FSX FMC's...?

[Techy111]

Folks....I want to start learning how to use FMC's in FSX....if i load a flight using Flight Plan in FSX and save it then the route comes up but i cannot for the life of me get the FMC to follow this route...?

Also anyone know how to add the FP like they do with Airac's and make some of my own...?

Hope someone understands my question..?

Sorry if its a little vague as i really don't understand how they work..???

Tony

[deathfromafar]

What type are you using and in what model?

FMC's are a pain to learn at first but once you get the hang of them they are pretty good in FS.
Short answer to your question is that once your initialization is done, Perfs entered and Flight Plan inserted, before takeoff you need to make sure your heading bug is set on the runway heading, course set to the first waypoint, auto throttle/or managed thrust parameters set, flight director on, rate of climb set.
After takeoff and positive rate of climb/gear up and stable trim, turn on the autopilot and activate heading hold, alt/V/S hold, speed/auto throttle. Once the tower hands you off to departure, go to departure freq and await to instructions to turn on course and then switch from heading hold to nav hold. Be sure that the waypoint/course line is within parameters for the plane to turn on the FMC's command to intercept the course line. You normally don't want more than a 20 degree cut either direction as if you're outside the parameters, the plane may not turn towards the waypoint of course line or worse, overshoot it and start zig-zagging over the course line.. All of these FMC's for FS are a little different in the way they behave. Some behave like real FMC's and others do not. They have their quirks like the real ones.

[Techy111]

Cheers fella....don't want to sound vague....but i am beta testing something and i just want to get to grips with the FMC's....i tried using ATC but they say resume own navigation and 5 minutes later send you off on a goose chase miles away from the next fix..?????

Tony

[deathfromafar]

If you're experiencing nav deviations from the FMC and ATC that usually means that there is a difference between the waypoint line in the box(programmed into the FMC) and the actually flight plan in game. The hard way to do it is to manually enter each waypoint one after the other exactly as you have set up on your high altitude route waypoints in the FS flight plan. That will keep your FMC/NAV course accuracy where it should be and the ATC's off your back!

[Techy111]

Smashing....bit long but that should be worth a shot...i'll give that a go....wish i knew your name to thank you....bit weird saying thanks Deathfromafar.....:bump:

Any more help greatly appreciated mate...

Tony

[IanP]

Does your FMC use Navigraph navdata, Techy? Or can it import flight plans from FSX format?

The easiest way to get flightplans is vroute.info, but that works best (or basically only works, to integrate with other things) when using the Navigraph payware navdata service. What you can do with that, however, is export the flightplan you want to use to the FSX flightplanner format, so you can load it directly into the flightplanner, enter it into the FMC and both you and ATC are following the same plan (until ATC sends you off around half the planet on "vectors to <nowhere near> final")

How you actually use the FMC depends on what type it is... An Embraer uses a different one to a Boeing to an Airbus (I could list the manufacturers before anyone gets snarky, I just couldn't be bothered... ;)) - they are all programmed, activated and operate in different ways.

[StickMan]

If you want to fly the FS flight plan you need to enter the VORs manually, FSX will not just import that info like it dose with the GPS in FSX.

First page you need to do is start letting the IRS find itself. (this take 10 mins depending on realism) This is on the over head and three knobs, from the off position turn them to NAV.

Then enter the FMC/FMS and enter you reference position in the world, witch would be the Departure airport. Sometime you can even enter the gate. Then you will see empty boxes. Take the top North/West position and enter that from 1 right to 6 right on the FMS. This now tells the FMS where the plane is at in the world. Mean while the IRS is still aligning itself.

Next to and from So again the departure airport then arrive airports. Then the runway taking off. followed with any other data for the page such as flight number etc.

Next if flying a SIDS and STARS go to the departure/arrivals page in the FMS now pick the departing airports runway then the SID you want to fly out on. If you know weather at the airport landing you can also enter the arrive info and the STAR you want to fly off of the start working into the Airspace landing at and further into the landing pattern.

NOW if you want to fly a VOR to VOR flight path from the FSX Flight Planner then you need to print that out so now you can manually enter the VORs in the FMS under the LEGS page.

