Quick question--If you're flying a GA prop aircraft, how would you go about doing it without the FSX ATC? I really don't like FSX's Air Traffic Control, and while I have abandoned it with jet aircraft, which can fly SID's and STAR's to get in and out of airports, I'm not sure how to go about doing that for lighter prop aircraft that don't fly SID's and STAR's, and that don't have VNAV. What would be the best way to do this?Thanks,boeing247

Honestly, having flown GA aircraft under VFR rules in the busy SoCal airspace, I have yet to experience anything close to the real deal, either online or offline. VoxATC might be something to look into, but it is quite expensive, especially if you want to add voice packs.

I'm not talking about an external ATC program--just the best procedures to use in order to fly without ATC.

I would suggest loading a published Approach in your GPS and flying it accurately.If you own the Flight1 Mustang or 182T, or the RXP GNS430/530W, you can also flya GPS vertical approach to LPV minimums.

Edited January 26, 201214 yr by Bert Pieke

What exactly are you asking how to do? In GA aviation, you look out the window and when you see the runway, you land on it.Do you mean actually navigating to the airport - like cross country? You could do GPS, but the default GPS isn't really usable like a real GPS. At the very least, you can tell it to go direct to an airport. Or you can get maps and navigate using VORs just like you do on the SIDs and STARs. Or just use charts to find landmarks like towns, rivers lakes etc.

Do you mean actually navigating to the airport - like cross country? You could do GPS, but the default GPS isn't really usable like a real GPS. At the very least, you can tell it to go direct to an airport. Or you can get maps and navigate using VORs just like you do on the SIDs and STARs. Or just use charts to find landmarks like towns, rivers lakes etc.

Yeah, I mean the actual navigation to the airport. Mostly, when to leave my route and start what would normally be ATC vectoring me. The two main GA planes I use are the Carenado Cessna 340 and 172. The former has a GPS, so it's a bit easier, but the latter just has the default GPS as a 2D panel, which, as you said, isn't too great.

Install an RXP GNS430W or 530W...

That's what's included in the C340, though I suppose that I could put it in the Skyhawk. Anyway, my main question is how to know when to stop flying your regular route (GPS or otherwise) and start actually heading towards the airport.

It is much like a STAR, you are not heading for the airport, but for the initial approachfix for the approach procedure.The Carenado C340 comes with a Carenado 430 GPS which is a modified FSX default GPS.I'm suggesting installing a payware GPS made by RealityXP which operates like thereal Garmin unit.

What extra features does it have?

It operates like the real Garmin unit, which means the screen showsthe same map as the Garmin unit, and all the optional screens functionlike the real thing. If you download the factory Garmin manual you canuse it 1:1.Practically speaking, you can navigate and fly GPS aproaches as in the attachedscreenshot (Carenado C337 with RXP GNS530W).

Edited January 26, 201214 yr by Bert Pieke

Are you flying IFR or VFR? If VFR, you depart your flight plan whenever you want, probably when you see the airport. If you're flying under IFR you still depart your flight plan when you see the airport and land visually. If conditions are too bad to see the airport, you would fly an instrument approach. The instrument approach will have an initial approach fix (IAF) unless it's a RADAR ONLY approach. RADAR ONLY means that you must be under the control of ATC to fly it. You will see RADAR ONLY on a lot of the ILS approaches on larger airports. You would then fly to the IAF (many times a VOR or NDB) and follow what the chart says.

Are you flying IFR or VFR? If VFR, you depart your flight plan whenever you want, probably when you see the airport. If you're flying under IFR you still depart your flight plan when you see the airport and land visually. If conditions are too bad to see the airport, you would fly an instrument approach. The instrument approach will have an initial approach fix (IAF) unless it's a RADAR ONLY approach. RADAR ONLY means that you must be under the control of ATC to fly it. You will see RADAR ONLY on a lot of the ILS approaches on larger airports.You would then fly to the IAF (many times a VOR or NDB) and follow what the chart says.

Thanks, this explains a lot.

In VFR you don't even have to follow a flightplan... I always take off and use the GPS to know where my destination is. Sometimes I follow a straight route and sometimes I just fly wherever I want. Since you are flying VFR there is no filed flightplan so... Just take off and land. ;-) To make it a bit more realistic you can tune into the right station to announce your departure or our landing, but apart from that you are free to do what you want. When you want to land on larger airports, contact tower and they will tell you how to approach (direct in or entering the circuit).

Edited February 5, 201214 yr by J van E

Use www.skyvector.com to plan routes. Also many areas have TEC routes which smaller aircraft use. These are preferred routes which you'll mainly find on the east and west coast. As far as real world routes I can't seem to recall the page but most vatsim ARTCC home pages have the routes published online.Often GA planes DO fly DP's and STARS. Also you can do your own vnav (use your head!).Anyway most small props will be filing direct (either direct with waypoints in between or PTP point to point) OR via airways. Victor airways are most commonly used as they include altitudes below FL180 - where most small props fly. They are shown on low alt enroute charts as "V" with numbers such as V13 or V217 etc.edit: All this is assuming you're flying IFR. General Aviation GA will fly VFR and IFR routes. I've even seen large jets fly VFR. The way you wrote GA sounded like GA only flies VFR.

Edited February 5, 201214 yr by ryanbatcund