fmc programming - which SID and STAR to choose?

[UKJim 502]

So I'm in game today programming the PMDG 737 FMC fully for first time - I put in departure and arrival airports and then on to route.

The route was incomplete so I had to choose extra 'bits' - I did this pretty randomly until it was complete.

Got flying and in parts I had sections where I did a loop and continued - I understand the loops wen on missed approaches but this was en route.

So what are peoples methods for choosing these things?

I completed my first long flight today from London city to Pisa. Also performed my first ever ILS landing too.

Now I understand why people love this plane so much

Thanks

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Choose the SID that leads to one of your first waypoints eg. Heathrow CPT5 SID (Runway 9L - via SID - CPT waypoint). Same for STAR. Of course, if you flew online, the controllers would give you SID/STAR's

[allardjd 1,853]

When choosing a route, two things produce a pretty good path - go to an on-line site that has recent RW IFR flight plans and pick one between your airports or somewhere close. The other method is to just go to the FSX flight planner and set it for High Altitude Airways. With either of those methods, if you're going to use SIDs and STARs you will end up discarding the first and last portions anyway, but the in-between stuff will be reasonably plausible and reasonably efficient.

 

I think some of the add-on payware and freewaree flight planners do more or less the same thing. In any case, using one of those methods, get the bulk of your route established for you, then go after the departure and arrival details, editing what the planners gave you if it's not appropriate.

Sometimes there's only one SID for your departure airport, but it may be multi-threaded depending upon your departure runway.

 

STARs are a little more variable; sometimes only one with multiple entry points; sometimes several depending upon direction you're arriving from or the wind and runway(s) in use, sometimes only one. You shouldn't get too anal about STARs anyway because ATC often takes your discretion away and sends you off where they choose to. STARs let you have a plan all the way to the entry point of the approach (or vectors to final) but it's unrealistic to expect you'll be able to fly it per plan the whole way if you're using MS or add-on ATC.

 

Enroute holds are not uncommon either - usually they are a delaying tactic used by ATC if there is contention on the route ahead or congestion at the arrival airport - or maybe they just own oil company stock.

 

John

[UKJim 502]

Thanks for the replies guys ill keep looking into this stuff.