Simviation Forums

I have a very tough question. I am trying to figure out how to program the FSX GPS 500 to do arrivals and departures. I know that It must be possible and here's why....

When you press the "PROC"  button you get the box that ask's you to chose an approach..... If you look right below that box there is a box that says  " Loaded procedures" inside the " Loaded Procedures Box" there are lines that look like the following...

APP: _ _ _ _ _
ARRV: _ _ _ _
DEP: _ _ _ _


Also when you go to the learning center and click on the navigation tutorial there is one for the GPS when you click on it and choose the "Proc Page" it tells you at the bottom of the box " To program Arrivals or Departures please follow the Instructions that follow"  The problem with this is that there ARE NO FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT IT!!! frustrating to say the least. I'm sure someone out there knows how to do this... and if you do PLEASE let me know because it is bugging the crap out of me because I know it is possible otherwise the powers that be at MS wouldn't have put anything about it in the Instructions. Its just a shame that they didn't FINISH IT!!
   Thanks Ahead
                      Jeremy  :)

I'll use the Garmin GNS 530 simulator available here: http://www8.garmin.com/include/SimulatorPopup.html  to show you how to do it.

The GPS (actually a GNS, Global Navigation System) starts off in the overhead map navigation page, I'll call it the "home" screen shown below:



You need to first select a destination.  Do this by pressing the "direct" button, the button that looks like a "D" with a line through it, right below the range button.  That will bring up this screen (I've already entered KMSN as my destination):



Next, type in your destination using the knob on the bottom right.  Use the outer ring to select the place of the letter, and the inner ring to select the individual letter (for example, find "K" with the inner ring, then use the outer ring to go to the next position, then use the inner ring to find "M" etc...).  Once your destination is entered and you see that it shows the name of the airport, press the "ENT" key, then "ENT" again to activate the navigation.  Once you activate it, the GPS will return to the home screen, and a purple course line will connect you to your selected destination.

Next, to select an approach, press the "PROC" key.  That will bring up a screen like this:



On this screen, you want to highlight the "Select Approach?" option using the outer ring of the bottom right knob again.  It should already be highlighted when you get to this screen, but if it's not, choose it.  Press "ENT".  Once you press "ENT", this screen will come up:




From this list, select the approach you plan on flying.  It's important to note that you can only fly RNAV or GPS approaches (maybe NDB approaches too) using the GPS as your primary navigation source.  Highlight the approach you want to fly using the outer ring of the lower right knob, and press "ENT" once your selected approach is highlighted.  This will bring up this screen:



This screen shows a list of all the initial approach fixes for your selected approach.  You'll want to choose the IAF most appropriate for where you are coming from (if you're coming from the north, don't choose the IAF that's 20 miles south of the airport, unless it's the only one available).  You can also choose "VECTORS" meaning ATC will direct you onto the approach course with radar vectors.  Once you choose your IAF, press "ENT" and this screen will come up:



Highlight the "Activate?" option using the outer ring of the lower right knob and press "ENT".  If you chose any approach other than an RNAV or GPS approach, a message will come up telling you that the GPS is for monitoring only etc.  Highlight "Yes?" and press "ENT".  This screen will come up:



Once this screen is up, you can press "CLR" to return to the home screen where you will see a map with a purple course line from your aircraft to the IAF you selected.  You should then be ready to intercept the approach course and fly the approach (using the proper nav equipment if you're not flying an RNAV approach).

Finally, you may find it easier and more helpful to fly using the first nav page.  You get to it by pressing to the left on the inner ring of the bottom right knob.  This page looks like this:


On this page, you can see your desired track, distance to next waypoint, estimated time enroute, groundspeed, course, CDI, and a moving map.  I personally find it much more helpful than the "home" screen.

I think wildfire is trying to find out how to load Arrivals and Departures, not just the approaches..

I don't think SIDs and STARs are in the MSFS GPS... and neither is the option for manually entering waypoints.

I think you'd have to make the SID/STAR part of a flight plan, via the flight planner.,,, then it would show up on the GPS...

I'll experiment later, and report back..  :)

Oddly enough, SIDs and STARs are in the default FSX database...

...they simply aren't accessible via FSX.  The database was generated from the Jepperson source file, but ACES didn't take the time to rebuild the gps system to use it. You may have noticed that FSX still uses the fs9gps.dll from FS9!  :o

Also, when entering data into the GPS, you can use the keyboard directly, once the first "character" is highlighted and the cursor is blinking...

1. Press the center knob on the right to enable the cursor
2. Click once on the left side of the inner knob to select the first character.
3. Use the keyboard to complete your entry, e.g. KMIA etc.

Ahh, I see.  I used the 530 simulator from Garmin, so it had everything built in.  If you want to select SIDs and STARs, they are the options below "Select Approach" and they work in much the same way.  But, apparently they aren't in FSX.  

I didn't actually get a chance to try this with the FS GPS because I'm not at my computer right now, but from what I remember, it was pretty similar.

Side note to Mobius:

Are you running Vista64 ?  If so... did you have trouble getting the Garmin trainer to run ?

Side note to Mobius:

Are you running Vista64 ?  If so... did you have trouble getting the Garmin trainer to run ?

Actually I'm running the trainer at my parent's house on XP.  I haven't tried it on Vista yet.  I can later tonight though.

If you first use the flight planner and select a Departure and Arrival airport (with VOR or IFR ) and then load the flight, all the waypoints are already in the GPS. Then it is easy to select the Arrival airport runway in the GPS as per instructions given by others.

Yea... me personally, I'm all about the flight planner.  Let that load the route into the GPS when you load the flight.  Then what I do is just set up two buttons on the joystick for GPS zoom (in/out), that way all I need to is shift + 3 show the gps, and then my zoom buttons.  The mouse usually isnt involve that way I can keep my hand on the stick...

Although, I will say that there is probably quite a bit of functionality of the GPS that I am not utilizing that perhaps I should.

Someday I'd really like to fly without the GPS at all!  But I'm too lazy.

What have I done/not done....ever since fiddling around with GPS (I`ve left it well alone til now) I can`t get the VOR/ILS to work....and yes, NAV/GPS switch is set to NAV....dead as a doornail.

Dead..  as in you know you're within range of a VOR (have it tuned in), but to reading on the VOR gauge ?


Which aircraft ?

As in definitely within range, and with the correct frequency selected, and nothing showing on the guage.

All aircraft that I`ve tried....first experienced it on a payware a/c, and hve been investigating it on the lear and the Caravan