Quick Question: FMC Flight Number

Hi all,

I've been hard at work learning all about the FMC and setting up flight plans (with great help from PMDG's guide).

However I just wanted to ask about the 'FLT NO' field, which I assume stands for Flight Number (?). Can I simply enter any name/number into this field? Presumably this field has less bearing in the single player simulator world.

Also, is this name passed to the FSX ATC? I would like to set up my own name to be used in FSX.

Just trying it will likely answer your questions in a few seconds.

-Pv-

You asked two questions. The answer to the first is that you can enter anything that will fit. The answer to the second is no.

DJ

Basically NOTHING you enter in the FMC is known to FSX ATC.

Wim

In the real world nothing you put in that area, at least on the 757/767s I flew, was known to anybody except the flight crew!

I have always suspected that it is there simply as a reminder for the crew. Some crewmembers do not fly the same trip every time they go to work, like I did when I was camped out on Rome, and on multi-leg days the flight number could change on every landing! So, since your ATC call sign is the airline and flight number, it is handy to have a place to look quickly to remind yourself that, yes, this leg is AA 1456.

The 727 used to have three or four little number wheels on one of the horns of the yoke ( I forget how many now, its been a long time) and for all I know the 737's still do, to use for that reason, or any other number you might need to be reminded of, like altitude (although just about all airplanes have an altitude selector to inform the alt warning and often the autopilot of the assigned altitude).

Tony Vallillo

Three digit wheels on the 727 control yoke and they are still there on the 737NG. Just like the FMC flight number, they aren't connected to anything either. I've seen 744s with four digit memo indicators fitted to the main panel (P1 and P3).

If you want to customise the airline and flight number that FSX ATC uses you can either edit this in the aircraft.cfg file before loading FSX or change it before starting the flight in the Details screen, which can be viewed after you select your aircraft. FSX ATC won't recognise any airline callsign that isn't in the drop down list though. You could however add your own name as a callsign using editvoicepack.

Kevin