I bought RC4 last Saturday and have had numerous FSUIPC problems. Thought I had it all squared away last night and attempted my first flight. I filed using FSX Flight Planner for KBOS.LVR.KACK flying the Mooney Bravo. Everything started great and worked until the approach phase. I received no approach instructions until I was 1 mile from the airport at 3000 ft, when I was told to turn to a heading toward the localizer (RW 24 at KACK). Obviously, too little, too late. I though approach vectors was the default mode, and I never asked for visual or anything else. Any ideas? All assistance greatly appreciated; I'm getting quite frustrated. Alan

Please see the pinned topic on FSUIPC and makerwys.exe updates and install them. Then start RC and rebuild your scenery database insuring you put in the correct full path to FSX each time in the rebuild process. You might want to keep that path in a text file for easy copy/paste (ctrl-v) into the RC rebuild dialog. Some people have both versions of FS installed and there have been instances where the put in the opposite version path so RC derived the incorrect scenery data. Be sure in the approach phase you have control of the aircraft and I highly suggest you take the comms from the copilot in caseyou turned them over. I also suggest you have autoreply off. Be sure there is no outstanding ack present on the menu. That can delay RC's recognition of where you are. As far as a plan LVR was not in my planner's database so I used Martha's Vineyard MVY VOR, also on the Boston departure (by radar) for a midpoint to get a WNW position to head for as KBOS MVY KACK at 7,000 feet. KBOS MVY KACK The plan: MVY is 60 nm direct from KBOS. RC departure will vector you to point around 30 nm out pointing you to MVY which you can home on to go from that present position to it (not return to the direct path to it). However KACK is only 26 nm from MVI. CAPE approach or however it is announced will take over at around 40 nm out radially from KACK. The jurisdiction will just about overlap. If you force Rwy 24 you will should get a downwind on the north side of the runway for a right base entry or a downwind on the south side for a left base entry. If you have this up on the GPS and you feel you are too high and close extend your downwind before turning base and intercept vectors. To enable flexibility preflight select on the controller page of RC the NOTAMS option for departure and approach which means RC becomes advisory in these phases. Remember that when you get a resume own navigation that means go from your present position to the next waypoint. You can also use the ACK on NAV 2 at 116.2 (if that matches my external flight planner's current database) to get an idea of distance but remember that ACK is not quite on the runway. The total distance by the plan is 87 nm, quite short. In these cases sometimes RC will not behave as it should. Another option is after acknowledging the approach assigning the runway select the IAP option and you can navigate the approach on your own without RC monitoring you by flying to ACK , then heading outbound to perform the holding pattern but just in part more like a procedure turn descending to 1800 on the turn then turning inbound centering first on the localizer and intercepting the GS showing above you. All of the charts involved are on flightaware.com, a free FAA source. Add on the bottom left KBOS and click info. Select IFR diagrams. I recommend downloading the whole bundle and when it displays saving the pdf file. Do the same for KACK. Remember that this information is current data and occasionally will disagree with your GPS and FS map data so check any navaid frequencies from FS resources. If you still have a problem see the log topic at the forum head and create one. When you send it in please describe the problem and any add-ons you are also running like ASE that might affect performance. Also please read the RC manual sections on near side and far side approaches.

Ronzie, thanks for the reply. A few more questions if you don't mind. First, I think that the VOR is LVF vs LVR (my bad), and is about 46 miles from KACK. I do remember getting a "resume own navigation," but I'm cannot say where I was when I got it. Still, shouldn't RC provide approach vectors unless I ask it not to? I was expecting to be vectored onto ILS 24, but it did not happen in a practical way. Also, you wrote: "The total distance by the plan is 87 nm, quite short. In these cases sometimes RC will not behave as it should." Wow! Really? So, how long does the trip need to be before I can count on it working correctly? Since this was my first time to use RC, I suppose my most important question is this: did I do something wrong or are my expectations (vector instructions onto the guide slope) off base? If so, why? BTW, I have read the manual on near and far side approaches, but I missed if it means I won't be vectored. Sorry to be so ignorant and troublesome, but I really do want this program to work for me. Thanks again.Alan

RC4 will vector you unless you request an IAP from approach. Most of the time it behaves. Again, be sure all ATC commands are acked with you at the comms as that can stall things. Ideally RC should pass you from departure to approach without center intervention. To keep RC performance up in knowing where you are in RC options have Display Text and PreRecorded chatter off, AI Chatter and Interact with AI on. If you are an ASE user be aware they have released SP3 to increase performance and resolve other issues. I think you are using LFV, the Marconi VOR. I am attaching the map and route. Your total distance is longer with the VOR about midpoint, but again the two radius of the jurisdictions are close. You should be OK. You should be vectored to join either a downwind or base to rwy 24 starting shortly after crossing LFV which is 46 miles north of the airport. You'll be first contacted just after six miles of the crossing and another few will be lost during the communications and your ack. As posted before select NOTAMS as an arrival option preflight on the controller page. Place the bravo on the commanded vector heading and start your descent quickly and then ack the command so RC sees you responding. You should at 30 nm out reduce your speed but your cruising speed will be way under the airport traffic pattern limits so you should be OK. The direction of your flight to the airport at LFV is 196 taking you closer to a downwind entry east of the airport according to that map. RC might turn you to 180 then either join a base by heading SE quite a bit or staying between 196 and 180 for a mid downwind entry. I never used it but have FS record your flight path and submit it with your log if you still have a problem. Do a screen capture of your path map and use a graphics app saving it as a .jpg if you want to post it in a reply. Just crop it to the area from LFV to the airport including your approach to landing. With NOTAMS on you can descend in this non-obstacle situation to be at 1800 feet. RC assumes a three degree standard glide slope and for this airport it has 39 feet for averaged terrain around the airport, which is the sea level altitude, so it adds a fixed amount calculated to join the glide slope about ten to thirteen miles out. One other thing you must is when you select the nearest aircraft model be sure you have Prop selected. This is on the General Options page preflight.

Ronzie, again thanks for your help. I finally got back home and intended to try your suggestion about requesting IAP and flying in myself (just to finish the flight). Now, it gets weird. I opened FSX, reloaded the flight (saved 33 miles for KACK), opened RC, selected Load Previously Saved .RCDs, and there were none -- no saved .RCD files. I did a search, and there were none on the computer. I rechecked the manual, and it clearly says that saving files with FSX's ; key also saves the RC files. I'm beginning to believe I'm cursed. Any ideas? Alan

Please check your keyboard assignments in RC to confirm what is assigned. In your flts/wrx folder under your version of FS in my documents see if any FLT files are there that were saved at the date-time you requested a save. Is also recommended in the tutorials that you save the flight before entering the approach zone in case the aircraft does not restore correctly. I think it is best to pause the flight before saving. Try it that way so it comes up paused. Have you tried using NOTAMS so you get the vectors but you can deviate on your own from ATC? This way you get some guidance. Load the flightplan into FS9 as well just for situational awareness on the default GPS display while testing this various ways or skip the plan into FS since it is direct to KACK. Bring up the GPS reducing the range until the localizers show when you get into the approach phase to help you identify inbound ctrl-shift-semi-colon is the default RC key assignment as delivered to avoid conflicts with FS. A window should open with a default 'cryptic' name that you can rename to something meaningful.