FS 9 Flight Plans to PMDG NG

Hi Gabejo,

Wouldn't this be FABULOUS ?

But unfortunately, the answer is no.... the 737NG cannot import FS Flight Plans.

Part of the problem is the the developers, PMDG started from scratch with a lot of the systems for the 737NG. For example, it's one of the few add-ons that doesn;t use the FS9 AutoPilot at all..... It uses a totally external AP system...... The downside of this is that if you SAVE a flight on the 737NG, then re-access it, your AutoPilot settings will NOT have been saved and your plane will fall out of the sky unless you pause the Sim and set up the AP - pretty quickly!

Same goes for the FMC - it can't work with the FS9 Flight Planner but it CAN work with a lor of add-on flight plan products.

It's best to SAVE every route you fly in the 737NG flight planner, so that they are their for future flights on that route !

Make sure you're using the "KBD" function of the flight planner! I generally keep the FMC off to the left side with the keyboard activated, and the knee-board open to my flightplan on the right side. Programming in routes goes much faster when you can type it in on your keyboard. I can program a 5 or 6 page route across the country in about 2-4 minutes with that function on. It should describe how to activate the keyboard in the manuals.

Totally agree Grunge......

At first I was disappointed that the 737NG doesn't allow Flight Plan loading from the standard FS Fligt Plans but now I enjoy manually entering each waypoint, it makes you feel like you are direclty influencing the route (which you are), instead of just cheating by importing the FS flight plan.

You're very correct about clicking on the black vertical bar to enable the Keybaord for entry though - I too can enter about 40 waypoints in about 3 minutes using this method.

Incidentally, I finally discovered how to fully AUTOLAND the 737NG using Cat III (with Flare and Thrust Retard).

In the past, I was unable to select the 2nd A/P simultanteously with the first, preventing a Cat III landing.....

The answer was as simple as the fact that the NAV 2 radio needs to be set with the ILS freq, and activated, but this must be done AFTER you are established on the Localizer..... (and before Glideslope capture).

Try it !

Thanks for the great suggestions...which comes another novice question...You can type on the kneeboard to input into the FMC? What is that process?
Thanks again guys!