Equipment Code

[Daniel Mckee]

What's with this code without which you cannot save a flight plan? Some of us are recreational simmers and do not know all this stuff. A code has not been necessary on previous version so why now?

[Lars Bergmann]

https://www.vatsim.net/pilot-resource-centre/general-lessons/choosing-equipment-code will have all the information you are looking for (here's to hoping we'll get a proper ICAO style flightplan implementation sometime soon 😄)

[Andreas Fuchs]

Maybe Justin can implement a code-helper for this field.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

 

[Andreas Fuchs]

PS: Until VATSIM will have introduced the new ICAO type flightplan, those equipment codes are quite important for ATC. At least in Euroscope filling such a code triggers a series of events in terms of handling your flightplan, assigning transponder codes etc.. I just reviewed Daniel's FPLs of recent weeks and they all contained the right equipment codes, e.g. /L for the airliners that he operated. So, what's the problem?

 

[Daniel Mckee]

Here we go again, a not so helpful response from Andreas. I use x-Pilot to file my plans and until the recent update I did not have to enter any code so the program must have done it automatically.  There is no problem now as others have provided constructive comments; thank you Robert for a most informative video😉

Edited August 19, 2020 at 05:36 AM by Daniel Mckee

[Andreas Fuchs]

Why is my reply not helpful? Obviously Justin has improved xPilot with this feature to make sure everyone files a valid flightplan and you complained about this. VATSIM is a learning environment, so the only way is forward. There are plenty of places where you can lookup those codes, a search on these forums reveal a few discussions about this topic, including several mentions of the URL that Lars had posted in his reply to you.

And the excuse of "I am just a recreational pilot" is not helping, either. There are litteraly thousands of "recreational pilots" here who have been using those equipment codes for years already 😉  Guess what: although I am a real pilot, I had to look up the definitions of these codes as well, because in Europe we use ICAO codes and VATSIM is still using legacy FAA-codes that I had no idea about. Again: aviation consists of learning, learning. learning. It never ends.

[Justin Shannon]

Perhaps you didn't see the "What's this?" link above the equipment suffix drop-down:

[Daniel Mckee]

Perhaps my query was answered some days ago Justin😉 

[Carl Stoyan]

i AGREE. iVE SPENT 45 MINUTES TRYING TO FILE MY FLIGHT PLAN. I cant find a straight forward explanation or exAMPLE ANYWHERE. Its very frustrating. Just tell us a code for the cessna to put in here ...  Equipment (ICAO/FAA).  Its frustratiNG. i cant find any info what to put in here anywhere...  Equipment (ICAO/FAA).. no help i can find anywhere.  Sorry about caps. need help.

Edited November 15, 2021 at 04:02 PM by Ken Stone

[Alistair Thomson]

1 hour ago, Ken Stone said:

Just tell us a code for the cessna to put in here ...  Equipment (ICAO/FAA)

It doesn't quite work like that. The equipment codes are to indicate the equipment your aircraft has. There are many Cessna types, each with their own set of equipment, and also folks can upgrade kit from the standard set, eg. adding GPS if not already installed. So you really need to know what equipment your specific aircraft has and identify the codes from the code lists which you can find in many places on the Internet.

You only need to do that once for each aircraft in your hangar, and thereafter just fill in that equipment field with the codes you have already previously identified. Is this a lot of work? Sure, but it's what everyone has to do. And you learn things by doing it.

[Andreas Fuchs]

Check it out in FAA's AIM, page 279 and following: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/aim.pdf

[Carl Stoyan]

 Alistar Thompson thats the first explanation i've seen anywhere thats actually telling me what is actually required. Ive been a licenced pilot in real life since 1992 and i had absoilutely no idea what meant Equipment (ICAO/FAA).,  So you are telling me to go into my DC - 6 .. look at the nav equipment, determine the make model and type, search the internet for some sort of code that may be acceptable and apply it. Yes. It does sound like a lot of work. I joined here 3 years ago and get very excited about giving this another try.. And so far, every time i do, i do everything but fly and give it up for another few months. Sad.

[Carl Stoyan]

Sorry if i seem frustrated. I spent the whole day looking into this, went on forums, on discord, talked to my cousin who is a pilot and flys here, and still, i cant file a flight plan because i dont know what to put in the required field Equipment (ICAO/FAA) .  And im not stupid. Im just frustrated.

And Andrea Fuchs. Thank you for the link to the 768 page manual. That was very helpful.  Im sure the answer to my question  "What do i put in the  Equipment (ICAO/FAA) field is in there somewhere.

l Lars Berman, reading the link you posted looks very promising.

 

 

https://www.vatsim.net/pilot-resource-centre/general-lessons/choosing-equipment-code 

Thought i had the answer. Click on it. It doesnt go there.

Edited November 15, 2021 at 10:41 PM by Ken Stone

[Andreas Fuchs]

Try /G as code for your GA aircraft.

[Luke Kolin]

1 hour ago, Ken Stone said:

So you are telling me to go into my DC - 6 .. look at the nav equipment, determine the make model and type, search the internet for some sort of code that may be acceptable and apply it. Yes. It does sound like a lot of work.

Dude, you're flying a DC-6. Everything in that airplane is a lot of work!

Cheers!

[Carl Stoyan]

/G does not work.  thats the equipment it has. 

