Navigating High Alt Airways Fixes

[EHM-1960 Malcolm]

Hi All

A simple question (I hope!)

I've decided to attempt to simulate RL more accurately by sticking to a flight plan using the RouteFinder in the Flight Logger software.

I've chosen a simple route from Heathrow to Dublin. The RouteFinder software gave the following: EGLL CPT KENET BEKSA TOLKA EIDW.

I've entered these points into an evaluation copy of FSNAVIGATOR to generate the flight plan.

After examination of the map, navigating to CPT and then to KENET are straightforward using the CPT VOR and it looks like TOLKA is wrt the Dublin VOR. What VOR's come in to play for navigating to BEKSA.

I'm currently cleared for the class 3 a/c which dont have FMCs. I dont like using GPS.

Do I need to study enroute charts to give me this information.

Any help greatly appreciated

Regards

[EHM-1617 Iain]

Put simply, not all airways are direct from VORs or NDBs, they include sections that are not (RNAV airways). If you only want to route via traditional (they are termed non-RNAV aiways) then you need to deselect RNAV equipped on the RF page. This should limit it to only segments between VORs and NDB, even though they may not be on the flight plan themselves.

[EHM-1960 Malcolm]

Thanks for that Iain,

I've also noticed that specifying altitude under 25000' (at least for EGLL -> EIDW) also gives airways direct to VORs, presumably this would be a Low Altitude route.

Are RNAV equiped aircraft those with FMC or similar programming device, could anybody refer to those aircraft in the EHM fleet equipped with an RNAV capability.

Can you switch off RNAV airways in FSNav or FSBUILD.

[EHM-1617 Iain]

Loosely, with a GPS as long as it is accurate enough you are RNAV equipped.  Routefinder allows you to turn off RNAV, don't know about te others, I don't use them.

So all aircraft with a GPS can be considered (for FS purposes at least) RNAV equipped. Use Gergely's little utility RF2FP to turn RF flightplans into FS .pln files for your Flight Sim Files folder, then they appear in the Flight Planner Menu.

And an FMC is an RNAV device as long as it is precise enough.

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Well, I tried myself the route plan in FSNAV, and I cannot see BEKSA nowhere. It is listed in the nav-fixes database, but I cannot see it :s It should be there somewhere near EGBJ.

If you got a flightplan, either from RF, or from other source, that consists jetway signs as well, you probably need charts for the jetways, or FSNAV, that comes really handy designing your route.

For example, if you got the following route: EGLL CPT UL19 BASET UL18 TOLKA EIDW ... you will need to know where
UL19 and UL18 jetways are heading, and what intersections, or NAVAIDs are on your way.

Anyway, if you do not have an FMC cockpit, your only choice is to follow an FS GPS route.

[EHM-1960 Malcolm]

Thanks for the replies everyone,

Roberto, I couldnt see BEKSA when I first downloaded FSNAV but whent to navdata.at, downloaded cycle 0608 for FSNAV and rebuilt the database (FSNavDBC). This did the trick, BEKSA appears.

As I mentioned before I'm trying to avoid using GPS at the moment in order to become accustomed to the other Nav instruments, this is mainly to help my RL flying. I'll fly the low level routes or switch of RNAV until I get to flying the heavies.

[EHM-1617 Iain]

Snap up your nav updates quick before Navigraph starts charging for them... 0608 will rpobably be the last available for free sadly.

[EHM-1001 Robert]

d**n, I updated the AIRAC as well for Fsnav, but I still cant see that intersection

[EHM-1365 Benjamin]

Hi Robert

BEKSA was added as a new FIX March 16th this year, so it really should be in that AIRAC... perhaps they lost it

--
Also, to avoid confusion that might have arisen from Iain's post, non-RNAV airways don't have to go direct to VORs/NDBs. There can still be waypoints in between, for example a simple radial/distance. In the UK, most of the airways are RNAV, so it would be recommended to be equipped to handle them in order to benefit from the most direct route.

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Finally it appeared at me too. I was so dumb, I forgot to run the database collector tool of FSNAV. Now everything is fine