AFCAD Question - getting stuck while leaving the runway

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Guys, I have just spent the last hour going through all my previous posts to try and find an answer to this but cant find the post which gives the answer so apologese for asking the same question again but I cannot for the life of me remember what the cause of this problem is.When AI aicraft vacate the runway some get stuck leaving the runway before they reach the hold short limit causing a queue of planes which back up the runway until they dissapear. This also means that if aircraft have not left the runway that all subsequent landings are informed to go around until the aircraft have times out?All I remember is that it is something I have done when editing my AFCAD! :-(:-hangThanks

[onurksn 1]

Hello Nick,Have you tried to find out what's wrong with the fault finder within AF2? Does the AI aircraft in question contact ATC for taxi instructions?

[Guest flightsimmernick]

No faults in fault finderNo has not reached the hold short node before it gets stuck so has not contaced ATC.I know this is something that I have done without realising but cannot remember what the answer was when I last ansked the question (hense this post). Hope someone can help. Thanks

[tgibson 11]

Hi,Are there parallel runways and the plane is heading towards the other one? If so, then you need to create a "diamond route" across the runway. Drag the existing taxiway link that crosses the inner runway right or left, create a new taxiway route between the two hold short nodes that does NOT connect to the runway, and then create the symmetrical taxiway link that does connect to the runway to complete the "diamond". If not due to parallel runways, it's often due to a taxiway arrangement that requires planes both heading for and leaving the runway to use the same taxiways. Therefore, the plane leaving the runway will stop, since there is a plane coming the other way. It will wait until that plane passes, unless it also stops due to another conflict. If so, you have to wait until one of them disappears. To fix this, try creating different taxiway routes to and from the runway.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Tom, Thanks for your reply as usual! Could have even been you that came to my assitance before ;-). Yes I remember now, my problem was caused as it was a runway which had an exit on the left and right hand side if the runway with stands both sides of the runway as well. I think I must have deleted a node and link by accident to remove the link connecting the left hand side of the runway so all aircraft were going to the right but aircraft that wanted to cross back over to the other side for stands were not abvle to as the only link across was connected to the runway. So I have now put back a link and node for a vacate point to the left and also created a link across the runway which does not touch the runway which has solved the problem. Thanks again Tom :-)

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Tom, I wonder if you could help me a little regarding this. I have got myself in a right state me thinks - LOL? I have a majority of small aircraft (A319,320,321,737,757,767 etc etc) which exit EGLL at a spot where there are the possible exits very close together(one to the left and two to the right. To show in a map the area I am having problems with, see the link below and the area concerned is half way down 27L; http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/current/...EGLL_2-2_en.pdf(holding points N5E, N5W and S5).Becasue there are exit points both sides of the runway I seem to be having all sorts of problems with aircraft that want to land and then cross back to the other side of the runway for there parking stand, even though there is a node and link which connects to the other side where the aircraft are exiting.So my question is why do aircraft not taxi off on the correct side of the runway which will then stop them back tracking across the runway?EDIT - At the moment most aircraft are vacating and chosing S5 and then turn around and head back across the runway to N5E, but in an ideal world I would like a majority of aircraft to use N5W. Im sure this can be achieved but as there are quite a few options at this point of the runway the aircraft just seem to be using anything but logic when exiting.Hope this makes sense.Thanks

[tgibson 11]

Hi,They will exit at the first place they can, no matter what direction it takes off the runway. You would have to change the runway exit arrangement to make them do something different. Perhaps running an invisible taxiway off the runway BEFORE S5 and going to N5W?Also, if N5W is already assigned to another aircraft, aircraft leaving the runway will use a different exit if possible. Nothing you can do about that.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Tom, Thanks again for your reply. I have now edited the taxway arrangements which has given things a better overall flow. Thanks for your input once again Tom, much appreciated!RegardsNick

