Finding runway slope

[Will]

Sorry if this is obvious, but what is the best way to find the slope of the runway? Is there an internal PSX database that can be queried? Is the runway slope available on Jeppesen charts?

I know we can do (departure elevation - arrival elevation) / runway length x 100, but is that what pilots do in the cockpit? It seems like it would be printed somewhere on a chart. And anyway, how do we know what PSX uses?

Thanks!

[andrej]

Will,

Analysis -> Airport page shows slope of each runway. Also, if you use TOPCAT, that information is available there as well.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

[Will]

Thanks, Andrej.

I use PFPX with the TOPCAT module, but not stand-alone TOPCAT. If the information is available in PFPX/TOPCAT, I'm missing it. Is it there? Or only in TOPCAT outside of PFPX?

[andrej]

I always "send" my flight to TOPCAT via PFPX menu. Once in the TOPCAT software, you click on Take-Off tab, and in the Airport & Runway section you should see the slope information.

[Will]

Thank you, that's very helpful.

Here's a related question. My understanding is that the runway slope and condition entries in the FMC's TAKEOFF REF page(s) only affect V-Speed calculations.

If that's true, AND if you get your V-Speeds from TOPCAT or from another dispatch app (or from a real-life dispatcher), then as long as your dispatch app has access to the runway slope and the condition, then your V-Speeds will already take this information into account. Thus, there would be no need to enter the data in TAKEOFF REF.

Is this true?

[asboyd]

I have asked Aerosoft if they will support Topcat with their navdata and they have told me that Topcat is dead and therefore they will not provide data for it....

That to me sounds like a real shame as I cannot afford both Aerosoft navdata and Navigraph so one of them has to go. As I prefer to fly with PSX, I guess I will then have to miss out on future topcat updates. Not sure how often data changes will affect Topcat (unless a new airport or runway is added at some stage.... (Western Sydney Airport springs to mind)

Cheers,
AlexB

[Sebastian]

Gents,

In the Aerosoft Charts you'll find the slopes easily:


edit: click on the lower screenshot to zoom in an pan over to the runway data area

And with that you could add Western Sydney Airport manually into your TOPCAT database, once it opens.

Cheers,
Sebastian

P.S.: I've been using Aerosoft NDP Charts for a while now, as it always caches the "downloaded" charts in the current session, and when I click on another cached chart it opens up immediately, contrary to Navigraph, which to my feeling always downloads the chart, even if I previously opened it during the current session. This is of real benefit in areas where internet is not that stable. Downside: on some airports, particularly after a new AIRAC cycle is started, you'll see several charts of the same type: the newest one and the older one(s), and you really have to open the chart first to see, which is the current one. But you'll get used to it and find your way. You can actually see it in the first screenshot: there are 2 charts for APC East... the upper one is July 8th, the lower one is May 27th.
Currently, I have an ongoing subscription for Navigraph and Aersoft, but I will change to all Aerosoft for the next subscription cycle - for obvious reasons.

[asboyd]

I have only subscribed to the navigraph FMC data as I cannot afford a full subscription... I guess it will be the same with Aerosoft.
I have a lot of printed and laminated charts from my days of employment when I had the full navigraph subscription.

Will have to see what happens once my Navigraph FMC sub runs out...

Cheers,
AlexB

[Will]

I always "send" my flight to TOPCAT via PFPX menu.

How do you sent a flight to TOPCAT from within PFPX? I should clarify, I have TOPCAT and I use it within PFPX to calculate takeoff and landing performance. But if you're talking about activating a full stand-alone instance of TOPCAT by means of the PFPX menu, I don't know how to do that. 

Thanks.

[andrej]

Once I am done with flight planning, I click "Release Flight"



Then I click the green button "Send" and pick both VATSIM and TOPCAT



This starts TOPACT and W&B page is present. But you need to create profile of your fleet (for this purpose I mainly fly one tail number quite a lot ).



Hope this helps.

Cheers,

[Will]

Once again, Andrej, thanks for your help. I see it now.