Dodging mountians on approach in a big jet is very primitive at best in day time, and at night time its russian roulete.Is there any way or tool one could use to watch for terrain durinf approach.I use RC4 and its ATC only knows MSA , but not terrain avoidance.Does PFE ATC help with this problem.Or is there a tool that i can use to watch for terrain.Thanks

Although I'm an FS9 simmer you do have options in your approach via the default flight planner. You can delete waypoints and/or drag and drop waypoints to adjust how you approach an airfield. Take KBUR for instance, there's allot of mountains to look out for on approach if you let FS set everything up for you. Instead what you can do is delete the waypoints leading up to the airport and adjust the route to steer you clear of the mountains. To better explain this I'll let FS build the flight plan departing say KLAS. I change the tail end of the plan to take me out our over the ocean a bit and far enough north to where ATC doesn't start trying to clear me for an approach. I have the flight plan swing around and head toward KBUR and ATC then has the ability to give me an unobstructed approach into the airport. It's easy as dragging the flight plan line to what ever VOR, NDB, and/or Airway you want. All of my approaches into mountainous areas is a none issue at this point...

Dodging mountians on approach in a big jet is very primitive at best in day time, and at night time its russian roulete.Is there any way or tool one could use to watch for terrain durinf approach.I use RC4 and its ATC only knows MSA , but not terrain avoidance.Does PFE ATC help with this problem.Or is there a tool that i can use to watch for terrain.Thanks

Hi, I don't know if this could help you but as far as I"m concerned it helps a lot to know the real altitude I am during approach as it gives it in real time.I found it by chance on a site which does not exist anymore and my version is for FSXIt consists of three programs for 2,3 or 4 engines jetliners. When I have an original panel delivered with the plane I just use part of the panel to get the functions I needas you may see on the picture below:As you can on the right side of the picture you have different icons which enable to set autopilot, altitude, speed etc. on the far right side under the altitude line, the 7th icon enables to show the grid which appears on the center of the image.at its bottom line you have the radar altitude which gives you in real time the altitude above GROUND (not sea level) of the plane, when you under 500 ft it turns to red as a warning; when your altitude is safe it is green and if it is getting to be more or less dangerous it gets yellow. So you have time to react.Among other devices with these panels are, pushbacks with dialog with the tarmac, announcements from the cockpit and the attendants to the passengers, autoland.If you want to test the program which is a freeware I can email it to you.Feel free to ask me.Claude Paris

Although I'm an FS9 simmer you do have options in your approach via the default flight planner. You can delete waypoints and/or drag and drop waypoints to adjust how you approach an airfield. Take KBUR for instance, there's allot of mountains to look out for on approach if you let FS set everything up for you. Instead what you can do is delete the waypoints leading up to the airport and adjust the route to steer you clear of the mountains. To better explain this I'll let FS build the flight plan departing say KLAS. I change the tail end of the plan to take me out our over the ocean a bit and far enough north to where ATC doesn't start trying to clear me for an approach. I have the flight plan swing around and head toward KBUR and ATC then has the ability to give me an unobstructed approach into the airport. It's easy as dragging the flight plan line to what ever VOR, NDB, and/or Airway you want. All of my approaches into mountainous areas is a none issue at this point...

Thanks for the reply.You are right , this is the sort of thing i am having to do now, i change the flight plan to bring me in avoiding the mountains.The only issue i have with this is that, it means i have to use a specific runway, and not the one served up by ATC. If i had a terrian avoidance tool , i could fly easy in mountanous area day or night, no matter what runway ATC serves up. There is a tool from i think DB Studio called something Radar, dont quite remember the name, but the manual was written by non english speaker, so i could not firgure out how to use it.For now, i guese like you said, the only way is to design the approach for a specific runway to avoid mountains.Even with a well designed mountian avoiding approach though, you still come close sometimes in places that are nearly surrounded by mountains, then you have to dive like a kamakazi to make the glide slope.If i had terrain avoidance tool , maybe i wount climb so high to avoid mountains, but just enough to clear the mountains. So that i dont have to dive with an A380 at steep angle 10 miles from the runway.This is not too much of a big deal in daytime flight, but night flying can be very hard in mountainous approaches.The way i see it, ther are only two possible solutions, either use sid/star (which i dont want to learn), or plug a terrain avoidance tool into your VC panel, except i cant seem to find one.Or fly at day time only in mountanous aprroaches.In which case i suppose the question becomes, DOES ANYBODY KNOW A GOOD TERRAIN RADAR OR TERRAIN AVOIDANCE TOOL FOR FSX.

