Why does ATC take control of my plane 60 - 70 miles away from my destination and insist on vectoring on a zig-zag path all the way to the airport?Vector changes are usually between 60 and 90 degrees.I would expect ATC to spend a lot less time with me than almost constant vectoring for 70 nm to the destination.

It's the highly developed artificial intelligense :)Johnny"I'LL BE BACK"[div align=center]http://www.avsim.com/hangar/fly/josve/zone.jpg ][/div

May I then assume that others have been experiencing the same vectoring situations??>It's the highly developed artificial intelligense :)>>Johnny>>"I'LL BE BACK">>[div>align=center]http://www.avsim.com/hangar/fly/josve/zone.jpg>][/div

Oh yeah. :)

No, it's because they're coming from Victor. :)Dave Vega

I've noticed the same thing..... drives me crazy. (and that ain't a far trip!)If there's a way to correct it, I'd love to know about it.

Try reducing your airspeed especially once ATC clears you to descend. I have noticed that my zig zags are all but maybe 1 if I do not reduce to around 290 on descent. The slower youre going the more the FS ATC like it :)Edit: I'm at work on lunch now, but going by memory I think 280 was a good descent speed using autoidiot. They clear you to 2 levels, first is something like 12000 to 16000, thats where I use 280, then when they clear you next it usually less than 10,000, where ill go to 250 and nearing 10,000 ft ill come down to 220 or less depending on how close you are.This assumes using a jet like 737, if youre getting this using props/turboprops not sure of speeds there.

70 miles out isn't all that far out, if you think about it: Doing 250+ in a jet will only take up 15-20 minutes to cover 70 miles. And in that time, ATC has to sequence you into the traffic flow and line you up to intercept your final approach course.

Do you think that the slowing of the AC has something to do with ATC wanting you to be at a certain altitude when it clears you for the approach? Maybe its like S turns. And it has its own glidescope to where it needs to get you to. Or..maybe the ATC is just playing with the Pilot, and trying to fill the barf bags?One time when I was working at American, I had a new hire marshalling the ATR in for us. However I told her to park it one way, and then called the captain on the company freq and adv not to watch her, but to watch me instead. Now keep in mind I did have the new hire pretty far back so she would not get ran over....But I stood up on a GPU behind this person and when the plane came in and turned the opposite way she was telling it to, was the funniest thing in the world to see that arm a flapping trying to get him to turn. I guess my point is...Do you think ATC has a sense of humor :)

By the way gentlemen, I've been speaking of flying the default C172, not a commercial or other jet aircraft.