AVSIM Column "Contrails" Using ATC with Radar Contact By Maury Pratt Senior Managing Editor, AVSIM Online

In my previous Contrails column I discussed Flight Planning for FS2002; here we'll cover flying off-line using a flight plan we've prepared, but also using Radar Contact v2.2 for ATC control. Many enjoy flying on their own with simulated ATC, and for those Radar Contact adds another element of realism to flights. For live 'multiplayer' interaction you'll want SquawkBox; and Radar Contact gives you excellent practice for future on-line flights with SquawkBox. After all, you don't want to look like a 'newbie' to other pilots and those controllers at VATSIM! Let's get started! Well, let's see. We've installed our favorite planes in the desired liveries, including panels with advanced functionality and those true-to-life sound files. Also we've installed and become familiar with our flight planners of choice, FSNav and FSBuild (see the previous installment for details). We've added FS Meteo (in conjunction with Pete Dowson's ubiquitous FSUIPC) so that we'll be flying under actual, current weather conditions. Now we need Radar Contact, plus a few utilities I'll mention later. This ATC package functions as an 'adventure' within FS2002—each trip is compiled individually from its underlying flight plan. Nevertheless it's fully interactive for your flight's duration—from a cold start in a 'dark' cockpit until you set your parking brakes at the gate. Unlike some 'canned' adventures, you still control external factors such as weather, time of day and month and the like. The package offers the choice to fly from and to both controlled and non-controlled ("Non Terminal") airports—with air transport aircraft we'll be flying exclusively from controlled airports, which include ATIS, Ground, Tower, Departure, En-route Center(s), Approach, and again Tower and Ground controller positions. An advantage here is that all positions will be manned—that's not always the case when flying with SquawkBox! Because FS2002 won't run its native ATC (or 'AI' planes for that matter) with adventures you'll need to use your imagination for company—though you'll be vectored to avoid "crossing traffic" from time to time. On the other hand, Radar Contact includes a rich variety of 'chatter' to accompany your flight (or you can turn that off). And you'll sometimes hear controllers speak in accents native to the area you're flying in. Some issues… Now your experience flying with Radar Contact will be a little different that flying just with your FMC, as now you'll be expected to follow heading instructions and to respond to altitude clearances from controllers, particularly during the departure and arrival phases. As your FMS is using the same flight planning data as is the compiled adventure, for the most part there won't be any surprises. (Remember, your FMS is managing thrust settings for optimum climb. Similarly, the FMS computes the optimum top of descent fix and descent rate as determined by any altitude crossing restrictions reflected in the plan, and your planned routing into the airport.) But there is an issue concerning crossing restrictions, in that Radar Contact issues an adventure-generated crossing restriction during the Approach phase—it's invoked at a point 40 miles from the waypoint just prior to the airport (generally that will be the terminating VORTAC in your STAR). So it disregards not only the crossing altitude restrictions in the underlying flight plan, but the fixes that remain once you've contacted Approach Control as well. The reason I make a point of this is that the best part of flying with ATC is the flight's approach phase, as you're vectored to intercept the runway locator and at a suitable altitude to follow the glide slope. In real world flying (and in most on-line flying situations with SquawkBox) the controller is aware of the assigned STAR's routing (whether 'as filed' or assigned by a controller) and of course any obstructions in the surrounding terrain. But that's not the case here, so Radar Contact might fly you anywhere that's convenient to position you for landing. There's a "Terrain NOTAM" feature that allows you to deviate from Radar Contact's calculated approach vectors. Because Radar Contact by default overrides planned waypoints that fall within 40 miles of the destination airport, you'll have to select 'Arrival Terrain Notams' when compiling the adventure so you can continue flying the remaining STAR fixes—but be advised you're on your own from that point onward and you'll be making your own visual or instrument approach without ATC assistance. I should mention at this point that a revised version of Radar Contact, V3 is in the works for release later this year. This new version will run independently of the simulator, not as a compiled adventure. So there'll be more flexibility and it will be "AI aircraft aware" for a richer ambience. One of the improvements planned here is increased flexibility during departures and arrivals making it easier to track your flight plan's DP and STAR waypoints. For example you should be able to return control to Radar Contact as you reach the STAR's final waypoint, getting back in the fun of hearing final approach vectors, your hand-off to Tower and managing an occasional missed approach or perhaps a new routing to an alternate airport. But back to the here and now—you'll need to decide whether to use Radar Contact's virtual co-pilot "Otto." Left to its own devices, Otto will handle the entire flight just as would your FMC flying under LNAV and VNAV control. On the other hand your co-pilot Otto can handle all your comm and nav frequency changes automatically, while you as the pilot in command (assisted by the FMC) manage aircraft operations. That's the technique I like. Flying with Radar Contact's ATC So with Radar Contact's ATC and its virtual co-pilot handling comms, your flights will go something like this: You start FS2002 with the selected aircraft (or saved flight) at a gate or ramp location at the departure airport. For added realism you can choose to start out without the engines running (or anything else, for that matter). Start FS Meteo, adjust your fuel on board, and set up your FMS—location aligned, flight plan loaded, and other pre-flight chores completed. Now open your Modules menu and start the related utilities 'Adventure Display' and 'RC control Panel' if you have these (see below). By the way, you can drag these and "dock" them someplace on your panel. You're ready now to start your Radar Contact adventure. Open your Flights menu and select the matching adventure (you'll find these listed under 'Flight Simulator 2000 Adventures'). Once you see the message 'RCV2.2 is Ready' you can use the 'Pilots Menu' to set up some basic choices (your virtual copilot's role, chatter on/off, holds enabled, etc.). We've selected 'My Comms' so Otto will tune ATIS, Clearance Delivery, then Ground; you request each in turn and listen. We can request RC's push-back function from the pilot's menu, then start the engines. Taxi to the assigned runway threshold (you can request another if you prefer, by the way), set your parking brakes, and call the Tower. You dial in your runway heading, and once you receive your takeoff clearance you'll fly the runway heading initially, then make the programmed turn to the DP's initial waypoint. You'll be flying with LNAV/VNAV engaged, but limit your climb to your cleared altitude (that's automatically dialed into the MCP). When instructed to climb to your next assigned altitude Otto will dial that in and VNAV will continue your climb. Assuming you've compiled this adventure with 'Departure Terrain NOTAM' selected, you'll need to tell the Departure controller when you're far enough along the DP route for RC to resume tracking your course (and evaluating your skills in complying with the controllers' instructions!). If you have 'Traffic' enabled, you'll be instructed from time to make brief course changes; you can do so by dialing the new heading in the MCP and then depress HDG SEL. Upon hearing "Resume own navigation" simply re-engage LVAV. If you elect (or are directed) to change altitude you can (once approved) command the autopilot accordingly by dialing in the new altitude, then use either the MCP's FLTCHG or VSPEED buttons. There's a lot of procedural stuff you'll need to know, and it's all covered in linked web pages (both at the Radar Contact site and on your hard drive from the installation set-up). And here's a couple of utilities that make things easier: install Peter Dowson's 'Adventure Display' AdvDisp.zip so you can size and control placement of RC's scrolled menu data on your screen, and 'RC control Panel' rccp31.zip which is a movable box containing buttons replacing RC's key-stroke commands. In a future 'Contrails' AVSIM Managing Editor Chuck Boudreaux will continue this series on integrating FS-based 3rd-party tools, this time to create your "Flying with Weather" environment.