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Guest garymccl

SIDs and STARs?

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Guest garymccl

OK, stupid question, but how do you know which SID and STAR ATC will want you to fly in advance of actually flying?I have, until recently, been using fs's built in ATC, and now I'm using RC, it's making me work a bit harder (which I guess is the point). I've never built either a SID or a STAR into a flight plan because I've always thought FS wouldn't deal with it very well, hence my final checkpoint is way out from the destination. Anyway, I keep getting vectored away from the airport with a message something to do with 'restrictions'. I have followed the ATC instructions to the letter, and when I get this message they turn me away, and there are times when they just seem to forget about me. I have read the manual regarding restrictions, but I can't see an explanation as to why they would turn me away from the airport then not contact me again. On one flight, ATC had told me to get down to altitude [whatever] within 30 miles, which I did, and was told I had missed the restriction (even thoug I was down with 20 miles), and I was again turned away and forgotten about.I understand from the manual that if my final checkpoint is further than 5 miles out I will get a restriction at 70 miles, or something like that? I'm assuming that I need to understand when I need to do in that case, or get some info on what STAR I am likely to need, and therefore get a checkpoint within 5 miles of the airport. But when I'm planning the flight, how do I know which STAR to use?Anyway, I know I'm mixing a few questions into one post, but any advice on this sort of thing would be helpful, and I'm just interested how other's do it...

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sounds like you are missing the crossing restriction. does it happen about 40 miles out, where you would expect to contact approach?read the manual about crossing restrictions. keep in mind, depending on the area you are flying, FL110 is not 11000, and vice versajd

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SIDS and STARS can be runway specific in whole or in part. They can each share common waypoints until converging to a transition to enroute or diverging to specific runways on arrival.They are usually picked by desired departure direction or arrival direction with a transition point joining an enroute facility.It is best in many cases to include common points in your flight plan and matching your FMC to it. Several planners have SID/STAR databases in them and you can edit the waypoints to your satisfaction perhaps only including common terminal procedure waypoints. Vectors can then be used. When satified with your plan export it to FS for use by RC and also to your FMC for import as a company route. It is important to use an imported route and not your FMC termimal procedure database as its waypoints might be out of sync with the waypoints in the plan exported to FS (and RC). For guidance you might want to use the final approach (right LSK on ARR) to show a LOC or other approach on your ND.Search under my name here and FMC for other threads regarding this.

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Guest garymccl

Thanks both for your reply, and sorry for not getting back sooner - work has been busy!I reckon I have been getting the hang of it more though, but in answer to the question about it being 40 miles out; yes, it's 40 miles out. Yesterday, i had been told, when ready to get down to 13,000 (not FL130). I did so, and slowed to 250 knots by the time I crossed the 40 miles out, but I was told I had missed the restriction and I was sent on an odd heading. When they give me these messages they don't tell me to slow to a particular speed or anything.I have learnt when that happens to just point the nose down and slow the plane right down to get a response from ATC. Is it that I am going too fast when I cross 40 miles, or do I need to be lower than 13,000 even though I have only been cleared down to 13,000?Thanks for you help - it's a great product and I couldn't do without it now!Gary

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If you are told to go to an altitude in feet make sure your altimeter pressure is set to the announced local pressure. If you are told to go to an FL make sure your altimeter is at 29.92 in. or 1013 mb.With default settings your altitude tolerance window is only 200 feet.In the case of getting delay vectors in the event you missed a crossing restriction, you will not get further vectors until you have reached the assigned altitude.

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Guest garymccl

Thanks for your reply Ron.On reflection, I don't think I got my message across in my last post.Basically, I now cannot fly into any airport, without being told that I have missed my crossing restriction when I hit 40 miles. My altitude deviation is set to 500ft.If I am told "when ready, descend to FL130", I leave the altitude pressure setting (I don't remember its name now) on STD (I have also tried setting it at 29.92) in my little Airbus. When told "when ready, descend to 13,000", I make sure I set the correct pressure setting in there. I never receive an instruction to fly at or below a certain speed, but I make sure that my auto-pilot is set to 245 (I have also tried 240) and that by 40 miles out, I am at that speed and altitude set.What else can I be doing wrong?Thanks for your helpGary

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fl 130 has to have an altimeter of 29.9213000 should have an altimeter of the local pressure.create a log (instructions pinned at the top of the forum), duplicate the problem, and i'll tell you what you're doing wrongjd

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