Flight Plan, FMC Options

[riversiderebel3]

Hello to all, When I fly now, I strictly fly with pmdg/lvl-d/flight one aircraft which have an fmc/fms. So my question is. When I fly from say: Miami to Londo. I have to go all the way up through newfoundland, greendland, iceland, and come down to the U.K. because I have to use the waypoints on the Simulator, which are only mostly found on land. How can I use waypoints/navaids that cut across the atlantic and pacific like a real airliner instead of flying an extra 1,500 miles bc of the simulator. I use FS2004. Any suggestions as to what I may use for this?

Thanks,
David

[The Airbuser]

Well, don't make any FPL on FS, do it on the FMS, and in that case you go with coordinates, there are no airways nor navaids in the middle of the ocean

[Fast Jet]

Well, don't make any FPL on FS, do it on the FMS, and in that case you go with coordinates, there are no airways nor navaids in the middle of the ocean

I think you MAY find that there are airways in the middle of the ocean(s) and there will highly likely be waypoints. Go on ask a pilot or download a chart - of the oceans. We have got airways leaving the UK going West to the States. Depending on the wind of the day we take the tracks across the Atlantic. They are called Alpha, Bravo etc., Natstrack Alpha is the most Northerly Track, Bravo is further South etc., etc. I assume they have the same coming back East to the UK but may call them something different. Ask the American pilots - on Ask A Pilot.

Also, for your sim, on all FMSs you can build your own route and use your own waypoints or, you can go Direct on a Great Circle Track. - which is a dead straight line - as you may not be using ATC on the sim or worrying about non-existent traffic, or maybe you are, in which case you need to use an airway or just try and avoid hitting stuff coming the other way which would really ruin your day.

You will find that a Great Circle Track takes you pretty far North as it is a straighter line than a Rhumb Line Track. To calculate this just go d`long x sine mean lat that`ll give you the great circle distance then you want to .5 the d`long and with the result of this, subtract it from the track and you will have your heading.
The bad news is you will have to keep revising your heading every ten mins, like when you are flying in HDG + ATT when the NAV part of the INS/IRS is dead due to whatever reason. . . .

Oh I see, airbusser is right, get it all off the FMS database. . . yep, he said it first.

[The Airbuser]

I know the NAT Tracks, but that's no airway though, no navaids there. Interesting find though, there are airways crossing the Atlantic from Brazil to Africa, the Grand Canaries, and then on to Spain and Portugal. No airways on the NAT, though. Only in Iceland and north Canada, not a single one crossing Greenland

[riversiderebel3]

Correction: Well in general when I fly I get my flight plan from the FS flight plan corrdinator, which if im flying across land, there are VOR's, NDB's, and waypoints to plug in for my ROUTE in my FMC legs section. So are you suggesting if say: Im flying from BOSTON to just type in BOS vor in the legs division, and right after the LONDON vor, so that it can shoot me straight across in one shot? Because im trying to keep my plan on the waypoints/ndb's,vor's. But maybe I have been doing it wrong. You mentioned that I can use my own waypoints, which I do, but there are no waypoints or any of that sort across the atlantic, So like i stated earlier I have to waste 1,500 nm just by going on a big circle through greenland.

[The Airbuser]

You mentioned that I can use my own waypoints, which I do, but there are no waypoints or any of that sort across the atlantic.

(...)do it on the FMS, and in that case you go with coordinates, there are no airways nor navaids in the middle of the ocean

You type on your FMS coordinates as waypoints.

[Fast Jet]

You type on your FMS coordinates as waypoints.

#


I am really NOT trying to be awkward, but, are there not Polar Routes over Greenland. . ? Are these not airways. . . Like Polar Route One etc. . . anyone come back via Thule from Alaska, recently. . . hmm?

On the FMS like Airbusser said, there is a whole loada waypoints, in the DATABASE you usually fly these.
you can find the co-ords from the waypoints and vice-a-versa - its sounds harder than it is. . .

You`ll breeze it, it`ll only take a week or three of sleepnesssness. . .

