RC5 Question "Getting the traffic moving"

[MrSpeaker 121]

In RC5 will be possible to have multiple runways assigned for departures and arrivals at larger busier airports. Or at least have a more fluid tower. I have my UT2 AI traffic set to about 50%, with rc4 I always get stuck behind 4 or 5 planes, one plane lands and then another will announce a 5 mile final and this will go on and on and no traffic will move, eventually I will just refresh the AI. I don't know real world ops but when a plane is still 4 or 5km out I think there is time to get another plane off the ground and get the traffic moving. I also know that not everything is possible to code in FSX just wondering if there will be any improvements in this area. Thanks

[ronzie 21]

First off, here are some AI facts. When you load a flight AI play catch-up within a time window. Departing AI within this window (as determined by their schedule) start heading to the runways creating a lazrge take-off queue. Similarly within a short period a cluster of AI will arrive.Here's what you can do to expedite matters:If an airport's runways do not fall within about seven degrees of heading FS will not consider these parallel runways for simultaneous use. You can use in FS9 AFCAD or for FSX AFX or ADE9X to use the "star" or "crosswind" runway technique. These create a number of short non-flyable runways every seven degrees so that these pseudo runways encompass the non-parallel runways making them simultaneously active for FS purposes. I believe the freeware ADE9X for both FSs has an automatic tool for creating these. Also look for FS9 afcad files made for default or add-ons to enable this action in the libraries here and other sites. RC ignores these and operationally FS ignores these but you may find them listed in FS ATC menus and FS ATIS.You can get two utilities to space out aircraft on final. AI Separator is for FS9 and AI Smooth version 1.20 is for both. This allows interleaving of landing and taking off aircraft.If suitable dedicate one runway for landing and another for take-off. Use one of the editors I mentioned and be sure to do both ends the same at each end of the selected runway.For FS9, see if you can locate FS9 Configurator. This will allow you to edit the AI taxi speed (just a small amount I recommend) so that exit taxiways don't back up with AI.RC4 looks at AI to choose your take-off runway, then checks if it is suitable for you aircraft class. If more than one runway is active then it I believe will choose the closest one. On your own responsibility you can request another runway from ground.Always be sure your weather has been applied to AI patterns by refreshing AI a minute or so after the weather engine writes are complete. The refresh will also update ATIS. This will avoid the frequent AI pattern changes shortly after an FS flight activation and reduces incorrect ATC runway assignments.RC5 will look at your type of aircraft and if incoming separation exists spaced large enough will issue you a take-off clearance as you approach the take-off point. You must be take-off configured and be ready when contacting tower.So I hope this provides some RC4 relief for now and explains what RC5's goal on expedited take-offs are.

[MrSpeaker 121]

Thanks for the detailed answer Ron, I have tried to find AI smooth for FSX, but can't. The only place that I can find it wants to charge me $$$ to register at there site, everything else sends me to a broken link. I really think this will help me out. If you have a link to where I can get it, I would appreciate it.

[ronzie 21]

aismv120.zip is at flightsim.com. Registration required but free. It is under FSX Utilities (but also works in FS9). Do the advanced search just copy/pasting in this filename.

[MrSpeaker 121]

Thanks again Ron.

[jd 57]

In RC5 will be possible to have multiple runways assigned for departures and arrivals at larger busier airports. Or at least have a more fluid tower. I have my UT2 AI traffic set to about 50%, with rc4 I always get stuck behind 4 or 5 planes, one plane lands and then another will announce a 5 mile final and this will go on and on and no traffic will move, eventually I will just refresh the AI. I don't know real world ops but when a plane is still 4 or 5km out I think there is time to get another plane off the ground and get the traffic moving. I also know that not everything is possible to code in FSX just wondering if there will be any improvements in this area. Thanks

things move a long better in v5. be prepared for immediate takeoffs. i'll position and hold you a little snappier. and you can always ask for a different runway - in v4 as well as v5

[chrispeel 0]

" I don't know real world ops but when a plane is still 4 or 5km out... "Ian.there seem to be variations on this in the real world,depending where you are.There has been much deabte on this in this forum and in real life aviation forums too but I can't direct you to a thread sorry.You could try a search.3 miles would be tight to get a departing aircraft off,clear and climbing safely.As a last resort you can blast all the AI out of the way by going to 8X sim speed.They will re populate.It's a bit drastic though.

[jordanal 70]

Another option - built into the registered version of FSUIPC (Pete Dowson) is "Traffic Zapper" which you can assign to any keystroke or button and customize its variables such as distance and angle by directly editing the the FSUIPC.ini file. You can even change the sound generated when you 'zap' and aircraft. Very useful for those last-second AI that postition & hold while you're on final - zap 'em before RC instructs you to go around :(

[chrispeel 0]

Good call Al.I keep finding stuff in FSUIPC and I've had it for some time.Thanks for that tip.

[MrSpeaker 121]

Thanks to everyone, Ai Smooth is working well, but traffic zapper hmmmm, I have been using fsuipc for years and have never really looked into it. I found it in the settings and assigned a key press but I'm not sure how to set it up so I can zap the traffic 1 or 2 nm in front of me, incase Im landing and a aircraft is on the runway, the way I have it set up now you have to be pretty close in order to zap them. I can't seem to find anything in the manual for setting up these parameters. This is possible to do by editing the ini file right????

[Pete Dowson 558]

Thanks to everyone, Ai Smooth is working well, but traffic zapper hmmmm, I have been using fsuipc for years and have never really looked into it. I found it in the settings and assigned a key press but I'm not sure how to set it up so I can zap the traffic 1 or 2 nm in front of me, incase Im landing and a aircraft is on the runway, the way I have it set up now you have to be pretty close in order to zap them.

I don't know what you've changed in "setting it up", but as documented, the default settings are designed to be just right for that -- the range is 1.5 nm when in the air. I've never found that "too close". Sometimes you can't even see the aircraft further out in any case. The close range only applies on the ground, for obvious reasons.

I can't seem to find anything in the manual for setting up these parameters. This is possible to do by editing the ini file right????

Yes, and as for all parameters for which you need to resort to INI file editing, they are described in the Advanced User's manual. Just search for the word "Zap". Pete

[MrSpeaker 121]

I don't know what you've changed in "setting it up", but as documented, the default settings are designed to be just right for that -- the range is 1.5 nm when in the air. I've never found that "too close". Sometimes you can't even see the aircraft further out in any case. The close range only applies on the ground, for obvious reasons.Yes, and as for all parameters for which you need to resort to INI file editing, they are described in the Advanced User's manual. Just search for the word "Zap". Pete

Thanks Pete, Its was working fine all along, its just when I tried it in the air I was pressing the wrong button I assigned to my throttle. Thanks to everyone who help me out.

[ronzie 21]

In you have a user registered FSUIPC you can for FS9 create at hot key combo to refresh AI. Search the FSUIPC User Guide for "density toggle". Set one parameter to zero and the other to the traffic density you wish.This is how I restart AI after about a minute after weather writes are completed. Traffic zapper has been around for just the last few versions of FSUIPC.