in the past but now it doesnt work. So I guess Im missing anything here to make it work? Any idea why waypoints on the route are not accepted as RTA points? I get the "invalid entry" error for all waypoints I try to enter.

Something similar is happening when using the WPT Altitude field on the DES page. Here only certain waypoints are accepted for V/S ft/min reckoning. Any idea why I cannot use all waypoints on my route for this function?

Thank you!

Best regards Andi 

[MDFlier 2,031]

I've run into this, and I've also opened a support ticket with PMDG. You probably should as well.

I've found that it's hit and miss. I try to use RTA on every flight (ACARS as well). It works on some airframes every time. Others, not at all. The frustrating thing is that I never find out until the very end of my preflight that its not going to work because I try to enter it after I have the rest of the CDU preflight completed. 

According to PMDG, it is supposed to work on every variant. I wish it did.

[MDFlier 2,031]

I've been checking some of the different liveries. So far for Southwest:

N8602F    No RTA
N8560Z    No RTA
N8307K    RTA
N8320J    RTA

Seems like it would be something in the .ini file for the airframe, but I haven't found anything so far.

Edited January 17, 2021 by MDFlier

[MDFlier 2,031]

I just figured out that something in the actual flight plan is affecting this. I built a new system recently, so I have been using the same flight over and over to test as I change things. I've flown Southwest 257 KBWI-KBOS about 7 times now. I made my previous post in this thread after the last 2 flights had RTA functionality in N8307K and N8320J. After that post, I flew it again in N8551Q. RTA worked in it as well.

This morning, I tried to fly SWA 1878 KTPA-KBWI in N8551Q, When I got to the RTA page, it wouldn't take the runway entry. I restarted P3D and proceeded to setup for SWA 257 in N8551Q. When I got to the RTA page, it accepted RW04R as the RTA waypoint. Same airplane, two different results.

I got the flightplan from the actual SWA 1878 BWI-TPA flight on Sunday Jan, 17 @ 4:27PM from Flightaware and used Simbrief to make my P3D flight plan. The real flight filed for FL400 so that's what I used in Simbrief. When I programmed the FMS in the NGXu, it was complaining that max altitude was FL376. I think the unknown factor is the weight, which affects max altitude. I have no idea how the real flight was loaded, so I'm thinking that's my difference. I'm getting ready to rebuild the flightplan in Simbrief using FL360 as the filed altitude. Maybe RTA works if the FMS isn't barfing over the flightplan? 

I might be able to get it tested in time to edit this thread...

Edit: Nope. Can't make RTA work in N8551Q for WN1878... Still no clue.

Edited January 18, 2021 by MDFlier