Question re: entering flight plan

I use the MSFS World Map to set up an ILS flight plan with an origin and destination airport, but don’t enter any waypoints. I may choose an arrival runway or just leave the Approach setting on automatic.

I believe that MSFS then enters this information into the avionics system, so that I don’t have to enter manually any further information. But I’m not sure this is automatic for all plane types. In particular, I’ve had difficulty with getting the FBW A320 to latch onto and follow the GPS course. The course is shown by the pink line in the insturments and on the VFR map, so it seems that the flight plan is recognized. But, using the AP the plane typically wanders off on its own and I end up flying manually. With the C172, on AP the plane follows the GPS course to the Approach and then down the glideslope to the runway. But I haven’t been able to get the FBW A320 on AP to either follow the course or fly down the glideslope.

I must be missing something, but not sure what. Unless the FBW A320 requires the user to actually enter the flight plan manually into the system while in cockpit view (which I have not been doing). Is that the case?

I may not be clicking/engaging the AP buttons correctly with the mouse, but using the Honeycomb Bravo autopilot buttons doesn’t seem to make a difference.

Also, with the FBW A320, must I manually enter the arrival runway ILS frequency? I believe that with the WT G1000 in the C172 it seems to be automatically there.

Many 3rd party aircraft such as FBW 320NX, PMDG DC-6 and Aerosoft CRJ 700 do not accept flight plans generated in the world map. You need to fly the stock A320, for example, to use the world map to file. The flight plan generated in those a/c will show on the VFR map but will not be in the FMS. You need to use external programs such as SimBrief to do load flight plans for many 3rd party a/c.

OK, thanks @DismayingBroom1. I did not know that. I appreciate the info.

You are welcome. Many enjoy the multiple steps of creating a flight plan in Simbrief, and then entering all that info into the FMS. Personal choice. I do not enjoy all that detailed preparation. I use only the in-game flight planning process. Checking out Youtube videos makes me think I am in the minority.

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I am like you. I have zero interest in all that. I use Little Nav Map to make plans and then load them from the World Map page.

Unfortunately for me I noticed that with the excellent WT mods the planes were loading WITHOUT the plan already loaded in the nav system.

I uninstalled the mods and now the planes load with my custom plans.

I’m not sure what your source is. The Garmin in the DC-6 automagically imports the World Map flight plans. However, the Bendix is much older than GPS.

No doubt you are correct about the DC-6. I bought it a few months ago but have spent little time with it (kinda overwhelming) and probably misunderstood the flight plan loading.

The Working Title CJ4 requires you to “import” a flight plan. You can use a game generated plan or download direct from Simbrief, once you’ve set it up correctly. I believe this may also be true of the FBW Airbus but I haven’t flown this aircraft much, preferring GA myself.

I use LNM to prepare flight plans then export them to the sim. I generally use the in-game plan as on the couple of occasions I’ve tried with Simbrief I’ve had problems.

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