[GNS480/CNX80] What is the simplest way to input a Radial/DME waypoint into the flight plan?

[aterpster]

I know about airway crossings without a fix, but I've never seen a bend at an airway crossing without a named fix there. I was talking about examples like V450 west of CUTTY, where I vaguely recall that at one time the dogleg was an unnamed changeover point between FNT and MKG. But I see there's a CNF fix there now. I'm not sure if I just never noticed it before, or if it's been added since I last looked at that part of the chart.

Perhaps in the early days of RNAV the dogleg CNF waypoint was done by Jeppesen. There must be a fix at the dogleg to build a database airway. I flew an RNAV airplane before GPS and we had database airways.

 

[azure]

Well I was around back then, but I flew that airway using a 430 around 2009 so I must just have not noticed it then. In the case of the 480's airways, it's all moot since I've since read a discussion in Keith Thomassen's book, an example clearance where the way to do a course from a VOR when cleared to fly outbound on a radial is simply to enter the radial in the Fly Course field. Clearly that wouldn't work unless it was based on station declination.

Whether that holds true for user WPs defined from a VOR, I don't know.

 

[azure]

Like I said, bends in the airway used to exist without a fix there. They'd just show an 'x'. Now you'll usually find a fix name in parens (a CNF fix) or that they've just stuck a real intersection there (triangle).

Yep, that's what I remember seeing. But now I don't know how long ago that was. I was studying IFR charts back in 2003-4 but never followed through to get my ticket. It's possible I'm remembering from way back then.

Of course, if your instruments are accurate enough to raise compliments from other pilots, you can just go direct to the last fix on the airway

 

[aterpster]

Well I was around back then.

GPS came in circa 1990. I'm speaking of 1984-85.

 

[azure]

Strange, I wonder where I saw them then. Could swear it was in a current chart back in my early flying days, if not more recently. Maybe they only generated CNF fixes for those doglegs gradually and some were still left unnamed 15 years ago?

 

[dpowellmeii]

GNS480/CNX80 question....

When Dan Flagg I an were returning from Ozzie's Breakfast at KOUN last Sunday, were were given the following IFR Clearance:

"Cleared to the Gainesville Airport. Fly runway heading then direct IRW, then the Ardmore 310 Radial 30 DME, Ardmore, then Direct. Climb 3000, expect 5000 within in 10 minutes. Departure Frequency 120.45. Squawk XXXX"

The question is: what is the simplest way to input the Radial/DME waypoint into the 480's flight plan?

For the GTN's it's easy to create a userway point. But how to do it for the 480?

(Since we didn't know the answer at the time, we figured out how to plot it on our EFB's. However, as soon as Dan made contact with OKC Departure, he was given direct Ardmore, so that trumped all of our head scratching).

Little late to the party here but a friend and I recently purchased a Bonanza N35 with a GNS480 in it so this might help some that still use it as I was researching this today. I'm very familiar with the clearance that was given above as they give to us all the time at the airlines though much easier to input in an FMS.

On the GNS480
Press FN twice then USER.
Press NEW and give the waypoint a custom name if you like.
Use the big knob to scroll the cursor down to Reference WPT and when CHG? pops up press ENTER.
In the example above load ADM as the Reference WPT and press ENTER.
You'll be back in the previous screen now so load the DME and Radial for the reference waypoint, in this case 30 DME and 310 Radial and press ENTER.
Now go back to FN and FPL. EDIT the FPL and select WPT and dial up the name of your user created waypoint and press ENTER.
It's now loaded in the FPL, you just need to finish modifying the FPL and EXEC it.

On the simulator it automatically dials up the waypoint you just created. Haven't tried it in my bird yet.

Good luck.

 

[GMascelli]

GNS480/CNX80 question....

The question is: what is the simplest way to input the Radial/DME waypoint into the 480's flight plan?

I fly the 480. Without giving it much thought and not having the sim up And running I would say it’s a function of course to or from.

I’ll run the scenario in the sim and work through it. Here is an example of intersecting points using the course to.

http://gmflightlog.blogspot.com/2019/06/gns-480-intersecting-points.html?m=1

 

[GMascelli]

On the GNS480
Press FN twice then USER.
Press NEW and give the waypoint a custom name if you like.
Use the big knob to scroll the cursor down to Reference WPT and when CHG? pops up press ENTER.
In the example above load ADM as the Reference WPT and press ENTER.
You'll be back in the previous screen now so load the DME and Radial for the reference waypoint, in this case 30 DME and 310 Radial and press ENTER.
Now go back to FN and FPL. EDIT the FPL and select WPT and dial up the name of your user created waypoint and press ENTER.
It's now loaded in the FPL, you just need to finish modifying the FPL and EXEC it.

On the simulator it automatically dials up the waypoint you just created. Haven't tried it in my bird yet. Good luck.

I fired up the sim for the GNS 480, I really need to use this more and knock the rust off. The directions above worked perfectly, as noted by dpowellmeii. I'll be flying today so I'll work on the buttonology when in the plane.

I can not recommend enough the "How To" by Keith Thomassen, it covers it all, and it really helped me transition from the 530W to the 480W in our Commander.