Active runways in FS9

[Guest Steve K]

I just bought FS9 the other day and so far I'm pretty pleased with some of the changes I've seen. However, I've noticed the active runways at certain airports aren't necessarily the ones used in the real world. Unless I'm mistaken, the ability to change actives was one of the "new" features in FS9 that Microsoft promised. I haven't found any way through the ATC menu to request the runway I want to use. Anybody out there run into the same thing yet?

[Bray 1]

Its there. Bring up the ATC menu and there will be an option to select another runway for approach, which I assume is what you mean.Bill

[Guest Steve K]

Actually I've found this option upon approach and it's a welcomed addition. What I'm seeing ( at least at my home airport ) is that Microsoft has chosen the wrong active runway for departures. They route the jets to one of the shortest ( and rarely used ) runways at the airport and the commercial jets don't have the length to takeoff. They taxi to the runway and wait, and wait, and wait( smart little AI pilots! ). In all of the previous releases of Flight Simulator Microsoft has always chosen the right runway as the active. They just made a minor mistake for some reason on this one. Does anyone know if Lee Swordy is doing a version of AFCAD for FS9 so that things like this can be corrected?>Its there. Bring up the ATC menu and there will be an option>to select another runway for approach, which I assume is what>you mean.>>>Bill

[Azapata87 173]

Take a look at KSNA. Airliners land on 19L a very short runway. :-( They land and overrun the runway by about 5000 feet.Andrew

[Guest Steve K]

I've found that if you set the wind direction to coorespond with your active before the flight, ATC will give you clearance to the departure runway that you prefer. Hope this might be of some help in solving this problem until someone works out a better solution.

[Guest Nathan Palmer]

If the wind is from the east and there are two runways like 9L and 9R then ATC will choose the runway for you and allow you to choose the other if you want but in the case of having one a runway 9 and lets say a runway 11 ATC might only consider runway 9 active and will not launch a/c off of rwy 11 even if its longer. You can fly into the field under IFR and request the 11 approach but since its not the active you wont be cleared to land just cleared for the approach If you try to land the twoer will tell you to enter a leg (base, straight in, etc.) and land on the active which would be rwy 9. As far as other replies to this post about at some fields ATC is having AI land or take-off on too short of runways or that having a/c use runways that in the real world arent used then go to an airshow and talk to old pilots and listen to all there stories about what they've seen or heard while flying. I dont wnat a perfect sim myself when it comes to ATC/AI errors. I really like the element of surprise and how it offers something new to each flight. However, if there was a problem where AI wont takeoff on a short rwy and it bottle necks the whole field and its an airport you you use often then I could see how you would want to send those ATC's back to school via AFCAD or the likes. So far I am flying around the nation in a 172 in CoF and loving it while never going to the same field twice. Not having a home field I cant say that ATC has done me wrong yet. NP