STAR/DP path ambiguity
 

I have a question about STARs and DPs: some of them apparently have multiple main bodies. What is the typical way that pilots differentiate between them?

For example, take departure MERIL6.MERIL from KCLT Charlotte Douglas. All of the following variants exist, and each is identified with computer-code 'MERIL6.MERIL' and name 'MERIL SIX', according to the FAA.

HISOR EATHR TIBLE MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
GIRGY EATHR TIBLE MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
KAYFO ZARKS MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
JIMAL MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
VEAZY FENLI ZARKS MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
WEKIN EATHR TIBLE MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
UNCOT NIKIE TIBLE MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL
EBAWI MUNBE 28914 LILIC 28915 30686 28917 MERIL

Without the chart in front of me, I'm guessing they are each for different runways and would be differentiated by the runway number.

Instead of having a different letter, or worse, different name; most US SIDS are a routing and follow the procedure for the assigned runway. At CLT, the ATCO will issue something like, "RNAV to HISOR, wind xxx/yy, cleared take-off 18L". Read back the RNAV to HISOR part, too.

GF

CLT has 4 runways so 8 possible ways to depart. If you look on the chart for the MERIL SIX there is a block that says INITIAL CLIMB. That block lists the 8 possible departure runways. For each runway there is a sentence like "Climb heading 055 to 1260 then direct VEAZY" or Climb heading 183 to 1260 then direct HISOR." Each runway has its own departure fix, if you know what runway you are departing from, you know what your first fix will be.

Thanks for the replies.

In a sense I should have known the answer from the charts. The problem is that I'm trying to use the FAA's structured data (NASR data). They have structured records for fixes, navaids, airports, runways, airways, etc.

A lot of this is info that is also on charts, but is provided in a tabulated form for things like report generation.

But the STAR/DP records, while they list "multiple main bodies" as in the example of MERIL6.MERIL, don't really tell you which particular variant is associated with which airport, runway, direction of approach or departure, etc. So in the end I'd have to manually look at a chart, which makes me not really understand the value of the tabulated reports.

But it looks like this question is becoming somewhat off-topic, relative to this forum. I think the answers provided here are 100% correct, and I thank you.

I will end with a note that some variants start *and* end at the same points. E.g.

Thanks for all of your replies. I have found that the free NASR data doesn't resolve the ambiguity (in tabular form), but the paid-for DERS data included with CIFP does. There's also the free charts, but then I'd be checking each and every STAR and DP manually.