737-400 FMC -Direct To a Waypoint Function

[Lawrence of Quebec]

You've got your route programmed in and you're airborne with LNAV engaged.

ATC clears you direct to an enroute waypoint, resulting in several of the enroute waypoints being skipped.

The question is: On the Navigation Display, how is this represented?

Is a new line drawn on the ND between your present position and the waypoint to which you're going direct, essentially connecting the two together?

I've heard some people say that no new line is drawn when you go direct.

Not an FMC driver (yet) but always curious.

Cheers.

[Track]

Yes same on -400

[Lawrence of Quebec]

Thanks Southwest,

Just wondering if that's how it works on the 400 series as well.

The Next Generation and 400 series are several years apart.

Cheers!

[SuperRanger]

Lawrence,

what you get on the ND is a dotted-white line starting from the apex of the triangle with a projected arc towards the direct-to waypoint (if it's not straight ahead) as opposed to the active route which is magenta in color. if you do not execute the modified route, the dotted-white line (modified) will be continuously be updated until you execute the route. the new track towards the new waypoint is continously updated on the LEGS page and you can even use HDG SEL to manually turn the airplane towards the new waypoint before executing the FMC to ensure a 'smoother' turn. hope i'm not confusing you further...cheers and merry xmas.

SR

[scanscanscan]

Some info for your memory bank Lawrence and future career life insurance.

IMHO...If you are flying a 767 in heading mode and atc clear you direct to a waypoint, after selecting and executing the fmc box, please do not forget to then select Lnav and observe the aircraft and hsi active route (unbroken magenta line) is doing and showing what your atc clearance wanted.

Then recheck all your active (green) modes on your adi.

A go direct is a mechanical pilot thought/action/check procedure, and of several stages to keep it safe.

You also live and die by your adi and that includes the active (green)/ inactive modes(white)!
So scan your adi modes and check it shows the greens (active) modes you want.
Good luck with the career and never forget... also maintain a scan out of the window as the fmc box is addictive to both pilots and sucks them into getting their heads down inside the cockpit.
As you can see,it also helps if you are not colour blind!

[Dan Winterland]

And don't forget to select abeam points. Sods' law decrees that you will be asked to report abeam the waypoint you have just bypassed just after you press Exec.

[mstram]

Lawrence,

For a relatively cheap $100 or so, pick up FS2000 & PIC767. PIC has around 80-90% functionality of the FMC (100 page manual), and the autoflight modes are modeled 100% accurately. The ND and ADI are modeled almost exactly like the real thing.

A few piots have commented that the flight dynamics in PIC/Fs2000 are very close to the real thing.

Many *real* 767 pilots have raved how great this simualtion is (see www.avisim.com (http://www.avisim.com) - PIC767 forum).

Here are the manuals : check it out.
ftp://ftp.wilcopub.com/pub/web102ef/767_FMC.pdf

ftp://ftp.wilcopub.com/pub/web102ef/767_Pilot_in_Command-Panel_Operation_and_Systems.pdf