Hi,I think RC is a great add-on. I have only one problem with it : I like to fly the published procedures but am unable to choose the option AIP untill I'm well into the STAR. Before that, ATC invariably starts chewing my head off because I'm straying from my flightplan.Is there a way to avoid this ?

follow the atc instructions until you can get the iap approach approvedjd

Most STARS start well before you are transferred to approach where you are offered the IAP option after the initial runway assignment. Make sure your STAR waypoints are included in the flightplan, at least those that are common to all runways since in those cases where STARs are runway specific only the last few are unique to the runway.If you still have a problem then you can use the arrival NOTAMS option to increase flexibility.

Thanks for the replies. Since I get my flight plans from British Airways Virtual, they don't include SIDS and STARS when I export them to FS2004 and import them into RC. Hmmm, what's this arrival NOTAMS option?

In departure and arrival NOTAMS mode ATC becomes more advisory and will not nag if you do not meet various heading and altitude requests. You still must cross waypoints as directed to get credit or advance them in the RC menu. One danger to this is if you miss hearing an instruction and do not ack you can on arrival go into limbo since you will not get a vector to the next point. In other words you need to be more cautious in your procedure as you will not get course alerts and corrections. Be sure you know how to advance in the RC menu to the next waypoint.A better description is in the manual.NOTAMS are selected on the preflight controller page.

If BAV has a chart resource you should be able to at least add some waypoints for departure to get you to the enroute transition and similarly for arrival. You can also examine this:http://www.euroutepro.com/fp/fp_main.phpfor many flight plans.Departure and arrival charts are available via the VATSIM chapter appropriate for the area indexed here:http://vateud.org/default.php?section=1⊂=0

Thanks Ron,I use Navigraph as my chart resource, BAV just gives me the flight plans that I can export to FS and PMDG. I don't think I can add any waypoints to the flight plans that I import in RC. The SIDS never give me any problems, I usually get the message to fly the published procedures and don't get any complaints when I fly the Navigraph SIDS.

You are correct that without a third party planner you can not add waypoints to the FS9 plan. I take it then that the BAV plans are fixed and not editable in the BAV utility?FWIW FSBuild will import an FS9 .pln file, let you modify it, and reexport it to your FMC and FS9.