Approaches in PMDG 737-800 – a question

[dave92270]

I’ve been enjoying this plane every day since I got it (on Wednesday, less then a week), but there is one thing that I have problem with.
When I get on approaches, I seem nearly always being too high and too close to the airport. When programming route in FMC and
selecting the landing runway and STAR, FMC will generate and automatically add approach waypoints to the route with the
speeds/altitudes that look reasonable in the FMC but once I fly these waypoints it is unrealistic to make the descent for the runway in
time. I keep ending up disconnecting the autopilot, and making a circle or two to descent low enough so I can land. That happens with
my own routes as well as with routes by others. For instance, yesterday I flew Timothy Metzinger’s tutorial V2 (for 737-700) KSTL-KCTL
and it happened again – I had to divert from the north turn on shine5 arrival and head south in order to descent at least another 6000ft in
order to get on the appropriate altitude – than I actually managed a nice autoland (my first one). I think I’ll refly the tutorial but I’m afraid
that it is going to happen again. I’m looking at the plan right now and there are legs like from 8000ft to 4000ft in 3 minutes; I think VNAV
won’t do it for me, do I have to control the descent manually? If so, why would FMC generate such a waypoints where can’t follow the
altitude changes?

Normally I use the FS9 stock flight planner, print it out and then insert the waypoints and airways, then add the approach runway/STAR.
After eliminating any discos all looks fine – until I get close to the airport just to find myself too high again. How you guys do it? Do you
manually correct the approach route (by maybe adding anther waypoint to the last one generated by FS planner) so it would give you
enough time to descent? Sorry for longer post and thanks for info – btw if it’s been asked before please could you post a link to the actual
thread?

Dave