How to MARK YOUR ETOPS WAYPOINTS on your ND - And why NOT to use range arcs! | Real Airline Pilot

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[@GG-dj5op]

Can you please make an overview video on ETOPS and what is the difference between ETOPS phase of the flight vs regular flight? This will help when the long haulers start coming to MSFS :)

[@ADIRU22]

It would also be interesting to do ETOPS diversion

[@larsw8776]

The video made me think of when I used the PMDG BBJ for flying down the west coast of South America toward Punta Arenas in P3D. From there I flew to Union Glacier blue ice runway and back... Don't forget not to turn of the IRSs when you're down there... On the way home I made a stop in Tegucigalpa. It took me a couple of attempts but it was marvelous.

[@Manuel-9-]

Really finding your long hauling videos extremely interesting. Really looking forward to practicing them on the 777

[@B_Aviation]

Thanks for the info, amazing like always

[@larsw8776]

Excellent tutorial, thank you very much! I always used the ETOPS airports with range arcs technique because this is the one outlined in the PMDG Tutorial document for the 777. Because of the fix page limitation, I change the ETOPS fixes multiple times during a long haul flight.

[@A330Driver]

You're very welcome!

[@ElitistMagi]

Fantastic video!

[@pilotone]

Absolutely fabulous video.

[@Ameryordi]

We do something similar in my airline on the 777, but we keep the waypoints on the legs page so we can use the 4 fix pages for other things like suitable airports.

[@LEVEL_CHANGE]

I real life I just keep them after the route with a discontinuity in between. It complies with all requirements (including CPDLC and ADS reports) while leaving the fix page available as you mentioned in the video. The only threat is that if you change your arrival (START, TRANSITION, PROCEDURE and/or RUNWAY), those points are automatically deleted - so, depending on your needs… may be advisable to work on that first! Cheers!

[@aagguujjaa]

I love watching your videos, and I learn a lot of the reasoning behind the procedures you present. Unfortunately, at some airlines instructors only teach what to do, but not the why…. I say passing those tough European ATPL exams give pilots better academic chops than say in the US.

[@rasileb]

They do use arcs in many real world SOP-s, including 777. It is not a question of "real life" vs "fancy sim arcs", it is different techniques. A lot has to do with ETOPS entry and exit procedures for the airline as well.

[@A330Driver]

What does ACARS have to do with ETOPS?

[@rasileb]

​@@A330Driver Arcs Emi, not ACARS, fancy arcs. It used to be practice at Continental many moons ago to use the last 2 fixes on the fix page with 453nm arcs around the ETOPS alternates on the 777 and update as needed. RTE 2 would be used for entry, etp, and exit point, disco, destination, destination altn route and altn. Available fix pages would also be used for the position accuracy checks before leaving land and when entering it (leaving and entering areas of radio navigation reliability). My point is that is not something "flight simmers" do, it is also present in rw operations and at least in the past it used to be pretty mainstream. There used to be some PMDG 777 pdf guides 10 years ago or so that were pretty much based on how Continental used to enter ETOPS data in the FMC int he rw, pretty much to the dot on their 777.

[@noah9130]

@@A330Driver who mentioned ACARS?

[@rasileb]

@@A330Driver I did post an answer here that somehow got removed. Using range arcs (not ACARS...) was at least until 10 years ago or so, pretty standard across some major 777 operators (and detailed in their fcoms). Pretty sure Contental's fcom floats around the web detailing the specific setup and the use of fix pages, including their use for exiting and entering areas of radio navigation reliability in OCA. There were also some PFPX/PMDG 777 guides back when PFPX was released that were based off Continental ETOPS/OCA procedures almost to the dot, and they used range arcs. I am not saying which way is better, and I love the tips and tricks you share in bit size format, I am just saying many use range arcs as it is realistic, at least in certain contexts. The use of range arcs was related to entry and exit points and rte 2 was used for ETOPS alternates as it could be superimposed on the nd to improve situational awareness.

