Hi I started doing some IFR cross-country with some heavies and I am runnig into some problems with the ATC.I created an IFR flight plan from SFO to SEA using Direct-GPS mode. I contacted all the necessary frequencies and was on my way to SEA. Everything worked fine, I was handed from Cneter to Center along the way but when I got close to Seattle nothing happened. I was expecting to get descend instructins and to be handed to approach/tower etc. but nothing happened. I eventualy crossed over SEA at 27000 feet and no-one talked to me. The only options in my ATC list were 1. Cancel Flight Following2. Select Airport OptionOnce I crossed over SEA I just selected "Airport Option' and contacted Seattle tower who told me to do a pattern for the runway. No descent instructions, no vectors, no ILS landing.So the problem is that when I approach my destination no-one tells me to descend and contact app/twr.Am I missing something here or is it a bug? It seems to happen on all my IFR flight plans.Should I just start using VATSIM? Take careMike

If those were your only ATC options, you either never loaded the flight plan or, more likely, it got canceled along the way and you missed the message.

I guess that my flight plan was loaded because 'clearance' cleared me to SEA at FL270. I got only those options from the ime I contaced the first center to the time I got the Seattle. If your plan is cancelled, do they still hand you off frfom center to center?ThanksMike

>If your plan is cancelled, do they still hand you >off frfom center to center? >Thanks >Mike No they don't....I have never used Direct GPS, I have always used High Altitude Airways. Maybe that makes a difference I don't know.Have you flown this flight again to see if it happens?Try doing it with High Alt. Airways instead of Direct GPS.[div align=center][link:members.cox.net/fstimes/wetimage.html]Weather Image of the Day!

This was the IFR flight plane in a long time but from what I remember from flights that I made a while back, I still had that problem. I'll try high alt maps and see what happens.Thanks for your reply.Mike

ATC clears me to descend but most of the time it is already too close to the airport! ugh! http://212.212.159.238/svedude/imagesP/sqcoasig.jpg

At least you get to descend! I fly over the airport at 27000 feet. Maybe ATC thinks that Iam helicopter and expects me to deescend straight down :-lol Oh well, maybe I need to tart using VATSIM!Mike

Mikk,if those were your options,that means IFR was cancelled during your flight (or you never selected IFR) and ATC will not descend you,because you're VFR.you probably missed it

Looking at your options "1. Cancel Flight Following" you are not flying IFR. ATC only keeps an eye on you when "flight following", but they never tell you what to do except changing frequencies.Assuming you have loaded the flight plan, did you also contact ground before departing? And then tower?http://httpd.chello.nl/~j-kusters/logo.gif [link:Ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Tradewind/"]Visit TCA TradeWind ]Jozef[/font

Oh I see. They probably cnacelled my IFR while I was surfing the wab with FS in the background. :-shyNext time I need to stay in the cockpit.Thanks for your repliesMike

Mike wrote: "Oh I see. They probably cnacelled my IFR while I was surfing the wab with FS in the background"Maybe they cancelled your IFR, but how did you get in "flight following" mode? When a IFR is cancelled, you have to request for flight following if you want so. An cancelled IFR is not automatically "converted" in flight following. Strange thing that you are telling us. But as you were not paying full attention to your flight, who knows which options you have choosen when contacted by ATC.http://httpd.chello.nl/~j-kusters/logo.gif [link:Ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Tradewind/"]Visit TCA TradeWind ]Jozef[/font

hmmm! I did not request flight following at all. As far as I remember after I contacted the first center and madee radar contact then I had those options available.I don't know, maybe it's because I was not paying attention fully :-shyI will try again tonight and see what happens, and this time I will stay in the cockpit.Thanks for your help Jozef

It is very easy to tell if your IFR has been canceled. I use this method all the time to verify I am still "in".When you invoke ATC with the backstroke key command it shows you options. If one of these options (usually the first one) is "cancel my IFR" (or something like that) than it means you are still in IFR mode. If you don't see this option - you are no longer IFR according to the ATC in FS2002.Michael J.

Well, I didn't have that option so I guess it was cancelled. Darn, I need to pay attention! :-shyThanks Michael

This would be a good place to ask this question. What exactly is "Request flight following"? I see this in Fly but never really new what actually happens when the request is made.