Hello,
So I’ve updated my AIRACs to version 2503 rev1 using your Navigraph FMS Data Manager application. However, I notice that in several mountain scenerys the ICAO codes for grass or water runways are not referenced. However, all these runways can be used for aircraft loading. When selected as a destination by a “direct to”, they are not recognized in the various navigation tools (G1000, G430, G530,GTN750). Here are a few mountain scenerys and routes for which I tried to create a flight plan with a “direct to”, and for which I obtained a failure (KO):
Scenery Banff National Park UHD XP12 :
LCLLW-XLCU = KO
LCLLW-LCLM = KO
XLCU-LCLM = KO
XLCU-LCLLW = KO
Scenery Alps UHD XP12 :
LSMM-LICER = KO
LSMM-LICRM = KO
LICER-LSZW = OK
Scenery Dolomites XP12 :
XLIPN-TNVER = KO
XLIPN-LICSS = KO
LIVR-XLIAS = KO
Scenery Patagonia Mountains UHD XP12 :
SAWC-ELCH = KO
ELCH-XLCT = KO
XLCT-ELCH = KO
I’d like to point out that when I fly to an airfield with an asphalt runway, I don’t observe any problems. So I’m wondering whether this is normal, or whether I’ve overlooked something?
Thank you for your feedback.
In addition, navigation data for X-Plane (which drives the GNS430/530, G1000 and default FMS) does not include any airport and runway data, which is sourced exclusively from scenery packs instead.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember if X-Plane 12 gets airports/runways from default scenery only or also third-party custom scenery packs; in the former case, installing the packs you mentioned above would not add the airports in question to the GNS/G1000.
There is also a field in Plane-Maker where aircraft developers can set a minimum runway length that may also be limiting what’s available in the GNS/G1000/FMS on an aircraft-specific basis; this could also be causing the issue you are having.
Some GTN 750 addons use the official Garmin GTN trainer (which includes its own, outdated navdata directly from Garmin and Jeppesen) as a backend and are not updatable by Navigraph.
IIRC there is now 1-2 GTN addons that do not rely on the trainer and can be updated via Navigraph, but in that case Ian’s reply above is applicable, unless the GTN’s developer explicitly implemented a way to import airport and runways from scenery packs (you’d have to ask them).
There, I checked by X-Plane 12 demo and found the Plane-Maker fields in question:
P acf/_min_rwy_len 4000.000000000
P acf/_rwy_req_pave 1
That ends up in the .acf file, the first line controls the minimum runway length in feet and the second one whether the aircraft is restricted to paved runways only (thus excluding grass, gravel and water runways from being available, and by extension any airports which only feature grass, gravel or water runways).
This is likely what’s preventing you from using these airports in the GNS and G1000.
The above is from the default A330, here’s what’s in the default Cirrus SR22 instead:
P acf/_min_rwy_len 1200.000000000
P acf/_rwy_req_pave 0
As I did my tests with several different aircraft and the problem is present whatever the aircraft used, it is therefore unlikely that the aircraft is the cause.
However, I wanted to check your hypothesis. All the acf files of the aircraft used for the test show these values:
P acf/_min_rwy_len 0.000000000
P acf/_rwy_req_pave 0
It seems that these values exclude any limitations.
Anyway, I’d like to thank you for your reply, which provided some very interesting information that I didn’t know about. I hope it will be of use to others.
If I’ve understood correctly, it’s possible that it’s the landscape pack that has to add its airfields to the G1000/G530/G430. Thank you! For this valuable information.
I’ll contact support for these products to check, and report the problem if necessary.
Thanks again for this probable hypothesis.