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How do you do it? Planning approach - IFR?

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I've been flying this thing for a long time, but my old computer wouldn't allow weather and the PMDG to play together. Now on the new system. AS2004.5 - latest build and PMDG 600-900.My question is how do you plan for the active runway, especially if the surface winds are virtually blowing across the runway from one side or the other, and not favoring a particular direction. Also, what about those airports that have three different runway directions, not just two?My other issue is with IFR weather. Most of us, at least myself like to fly our own realistic approach, like DPs or IAPs, since ATC sucks. Well, just now flying into KSLC the weather was snow at 800 ceiling and low visibility, so naturally the controller wouldn't allow me to land. I had to bring up the #### flight planner and load my plan (luckily I had made for AS), then request an IFR clearance to land! Very ridiculous. How do you handle these issues?Any help would be seriously appreciated.


- Chris

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX | Intel Core i9 13900KF | Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB | 64GB DDR5 SDRAM | Corsair H100i Elite 240mm Liquid Cooling | 1TB & 2TB Samsung Gen 4 SSD  | 1000 Watt Gold PSU |  Windows 11 Pro | Thrustmaster Boeing Yoke | Thrustmaster TCA Captain X Airbus | Asus ROG 38" 4k IPS Monitor (PG38UQ)

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Guest bobsk8

I just fly using the ATC. Ok it's not perfect, but I have had some pretty strange vectoring flying a RA also, like the time they sent me out over the ocean and forgot to tell me to turn back to rejoin the traffic pattern of Ft Lauderdale. I finlly spoke up aout 15 miles out and the controller said " Oh, Ok turn to 270..... etc... As far as planning an approach, I just wait and see what ATC calls for an fly it. Most times it works well. The problems I do run into are in mountainess areas like Alaska on a Visual where they leave you a couple of thousand feet high and instruct you to let them know when you see the runway. Try to descend lower because you are only 6 Dme from the runway at 4500 feet , and they holler at your for being to low. Then when you finally see the runway, your way to high...

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Or better yet, forget about FS atc because imho it's horrible. Better to fly online using IVAO or VATSIM. Some pretty good controllers there worldwide. Cheers, Victor

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Eh, not really into the whole online flying thing. Maybe someday, but for know having offline control to pause and choose where I fly is a higher priority.Bob- How do you deal with the ATC? It's so bogus. I mean it's okay for small GA flights, but when programming the FMC, you waste most of that function. You can't deviate from the filed plan hardly at all.


- Chris

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX | Intel Core i9 13900KF | Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB | 64GB DDR5 SDRAM | Corsair H100i Elite 240mm Liquid Cooling | 1TB & 2TB Samsung Gen 4 SSD  | 1000 Watt Gold PSU |  Windows 11 Pro | Thrustmaster Boeing Yoke | Thrustmaster TCA Captain X Airbus | Asus ROG 38" 4k IPS Monitor (PG38UQ)

Asus Maximus VII Hero motherboard | Intel i7 4790k CPU | MSI GTX 970 4 GB video card | Corsair DDR3 2133 32GB SDRAM | Corsair H50 water cooler | Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD (2) | EVGA 1000 watt PSU - Retired

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Chris, I do a couple of things. First I use Radar Contact which is really close to real world for my ATC, wait until you see Version 4 which we are close to getting to a Release Candidate. Next when I plan a flight I use FSBuild, just can't say enough good things about it. What I do for a flight is first check with NWS and get the metars for the time I am both departure and destination. I then can select which runway I want to guess will be active for both, input that into FSBuild. When Radar Contact gets that data it build the best route for my TAF weather. If the weather changes Radar Contact will make the change for the current winds. I hate to tell you as a long time beta teater team member just how accurate this really is. Living in Denver, I can watch the approces being used by R/W ATC into KDEN and then fly FS9 and I get the exact same approches that is active at DIA.Hopes this adds some light for you.CheersBob JohnsonKDEN

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Guest jettjokk

Since I'm also using PMDG 737, but not ActiveSky (yet) I have a couple of suggestions. If you are talking IFR flight using FS ATC then you need an IFR flightplan. I use NOAA before starting FS to get the terminal area forecast for my destination. That will allow a guess with regard to what runway ATC will assign me to land. First I put the flight plan into the FMC including departure runway (listen to ATIS) any DP's or STARS and my destination runway guess (generally pick the RNAV IAP). Verify this flight plan using appropriate charts. Then I load the exact same flight plan into FS Flight Planner minus the last fix-the destination runway so the FS plan ends with destination airport. So far ATC always clears me for the LNAV part but they will control the altitude. But if you are cleared to a step or final altitude you can then use VNAV to climb if you choose.The only problem is that when you are 50-80 miles from your destination, FS ATC will begin the vectoring process as well as the step descents. Usually it's something like "(airline+flight number) you are xx miles from (destination), turn etc., descend etc., expect vectors to runway xx" Right here I choose to select a different approach (and if my guessed runway is parallel to the assigned) also a different (my guess) runway. IF you have the STAR and IAP charts handy you can find a transition on the ATC menu very close to the star you programmed in. I start the descent but ignore the turn. So I leave LNAV selected. After ATC clears me to the requested approach/transition all I have to do is continue with LNAV. I do have to manage my descent/decel manually but I'm not that experienced with VNAV yet (of course observing any altitude restritions on the charts.) I also have to call the tower on my own. When you're cleared for the approach/transition ATC will tell you to contact the tower when on the approach. Usually 5 miles before intercepting the ILS is what I use. Always cleared for a "straight-in." The LNAV will initiate the turn onto the localizer and if VOR/LOC is already chosen, I only have to select APP when the localizer bug activates.Maybe you already know all of this and if so sorry to bore you. Even though I go back to FS5, I only recently learned that you do not have to accept vectors to land. FS 9's choices of approaches is based on published IAP's with a transition point choice. I find these transition points (fixes) are frequently on the STAR charts.Also in one of the GPS planes, these alternate (to vectors) approaches are in the GPS on the approach detail page for a selected airport. You can select them and load/hand fly them or activate them and using GPS/NAV fly to the transition and then onto ILS swithching to NAV mode, etc.Lastly I am working on a way to add more approaches to the FS list that are actually named the same as the STAR. Only prob is the STAR usualy begins too far from the airport. You can't select a different approach before ATC calls you at about 50-80 nm out. So these new approaches have an initial fix several waypoints in from the STAR beginning but enough legs to get to the IAP initial fix. So far I'm testing them with KCVG but recently Mike Hambly posted some files to do the same thing at KSEA. Now (at least into KCVG or KSEA) I can click on LNAV right after ATC allows me to turn on course and LEAVE it on. The APP ILS intercept turns off the LNAV. I don't know for sure since I'm no pilot but it feels like I'm flying the DP's and STAR's within ATC IFR flight.Creating these .bgl files is covered in the BGLCOMP SDK from MS.DanS

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