I fly short hops (CYVR-CYYJ, CYVR-KSEA, and so on) because I have young children at home and don't have a whole lot of time to sit behind the monitor for hours at a stretch.When flying, I prefer to start at the gate and then go through ATC for clearances, active runway assignments, taxiing to the gate, etc. Once in the air, FS9 ATC always vectors me away from the airport, along my way, and then to the destination airport. For FS9 ATC, there seems not to be SID or STARTS. That said, occasionally, during one of my longer short hops (say, CYVR-KSEA), ATC will tell me to resume my own navigation, but even this is only for quite a short time.For short hops especially, is this how things are done in real life? Does ATC vector IFR aircraft to the runway, or does ATC assign aircraft to certain SIDs or STARS when departing or arriving at an airport? Are these SIDs and STARS decided upon by the flight crew in advance and then filed in the IFR flight plan, with ATC giving approval?If things are not done this way in real life, what would be the most realistic way I could fly in FS9: file VFR instead (although I know that jet airliners almost always file IFR)? Do something else?Thanks in advance.

Sorry, I forgot to sign my previous post.Joel @ CYVR (12 km ENE of CZBB, really)

Hi Joel,In most case's in real life you would receive radar vectors to intercept the SID after departure. Then you would resume own navigation. At some point during a STAR you would begin to receive radar vectors to the final approach course. This will vary from airport to airport but there is know way to know exactly what the procedures are at any given facility short of asking someone who has first hand knowledge at that facility. Some airports may have procedures that will allow you to fly the SID right off the ground or a STAR that will have you intercept the final approach course.Regards,John

Thanks for the quick response, John.It's too bad that that can't be replicated in FS9. I like flying under the direction of FS9 ATC, so I guess I'll just keep on flying as I have been.Cheers!Joel

Joel you can select a STAR from ATC. When ATC gives you the cleance, choose a different rwy from the ATC menu. That will open a bunch of options for approach. You can keep the original rwy, buy you can also select a STAR, transition, etc. Just experiment a little. Hope that helps.Dave FisherCYYZPS. You could check the learning center for more info.

Thanks, Dave. I'll try doing that. I didn't expect FS9 to be so sophisticated.I have looked through the Learning Center but must have missed more information about ATC, SIDS, STARS, and the like. I'll look again and see what I can find.Cheers!