Using STAR and SID charts

[Giuseppe Alvaro]

Hello everybody - here another newbie question for your delight:

how the heck should I use STAR and SID charts? I mean I understand the concept and how to interpret it, but thought one could include the relevant sequence of waypoints (e.g. LIMRA5V in the example made in the online flight tutorial) in the flight plan or FMC but I cannot. I can create waypoints in FS GPS and in the ACARS device of FlightKeeper but I cannot include SID/STAR waypoints there.. How am I supposed to follow the desired/authorized path? Is there another software I need to install?
Any hint from our captains is very welcome!

Thanks

 

[Peter Schindler]

Giuseppe, did you already install an FMC? I remember having told you about the VAS FMC. Unfortunately, I never used that one myself, so I'm not sure if it has the SID/STAR features implemented.
Anyways: normally, if you setup a route in your FMC, you start with dialing in departure airport and active runway. Once that's done, you should be able to select (that's for sure a matter of respective FMC software) the available SID's for that runway. That's also the reason why all FMC's should be regularly updated with AIRAC cycles from Navigraph, since SID & STAR designators or routings often change.
Same procedure applies to STAR's, once you have an arrival runway selected.

Without the SID/STAR capability of your FMC, all you can do is have the correct SID or STAR chart in front of you and fly the waypoints by default navigation (VOR/NDB - heading - distance), or (if possible) instruct your FMC by creating each waypoint with its coordinates. Pretty tedious...
I don't recommend using the FS9 Garmin here, btw. As Rafal writes in his tutorial: it's just a toy

 

[Giuseppe Alvaro]

Thank you Boss - this helps. I had not installed the VAS FMC under the (wrong) assumption that FlightKeeper would do the job. Now I understand that FK actually can only upload flight plans created by other means and the only one I have installed at the moment is the FS2004 flight planner... not enough. I'll try to install and operate the VAS FMC or google for similar products and hope my old PC won't collapse under the burden of so many programs running at the same time. I'll let you know anyway.

Again, thanks a lot and fly safe :hi:

Giuseppe