I've been thinking about the things that annoy me most in FS9, the ones that really ruin my virtual pilot's day. So here they are:- Ai aircraft. Thanks to the wonderful folks at world of ai we have really nicely painted ai that blows socks off the payware stuff, but thanks to Microsoft negotiating your way round a busy airport is an absolute nightmare if you don't use the rubbish default ATC, as none of the add-on ATC programs have access to the full ai SDK. Try taxiing to the active at EHAM without a suicidal KLM aircraft cutting you up, ramming you or blocking the taxiway/and or runway, or taking off in the completely the wrong direction. For this reason I tend to stick with smaller airports as it's easier to make it into the air alive!- runway use. If you're a hardcore simmer then this is the most annoying ever as you've done the topcat report, got the charts, plugged in the sid and probably pushed back to face the right way for taxi and then you're given the other runway! You then have to alt tab out, redo topcat and rerun the sid, find the charts and turn yourself around on the ramp - argh! Ai is obviously a bit of a lost cause, but short of editing the afcad each time I fly or ramping up the wind, how does everyone else get on with planning and runway use?

I use PFE for ATC, you can specify certain runways for t/o landing. Will only apply to you of course, but brings certainty to your planning. Or just request another runway from the controller.For ground AI I use FSUIPC traffic zapper....very satisfying.Peter

Only one approach to take, old boy. Charge 'em and they scatter! :(...(Or use the FSUIPC zapper)edit (oh! Peter got there before me)

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by Dave_Morgan

(Or use the FSUIPC zapper)

My favorite item. KABOOM :)

Use AI Smooth, this program will vector AI traffic away from you. Search Google to find it.With the runway thing the AI ATC will usually send you to the nearest runway in use, unless the AFCAD specifies "No takeoffs" on that runway. Listen to the ATIS and have a look from the top down view to see which runway is closer from your position.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by Avantime

I don't have problems with either - just don't use 'em !! Saves a lot of headaches !David

I fly using ASE archived weather, and find the departure/arrival wx conditions. I then look at various SOP's and charts and preferential runways to figure out what the most probable runway in use would be, or listen to the liveATC archive if the airport is in the US to find the runway configuration at the time. I then edit each of the AFCAD's with xwind runways to achieve that the right runway configuration. I can usually get satisfactory arriving/departing configurations that way, but some airports are tricky and a few aren't possible in FS9, like KDEN or Frankfurt's single N/S runway.In game, using the traffic explorer module that comes with the fs9 SDK is useful for clearing any "stuck" ai aircraft that aren't acting right. Also, I use AISeparation to space out the arrivals, and ensure all my AFCAD's have "star" crossings on the runways to ensure that AI go right through hold points instead of piling up waiting for all takeoff's/landings to clear. This means they go right through hold points, but if I see it happening, the traffic explorer utility can be used to delete them if I'm on take-off or final, and this tradeoff is worth the smoother ground operations. Also, take collisions off.In all, it takes some preparation, but usually gets very good results. I have 100% traffic with every AI flightplan I can find installed and I don't have much of a problem at airports like EGLL/KATL/KJFK except for the occasional and entirely realistic wait.

Edited February 15, 201214 yr by andqui

I like to point this out from time to time. It's easy to call default ATC 'rubbish', but that is unfair. True, it's pretty limited, but it is WE who install traffic densities it was never designed to accomodate. Hence as detailed by the other posters, many tweaks need to be applied, AFCAD mods, traffic separation programs, speeded up voicepacks, even increased taxi speeds for AI and more - all to assist default ATC.And of course, when all else fails - the ZAPPER!

Edited February 15, 201214 yr by MarkRey

I like to point this out from time to time. It's easy to call default ATC 'rubbish', but that is unfair. True, it's pretty limited, but it is WE who install traffic densities it was never designed to accomodate. Hence as detailed by the other posters, many tweaks need to be applied, AFCAD mods, traffic separation programs, speeded up voicepacks, even increased taxi speeds for AI and more - all to assist default ATC.And of course, when all else fails - the ZAPPER!

Very good post.Peter

I like to point this out from time to time. It's easy to call default ATC 'rubbish', but that is unfair. True, it's pretty limited, but it is WE who install traffic densities it was never designed to accomodate. Hence as detailed by the other posters, many tweaks need to be applied, AFCAD mods, traffic separation programs, speeded up voicepacks, even increased taxi speeds for AI and more - all to assist default ATC.And of course, when all else fails - the ZAPPER!

Very good post.Peter

Seconded. :(

Cheers guys, all good advice. I've looked into the AI Zapper and have found the command in the FSUIPC settings but it doesn't seem to save. Can someone kindly give me a walk through on assigning it?