Trans-atlantic HAAW routes

[beefhole]

I finally fixed my sound problem, and naturally, there's another.  For some reason when I try to plan a route from say Atlanta to Heathrow via HAAWs it draws a route all the way over to somewhere in Russia, then back to London, making total trip time 13 hours.  I am using default fs planner. Anyone else have this problem?

[sir_crashalot]

Yep. Try to fly from Amsterdam to New York via HAAW. Takes you to Alaska first, then to New York.  Making the trip last for more than 13 hours.  :o

[beefhole]

Aarrrghhh...  I'll have to manually plan it then.  ::)

[sir_crashalot]

Or you could use Direct-GPS. The flight from Amsterdam to New York will then only take little more than 5 hours. ATC will work for take off and landing; ILS approach is possible. Just put the NAV/GPS switch to GPS and instead of the HDG switch use the NAV switch. Autopilot will then follow your GPS.

[beefhole]

I'm fully aware of that-real pilots don't use direct GPS.  What I mean by manually planning it is having a direct GPS route plotted and then picking out specific waypoints by dragging the line.  It's a pain.

[RollerBall]

We established a while back one of the times this was raised previously that the diirect GPS track is hardly any different from the route used by real jets

[beefhole]

Correct, at least when you're over land, but jets still don't use direct GPS.  Yes, I'm that anal.

[z1010]

ok. - what does HAAW mean, and why shouldn't you plan a route with the GPS?

Real pilots don't use GPS? Why. what's wrong with it? It tells enough, for me at least.

[sir_crashalot]

HAAW = High Altitude AirWays.

[beefhole]

ok. - what does HAAW mean, and why shouldn't you plan a route with the GPS?

Real pilots don't use GPS? Why. what's wrong with it? It tells enough, for me at least.

Real pilots do use GPS, but in a different form than we're used to seeing in fs.  Their GPS is not a module by itself, like in fs, but built into the PFD(the nav screen).  I believe you've misunderstood what I'm saying, when you go into the flight planner window, there will be four options as to how to plot your route.  LAAWs(Low altitude airways), HAAWs, direct GPS and VOR to VOR.  Real pilots flying jets above 18,000 ft MSL use HAAWs.  Direct GPS is only used by small planes on short routes.  Go into the map view and click the "J", and the airway system will pop up.  It's like a highway in the sky!

**p.s.-the GPS module in fs for big jets is almost identical to the one small planes are using

[Reap]

Don't wish to tell anyone how to suck eggs, but why don't you get FSNavigator. Has all the airways on and you can download the airacs every month so that they are as up to date as realworld.

[beefhole]

Well, I've been puting that off for a while-I really should.

Apparently the problem is that there are no HAAWs crossing the atlantic-there are very distinct dumpoff and arrival points where all the HAAWs come together off the coastlines but no HAAWs actually cross the atlantic.  Solved by manually planning it, still annoying so I've decided to just do ATL to SFO in a 752 instead.

[Reap]

Dont know if this may help http://www.kadair.org.uk
Follow the link to Oceanic for NAT selectors and so on.
Ive not flown Trans Atlantic yet but the CEO of this Airline is probably one of the Virtual Authorities on it.

I really can't recommend FSNavigator enough though for route planning, has all the Sids and Stars, all the airways with directional and upper/lower info. Has all the navigational beacons with quick reference all airprts, if you play multiplayer you can see other aircraft.
I try and use it for planning and reference without using it to see where I am, but if you want to you can use it as a Flight Management System and it will fly the aircraft for you. I would have thought it was great for Trans-Atlantics where you can switch the FMS on whilst leaving the flight deck for a meal etc.