NAVDATA Data Dictionary
From PMDG Ops
Contents |
NAVIGATION Data Dictionary
SUMMARY
There are two types of data used for navigation. This article is about the AIRAC data stored in the /NAVDATA location and consists of six files. One of the files, fmc_ident.txt, is a short file that simply provides the data dates. The other files provide airport, runway, navaid, fixes and route definition used by the PMDG FMC. The other type of data, SIDSTARS, is not discussed in this article.
The location of the files varies with version of MSFS. FS9 uses %/FMCWP/NAVDATA and FSX uses %/PMDG/NAVDATA where % is the root directory for the flight simulator.
The text files containing data used by the PMDG FMC for navigation are defined in the following sections. Please note that column position is significant, white space must be space chars (no tab chars)
AIRPORT DATA
Filename: airports.dat
List of airports and airport coordinates listed by ascending latitude.
....,....1....,....2....,
KCRP 27.770361 -97.501222
IIII dd.dddddd ddd.dddddd
IIII COL 1-4 ICAO code for airport
dd.dddddd COL 5-14 Latitude degrees (-Lat for South)
ddd.dddddd COL 15-25 Longitude degrees (-Lon for West)
(Note: FAA defines airport location as the centroid of the area defined
by the runway edges, and calls it the Airport Reference Point)
NAVAID DATA
Filename: wpNavAID.txt
List of radio navigation aids containing name, id, type, location and frequency listed by ascending latitude.
....,....1....,....2....,....3....,....4....,....5....,....6..
CORPUS CHRISTI CRP VORD 27.903764 -97.444881115.50H
CORPUS CHRISTI ICRP ILSD 27.759597 -97.495508110.30T
ROCKPORT RKP NDB 28.090569 -97.045544391.00N
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNIIII TTTT dd.dddddd ddd.ddddddfff.ffC
NNNN COL 1-24 Facility Name
IIII COL 25-28 ID
TTTT COL 30-33 Type
ILS Insturment Landing System (Localizer)
ILSD ILS/DME
NDB Nondirectional Beacon
NDBM NDB/Locator Middle Marker (LMM)
NDBO NDB/Locator Outer Marker (LOM)
MARI Unknown - seems to be same as MHW class NDB
VOR VHF Omnidirectional Radio
VORD VOR/DME (no separate code for VORTAC)
dd.dddddd COL 34-43 Latitude (-Lat for South)
ddd.dddddd COL 44-54 Longitude ( -Lon for West)
fff.ff COL 55-60 Frequency (MHz for ILS/VOR KHz for NDB) See Note Below
C Col 61 Class
H High Altitude/Long Range
N NDB
T Terminal/Short Range
Note: If NDB frequency is above 999.99 KHz then the
frequecy field still starts in col 55 and C is col 62, for example:
....,....1....,....2....,....3....,....4....,....5....,....6..
EREBUNI Y NDBM 40.104053 44.4505831180.00N
Where the frequency above is 1180.00 KHz (1.180 MHz)
RUNWAY DATA
Filename: wpNavAPT.txt
List of runways and instrument approach data containing runway location, lenght, width, elevation and ILS/LDA course/frequency.
....,....1....,....2....,....3....,....4....,....5....,....6....,....7....,....8
CORPUS CHRISTI INTL KCRP13 07508130 27.776997 -97.513328110.3012900043
CORPUS CHRISTI INTL KCRP17 06080173 27.779472 -97.496106000.0017300041
CORPUS CHRISTI INTL KCRP31 07508310 27.762189 -97.497206110.3030900044
CORPUS CHRISTI INTL KCRP35 06080353 27.762925 -97.496031109.5035200040
LAMBERT-ST LOUIS INTERNAKSTL12L09003121 38.751781 -90.366294108.9012200528
LAMBERT-ST LOUIS INTERNAKSTL12L09003121 38.751781 -90.366294110.1012200528
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNIIIIrrOlllllbbb dd.dddddd ddd.ddddddfff.ffccceeeee
NNNN Col 1-24 Airport Name
IIII Col 25-28 ICAO-code for airport
rr Col 29-30 Runway Number (01-36)
O Col 31 Runway Order (L C R)
llllll Col 32-36 Runway Length (ft)
bbb Col 37-39 Runway Bearing (mag)
dd.dddddd Col 41-49 Latitude degrees (-Lat for South Col 40)
ddd.dddddd Col 50-60 Longitude degrees (-Lon for West) Decimal at Col 64
fff.ff Col 61-66 ILS/LDA frequency (LOC MHz)
ccc Col 67-69 LOC course (mag)
eeeee Col 70-74 Runway Elevation (ft MSL)
Note: The PMDG FMC will select the first record only if there is
more than one record for the runway. This is a problem at locations
where there is both an ILS and LDA at same runway, if you want the ILS
but the LDA is first (Navigraph is aware of this and usually sorts the
ILS first). See KSTL 12L above for example (108.90 MHz is the ILS)
Note: The PMDG FMC uses the above information to setup the display,
not the MSFS data. This results in variations between scenery and
panel displayed information for runway elevation and LOC course.
FIX DATA
Filename: wpNavFIX.txt
List of navigation fixes/waypoints sorted by ascending latitude.
....,....1....,....2....,...3....,....4....,....5.
8750W 8750W-87.000000 -50.000000
55S11 55S11-55.000000 111.000000
0538E 0538E 5.000000 38.000000
3883N 3883N 38.000000 -83.000000
38N30 38N30 38.000000-130.000000
DOWNS DOWNS 38.053928 -86.251583
NNNNN NNNNN dd.dddddd dd.dddddd
NNNNN Col 1-5 & 25-30 Fix Name
dd.dddddd Col 32-40 Latitude degrees (-Lat for South, sign Col 31)
ddd.dddddd Col 41-51 Longitude degrees (-Lon for West, decimal always Col 45)
Note: The duplicate name fields may be the result how the FAA
provides data, where there are many more fixes defined than provide
in the airac data. For example, most terminal data is not included.
This data includes airway crossing, radar service boundaries, etc.
ROUTE DATA
Filename: wpNavRTE.txt
List of airways by sequential fixes sorted alphanumerically.
....,....1....,....2....,....3....,....4....,....5....,....6....,....7....,....8
A602G 001 MOGSA 14.688333 -20.211389
A602G 002 TITOR 13.000000 -18.000000
A602G 003 LUSTI 12.318333 -16.483333
J239 001 ATL 33.629069 -84.435069
J239 002 WEONE 33.525689 -85.122247
J239 003 JAMMR 33.232136 -86.942319
Q10 001 ENM 62.784583 -164.487558
Q10 002 ULL 63.692311 -170.470025
Q10 003 JED 50.647319 20.251206
V11 100 ASI -12.760556 -76.606389
V11 101 AND -13.714167 -73.377778
V11 102 DABUL -13.697778 -72.886667
Column position is not significant. Data is provided in the following
sequence separated by one space character:
AAAA Airway Name (alphanumeric)
nnn Sequence Number (001 - nnn)
NNNN Fix Name
dd.dddddd Latitude degrees (-Lat for South)
ddd.dddddd Longitude degrees (-Lon for West)
Note: The FMC uses the wpNavFIX data when you enter a fix name,
it uses the wpNavRTE data when you enter a route and checks that
the fix from where you start the route is included in the route
definition. It then populates the legs information from the route
data up to then next fix you enter.
