Hi there. I have a question for JD and company:I started a topic on the PMDG site out of pure interest and it has to do with side stepping to another runway and it seems it is a common procedure (if thats the right word) in every day arrivals at airports. Unless i missed it (can't find in manual or in flight menu), i don't think this is presently an option in Radar Contact as a reqest by the pilot or as a directive from ATC. If it isn't then as i stated on the PMDG forum, it would be an additional realism feature that would be nice in v5. Any chance?

Side stepping is not in V4. You can of course request a different runway from approach early on. When you are in the last few miles of final RC freezes ground AI near the assigned runway to prevent encroachment. If you side stepped on your own you'd lose that protection and also RC4 may not recognize your landing.While a good suggestion for RC5 it gets complicated within FS in dealing with AI interaction, which is messy as noted by several within FS. FS allows simultaneous close parallel landings and therein lies one complication.I'm sure one of our panel of real world ATC controllers might have mentioned it to the group.

If you side stepped on your own you'd lose that protection and also RC4 may not recognize your landing.

I guess a way around that may be to obtain clearance for we will say 28L but fly the approach to 28R (Providing no one else is), then side step to 28L. Or would RC4 bark at me for being on the wrong approach?

Let us know :)

I will try a flight this weekend into KSFO and i will post result.

I will try a flight this weekend into KSFO and i will post result.

Yes, that works but you have to keep your ears open for any chatter that is clearing another a/c to the runway you are not supposed to be approaching. ATC did not bark at me and i switched immediately on 'Cleared To Land' from ATC. Tried a few times and sometimes i had to switch before final clearance or would have been too close.