Hi, I don't know if this could help you but as far as I"m concerned it helps a lot to know the real altitude I am during approach as it gives it in real time.I found it by chance on a site which does not exist anymore and my version is for FSXIt consists of three programs for 2,3 or 4 engines jetliners. When I have an original panel delivered with the plane I just use part of the panel to get the functions I needas you may see on the picture below:As you can on the right side of the picture you have different icons which enable to set autopilot, altitude, speed etc. on the far right side under the altitude line, the 7th icon enables to show the grid which appears on the center of the image.at its bottom line you have the radar altitude which gives you in real time the altitude above GROUND (not sea level) of the plane, when you under 500 ft it turns to red as a warning; when your altitude is safe it is green and if it is getting to be more or less dangerous it gets yellow. So you have time to react.Among other devices with these panels are, pushbacks with dialog with the tarmac, announcements from the cockpit and the attendants to the passengers, autoland.If you want to test the program which is a freeware I can email it to you.Feel free to ask me.Claude Paris

Thanks, like you said , the only safety tool i have in mountanous approach is knowing my AGL (Altitude Above Ground Level). Currently i get this info from the Shift+Z fsx control. I edited my fsx.cfg textinfo section to inlude AGL info.The difference between AGL and terrain radar is this though, with AGL you know how far away you are from the top of the mountain just below you. With terrain radar you can tell if the mountain x miles ahead is higher or lower than your current altitude. So that you have time to adjust your altitude accordingly.In which case the AGL info is is usefull , but it does not look ahead, like a terrain radar would.Thanks for the input.

The Lecture Answer: SIDS and STARS exist to help you avoid extra traffic and mountains. They are a good thing to learn.The Simplest Answer: Turn collisions off in FSX. If you hit a mountain, you just bounce. If you don't tell, I won't tell. Also, daytime approaches are just fine.Modern jetliners carry a GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System). It's a downward-looking radar that gives the pilot a real-time scan of the altitude. The radar is low power, so it only reads a few hundred feet altitude. An Enhanced GPWS (EGPWS) is better at terrain prediction, as it uses a GPS to help with the scan. A fair number of FSX add-ons include a GPWS, and there may be a freeware utility knocking around somewhere. Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

The Lecture Answer: SIDS and STARS exist to help you avoid extra traffic and mountains. They are a good thing to learn.The Simplest Answer: Turn collisions off in FSX. If you hit a mountain, you just bounce. If you don't tell, I won't tell. Also, daytime approaches are just fine.Modern jetliners carry a GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System). It's a downward-looking radar that gives the pilot a real-time scan of the altitude. The radar is low power, so it only reads a few hundred feet altitude. An Enhanced GPWS (EGPWS) is better at terrain prediction, as it uses a GPS to help with the scan. A fair number of FSX add-ons include a GPWS, and there may be a freeware utility knocking around somewhere.

My "semi" modern (real life) two seat, single engine airplane also contains a complete USA terrain data base in it's GPS. It's much of the same data flight sims use to re-create mountain topography, and the same for the new 3D sythetic vision systems that are becoming increasingly available. I can look ahead for hundreds of miles, and see if I'll clear the mountains at the altitude I'm at. I can also see weather for hundreds of miles, and weather at the destination airport thanks to XM Satellite weather. Airport runway layouts also pop-up on landing. What is interesting, is that a lot of modern airliners still don't have some of the advantages I've just mentioned. Sometimes even a new Cessna 172 (Garmin 1000) gets a bit of newer technology than existing airliners.P.S. ---- Seen the new Garmin 3000 being introduced for light jets? https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=66916&ra=trueL.Adamson

My "semi" modern (real life) two seat, single engine airplane also contains a complete USA terrain data base in it's GPS. It's much of the same data flight sims use to re-create mountain topography, and the same for the new 3D sythetic vision systems that are becoming increasingly available. I can look ahead for hundreds of miles, and see if I'll clear the mountains at the altitude I'm at. I can also see weather for hundreds of miles, and weather at the destination airport thanks to XM Satellite weather. Airport runway layouts also pop-up on landing. What is interesting, is that a lot of modern airliners still don't have some of the advantages I've just mentioned. Sometimes even a new Cessna 172 (Garmin 1000) gets a bit of newer technology than existing airliners.P.S. ---- Seen the new Garmin 3000 being introduced for light jets? https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=66916&ra=trueL.Adamson

Youv got it right, that is exactly what am talking about, something to tell me if there is mountain at my altitude miles ahead, so i have time to adjust.I was looking at this http://secure.simmarket.com/dbs-studio-profile-radar.phtmlBut seems the manual was written by non english speaker, so culd not figure out how to use it. But its the sort of thing i am looking for IF ANYBODY HAS IDEAS. I am no expert , but i dont think any FSX addon Garmin provides a terrain profile Radar, if there is one PS let me know.

