I am working on the FMC section of the tutorial for the 767. �What would you like covered in it? �Right now I have covered inserting company routes and flight plans, fixing initial position, filling out the PERF INIT & takeoff pages with a section on how to find the numbers to put in for Gross Weight.

I am adding a section on alternative route entry, to include the kind of routes you get from simroutes and just waypoint by waypoint.

My goal is to familiarize new Captains with the aircraft to the extent they can follow a simple tutorial flight. �Just so I don't leave out something important, what else should go in it?

Also, I am doing it in Microsoft Word with many illustrations. �Is there any way if I export it to a web page I can host it somewhere. �Eventually I'm going to have to set up my own website.

Let me try to help to tide you over.

You can import a flight plan, which will cover the canned ATC of your choice.  If it is correctly loaded into the FMC, all you do is hit the center autopilot button, then VNAV and LNAV after you take off.  It will go up to whatever you have set on your MCP's altitude window. and follow the route in the FMC.  When it comes time to make your approach, just engage your localilzer when you are on on a heading to intercept the extended centerline of the runway you're landing on.  Make sure the ILS window on the pedestal is showing the correct frequence for your runway, and you have the right course dialed in.

Then just watch the glideslope indicator.  (You must be intercepting from below.)  When it starts to go down, hit the approach button to capture the glideslope.  Should work.

It is very unusual to have a departure that would take you north and expect an exact pivot to head back 180 degrees over the takeoff runway's centerline again! �Of course due to winds, layouts, etc. it could very well be that you take of in one direction and head toward another behind you, but most Standard Instrument Departures will have a procedure turn at worst, which your airplane is perfectly capable of performing on its own.  There are also conditional procedures where the airplane must be at a certain altitude before turning, etc.  Hard to say what was going on with yours.

Were you using a SID? �If so, what one? �I don't think it should really matter which button you push. �Did your Primary Navigational Display -- the one with the artificial horizon -- change to show a new mode? �It will start out in TO mode, which, unless I'm mistaken, does keep you on level, climbing flight until some other mode takes over.

I want to make sure I know what the problem is so I can best assist.

You want to be at 10,000 & 250 coming into your destination airport. �Here's a tip I learned from Captain Mike Ray's excellent Flying the 700 Series (a good investment, as is his 757/767 book).

Go to the FIX page (hit the FIX key) and place your destination airport in there (e.g. EGLL). �Type /30 in the scratch pad and put it in RAD/DIS line. �A green circle with a radius of 30 miles will automagically appear on your HSI. �This makes it easy to monitor your descent. �I do this routinely. �I just make sure when I cross that magic circle, I am at 10,000 feet and 250 kts. �That gives me plenty of time to do whatever I have to do to have a nice landing.

As for the other issue, I can't say I have ever experienced, but I use SIDs and STARs always. �It may be that the autopilot prefers to be going in the proper general direction before engaging; I don't know. �If that is the case, simply follow ATC until you're pointed in the right direction, more or less, then hit LNAV when it says "resume own navigation."

You might consider trying out SIDs and STARs. �It is more realistic, and kind of fun to watch the autopilot follow a complex procedure. �It is more fun when you have plotted your bearings to various nav aids and are double-checking your progress, ready to take over in case of a glitch. �Also, real pilots (at least some of them) use the altitude window on the MCP to put a ceiling on their ascent, so they can never bust an altitude restriction. �Up to you.

The third-party Radar Contact canned ATC will leave you alone to follow SIDs and STARs. �It is a product well worth having for flying like this. �FSX ATC will mess you up more often than not.

As for picking a SID, there are a couple of things I do.  One is cheat.  Just go into FSX weather and set the winds coming from the direction you want to take off into.  If you want to use runway 27, set the winds at 270.  The other way is to listen to find out what the active runway is, then select your SID.  Unless things change on you, you're in good shape.  (Even then you just have to change SID's -- annoying, but probably happens in real life, too.)

you can choose your landing runway with Radar Contact (and your takeoff one, for that matter)

unless you set the wind, however, you're likely to run into oncoming traffic

there are just compromises that have to be made... but everyone has their own level of abstraction they're comfortable with... I know FSX's limitations and am content to work within them

Tim;

One data point you might want to include in your documentation is that the FMC doesn't seem to like to 'activate' FSX-generated routes with only 2 points (departure and destination).

I tried a simple KIAD-KLAX direct as a test subject and spent awhile banging my head on the desk