[Carl Stoyan]

All i want to know is what i fill in there. I got up with a day off at 7am . Its 6pm. The day is wasted. Cant get an answer anywhere.

[Carl Stoyan]

After all this... all i had to do was type an S in the box. Thanks.  With no /      .. wow. 12 hours of reading and searching and 756 page manuals. lol. heh. Wow.

 

Thanks guys.

[Andreas Fuchs]

You'll need to put in the codes that you find in the AIM, start on page 279, this is just the ICAO flightplan form, keep scrolling to the next few pages. And read my post until the end, the solution is there!

 

Let's approach your "problem" from another angle: use  SimBrief ! If you have not registered yet, do it. It is FREE of charge, donations are welcome. It's a great, great tool to professionally plan your flights!

Why am I directing you to SimBrief? Because you can select a DC-6 (among many other types) from the list of aircraft there and it will provide you with all those aircraft specific codes. There are two ways to get to them:

 

1. create a flight and select the DC-6 as type of aircraft. After you "generated the flight", have a look at the produced ICAO flightplan section. In my test flight it looked this:

   [ ATC Flight Plan ]
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
                             ICAO FLIGHT PLAN                           
                             ----------------                           
   FF KZNYZQZX KZBWZQZX
   152327 CYULSBFP
   (FPL-N6PM-IS
   -DC6/M-SDE1FGHIJ1RWXY/S
   -KCDW0000
   -N0243F040 DCT COL DCT JFK DCT
   -KFRG0018 KBOS
   -PBN/A1B1C1D1L1O1S1 DOF/211116 REG/N6PM EET/KZBW0025 PER/B RMK/TCAS
   
   
   

2. select the MY FLEET icon on top and then choose NEW AIRFRAME. It will let you select aircraft types from a menu, select the DC-6. You will then see all the profile-data that SimBrief holds for this type of aircraft:
   
   
   Radio/Nav Equipment: SDE1FGHIJ1RWXYZ
   Transponder Equipment: S
   PBN Capability: A1B1C1D1L1O1S1

Coming back to the AIM-document:

• Radio/Nav Equipment: page 281
• Transponder Equipment: page 282
• PBN Capability: page 284
  
  You can use this method for all aircraft types that SimBrief holds, for others you simply have to look at your panel and see what your navigational capabilities are, what instruments you got.

[Dustin Rider]

It's difficult to give you "the answer" because I, for one, don't know what you have or don't have in your aircraft. In fact, until I saw the screenshot you posted above, I assumed you didn't have a GPS in the DC-6. Andreas' suggestion to file /G would work if you were filing your flight plan through whichever pilot client you're using, but since it looks like you're using VATSIM's prefile page, you'll have to enter the applicable codes in the document I've included in this post. Fortunately, this document is designed specifically to help you figure out which codes to include in Field 10 of the ICAO flight plan.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/fs/wd/media/ICAO_Equip_Code_Definitions.pdf

In all honesty, I still wish the FAA used the old 7233 form, but alas, with the different types of RNAV systems out there today, and with the new terminal procedures being developed, the ICAO form is really the only way to help ATC sort out which aircraft are capable of what kind of navigation.

[Dustin Rider]

2 minutes ago, Ken Stone said:

After all this... all i had to do was type an S in the box. Thanks.  With no /      .. wow. 12 hours of reading and searching and 756 page manuals. lol. heh. Wow.

 

Thanks guys.

Good! However, based off of that screenshot, it looks like you could add a G under equipment as well as you do have a GPS (unless it's there for eye-candy and doesn't actually work, heh).

[Carl Stoyan]

I got it to accept S.  Everywhere and here they say /S.. or /G    the flight plan doesnt accept /    I wonder how much frustration that has caused others. I know it wasted my day off.

If anyone else gets stuck trying to figure out what that field requires it wants to know what kind of com and nav equipment is onboard your aircraft. Every thing i read just assumed i knew that. I didnt.  Here is a list of codes.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/fs/wd/media/ICAO_Equip_Code_Definitions.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0T1TpdijqQaRVo29uJHhDB98P4Ehz1TfFX9vfwSVcvnHIgxCdIxax2rTI

Be mindful that most documentation lists the codes with a /   eg.   /G       The flight plan form wont take the / . Alphanumeric characters only. That had me going in circles for hours copying and pasting codes that they say were right but didnt work.

In anycase. Thanks to the guys that read the rant and tried to help.

Lets fly!   Im a "Your Controls" copilot anytime. Like to do it on Vatsim to learn the ropes. 

Edited November 16, 2021 at 05:16 AM by Ken Stone

[Andreas Fuchs]

2 hours ago, Ken Stone said:

And Andrea Fuchs. Thank you for the link to the 768 page manual. That was very helpful.  Im sure the answer to my question  "What do i put in the  Equipment (ICAO/FAA) field is in there somewhere.

Btw., if you keep on insulting people like this, they won't help you anymore. I did not just post "a link to a 768 page manual", but I included a page number. If you do not follow instructions....

We are really trying to guide you to the requested piece of information, but you also have to read what we write.

One last URL and then you can figure it out yourself, I don't want to waste your time anymore: https://lmgtfy.app/#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=equipment code ICAO

Edited November 16, 2021 at 12:19 AM by Andreas Fuchs

[Carl Stoyan]

I agree Andreas. I was getting very frustrated needlessly.  I apologize.