My "semi" modern (real life) two seat, single engine airplane also contains a complete USA terrain data base in it's GPS. It's much of the same data flight sims use to re-create mountain topography, and the same for the new 3D sythetic vision systems that are becoming increasingly available. I can look ahead for hundreds of miles, and see if I'll clear the mountains at the altitude I'm at. I can also see weather for hundreds of miles, and weather at the destination airport thanks to XM Satellite weather. Airport runway layouts also pop-up on landing. What is interesting, is that a lot of modern airliners still don't have some of the advantages I've just mentioned. Sometimes even a new Cessna 172 (Garmin 1000) gets a bit of newer technology than existing airliners.P.S. ---- Seen the new Garmin 3000 being introduced for light jets? https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=66916&ra=trueL.Adamson

I got much the same with my g496 and tablet pc.However-so did these guys! It is causing quite a scuttle butt on the net...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nm8pNgqBAk

I got much the same with my g496 and tablet pc.However-so did these guys! It is causing quite a scuttle butt on the net...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nm8pNgqBAk

Yes, this was on our RV builders forum last week. That's is a Garmin 696 which I have, but it's on the passenger side. It is also not in terrain mode, or there would be lots of red on the moving map. A terrain warning square automatically pops up on the lower left of the screen.........but the passengers probably have no clue as to what it is. The 696 is mounted too far from the pilot to act as a decent warning device. With my setup, the audio from the 696 goes to my head phones. A womans voice would be "screaming" terrain, terrain, pull up, pull up!! :( P.S. flew to Sedona, Arizona last weekend. Lot's of red on the GPS.L.Adamson

I got much the same with my g496 and tablet pc.However-so did these guys! It is causing quite a scuttle butt on the net...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nm8pNgqBAk

HOLY CRAP! Those guys are VERY VERY VERY VERY (that's four) fortunate. Why the heck did they continue into IMC?Oh, to the OP, have you tried RXP's GNS530W or 430W? There is a TAWS page on that...http://www.reality-xp.com/flightsim/gns530...ures/index.html

I'll second the SID/STAR usage.They exist for a reason, seriously.

"I don't want to use sid/stars" is like saying I want to drive to Chicago but don't want to use highways

but i dont think any FSX addon Garmin provides a terrain profile Radar, if there is one PS let me know.

Just so we are crystal clear on one point - no non-military aircraft uses radar (or any radar-like device) for terrain avoidance. If you are flying a B-1 bomber on a combat mission then it is a different story. And anything like GPWS is an emergency tool only - not good enough to find your way in between mountain peaks.

The problem might have been solved in part, cause i just got Fscommander, and amongst many many great features of its moving map, it shows the MSA (Minimun safe altitude) of the area you are flying in, the MSA is dotted around the map like VORS or intersections.Short of anybody lecturing me about why i must use Sid/Star think ill use the FScommander MSA for now. Until some kind person comes up withterrain radar for FSX.Stuff that is showing red for high ground and brown for lower ground wount help either, cause that does not tell me my plane clears the mountain coming up ahead, it just says its high ground. A proper terrian radar will show height of mountains ahead in reference to your current altitude, and not just a dark colour for high ground.I suspect having the MSA on a moving map, would go some way to fixing the problem though.Did i hear someone say PFE ATC helps with terrain avoidance, cause both FSX and RC4 ATC have no clue about terrain avoidance. If so PFE would be a solution. [PFE is Pro Flight Emulator] ATC program

Just so we are crystal clear on one point - no non-military aircraft uses radar (or any radar-like device) for terrain avoidance. If you are flying a B-1 bomber on a combat mission then it is a different story. And anything like GPWS is an emergency tool only - not good enough to find your way in between mountain peaks.

In that case you should follow this link for FSx http://secure.simmarket.com/dbs-studio-profile-radar.phtmlI already installed it, but the manual was translated to english by someone who seems cant speak english , so could not figure out how to configure the tool, otherwise its exactly what am looking for.