If you are looking for a long flight and only to be told where you are, when you get there,? then you may be able to tune in the destination VOR and it will all come alive when you are in range, or earlier, I don`t know if you have to be in range like you do in real life, like [sq.rt.of Ht1+Ht2 x 1.25] gives you your slant range, line of sight range, range of the VOR, . and you would not normalyl tune in the VOR prior to that unless you got a nice strong signal with associated Ident. . . .so you can calc the dist of the VOR given your alt. Ht1 in this load of. . .is Height of the ground station VOR / PLACE / HOUSE / WHATEVER and Ht2 is the height of the aircraft. Generally, only use a VOR in earnest when within 250 odd NM or less for optimum accuracy.
But when the VOR is entered the FMGS will fly the aircraft on the Great Circle Track (GCT) Direct (DCT) to the / any VOR or other Navaid, Airport, Waypoint, Co-Ordinates, ILS, anything you want.

[riversiderebel3]

What your trying to say is that, in the FMC. in the "LEGS" section, instead of using say KBOS as a waypoint, I can put plug in/input 42'21'47 N 071'00'23 W (the coordinates for KBOS). If I plug that in, will the FMC allow it to become a waypoint in my route? Much appreciated.

[The Airbuser]

What your trying to say is that, in the FMC. in the "LEGS" section, instead of using say KBOS as a waypoint, I can put plug in/input 42'21'47 N 071'00'23 W (the coordinates for KBOS). If I plug that in, will the FMC allow it to become a waypoint in my route? Much appreciated.

Exactly, while you are typing in the route on the FMS, you just type the coordinates of the points you want to fly (remember, no waypoints or navaids on the North Atlantic), but as you mentioned, you can put coordinates for XXXXX waypoint instead of its name, the airplane is still gonna fly over that waypoint.

[Empress]

Why don't you use FSNavigator, simroutes, or routefinder?

You can search for and download plans on simroutes that are made for FS2004, and other add ons. Or you can use that routefinder website and manually make plans using FS9 or FSNavigator.

[Fast Jet]

Why don't you use FSNavigator, simroutes, or routefinder?

You can search for and download plans on simroutes that are made for FS2004, and other add ons. Or you can use that routefinder website and manually make plans using FS9 or FSNavigator.

DING DONG !! Very nice !!! Your route finder - is there anything like this for real world routes. . ?

[The Airbuser]

DING DONG !! Very nice !!! Your route finder - is there anything like this for real world routes. . ?

Yes it is, it's called Jeppesen Jetplan. Lets you choose either a preprogrammed route or a system created route

[Fast Jet]

Yes it is, it's called Jeppesen Jetplan. Lets you choose either a preprogrammed route or a system created route

Thank you!

[Fast Jet]

I know the NAT Tracks, but that's no airway though, no navaids there. Interesting find though, there are airways crossing the Atlantic from Brazil to Africa, the Grand Canaries, and then on to Spain and Portugal. No airways on the NAT, though. Only in Iceland and north Canada, not a single one crossing Greenland

what about Polr Route One and the like, look on the Polar Stereo charts, you really are missing something good.

About the Atalantic, although there is not ATC Radar coverage there is still ATC and computorised estiamtaed position coverage, the box of tricks knows where you are - I am sure there are airways across the Atlantic, even if only to a point, you would Outbound the UK on the Nats track then carry on until mid-atlantic and the continue with who ever. . . go look on your N Atlantic chart again. . . .

and then, some time later, Ah, I see you mentioned that AirBusser and SiderEbel. apologes for not reading your post properly.

[Empress]

DING DONG !! Very nice !!! Your route finder - is there anything like this for real world routes. . ?

I use flightaware.com for my routes. You can search under "recently used IFR routes" and use the information they give under those. It even gives the airline, flight number, type and flight level. If I can't find a route on flightaware, I revert back to simroutes or that routefinder page I linked before.

[Fast Jet]

I use flightaware.com for my routes. You can search under "recently used IFR routes" and use the information they give under those. It even gives the airline, flight number, type and flight level. If I can't find a route on flightaware, I revert back to simroutes or that routefinder page I linked before.

oh, cool. Thanks Empress.