I'm a bit curious of the purpose of using STARS in fsx. How can you properly set an approach using STARS and fsx's ATC during an IFR flight planIt seems fsx atc always throws you off course during approach to land you with their own approach method for each airport. This is the case anytime I fly the PMDG MD-11, CS 757 or LevelD 767

If you use the standard FS ATC, you will need to pick an approach via the FS GPS so that FS ATC knows that is what you want to do, otherwise it will do its normal crappy vectoring. If you look on the procedures bit of the FS GPS, that's where you will find those procedures, pick one and FS ATC will expect you to do that approach and give you the vectors for it.Al

If you use the standard FS ATC, you will need to pick an approach via the FS GPS so that FS ATC knows that is what you want to do, otherwise it will do its normal crappy vectoring. If you look on the procedures bit of the FS GPS, that's where you will find those procedures, pick one and FS ATC will expect you to do that approach and give you the vectors for it.Al

ugh, thanks for the tip. FSX atc is so bad, it literally sent my flight into a hill last night. I just broke and bought Radar Contact, hopefully the wife won't notice the charge on the card..

Radar Contact is a big improvement, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It was being vectored into hills in southern Spain by the default FS ATC that made me get it too incidentally.I daresay your wife will probably prefer the slight dent in the housekeeping pot in comparison to you storming around the house in a bad mood because your three hour flight ended in a descent into a granite cloud thanks to the less than stellar FS ATC.Al

ugh, thanks for the tip. FSX atc is so bad, it literally sent my flight into a hill last night. I just broke and bought Radar Contact, hopefully the wife won't notice the charge on the card..

You should give VATSIM a go, nothing beats a real person giving you instructions, and flying with other real people helps as well, no more AI planes flying straight into you like youre not there or two planes trying to land with 1nm between them.

You should give VATSIM a go, nothing beats a real person giving you instructions, and flying with other real people helps as well, no more AI planes flying straight into you like youre not there or two planes trying to land with 1nm between them.

Hope you enjoy RC. I can't fly IFR without it anymore. As for VATSIM, I finally gave it a try over the weekend. The concept is an incredible step up in realism for FS, but the lack of ATC coverage and shorage of pilots is what sent me back to flying with RC. I sure hope that VATSIM membership continues to grow so that someday my preferred areas of flying are better covered. A fantastic way to fly indeed.

Radar Contact is a big improvement, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It was being vectored into hills in southern Spain by the default FS ATC that made me get it too incidentally.I daresay your wife will probably prefer the slight dent in the housekeeping pot in comparison to you storming around the house in a bad mood because your three hour flight ended in a descent into a granite cloud thanks to the less than stellar FS ATC.Al

I guess I'm just lucky, because I have yet to be steered into a mountain or a hill with FSX default. In fact the few times that my altitude was lower than a peek on the course I was flying, ATC assigned me a higher altitude to clear it. The only problem I have with it is the stacking on approach, and AISmooth reduces that problem considerably. RC is very good at handling the user aircraft, but I don't think it handles AI well. (At least I haven't been able to get it to work) For example, while it assigns interval altitude assents and descents for the user aircraft, I don't here them for AI. Also the audio is too mechanical sounding!! I find the best compromise is FS Default, modified with FS EditVoicePack in conjunction with AISmooth!

Radar Contact plus Vatsim at the same time is my cup of tea. When I start a flight if there is no ATC online I fire up RC4, if at a later point Vatsim ATC comes online of course you have to follow the online ATC instructions. Keep in mind there making a RC5 which is supposed to have alot of improvements over version 4 but who knows when it will be out, could be a bit.

Hope you enjoy RC. I can't fly IFR without it anymore. As for VATSIM, I finally gave it a try over the weekend. The concept is an incredible step up in realism for FS, but the lack of ATC coverage and shorage of pilots is what sent me back to flying with RC. I sure hope that VATSIM membership continues to grow so that someday my preferred areas of flying are better covered. A fantastic way to fly indeed.

As far as coverage - yes its limited, but be sure to use VatSpy to see who's online. Also each friday night there is an event at a major airport. You won't find a shortage of traffic!!http://www.metacraft.com/VATSpy/#download

As far as coverage - yes its limited, but be sure to use VatSpy to see who's online. Also each friday night there is an event at a major airport. You won't find a shortage of traffic!!http://www.metacraft.com/VATSpy/#download

I also heard Vroute can be utilized. Haven't done my research on this one yet. I will keep checking in with VATSIM though. Some of those events might be a lot of fun.

...Also the audio is too mechanical sounding!!...

There is an excellent pack in the library for RC4 which improves the voices greatly IMO. Just search for "meatwater". Dave