Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler

Delta Virtual Airlines Water Cooler | Airline Operations | Flight Planner

DVA4290
Senior Captain, CRJ-200

Joined on April 04 2007
50 State Club
Online Triple Century Club
Quincentenary Club

"Lightning coming out of that one"
Houston, TX USA

502 legs, 829.4 hours
340 legs, 575.5 hours online
421 legs, 683.7 hours ACARS
41 legs, 81.2 hours event

Posted onPost created on April 16 2007 22:03 ET by Andrew Lynn

For now, I use the FS planner for my routes. What program would I have to get to be able to import my flight plan into FS like STAR's and SID's.

Andrew Lynn

Senior Captain, CRJ-200

DVA4091
Captain, B767-300

Joined on February 21 2007

"How do planes fly?"
Novi, MI USA

57 legs, 96.0 hours
35 legs, 45.2 hours online
38 legs, 63.7 hours ACARS
13 legs, 23.7 hours event

Posted onPost created on April 16 2007 22:14 ET by Abdulahad Khan

FSNAV

DVA4225
Captain, B757-200

Joined on March 21 2007

Pensacola, FL USA

86 legs, 137.6 hours
7 legs, 8.7 hours online
72 legs, 114.6 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on April 16 2007 22:53 ET by Michael Rafferty

You can look at FSBuild (payware) as well. I use it and like it very much.

Michael Rafferty

Captain, B757-200

DVA3266
Captain, L-1011-100

Joined on June 23 2006
Century Club

"Stupid Hurts!"
Newport News, VA USA

103 legs, 161.4 hours
62 legs, 102.2 hours online
90 legs, 143.4 hours ACARS
1 legs, 1.3 hours event

Posted onPost created on April 17 2007 05:57 ET by Steven Jones

Here is what I do. It costs me only some time. First I go to http://www.flightaware.com/statistics/ifr-route/ to find the latest routes that are being used for my trip. Then I go to http://www.airnav.com to download the sids and stars for my trip. Finally I go to http://www.fsroute.com here I input my route, including the waypoints for my sids and stars. This website will let you download the flight plan to FS in .pln format. I open the .pln and put in my cruising altitude and the gate where I want to start from. It's a bit of work, but like I said, it's all free! That's very important when you have a wife and two kids! One of my children is just starting to drive, so any money that I can save now will help pay for dented bumpers, front end alignments, etc...!!!

Steven Jones

Captain, L-1011-100

DVA1320
Senior Captain, B777-200
COMM

Joined on August 29 2003
Online Six Century Club
DVA Ten-Year Anniversary
Everett Millennium Club
Flying Colonel
Three Million Mile Club

Arlington, VA USA

1,752 legs, 7,042.0 hours
610 legs, 2,627.6 hours online
272 legs, 966.9 hours ACARS
5 legs, 12.2 hours event

Posted onPost created on April 17 2007 06:50 ET by Daniel Ward

Andrew, you should know that the FS9 nav database is woefully out of date (to the tune of many years). In order to import FP's into FS9 you will need an external program to do this. Something like FSNavigator of FSBuild. Unfortunately they are payware addons, and FSNav isn't very cheap. But if you look at it another way, the cost per flight goes way down if you fly often. The somewhat high initial costs will seem small after you have used it several times and saved yourself all that time by using it. There is a 10 flight trial period with FSNav. And, the trial period is for the full up version, not a demo version of it. Of course you will have to have another addon that has a cost associated with it, Navigraph. That is the site where you can download the latest AIRAC cycles for FSNav (and all the FMC data for payway aircraft). The cost for Navigraph is 10 Euros minimum. That gets you 100 points. It's 20 points per cycle. So that means 2 Euros per cycle. The alternatives to FSNav or FSBuild are either to buy addon aircraft with FMC's, or there is a utility on Avsim that will give you the ability to add waypoints to the FS9 Nav database. I have never used it so I don't know how it works. In any case, you are either looking at spending some money, or living with the shortcomings of FS.

DVA4225
Captain, B757-200

Joined on March 21 2007

Pensacola, FL USA

86 legs, 137.6 hours
7 legs, 8.7 hours online
72 legs, 114.6 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on April 17 2007 13:40 ET by Michael Rafferty

I should mention that you can get AIRAC cycle updates (about every other cycle) free for use with FSBuild at their website.

Michael Rafferty

Captain, B757-200

DVA4168
Captain, B767-300

Joined on March 08 2007
Century Club

"I wish I had a cool motto..."
Stone Mountain, GA USA

108 legs, 241.6 hours
36 legs, 59.5 hours online
100 legs, 227.9 hours ACARS
1 legs, 1.1 hours event

Posted onPost created on April 22 2007 20:29 ET by Curtis Dean

Steven,
Question for you. I tried to use your method for flight planning tonight. I was able to get all of the infomation downloaded to FS, I could go in and change my altitude. But, if I attempted to change my location within the airport to anything other than the active runway, I was not able to save or click o.k. and update the flight plan. Was there something I was missing?

Curtis Dean (DVA4168)

Posted onPost created on April 23 2007 05:59 ET by Steven Jones

Insert a line after the departure ID that says "departure_position= XX". Leave out the quotation marks, and XX would be your gate number such as E12.

Sorry that it has taken so long to respond to you. Been busy re-roofing my house.

Steven Jones

Captain, L-1011-100

DVA4296
Captain, B737-800

Joined on April 04 2007
Century Club
DVA Five-Year Anniversary

Philadelphia, PA

109 legs, 328.7 hours
63 legs, 177.7 hours online
82 legs, 276.9 hours ACARS

Posted onPost created on April 23 2007 11:34 ET by Boris Levenzon

This is an easy one, FSBUILD all the way

Boris Levenzon

Captain, B737-800

Posted onPost created on April 23 2007 13:44 ET by Andrew Lynn

Thanks for all the help guys.

Andrew Lynn

Senior Captain, CRJ-200

DVA4229
First Officer, B767-300
OLP

Joined on March 19 2007

"Sink rate. Sink Rate."
Southeastern United States

54 legs, 100.9 hours
47 legs, 87.7 hours online
53 legs, 98.4 hours ACARS
7 legs, 11.9 hours event

Posted onPost created on April 23 2007 14:52 ET by Lawrence Woodworth

FS Commander has version 8.1 out now and it supports FSX. All the SIDS and STARS are in there and there is the option of getting monthly updates (for a fee). Once you've created your flightplan, you can have FS Commander fly the route using Hdg Hold (it automatically adjusts the Hdg Bug at each turn), or you can let the GPS in FS guide you using VOR/LOC Hold.

Lawrence Woodworth (DVA4229)

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