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Nick,Are you using a 3rd party EGLL? I have the Aerosoft Heathrow and the supplied AFCAD had the northerly runway (09L/27R) set for arrivals only and the southerly (09R/27L) for departures only.Although I was hesitant in having such a system I've now been convinced it helps Ai movements far better than having both available for departures and arrivals.Cheers,

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Ray,I am also using the Aerosoft LHR and the AFCAD supplied with it, however I have made alot of changes to the AFCAD and have it working well for both for landings on both 27L and 27R as well as 09L. Was a bit of a bummer as I just discovered a couple of weeks ago the LHR patch to correct the gate numbering issue which meant that I had to do all changes again as a new AFCAD was supplied. :7I only have one runway open for landing and take off's at a time but I do like to change it about, and now I have made a few changes which have improved the overall flow of AI traffic so I dont mind which runway I use for landings and which runway I use for take off's. I tend to stick the the LHR planned runway activity though as used by the real world airport.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Hi Nick,I don't suppose it really matters which runway is used for departures and landings as long as one isn't used for both.Maybe in FSXI Aces will finally allow a runway to be closed at one end only and for Ai aircraft to have a little more 'i'! :-)

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Ray, >I don't suppose it really matters which runway is used for>departures and landings as long as one isn't used for both.No I dont suppose it does matter. i just do it to have a change and to follow how EGLL actually operates. I did actually try having both open for landing and take off's which seemed to reduce the queue for landing aircraft but nearly all departing AI never had a chance go go before timing out. :) That Idea did not last long! :)>Maybe in FSXI Aces will finally allow a runway to be closed at>one end only and for Ai aircraft to have a little more 'i'!I never quite understand when people say this what they want to achieve that cant already be done? Although you cant shut one end of a runway yet, if you at least set the wind direction correctly then you can manipulate which end of the runway is used (without even setting the wind strength).

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Hi Nick,I never quite understand when people say this what they want to achieve that cant already be done? Although you cant shut one end of a runway yet, if you at least set the wind direction correctly then you can manipulate which end of the runway is used (without even setting the wind strength).The reason I mentioned this is not because of the wind direction but because of the way certain runways are designed.At Manchester 05R is never used for take-offs, only for landings. 23L is only used for take-offs and under normal conditions aircraft do not land on it. There's no way to replicate this in FS9 or FSX. Both ends have to be either open or closed. You can't mix it.Hope that clears that up. :-)

[Guest flightsimmernick]

Hi Ray, Yes I agree (know what you mean now), so the only way to make sure a particular runway is used is by setting the wind yourself (or I normally find that FS real weather sets the wind pretty much in favour all the time to which runway I want). So I mean setting the wind and then closing both ends of one runway for take off and closing the other for landing does thye trick, does it not?BTW - I have just opend my default EGCC and seen that the runway numbers are nothing like what they should be (for the default scenery adn AFCAD)!Tell me..... What scenery (if any) or AFCAD do you use for EGCC?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Hi Nick,so the only way to make sure a particular runway is used is by setting the wind yourself (or I normally find that FS real weather sets the wind pretty much in favour all the time to which runway I want). So I mean setting the wind and then closing both ends of one runway for take off and closing the other for landing does thye trick, does it not?Yes, that would work of course for many places such as EGLL but it wouldn't work satisfactorily at EGCC. Closing 23L for landings would effectively close 05R too. Whilst the FS runway problem exists whatever ends are closed or opened I prefer to leave all open and turn a blind eye when things happen that shouldn't. ;-)As far as the runway designators are concerned they changed last June. For FSX I used AFX by Scruffy Duck (freeware) to make the relevant changes to runway desig and start points. I'm told that changes are also required elsewhere for the Ai to pick up the ILS but that's not something I've investigated as I'm flying FS9 mostly.I have Gary Summons's UK2000 sceenry for EGCC and if you check his forum there will be a modified BGL available. I can't speak about other packages.Cheers,