Routes and FMC help

Jebus · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:28 am

Another question I have had on my mind in the past few weeks is I continually see people talking about routes and jet ways and what now but 99% of the time I fly I just click on Direct flights and follow the GPS... When I tried to fly using one of the routes on the website I for the life of me can not figure out how to input them into my flight plan...Am I missing something here?

Also on a whole other note I know a few of you guys play using some more of the advanced aircraft with FMC or the on board flight computers... Now over the last little while I have been playing with my Embraer 175 and 190 from wilco's sim I believe and I am stunned at how hard and how many dam options their are in the computer...

If some one could post some screen shots on how to set the dam thing up that would be great or post a link as to where i can learn how to use one.

Thanks for all the help you guys are great...

Rob Vanderkam · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:36 am

Sure, I can tell you exactly how to learn everything. Quite simply, learn a little bit every day for the next one hundred years.

Just like we do! :;):

Seriously, you need to look at it as a long term hobby. Like, flying is fun, but I'm also going to figure out what this button does today...kind of thing.

As for routes, there's many ways to get from point A to point B. You can
1) fly VFR and find your way visually
2) use charts to get the VOR frequencies and go from VOR to VOR
3) fly RNAV, which is hi-tech

VOR navigation is what I do and it makes use of jetways and radials etc. You can do it with or without an FMC. There's a number of good online courses on how do this that I've seen over the years.

An FMC just lets you program the whole route, including vertical navigation, in and then provides a nice visual guide and also flies the thing (autopilot) for you if you want. it took me 6 months to learn how to use the FMC on my LDS 763, but I'm not free to study all the time.

One thing you might want to try is just flying the FP provided by CVA (usually VOR to VOR) by using the GPS for each leg until you've learned how to navigate with the radios (lots of fun!).

Jebus · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:52 am

Alright new question I am using simroutes.com to create my flight plans for FSX but from some reason when ever I try opening the plans in FSX it never seems to load it up? Am I doing something wrong?

Also is it required to fly using sid's and stars on vatsim or can I take off and fly direct to the first way point?

Also If I am flying online and I am not using a plane with a FMC just with the default GPS nav system what is the procedure for routes should I be loading up FSX with the route before I log online? or do I some how open the or load the route once I am on vatsim?

Another thing if there is no controller online what is the general rule for take offs and landings?

CVA9214 · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:15 am

Jebus wrote:

Alright new question I am using simroutes.com to create my flight plans for FSX but from some reason when ever I try opening the plans in FSX it never seems to load it up? Am I doing something wrong?

Also is it required to fly using sid's and stars on vatsim or can I take off and fly direct to the first way point?

Also If I am flying online and I am not using a plane with a FMC just with the default GPS nav system what is the procedure for routes should I be loading up FSX with the route before I log online? or do I some how open the or load the route once I am on vatsim?

Another thing if there is no controller online what is the general rule for take offs and landings?

Most of the routes in simroutes are not built right and do not work well. You can use these as a guide and then open your route in FSX and edit them and then resave them, Then they will work, or you can build is from scratch. Only problem there is that it is slow because it becomes difficult to find to waypoints. With practice though it works OK.

CVA0014 · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 1:16 pm

Another thing you can do is build your own database. Input the CVA route manually into your flight system, then use their SAVE feature and save it using the CVA flight number. That way you can reload the flight without having to input all over again.

Jebus · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:04 pm

Well on simroutes.com they allow you to use a generate route that you can input our route into in which seems to work out alright as long as I do not use sid's and stars...(if you do it does not seem to load in FSX)

Aharon · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:23 pm

Jebus wrote:

Well on simroutes.com they allow you to use a generate route that you can input our route into in which seems to work out alright as long as I do not use sid's and stars...(if you do it does not seem to load in FSX)

That is because when you export a flight route with specific waypoints from www.simroutes.com, the flight plan file automatically goes to download folder of your pc.

You would need to move that file from download folder to Flight Simulator X Files folder.

Also, the other reason for not being able to load the flight plan into FSX is that

open the file you downloaded from simroutes via notepad. you will see some text etc. and thereafter each waypoint/vor etc one by one. sometimes the chronology of the numbers of each waypoint are incorrect. for example:

waypoint.0=eddf ....
waypoint.1=AAA
waypoint.2=BBB
waypoint.4=CCC => as you can see instead of 4 it should be 3. FSX can't follow the plan, hence it refuses to load it.

to fix the problem, you must correct the chronology where needed. in most cases the faults are in the end but if you have bad luck it's somewhere in the middle and you have to correct, depending on the length of your plan, 40 waypoints or so...

just keep sure the numbers are right, e.g. 0,1,2,3,4... not 0,1,3,5,6,7,10...

For example, you can see error in this exported file for flight from TJSJ to TNCA:

[flightplan]
title=TJSJ to TNCA
description=TJSJ, TNCA
type = IFR
routetype = 3
cruising_altitude=0
departure_id=TJSJ, N18* 26.37', W66* 00.11', +000010.00
destination_id=TNCA, N12* 30.08', W70* 00.91', +000060.00
departure_name=Luis_Munoz_Marin_Intl
destination_name=Reina_Beatrix_Intl
waypoint.0=TJSJ, A, N18* 26.37', W066* 00.11', +000000.00,
waypoint.1=DDP, N, N18* 28.10', W066* 24.74', +000000.00,
waypoint.2=BEXER, I, N14* 11.60', W068* 11.30', +000000.00,
waypoint.3=KERLI, I, N13* 17.90', W069* 07.40', +000000.00, UG885
waypoint.5=ONDAS, I, N13* 02.60', W069* 23.30', +000000.00, UG885
waypoint.6=ABA, V, N12* 30.34', W069* 56.59', +000000.00, UG885
waypoint.7=TNCA, A, N12* 30.08', W070* 00.91', +000000.00,

So to correct it, change from 5 to 4 and change from 6 to 5 and change from 7 to 6 and save it. The load it into FSX FLIGHT PLANNER.

That is all.

I have different method.

My usual method would be to pick two airports in FSX and use IRF option and high altitude option to load into the flight planner. Then correct the route by dragging pink line to desired waypoints as stated by simroutes. I prefer this method.

Good luck

Aharon

Jebus · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:20 pm

thanks for the numbering help that was the issue...
I wonder why it messes up like that but what ever it makes planning your route a whole hell of alot faster

Aharon · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:32 pm

Jebus wrote:

thanks for the numbering help that was the issue...
I wonder why it messes up like that but what ever it makes planning your route a whole hell of alot faster

No problem Glad to be of help to you!!!! Please enjoy CVA and do not forget to participate in twice a week CVA events.

Remember, best way to practice Vatsim before starting to fly into crowded big time airports is to fly between major Alaskan airports or Caribbean island airports where the controllers and airports are not busy.

Good luck!!

Regards,

Aharon

Edited By Aharon on 1272314038

CVA0014 · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:56 am

Flying Toronto is a good place as well, we have friends there.

Routes and FMC help

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