While enjoying a split screen working in AFCAD and FS2K2, I notice a parked heavy that I calibrated to park correctly (on the next restart) on a taxi start just swing left and magicly transition through the gate solid matter until it swung around as opposed to pushing back. Isn't there any way with gate and taxiway placement a procedure to encourage pushback?

Ai traffic does not push back.All Ai traffic will take the shortest route to the active so "thru gates" do not usually work as expected.As for AI traffic pushing back, the AI engine in FS2002 does not allow this to happen. However, for your info, AI traffic will rotate in the direction with the smallest angle between the parked position and the "exit" node.There is NO fix to create pushbacks.On the bright side FS2004 looks like it will contain this feature but even that's not certain. At the time of this post FS2004 will not be compatable with AFCAD.