5 hours ago, Dusk said:

This video from a real world pilot clearly explains the various scenarios where you might use it (first 5 mins).

Interesting. I like the videos of A330 Driver. In fact, the first (iniBuilds) A343 flight I did, was based on an (KORD->EDDF) flight video that he had done. 

Thanks.

41 minutes ago, P_7878 said:

 

Thanks, jon. Yes, as I should handle diversions. Appreciated the detailed steps. I'll run it once; just lifting off VIDP, enter a HOLD, then Exit the HOLD, and follow through with the steps outlined.

BTW, I am now told by my better-half, with slightly better memory of such happenings...🙂... from 10-15 years ago... that the diversion airport was likely Lucknow (VILK), about 270 miles southeast of Delhi. See the SimBrief F-PLN Screenshot #1 below, with ALTN=VILK.

That sounds right. In my previous replication (in MSFS2024/PMDG777), I'd diverted further north to VICG/Chandigarh (also can be seen in MAP below), which is only about an hour or so away, and what I recall, the diversion flight had lasted more than 2-hours, though after nearly 18 hours, in uncertain conditions, every hour had seemed like an eternity.

I've also shown the SimBrief F-PLN for the (KORD->VIDP) non-stop leg, that I'd replicated a month or two ago. I understand that AA no longer flies this direct route from O'Hare, but Air India does. However, that was my only ~19-hour flight, and I intend to keep it that way...🙂...not much of a (travel) fan of ultra-long-haul flights...

Cheers...!

Looking at your flight plan, it seems as though you flew right over my house.

17 minutes ago, Amon1973 said:

Looking at your flight plan, it seems as though you flew right over my house.

...🙂...Me living around O'Hare, I also say that a lot to the folks around here (the virtual aviators) ...doing long-hauls into KORD...

Actually, I normally use the latest FlightAware route for such long-hauls, so, in the absence of an actual AA 777 flight, I recall I'd used the (RW) Route from the (still-operating) Air India non-stop 777 flight.

Yes, you may have indeed heard my 777 fly over your house...hopefully not in the odd hours of the night...🙂...

Edited February 11Feb 11 by P_7878

6 hours ago, P_7878 said:

However, that was my only ~19-hour flight, and I intend to keep it that way...🙂...not much of a (travel) fan of ultra-long-haul flights...

Yes that’s quite a slog ! You don’t want to do too many of those.

My worse one was emergency cargo operations during the pandemic LHR-HKG-LHR 29 hours 7 pilots !

Also talking of diversions we were operating into Pakistan during the winter of 20/21 with low visibility forecast and nothing other than cat1 available due to work on the runways our diversion for Lahore was Muscat, Oman.

6 hours ago, P_7878 said:

🙂...Me living around O'Hare, I also say that a lot to the folks around here (the virtual aviators) ...doing long-hauls into KORD...

Forgot to say, I grew up (virtually) flying around Meigs field ,like a lot of us here, although KCMI Champaign IL will always be my home from Commodore 64 cassette days.

I flew another cargo flight into KORD for the first time in the RW in 2021, coming in over the lake and looking down on that so familiar city skyline was absolutely surreal. I was almost expecting it to stutter past at 2 FPS

Edited February 11Feb 11 by jon b

1 hour ago, jon b said:

Yes that’s quite a slog ! You don’t want to do too many of those.

My worse one was emergency cargo operations during the pandemic LHR-HKG-LHR 29 hours 7 pilots !

Also talking of diversions we were operating into Pakistan during the winter of 20/21 with low visibility forecast and nothing other than cat1 available due to work on the runways our diversion for Lahore was Muscat, Oman.

If that were 1960's Muscat, they would have had bonfires to light the runway.

@P_7878 19 hours is a pretty good haul, I don't know what the endurance is on the -ER or -LR 777's but you might have been on fumes.

1 hour ago, jon b said:

Yes that’s quite a slog ! You don’t want to do too many of those.

