Given new FL, asked for lower, not allowed

[northridge 2]

I was given FL340 and because I was too heavy still for that I asked for FL300 and was told "I have your request".If he wanted me to go to 340 whats the problem in my going only as far as 300?

[Subs 0]

I was given FL340 and because I was too heavy still for that I asked for FL300 and was told "I have your request".If he wanted me to go to 340 whats the problem in my going only as far as 300?

The real controllers/pilots can probably give you a better insight into seperating traffic but in more simplistic terms, just because you are given a clearance to climb past a level doesn't nesessarily mean positive seperation will be maintained if you were to stop at that lower level. In your example, another slower aircraft may have been on the same track in front at FL300, and the logical plan [the controller had] was to climb you above and behind that traffic. If you stopped at FL300, you'd run straight into his tailpipe.In RC's terms, if the controller said he has your request, normally it'd also be associated with a clue as to when he can accomodate that request. He may ask you to make your request again in 2 minutes, or 10 minutes etc. Or if you are close to being handed off to the next controller, he could ask you to make the request again after the handoff.But unlike real pilots who fly their airliners for 15hrs at a time, we have inbuilt a little cheat for RC users who can't sit at their computers for that long....just make the request again a second time and you'll almost certainly get the request approved :)Subs

[jd 57]

I was given FL340 and because I was too heavy still for that I asked for FL300 and was told "I have your request".If he wanted me to go to 340 whats the problem in my going only as far as 300?

as a subs says, in the real world there could be any number of reasons why you were denied.the denial could have been because levelling off at FL300 would have caused a conflict with an ai at that FL, or because an ai was climbing or descending through FL300in version 3, the denial was completely random, and you could usually get what you wanted by asking for it again. in v4, there's a little more sophistication.jd

[northridge 2]

Repating my request straight away got me the cheat - sorry - clearance, and what you said about me bumping into somebody else who was at my chosen FL confirmed what I thought.Another thing: Direct Checkpoint.My routine is to start RC pretty early and then I might get a depart rw change - so my intended is no longer my filed. This means that I start getting nagged at for being off my filed straight away - and the only solution I can come up with is to request a Dir Chk - but the option is not there and its a loong while until it appears. Is this realworld or a necessity of RC - the fact that I camnt ask straight away to skip "old" checkpoints and get on my new route?And whilst I

[chrispeel 0]

""And whilst I

[ronzie 21]

"My routine is to start RC pretty early and then I might get a depart rw change - so my intended is no longer my filed."A few things:RC gives runway priority selection to the active AI pattern. FS has some characteristics that affect changes in AI patterns (when arriving AI finally show up).When you start FS and load or create a flight the weather in your default flight initializes everything first. Then AI initializes to that default weather before changes are completed by FS ingesting the weather information. When AI initializes first to the incorrect weather it also is playing catch-up to the AI traffic schedule within a hard coded window time. Clusters of AI start taxiing to the default weather influenced runway and initial clusters of arriving AI FS points in most cases to the same runway direction. ATIS is usually incorrect during this first interval.To get around these FS characteristics wait a few minutes after weather changes take effect and then either refresh AI by adjusting time a couple of minutes forward or just wait. See also if you can use an AI refresh toggle in your weather add-on or see if it available for your setup in FSUIPC. If you especially download real weather or apply weather from an external add-on be sure to allow for these changes.Load RC and get it ready but don't START it until FS stabilizes with weather and AI. (If you wish to more efficiently get the overloaded take-off queue off the ground more efficiently due to this clustering search this forum for references to AI Smooth.)You can get much of your aircraft ready while things settle down. If you have an FMC/FMS aircraft also wait until the weather settles down before entering performance parameters. You can put some things in if you have the METAR for your location that will eventually take effect as well as the aloft wind and temperature reports.Now start RC to activate.If you have a TCAS in your for AI conflict you can request another runway if you think that is appropriate.What I described here is the reason for sudden AI flow changes and why RC ground can conflict if you activate it and depart your gate too soon.In my routine RC is that last add-on that gets activated after everything settles down.Check the RC43 manual about choosing no altitude restrictions if you want to navigate your own departure within the first 30 nm. Also, if you have the first waypoint within 30 nm RC will assume you wish to navigate your own departure and your clearance for take-off will state "as filed". You want get vectors.As Chris stated it is best to exclude navaids very close to the departure runway end so RC will not require you to cross them.