Routes comprehension naivety

Please don't laugh!

Boeing 737-800 NG. I understand most of the X-Plane cockpit, and can get airborne (but not land!).

However, I am struggling with the FMC. Simbrief gives me a series of entries on a route but I don't understand them. If I fly from Birmingham UK, EGBB to Bristol UK EGGD which is a short hop, one of the suggested routes is

CPT2Y CPT BRI1C

Another is

DTY2Y DTYM605 SILVA M183 CPT BRI1C.

A more ambitious flight is from Bristol UK EGGD to Perpignan France LFMP.

EXMO1Z EXMOR N864 BHD N862 SKESO UN90 BASIK UN26 KORER UM616 USODA UM184 CNA UN863 SECHE UT24 GAI G36 ORBIL ORBIL2

I assumed that these designations referred to waypoints and I can find one or two on waypoint charts but other entries have me baffled.

Anyone help please? Google could not.

Please don't laugh!

Boeing 737-800 NG. I understand most of the X-Plane cockpit, and can get airborne (but not land!).

However, I am struggling with the FMC. Simbrief gives me a series of entries on a route but I don't understand them. If I fly from Birmingham UK, EGBB to Bristol UK EGGD which is a short hop, one of the suggested routes is

CPT2Y CPT BRI1C

Another is

DTY2Y DTYM605 SILVA M183 CPT BRI1C.

 

A more ambitious flight is from Bristol UK EGGD to Perpignan France LFMP.

EXMO1Z EXMOR N864 BHD N862 SKESO UN90 BASIK UN26 KORER UM616 USODA UM184 CNA UN863 SECHE UT24 GAI G36 ORBIL ORBIL2

I assumed that these designations referred to waypoints and I can find one or two on waypoint charts but other entries have me baffled.

 

Anyone help please? Google could not.

Google SIDS and STARS. You'll find much to learn.

Standard Instrument Departures and Standard Terminal Arrivals are, like, standard these days...

On skyvector.com you can paste these routes into the flightplan and have them show up on the map.

You can often guess what a waypoint is by it's length.

Three letter: VORs and NDBs

Four letter: Airport

Five letters: Intersections

Often the route will not list every single waypoint but shorten it to a continuous piece of an airway.

These will be things with one or two letters and a number.

At the beginning and end of a route there may be a STAR or SID.

These will be named after the airport or navaid that they are linked to and will end with some kind of identifier (...1C, ...2Y)

Also look for (pdf) charts for your departure and destination.

These will contain the SIDs, STARs and approach procedures for the airport.

For example: EGGD - LFMP

EXMO1Z EXMOR N864 BHD N862 SKESO UN90 BASIK UN26 KORER UM616 USODA UM184 CNA UN863 SECHE UT24 GAI G36 ORBIL ORBIL2

After takeoff from EGGD fly the EXMO1Z SID, which will bring you to the EXMOR intersection.

Then you follow the N864 airway until the VOR BHD.

There you turn onto airway N862 until intersection SKESO.

... airway UN90 untill BASIK

... airway UN26 untill KORER

... airway UM616 untill USODA

... airway UM184 untill CNA

... airway UN863 untill SECHE

... airway UT24 untill GAI

... airway G36 untill ORBIL

Then you fly the STAR ORBIL2 which will take you to an initial approach fix for one LFMP's approaches.

Google SIDS and STARS. You'll find much to learn.

Standard Instrument Departures and Standard Terminal Arrivals are, like, standard these days...

As I said, I did that. It took me a while to discover the meaning of SIDS AND STARS, but what I asked for was the significance of the route constituents. I was further confused, when the FMS suggested route did not bear much resemblance to the Simbrief route.

However, the next reply looks very helpful.

It is more embarrassing recalling that I worked for Smiths Industries who produce the FMC (under a different trading name) for the B737.

)However, my involvement was with naval projects!).

On skyvector.com you can paste these routes into the flightplan and have them show up on the map.

 

You can often guess what a waypoint is by its length.

Three letter: VORs and NDBs

Four letter: Airport

Five letters: Intersections

 

Often the route will not list every single waypoint but shorten it to a continuous piece of an airway.

These will be things with one or two letters and a number.

 

At the beginning and end of a route there may be a STAR or SID.

These will be named after the airport or navaid that they are linked to and will end with some kind of identifier (...1C, ...2Y)

 

Also look for (pdf) charts for your departure and destination.

These will contain the SIDs, STARs and approach procedures for the airport.

 

For example: EGGD - LFMP

EXMO1Z EXMOR N864 BHD N862 SKESO UN90 BASIK UN26 KORER UM616 USODA UM184 CNA UN863 SECHE UT24 GAI G36 ORBIL ORBIL2

 

After takeoff from EGGD fly the EXMO1Z SID, which will bring you to the EXMOR intersection.

Then you follow the N864 airway until the VOR BHD.

There you turn onto airway N862 until intersection SKESO.

... airway UN90 untill BASIK

... airway UN26 untill KORER

... airway UM616 untill USODA

... airway UM184 untill CNA

... airway UN863 untill SECHE

... airway UT24 untill GAI

... airway G36 untill ORBIL

Then you fly the STAR ORBIL2 which will take you to an initial approach fix for one LFMP's approaches.

That is brilliant - thanks.

The reference to airways is a huge step forwards. I was beginning to suspect something like that.

I did find a SID for Birmingham but by accident!

I have looked at Skyvector but didn't find a SID. I've just tried again and discovered (it wasn't exactly hidden!) the link to the IFR chart.

Once again, thank you very much - huge step forward.

There is a local (fixed) Boeing 737-800 NG simulator at Gloucester (ex Staverton) airport. I have had one "flight" in the past but I was ill prepared. I intend next visit will be more rewarding.