My worse one was emergency cargo operations during the pandemic LHR-HKG-LHR 29 hours 7 pilots !

Also talking of diversions we were operating into Pakistan during the winter of 20/21 with low visibility forecast and nothing other than cat1 available due to work on the runways our diversion for Lahore was Muscat, Oman.

Agree, these ~20-hour flights couldn't be good for me, as I get up there in age ...🙂...In fact, during that AA 777 (KORD->VIDP) flight many moons ago, I recall the captain advising the pax to stretch in the seat or/and walk around in the Cabin, if possible, when the Seat Belt sign was off.

However, being in the sardine class, all I could do was walk briefly from one set of the rest rooms (or the lavatories, as you would say) to the one at the other end, being careful not to walk past those curtains and into forbidden zone of the first class...🙂...

29 hours in the sky in a row...is unthinkable for me....

In my virtual/imaginary world, a short while ago in MSFS2024, I did fly the PMDG 777F, (FRA->HKG), using a RW DLH/Aerologic route. I'm a consummate LH A330/A340 traveler. LH does not operate 777s for Pax use, but they do fly their 777Fs out of O'Hare.

I got my username here, from the sighting of an ANA 787-8, in the Boeing Everett factory; probably one of the first few -8s...

Cheers...!

1 hour ago, jon b said:

Forgot to say, I grew up (virtually) flying around Meigs field ,like a lot of us here, although KCMI Champaign IL will always be my home from Commodore 64 cassette days.

I flew another cargo flight into KORD for the first time in the RW in 2021, coming in over the lake and looking down on that so familiar city skyline was absolutely surreal. I was almost expecting it to stutter past at 2 FPS

Wonderful...good old times...frankly, it does not feel the same anymore...🙂...I moved to Chicago in 1997, and our one-time esteemed mayor, tore down the Meigs Field, a few years later. I sometimes drive to University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) campus to visit friends these days, but I've never been to the KCMI airport.

Yes, most of the domestic flights (Internationals too, probably) arriving in O'Hare, I think, take their final approach up and over Lake Michigan, turning and banking...always affording great sight of the skyline ...

39 minutes ago, Mace said:

...19 hours is a pretty good haul, I don't know what the endurance is on the -ER or -LR 777's but you might have been on fumes...

You're probably right. It was a very uncomfortable (and unforgettable) feeling, especially after the exhaustion of 18 hours, not knowing where we would finally land.

All, I could see outside my cabin window was rain, clouds, and outlines of distant lightening...in darkness, until we landed. I recall the pax giving a round of applause as a sign of relief...🙂...as the wheels finally touched down...

My respect for the 777 has gone up quite a bit, since then...quite a remarkable marathoner and long-hauler, indeed...

Edited February 12Feb 12 by P_7878

From a technical standpoint, an alternate optimal airport could be calculated in real-time during the flight and update FMC in real-time.  Could even be automatically created based on the type of issue, engine failure, hydraulic failure, fuel leak, weather, TSR, etc. etc.  Computational technology is there … in fact, doesn’t existing navigation tools like Foreflight and others do that already? 

1 hour ago, SayAgain said:

From a technical standpoint, an alternate optimal airport could be calculated in real-time during the flight and update FMC in real-time.  Could even be automatically created based on the type of issue, engine failure, hydraulic failure, fuel leak, weather, TSR, etc. etc.  Computational technology is there … in fact, doesn’t existing navigation tools like Foreflight and others do that already? 

I would think so, too, in these modern times, if not already existing.

After sitting through a few hours of AI model based coding practices course this week (I’m not a coder by any means), I think the computational technology is here.

For example:

“Hey:

I’m on this 777-300ER over VIDP airport, running a bit low on fuel, with rough weather, but otherwise engines are good and no immediate emergency. You probably know all these things already anyway.

So, find me the optimal alternate airport that can handle this 777. Also, update my FMC route, if possible.

