Recently, I’ve been piloting the FBW A320 on a global tour. However, during my flights across various countries in South America and the Caribbean Islands, I’ve noticed that not all of them consistently provide Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) or transitions for approach procedures. Despite using the latest AIRAC data in SimBrief and Navigraph (I’m a member), and ensuring my simulator is updated through the Navigraph hub, I still encounter this issue.
I’m puzzled about what might be causing this discrepancy. When I utilize SimBrief, pressing the “Find SID/STAR” button doesn’t yield any valid STARs (see below).
Would it be advisable for me to solely rely on programming the Multifunction Control and Display Unit (MCDU) using charts associated with the arrival runway provided by Navigraph?
Sorry, I don’t get it!
If there isn’t a STAR what’s a pilot to do? Auger in anyway?
Here’s a screen print of what I am seeing in SimBrief:
If there is not a STAR for an airport then you would be getting vectors from ATC for an approach. I just vector myself in the sim if there is not a STAR and will usually go direct to the IAF or FAF for the approach.
Not sure what options it will give if you press “find new route” but as long as you end up at an Initial Approach Fix (IAF) all is good. You don’t need a STAR and not all airports have them.
It looks like the route in your picture goes to St Thomas VOR (STT) so that would be an option as the IAF for the VOR-A in decent weather, or you could manually add KUTHO instead and (after a proceedure turn) fly the ILS, LOC, or RNAV.
I had to look up IAF and FAF, but I understand that now. Thanks to the digital gods of Gemini!
I am using the default MSFS ATC (cricket sounds go here), so should I depend on the sim to tell me how to vector in to the first leg of the approach on the chart?
Tinny: So far, every time I have pressed that “find new route” button it hasn’t given me a star on any of the routes. That’s why I am wondering if I am doing something wrong.
When I look at the routing box will the STAR/Transition be apparent right before the ICAO/Runway in the text string? Do STARS usually end with a single number-digit in them?
In Navigraph, I plan my route from the last enroute segment that best positions me for the approach procedure that I want to use. This is akin to being radar vectored onto the approach. When the route is done, I cut and paste it into SimBrief and go from there. More than one way to go about all this, the main thing is that one can plan many routes without recourse to SIDs or STARs. Cheers!
There is no STAR into St. Thomas. When I tried your route I got SNOOZ5 STT. Nothing wrong with that as you can fly the approach from STT. But looking at the suggested routes I see KUTHO (the other IAF I mentioned above) so you could use one of them. You can even just type KUTHO and nothing else in the route box, hit “Analyze Route” and it comes back valid – so direct KUTHO and shoot the approach.
Thanks for that link, SmeeGav. I will study and read further on what that pilot had to say in that thread. It’s over my head currently so I will need to study up on that. I think I understand it. Now, how to do it is another thing. That can wait for now. Thanks!
Nikita: When you say cut-and-paste it into SimBrief, you lost me there. Are you referring to the entry point of the STAR on the airports chart that you insert into the text string of SimBrief?
If there is no STAR procedure between my last enroute segment and the approach procedure, then I will plan my route in Navigraph as best I can. My goal is to end the enroute segment in a good place to make the approach I want. When I finish plotting the route in Navigraph, I will cut and paste it into SimBrief and finish flight planning in SimBrief. That is one way to get around not having a STAR available. There are other ways.
Tinny: I will continue studying SimBrief using those airports to see if it clicks in my brain. I will come back later and ask informed/intelligent questions if I have them. I think I understand what you are saying but I need to visualize it first.
I did just figure out that pressing the Navigraph button (see image below) gives me the assigned route! I had never done that before and can now dial in closer to the runway with this view activated… Duh!
I’ll come back later if I have more questions. I have looked on YouTube for videos covering this topic and have not found any yet that describe what a pilot should do. Please correct me if I am wrong and I will gladly watch that video.
Nikita: I get it now! I have not seen this done on YouTube but I understand how you are doing it now using Navigraph as the route generator. I will work with that solution and that may solve my failures for me.
So funny story. I love charts and maps. I started using Navigraph before SimBrief! Both are great because there are so many ways to go back and forth between them. Really opens up the skies for different kinds of flying. Have fun!
I had never tried using Navigraph using the “New Flight” button and following along using the prompts it gives you for every aspect of the flight. After selecting the different waypoints that Navigraph provides me it creates the flight plan. Then at the top of the window it allows me to copy and paste the route text string over to SimBrief so I can generate the OFP! Outstanding!
Thanks for your quick help guys! Much appreciated…
Select direct approach in the flight plan and ATC will probably clear you to ILS RWY10 via TOURO transition. They always tend to give you the longest approach possible. You can also tune to ATIS and listen what approach to expect so you can prepare your FMC in advance.
Since I am only putting in the departure airport (FBW A320 requirement) in the World view flight plan I believe it defaults to direct always. But, because I am only using a departure and no arrival in the world view ATC hands me off as Flight Following and is zero help.
I made that flight and another short-hop flight to TJBQ after that one. I’ll get the hang of it. The last flight the plane did not follow the flight plan, at all. I’m sure it was the keyboard actuator’s fault and not the plane. If you don’t succeed, try, try again!
Well, you can fly as you wish but if you want to fly IFR with in-game ATC you need to make a full flight plan on the World Map and it should match what you have programmed in the onboard computer. Otherwise, they will ask you to climb to strange altitudes and you will join the group of players who claim ATC is stupid and completely useless ;).
I am willing to try that, Mark. I have never tried duplicating the FP in World View to match SimBrief or Navigraph that gets imported into the FBW EFB and MCDU.
The last flight I made, I may have neglected to update the EFB right up front and that may have messed with the MCDU. I plan on re-flying my last flight again today.
Chiming in late, but I typically just go direct to the destination field. When maybe 150 miles away (or closer if slower plane), I check winds or ATIS if available, and then mimic ATC vectoring me to the correct approach.
I don’t use in-game ATC, and haven’t really had situations on VATSIM with no STAR. Will be curious how Beyond ATC will do this once it’s available.
I use Pilot2ATC and it will give me vectors to the approach.
If the default ATC will not vector you or your not using ATC you can use HDG mode and vector yourself in or see if you can create your own STAR out of nearby way points.
