Midflight Flightplan changes

[Russell Irwin]

Once in a blue moon, on a long, transoceanic flight, I won't hear ATC and they'll cancel my flightplan. So, when I notice, I'll have to go to the "Flight Planner" menu and load the flightplan that I was already flying. When I do this however, my autopilot (I use the NAV setting to track the flightplan and save me the energy of adjusting heading every thirty seconds) tries to turn me around and fly me back to my previous waypoint or (if I'm too lazy to make a real flightplan) my departure airport. So my question: Is there a way to file the new flightplan with ATC without having to reprogram the GPS? While it's a fairly minor inconvenience as opposed to my old days of taking off in a DC-10 with almost zero fuel, I do hate to have to turn back to Tokyo when my destination is KIAD.

[timothy]

I have changed from VFR to IFR mid flight on several occasions, but I never use the GPS, always the Flight Planner route and bearing. Don't know if it makes any difference but I suspect GPS is the problem. Why not try coming out of it in flight, do your adjustments, and then go back in?

[garymbuska]

When that happens here is what you need to do
1) open your GPS and see what the next way point is on your flight plan and write it down
2) check to see what your current heading is and set your heading to the same thing than switch from NAV to Heading on your auto pilot
3) Then bring up atc and click on file a new flight plan
4) Load the same flight plan you had then delete all of the way points you have passed and save and overwrite
Make sure to select not to go back to your departure airport.
5) Then click get clearance and ATC will acknowledge you.
You might have to turn a little bit to intercept your flight path due to the fact you removed the old way points and it calculated from your departure airport to your destination airport starting with the way point you were originally going to.
Once back on your flight path reselect NAV on your auto pilot

[dave3cu]

Rather than having to modify the flight plan, you can sync the GPS to your desired active leg.

For the GPS 500:

Click the FPL button to show the 'Active Flight Plan' screen.
Press the PUSH CRSR knob.
Press an outer ring arrow to move the 'cursor' to highlight your desired 'TO' waypoint.
Press the MENU button. An ACTIVE LEG window will appear.
Press ENT to accept the ACTIVE LEG.

The method is the same for the GPS 295 except that the MENU button is missing. You can make a keyboard/button assignment for the MENU button in your Control Settings.

[Russell Irwin]

Thanks, dave3cu. All is well now.