FMC Route Page During Preflight Prep

[Hardy Heinlin]

Can you get this state (the dashes in 1L, and no magenta line from the runway to the first waypoint) when you are using a company route that has been uplinked? Or only when you manually enter the route?

A company route can start with an anchor waypoint. It just needs to be programmed and saved.

[Will]

Thanks. I guess what I mean is: can an anchor waypoint be created in a saved route that doesn't already have one?

[Hardy Heinlin]

Yes, you can, but it may delete the SID if there is one.

When you have an ACT RTE with a departure runway and a direct-to to the first fix (and some more waypoints), you may play this game:

1. On the ACT RTE page select RTE COPY and wait a second.
2. On the ACT RTE page select 6L to go the the inactive RTE.
3. On the inactive RTE page delete the runway in 2L.
4. On the inactive first LEGS page enter a new waypoint in 1L -- this will be an anchor.
5. Close the disco in 2L.
6. Select ACTIVATE in 6R and EXEC.

Now you have an anchor in an ACT RTE.

If you re-enter the runway on the ACT RTE page in 2L, the SID part of the route may be removed, depending on whether it starts with a SID waypoint or not. If the first waypoint you entered is a non-SID fix (a new waypoint), nothing will be removed, and the anchor will stay.


Regards,

|-|ardy

[Will]

Thank you Hardy! That worked really well.

I've never used an FMC in real life, but this kind of sight picture intuitively makes more sense to me than a direct line from the runway, when you know you'll be starting the departure with vectors.

[Will]

Wait, I spoke too soon. Putting the runway back in 2L and hitting EXEC deletes the anchor, and draws a line directly to the first fix again. So I'm still not understanding what to do.

Edit: Everything is good now. It's working. Thanks for your help.