Your FAQ Manager is: Casey Snyder

The ProPilot ATC FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do touch and go's at airports along the way while on a flight plan?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. If you're on a flight plan, and airports are selected as fixes along the route, you will not be able to tune in ATIS at those airports (if you tune to the ATIS frequency, you will not hear anything). Without the ability to tune in ATIS, the pilot is unable to initiate an ATC sequence.
ATC tells me, 'Proceed direct to XXX', but no heading. How do I get a heading?

In the real world, ATC usually relies on the pilot's ability to get from point A to point B. To prevent micro-management of your flight by ATC, ATC will usually issue standard 'proceed to' commands. It is up to the pilot to naviagate to that point. Either by means of the GPS, published routes (SIDs, STARs, etc.) or other navigational means.

If you would like additional assistance, such as headings, the best option is to enable the co-pilot. To do this:
  1. Click on Mode
  2. Click on Dual Flight
  3. Check the box 'Copilot Onboard', and
  4. Check the box 'Monitors Heading'
The Co-Pilot should then give you a heading (or headings) to fly to reach the fix that ATC cleared you to.
How do I hear ATC?

These steps should help identify and correct problems when trying to hear ATC:
  1. Click on Options, then Sounds.
    Make sure the Voices volume bar is slid to the top (or loud enough you can hear it).
    Make sure Mute option under Voices is NOT checked.
    Make sure Mute All Sounds is NOT checked.

  2. Tune in ATIS from a nearby airport.
    The airport should be within 25 miles of your current location.
    Not all airports have ATIS. To find out if the airport has ATIS, and the frequency for ATIS
    Click on Airspace, then Airports. Type in the airport you're looking for. If ATIS is available,
    under the Information-Communications section you'll see ATIS ###.## listed.
    Tune this frequency in to your COM1 radio. Also, make certain your COM1 radio is selected on the
    panel. Depending on the plane, the COM1 button will either have a green indicatior above it,
    or will appear to be pressed in (in relation to the other buttons.)

  3. Within the ATIS broadcast will be information on what frequency to use to contact ATC
    (depending on if you're arriving or departing.) If you have the Auto-Tune feature enabled,
    the radio's should tune to the desired frequecy (you'll have to press the frequency switch button
    though. If you don't have the auto-tune enabled, you'll have to dial in the correct frequency, and
    press the frequency switch button.

How do I record my own voice in place of the default pilot's voice?

The instructions on how to do this are located in x:\SIERRA\ProPilot99\Accessories\ATC.txt (where x is the drive letter your installed ProPilot to.) You can also obtain this file by clicking here.
I can't hear ATC instructions if I set the view to an exterior cam.

You're right. ATC can only be heard when your view is from within the cockpit. To hear if you've missed anything while you were viewing from outside the cockpit, return the view to the cockpit, then select Say Again from the ATC communications menu.
I keep getting ATC instruction, 'Proceed to ___', over and over.

This was an issue with one of the original ProPilot (ProPilot '98, ProPilot USA) patches. Updating to the latest patch for ProPilot 98 or ProPilot USA will correct this problem.

NOTE: As of this FAQ update (November 28, 1998) there are no patches or updates for ProPilot '99
Sometimes I hear clicks (dead-keys) on the radio, why?

Good question, but we don't know either. If you figure out why, let us know!
Why does ATC keep making me circle the airport?

There are a number of factors why this may be occuring. Here are some reasons and solutions.

  1. You're coming in too fast, Striker! (Airplane!, the movie, reference.)
    Check the POH (Pilot's Operating Handbook) for the correct approach speed for your aircraft.

  2. If you're on an IFR flight plan, you may be approaching the ILS at greater than a 30-degree angle.
    in order to intercept the ILS, ATC will vector you around the airport to make the ILS interception less than
    30-degrees.

  3. By default, the Flight Planner will mark a VOR as a fix. Some user's have reported that if the VOR is on or within approximately 20 miles of the airport, it confused ATC. To see if this solution works for you, when initially planning the flight using the flight planner, zoom in on the destination airport. Turn off all features except show VOR's. Then, deselect the VOR fix if it's within 20 miles of the airport. To deselect the VOR, first click on the button that depict a flag on it's side, then click on the VOR.
  4. Another possibility may be how ATC interacts with the Co-Pilot vs. you as the pilot when flying. This situation is complex, and is currently being researched by Geof Applegate and other Pro Pilot's to determine what causes this, and what, if anything, can be done to correct it. Stay Tuned!
Scott Shaper wrote to Sierra with some tips for making ATC easier, you might want to give them a try:

Scott's procedure:

This is what I do for ATC Landings (a flight plan must be made for this to work, and I set co-pilot to take care of nav and radio its alot easier)
  1. Set altitude and heading on autopilot, headings are done in headings mode not nav mode (I realize you can't do altitude autopilot with the Cessna 172P, you just have to manual it) make sure you know which runway to land on.

  2. Activate GPS and zoom in so you can see the layout of the runway pattern and the position of your aircraft. (this is a fail safe to make sure ATC is vectoring correctly if it appears they are not you can either hit missed approach, or ingore them and land yourself, I choose the second choice)

  3. When ATC tells you to fly heading ??? just adjust the heading dial to the required heading and let the autopilot turn the plane. It will do an exact 30 degree turn, this keeps all your turns consistant. Of course you can do this manually also but this is the easiest.

  4. Monitor the ATC instructions to the visual GPS reading to make sure crosswind, downwind, and base headings are correctly following the desired runway. They do not always match perfect 90, and 180 degrees from your runway. Like the books show they should this has alot to do with where you entered and where they first guided you.

  5. Any altitude change they give turn off the alt autopilot and change altitude then reanact the autopilot. Again this can be done manually but ap is easier.

  6. This is the biggest thing I learned when you are ready to go final approach (base leg) the ATC just tells you something like you are cleared for final on runway ??. I would alway wait for the final heading to be set but they would never give it, and this caused alot of my confusion. Well I found out they don't give it. You should theorectically be perpendicular to the landing runway but in reality you are not usually you have to turn 100 to 110 degrees, and then back some for a good line up. ATC tends to let you pass the point where a 90 degree turn would have surficed (this I feel is a flaw of the game but I am not a real pilot so I can't say for sure) So if you just automatically set your finaly heading for the runway heading you would in most cases be off by up to 20 degrees on you final approach which is no good. How to solve this easy, look at the GPS and the runway in relationship to your aircraft and turn accordingly. Once you see the runway you can do a line up visually or use ILS if neccesary. Or in extreme cases of low visibility and no ILS. You can line up using the GPS, however your glidescope will be left up to you. And of course I turn off the autopilot when I come in for a landing.

  7. ATC stills screws up every so often but by useing the GPS I have made many good landings and been able to correct ATC mistakes or mine when they happen. Also I have understood much better how the ATC in this game works. The best thing they did was give us a GPS system it solves all sorts of problems and eliminates alot of guessing. Once I purposly lost over the swiss mountains in the jet (I mean had no clue what so ever where I was at I had the game just dump me there). I activated GPS found and airport in which I could land my jet. locked in the vor station, and did a perfect landing useing the GPS as a guide. There was no ATC guidence in this case because there was no flight plan assigned, but it was neat and kept my from crashing my jet in the mountains.
Link to the ProPilot '98 FAQ