do you have to open a flightplan in fs2004 or if you have exported to the pmdg 737 can you just loaod the plan into the fmc and fly that way with rc4 thanks,jim ps. sorry for all the questions

Hi Jim,It's not necessary to load a plan into FS2004. I don't know if the PMDG737 will accept a FS flight plan but if it does then you can load that plan into the CDU (FMC) and into RC4. Check the PMDG documentation.I create my plans with FSNavigator and export them to FS2004 format. I load that plan into RC4 and also into my Project Magenta CDU. The most important thing is that they include the same waypoints.Hope that helps.

hi ray, i am going to use fsbuild to make the flightplan and export it to fs2004 and the pmdg737, then run rc4 and load the plan from fs2004 into rc4, then select the pmdg 737 and load the plan that was imported from fsbuild into the fmc, set up rc4 and run rc4, does this seem correct, im a newbie to rc4 thanks, jim

I have your setup with FSBuild 2.21. Your procedure is correct.I also use Active Sky 6 which FSBuild interfaces with so winds aloft are taken into account for fuel planning in FSB. That same FS9 flightplan created for RC4 can be loaded into AS6 after weather is loaded to generate an AS6 navlog so you can pick the most favorable cruise level based on winds aloft. Some of the AS6 data is then entered into the performance, take-off, and rte tables of the FMC.You will note that in RC4 controller page after loading the plan that the transition altitude is shown. You can use that data for your FMC transition altitude on I believe the takeoff page. The transition altitude in the takeoff page affects speed limits in VNAV to comply with speed restrictions below the transition level I'm pretty sure.Here is my procedure:Create a plan in FSB with estimated cruise altitude. Export to FS9 format on the first build. Start AS6 and load current or archived weather. Import the FS9 flight plan (NEW ROUTE tab), process, and print the full AS6 navlog. Pick the best cruise altitude.Go back to FSB and adjust the cruise level and enter all parameters in the aircraft tab. Include average calculated wind (headwind components are "-"). Rebuild exporting to FS9 and PMDG and print the FSB navlog.You can now shut down FSB.Start up FS9 and load or create your PMDG flight. Look at the FSB navlog and adjust fuel loading. Fire up the FMC and load the route you just exported into the FMC. Fill in take-off temp, desired cruise level and cruise winds and temp aloft as detailed on the AS6 navlog, plus all the rest of the stuff.Note that if you included a SID/DP in FSB then it is already in the FMC flight plan and you do not use the ones listed in the FMC. It is the same with a STAR. I only need to load the arrival runway in the ARR page of the FMC (including the ILS approach if applicable as a guide or for RNAV - choose an RC IAP for arrival if you wish to follow the plates) once the arrival runway is announced. There are more options here but for brevity I'll stop at this point.In some cases the way RC determines your minimum approach altitude it can be too high because RC takes into account the terrain altitude quite a range around your descent path. In those cases I choose an IAP and then follow the plate path and altitudes. This occurs at destinations that have high terrain on one side. Normally RC is pretty close on issuing altitudes.More than you wanted to know:)

Hi Ronzie,Thanks for jumping in. Jim, you're in good hands :-)Cheers,

thanks ronzie thats a great help, i too use asv6 ,that advice is just what i was looking for, thanks again guys, jim

I forgot to add don't forget to refresh AS6 and AS6 AI after loading your FS9 flight.

Thanks from me as well Ron. That is an excellent run-though and is now printed. Perhaps could be a stickie or in FAQ

>I forgot to add don't forget to refresh AS6 and AS6 AI after>loading your FS9 flight.>hi ronzie, how do you refresh as6 and as6 ai, do you have to minimize fs9 to do this thanks, jim

I minimize FS9 and manually refresh AS6 since I have the option to start AS6 paused. I noticed that it appears that AS6 might refresh the background default flight location if the option to start on FS ready is selected, not the flight I have loaded.AS6 has the option to refesh AI on the first weather write to FS but I do this manually after I see the weather writes have completed.For the FMC types, I also do not complete the performance related pages (winds and temperature variables) until the weather writes are completed which takes a couple of minutes to take effect. At that time I refresh the AI after seeing the completion status in the AS6 window. The reason I do this is that the some of the performance pages sense the surface OAT and I do not wish to set these before weather writes have occurred.If you have a fully registered FSUIPC you can also set a hot-key to toggle AI off and on effectively causing an AI (and ATIS) refresh without minimizing FS. If for some reason AI has stalled in front and you are in a hurry this toggle comes in handy to dump AI and have them reload. You can also do this with the FS World meny by advancing the time more thasn three minutes but for me the hot key is handier.The way I operate is to load my flight, set the route and navs and other FMC values and fuel load that will not change with weather, minimize FS9, refresh the weather and then AI, Start up RC loading the plan and setting options followed by activating it. By this time weather writes and weather should be stable as are AI patterns. I max FS and continue preflight readjusting FMC for weather related items, check RC ATIS, get the clearance, and away we go.

thanks again ronzie, i have printed all the great info you have given me. thanks, jim