I have created several flights using TTools. Short flights, such as a series of touch & gos, I have no problem with. I can "hook" onto them via the Traffic Explorer and follow them completely around the circuit from start-up to shut-down. However, when I start a flight lasting 30+ minutes, approximately 13 minutes into the flight, the AI airplane disappears, it drops out of the Traffic Explorer, and my flight returns to my departure airport with the spot view upon my own airplane.I am running FS2004 on a Windows 7/Home Premium 64bit system with plenty of memory and a 1GB graphics card.I have read all of the documentation that I can find both for AFCAD,TTools, and the TTools SDK program and I haven's seen anything that would clarify this situation. I have also had my flight plans examined by a extremely knowledgeable individual regarding creating AI flight plans and he has assured me there is nothing wrong with them.I have tried this using different departure/arrival times, different departure/arrival airports, I even tried it with the @ preceding my arrival time.I would sure appreciate any insight anyone can offer.Thank you.Harry

In my experience (with ga only) once they reach a certain distance, around 100 miles I believe, from the user a/c they do disappear. It's a *limitation*, just like when you follow too closely (closer than about 4-5 mi) in the user a/c, they won't land at their planned destination.

Mike, thank you for your quick reply. Knowing that, I'll press on with creating the flight plans and not worry about the limitations within the Traffic Explorer. BTW, I clicked on your link and got a "page not found" error. Just thought I'd let you know.ATB.Harry

I have created several flights using TTools. Short flights, such as a series of touch & gos, I have no problem with. I can "hook" onto them via the Traffic Explorer and follow them completely around the circuit from start-up to shut-down. However, when I start a flight lasting 30+ minutes, approximately 13 minutes into the flight, the AI airplane disappears, it drops out of the Traffic Explorer, and my flight returns to my departure airport with the spot view upon my own airplane.I am running FS2004 on a Windows 7/Home Premium 64bit system with plenty of memory and a 1GB graphics card.I have read all of the documentation that I can find both for AFCAD,TTools, and the TTools SDK program and I haven's seen anything that would clarify this situation. I have also had my flight plans examined by a extremely knowledgeable individual regarding creating AI flight plans and he has assured me there is nothing wrong with them.I have tried this using different departure/arrival times, different departure/arrival airports, I even tried it with the @ preceding my arrival time.I would sure appreciate any insight anyone can offer.Thank you.Harry

This is the way AI is generated - AI craft do not fly from point A to point B as the flight plan would suggest. AI traffic is only generated "as needed" in the area you are at the moment.The world is divided in "blocks" approx. 130 nautical miles square and AI is only generated in the block you happen to be in. As soon as the AI craft reaches the limit of the block you are in, it dissapears. Incoming flights are generated approx. 10 miles from the landing site I have been told.To follow a flight from start to finish you need a program called Traffic View Board. This "attaches" an invisible aircraft near the AI craft you wish to follow - so the AI craft is seen througout the flight as you are moving from block to block rather than being parked on the ground in a specific block.Traffic View Board is available here: (a very cool program) :( http://library.avsim.net/search.php?Search...t&Go=SearchThat link will also get you the tutorial and the latest database for it.Hope this "non-technical" explanation is of help.

David, again, my sincere thanks. I will download that app today and get it installed. I really appreciate your and Mike's help with this.ATBHarry

I clicked on your link and got a "page not found" error.

Oopps! You'd think that I'd know my own URL by now...thanks!

Hey, Mike. It worked!! :( :( :( B) Thanks.ATBHarry

Oopps! You'd think that I'd know my own URL by now...thanks!

Hi Mike - Did not realize from your forum name who you were (are).I refer people to your excellent tutorial all the time. Good stuff!

AI craft do not fly from point A to point B as the flight plan would suggest.

Sure it does, if you follow an aircraft all the way to its destination, you will see it flies the planned leg. That is, depending if you use @ or not in the flightplan.I dont use @ (fixed arrivals), and let TTools computes arrivals with the speeds for each aircraft, so the aircrafts dont vanish in-flight.I witnessed vanishing crafts in fs2002 though.Several times I 'intercepted' and followed AI to their final destination. The most crazy was a flight from Paris to Shanghai: I followed an AI 744 cargo from LFPG to ZSPD (10 hours flight)and kept visual with the traffic all the time: it never disappeared, and landed in Shanghai Pudong at the planned time.

Sure it does, if you follow an aircraft all the way to its destination, you will see it flies the planned leg. That is, depending if you use @ or not in the flightplan.I dont use @ (fixed arrivals), and let TTools computes arrivals with the speeds for each aircraft, so the aircrafts dont vanish in-flight.I witnessed vanishing crafts in fs2002 though.Several times I 'intercepted' and followed AI to their final destination. The most crazy was a flight from Paris to Shanghai: I followed an AI 744 cargo from LFPG to ZSPD (10 hours flight)and kept visual with the traffic all the time: it never disappeared, and landed in Shanghai Pudong at the planned time.

Please re-read my explanation again. AI "flights" are only generated (seen) in the "block" you are in. If you follow it, the visual is generated of course. If you do not follow it (but stay parked at the original location) it will dissapear after it reaches the perimeter of the "block" you are in.It is very easy to prove if you watch a flight using the Traffic Toolbox utility.Example: An AI Flightplan has an aircraft flying from New York to LA. If you are in NY, you will see it depart. If you are in LA, you will see it arrive (at the scheduled times of course). Unless you actually follow it (and thus are in the "blocks" with it enroute) it is not generated. There is simply no reason for it to be seen if there is no one around to see it.

To clarify a bit further:I probably should have been more clear that to follow an AI aircraft without actually flying (still parked on the ground) beyond the grid block you are in requires a program like Traffic View Board which "tricks" the FS AI engine into thinking you are flying close to the AI aircraft you are watching.With it you can watch an AI flight gate to gate without ever leaving your parking spot at the departure airport.

Hi Mike - Did not realize from your forum name who you were (are).I refer people to your excellent tutorial all the time. Good stuff!

Thanks Dave, I appreciate that. I'm embarrased to say how long it took me before I "got it." I didn't want to see people go through the same frustration...especially if they only wanted to spruce up their home routes etc. I hope that it serves as a good primer for people, and of course, you can't beat Lee Swordy's excellent help files! :(

Sure it does, if you follow an aircraft all the way to its destination, you will see it flies the planned leg. That is, depending if you use @ or not in the flightplan.I dont use @ (fixed arrivals), and let TTools computes arrivals with the speeds for each aircraft, so the aircrafts dont vanish in-flight.I witnessed vanishing crafts in fs2002 though.Several times I 'intercepted' and followed AI to their final destination. The most crazy was a flight from Paris to Shanghai: I followed an AI 744 cargo from LFPG to ZSPD (10 hours flight)and kept visual with the traffic all the time: it never disappeared, and landed in Shanghai Pudong at the planned time.

As Dave says, if you follow it, you're still in the same bloc...it won't disappear. If you don't follow it, it disappears at 100-130 miles. You and I have too much time on our hands. I've been AI spotting for a number of hours at a time myself!