Thanks.”

Is it far-fetched…?

On 2/11/2026 at 4:17 AM, jon b said:

ATC in India like to issue spontaneous hold present position instructions or make a 360 degree orbit instruction rather than using their published holds.

If diverting in the 777 you can use the FMC keys as a simple aide memoir.

Starting top left and moving to the right..

INIT REF- select your current Vref (if diverting enroute you probably won’t have one entered)

RTE - enter your diversion airfield as the destination 

DEP/ARR- build up your STAR and expected approach 

Moving down to the next line..

FIX - put in your destination airport for orientation and instant direct to mileage 

LEGS- check and tidy up the arrival

Finally NAV RAD enter something appropriate for the destination.

Then moving on to communications you can use the radio panel in a similar fashion , starting on the left and moving right…

VHF L-ATC inform ATC of your intentions 

VHF R- Inform the company of your intentions ( the right VHF is usually tuned to company ops if in range, but maybe replaced by a SATCOM call if far away. Also for a diversion that isn’t immediate and urgent it’s best to discuss options with operations first before making a decision)

CAB -inform the cabin crew supervisor what’s going off using a NITS briefing-Nature, Intentions, Time to landing, Special instructions.

PA- Finally once you’ve go everything else sorted tell the pax what is going off, using your best Captain’s voice.

 

Well that’s the way we used to do things, there’s a written aide memoir or checklist in the QRH for diverting nowadays, younger pilots of today can’t scratch their nose without using a checklist, but it’s good to have a simple technique like above in your head.

 

Hi jon:

I got to test the steps above for setting up a diversion airport in the FMC (in mid-flight) as new destination, for the VIDP/Delhi scenario.

I used the (PMDG) 777F for this exercise, taking off from VIDP westward, first entering a one-min Hold (shot #2) above Delhi airport, then I went through the steps (INIT REF -> RTE -> DEP/ARR etc.). I chose ILS Rwy 27 of Lucknow/VILK airport (~270 miles southeast of Delhi), which I believe, was the RW diversion airport, from VIDP/Delhi. The latter screenshots below show, I'm on my way to VILK.

The VILK/Lucknow ILS 27 Chart (shot #5) shows it is a (CAT-1) ILS Approach, hopefully, I will be fine landing this B777 there; minus, of course, the rough weather, night-time, and low visibility of the original incidence...🙂... So, it all works for me here, I think...

Thanks.

Edited February 14Feb 14 by P_7878

Looks good , well done.

Now as captain comes the difficult bit.. getting the crew through Indian immigration, around 20 signatures required on various forms and declarations!

9 minutes ago, jon b said:

Looks good , well done.

Now as captain comes the difficult bit.. getting the crew through Indian immigration, around 20 signatures required on various forms and declarations!

Appreciated the comment, jon.

And, yes, some things are probably here to stay...in some parts of the world.

I'm fortunate not to have to deal with those items of bureaucracy, especially after this stressful ordeal...in my imaginary world...🙂...

Edited February 14Feb 14 by P_7878

I use route 2 on the Boeing  irl a lot.

I use it for arrivals where there may be runway changes eg snow clearing in ARN so I’d put plan A in route 1 and plan B in route 2   

I use it for orientation and for contingencies on the NAT by using it to display all the tracks especially if I’m crossing them so I know if I have to descend I’ll know where they are. You ca do this by route copy and then plotting the Nat tracks (or relevant parts of them) as sections of route with discontinuities between them to stop them joining up.

 

I might use it for showing where a sig weather area is when we get sent a six weather report via CPDLC again by plotting that on route 2 

I use it also when flying over places like Afghanistan Iran turkey etc where there’s issues with being able to descend due to high ground over large areas and we can use route 2 to show what we’ll do if we have a contingency where we can’t maintain altitude. 
 

I might also use it for the diversion routing depending on where we are and what’s going on. 

 

Edited February 22Feb 22 by g-liner