In the LEGS page you should have info here from the departure RW and if arrivals have been entered you will see the legs of trip from A to B. But if you wanted to enter VORs in between the SID and STAR look at the flight planner and enter the VOR on the scratch pad placing them between the SID and STAR BUT you want to make sure you fly the SID first before you turn to resume you own navigation to VOR to VOR then to the STAR. Same for the STAR make sure you do not enter any VORs after the point of the STAR.

Under learning FMS/FMC leave the VOR to VOR navigation out and just fly from a airport to the SID then to the STAR. This way you can at least see the plane navigate from A to B and get itself down. Just will not flight a VOR to VOR course in the middle of trip and just fly a direct to.

Back to the LEGS page. Whatever way you enter the flight plan you will have some empty spaces in the LEGS page you will need to fill them in. So if you see a empty spot take the checkpoint below the empty slot and click the one below it and paste it to the empty slot to fill in the course. Then you can active that course into the FMS/FMC by hitting active then execute. You can go to the LEGS page and cycle thought using the NEXT PAGE this will let you see you flight and make sure everything checks out and nothing says Discontinued meaning the is a blank spot in the A to B and needs to be further filled in so no empty spaces are in the A to B.

But now you need to do fuel weights so you need to know you Zero Fuel Weight to get the fuel weight. This will start to get the V speeds for takeoff. Then enter a cost index flight ALT then next page. Enter Takeoff FLAPS and the center of gravity of plane to get takeoff trim amounts. Sometime even the outside temp.

NEXT to VNAV page to make sure you set for your speed restrictions like 250/10000 for the MCL ALT of 18000 is the transition ALT. for altimeter.

Now saying 10 Mins have pasted and IRS is ready you can hit LNAV and VNAV on the AP panel also FD. To check everything now go to where you can adjust the displays in front of you move to PLAN mode and enter the FMS to the LEGS page. You should on the ground now be able to follow the flight plan to make sure everything syncs up and nothing goes off course or leaving you with super tight turns etc etc. Once that looks good you can get out of PLAN mode and back to MAP.

Next set push back start up and get to RW, Now turn on Auto Throttle. Takeoff and after passing 1500 hit the center Auto Pilot. Now you should be following the LNAV and VNAV course from FMS/FMS. At retraction of FLAPS 5 the FMS/FMC will go from Takeoff power to Climb power.

As you get closer you will need to enter the FMS again and look at the last few legs to make sure speeds are were you want them as you ONE drop below 10000 and next any other input from Captain as to slowing down as you get closer or tighter turns are the airspace get closer. When really close to to the Menu then the APPROACH here you need to enter the landing reference speeds for FLAPS and touchdown. Find the FLAPS 30/ SPEED and enter that into the Empty FLAPS 30/Speed slot. This Will tell the plane what speed to be at when at touchdown.

If doing a auto land the IRS with the auto bakes can keep the plane center line until 80 knots in witch then you must take control.

Also I highly recommend using Approach Plates and planning ahead to know what SID or STAR to fly off of because this will make guessing not needed. I use AirNav for my plates and also they list the SIDs and STARs of the airport. Picking the wrong one can make for some imposable turns and if near the localizer you could miss it.

[Lewis-A2A]

Techy go to your beta testers page, its no good coming to a place like this as no one has any idea what is and isn't modelled! :engel016:

[deathfromafar]

A2A and FMC's? Ummmmmmmmmmm....................

[Lewis-A2A]

No not from us, its just a strange question.

Very few sim aircraft have an FMC that works like the real world so unless hes testing a ???? aircraft then I doubt any one here can answer him and its best to go to the people he's beta testing for. esp since we have no idea how far any implentation is on the test, if its early test it may only have fundmental fmc workings.

[IanP]

I currently have (quick count) eight different FMCs that I can use in FSX. All of them have different capabilities, different ways of working and only two of them work similarly in terms of entry method, technology and capability. That's because they're the same unit, reproduced well in both models.

As Lewis says, in order to discuss it here we'd need a lot more information than Techy can clearly give us without breaching NDA, so it really is best to discuss it within the beta team.

[Techy111]

Cheers guys.....it really is only for a pure noob to FMC's and for the guys that answered i really appreciate it....Doesn't really matter what and who its for.....just needed help with the darn basics...and a few of you certainly helped....thanks to those that did....:ernae:

Tony