[@davidspaulding9811]

@@rasilebmy operator has us use arcs or distances on the ND. I don't think its a matter of safety or anything like that. All the author of the video is stating is arcs don't provide a true direction to your ETOPS alternate when an engine pops or the cabin pops. Of course in either of those examples, you can still easily turn to an approximate heading after exiting the track and then go direct using GPS. If it was a situation where GPS was lost or where you lost all navigation, then that is a completely different situation and you wouldn't even have that on the ND anyways. You would get an approximate heading from the release papers. Its just a matter of splitting hairs.

[@Fly737]

Thank you!

[@A330Driver]

Thank YOU!

[@ChristopheArribat]

The discontinunities are back ! 😛

[@noah9130]

Thought I was the only one who noticed 😂

[@tomstravels520]

I’ve heard some pilots utilise RTE 2 by copying the waypoints from active, add the ETOPS points then when necessary can may RTE 2 active

[@A330Driver]

But what would the advantage be?

[@tomstravels520]

@@A330Driver can’t remember. I presume so they can keep the route without the ETOPS fix’s until passed to ATC

[@casparbuchi]

Would it be possible that you make a video on how to use the lights on the a320 correctly? For example the wing light or the RWY wurnoff light!

[@n35ql]

Beacon: Before engine start until all engines are shut dwon. Strobe: On runway/in air Nav: When taxiing definitely on, but can be turned on sooner during loading phase. Wing (ice) is to see if there is ice on the wings or not. LDG lights: from prior to entering onto the runwat until reaching 10000 ft and vica versa. Taxi (Nose): After pushback, it is very strong, can blind a person, si prior to entering the tarmac or turning onto the stand, off. Turned to T/O prior entering a runway. Turned off immediately after gear is selected up, so as runway turn off lights since they are on the nose gear, and can heat up and vapour or even ignite any flamable material leakage. Runway turn off light also can be used during taxi, especially during night or limited visibility to see the intersection. Nav 1 and Nav 2 is basically the same. Two identical light system with two identical bulbs, in case one malfunctions, the other system is used.

[@casparbuchi]

@@n35ql Thank you! I knew almost all what you have told me there but some pilots turn on the turn off light even in clear conditions and so. That's why I asked!

[@n35ql]

@@casparbuchi Runway turn off depends on some operstor I guess. It is basically the angular "taxi light", since nose light is facing straight ahead. I usually use them with my Nose taxi set lights. One rule in aviation is to see and be seen. So that's why in clear conditions some turn on the lights as the SOP dictates.

[@casparbuchi]

@@n35ql Thank you for explaining me!

[@n35ql]

@@casparbuchi Your welcome. If you have any other question, don't hesitate to ask. I am not a pilot, but a hardcore enthusiast, virtually flying based on real documents so I might be able to help you with a thing or two. I am an airbus and general aviation (good old golden six pack) simmer, so my knowledge is limited regarding aircraft types.

[@davidspaulding9811]

4:49 Not sure what you're talking about here. Airbus is capable roughly the same. 400NM. Both Neo and Ceo. Also it is capable of drawing arcs for ETOPS entry and exit points. Also I think its important to note that the ETOPS distances are a thing. These distances are based on the airplane flying single-engine in still air for one hour (60 minutes) at a specified Mach number. It's not something that is just thrown out or calculated by a dispatcher. Therefore the areas outside the denoted ranges on the ND would be ETOPS airspace. There are different flavors of ETOPS certification as well based on the time the aircraft type is certified to fly in ETOPS airspace. Airbus A32F can go all the way up to 180 minutes. So is the B737. (These times are variable '60,90,120,180' due to the operator (airline) demonstrating their engine reliability) So when you make your flight plan on Simbrief, you can plan them to 180min time limits, but you can do less if you wish. However, it can make your flight plan longer since you are unable to fly longer away from a suitable airport. Remember suitable = adequate + reported weather. There is lots of reading material on Google for this topic.

[@A330Driver]

Back in the day during my time testing for Aerosoft exactly this topic of how far a ring can go came up. We asked 5 A320 and A330 pilots to test it in their aircraft. The result was 256NM on all 5 tested aircraft.

[@davidspaulding9811]

@@A330Driver were they in the older EIS1? That could be why. I’ll have to check that next time I’m in one. But the EIS2 airplanes can certainly input higher values. I don’t recall the limit, something like 800NM?