Waypoints not registering as having been passed

[sheepfu 3]

I have been running into an issue that has me a little annoyed at times. RC4 at times will not recognize that I have passed a waypoint. After a time I will hear messages about being off of my planned route. I am able to get the ATC to clear me to my next waypoint eventually, but usually not before I get a message that I am off my planned route for the fourth time (as RC4 doesn't let you go through the menus while ATC is talking.Here is what I think is going on. When I watch the sim closely it always catches the waypoint unless it is a STAR or SID waypoint. Sometimes those get missed, but they can be so close together I understand why. This therefore is happening when I am not paying attention or have left the room (potty break, beer, more beer, etc). So what I am trying to figure out is the following. If ATC makes a call to me that is not responded to and at the same time I pass a waypoint, does RC4 acknowledge the waypoint? If it does, then my next question is how close to a waypoint do I have to be before RC4 checks it off as passed. The latter example can be problematic with sharp turns in the waypoint resulting in the FMC smoothing the turn too far away.Any info is helpful.Thanks

[JSkorna 137]

Make sure your first point is about 25 miles away from departure and your last point is 25 miles away from the destination.

[ubersu 78]

RC4 will always ack a waypoint if you pass within 1 mile of it - regardless of communications with ATC. It may ack one at a little more than a mile if it feels charitable, but this is not guaranteed. If you are in a path that has lots of sharp turns your best bet is to take the plane off LNAV and fly it with manual heading control and low speeds, or if near enough to your destination to request a "fly the procedure" approach to your runway of choice.DJ

[ronzie 21]

In departure or approach your your credit distance is 2 nm radius and if enroute it is 5 nm distance. Airliners may have a bank limiter and the autopilot in using its predictive advance turn entry can cause you to miss those limitations. Change of course degree and speed determine how the aircraft will handle that. The greater your airspeed and degree of turn the sooner the aircraft starts turning. I, like ubersu, slow the aircraft and use heading guidance allowing myself to very slightly overshoot the path following the turn and return to that path. Whether or not I can do this depends on the obstacle information from the chart. Airline practices try to limit turns to fifteen degrees for passenger comfort but on a tight turn sometimes thirty degrees in required.If you do not ack an ATC message RC stalls and will not recognize the waypoint crossing.The recovery is to go to the extended menu (9), and choose direct waypoint, choose from the list and request it. When granted go from your present position to that next waypoint.If your FMC has waypoints not sent to RC it may not see you on the correct heading. If your first departure waypoint sent to RC is within 30 nm RC will automatically assume you are navigating a SID and will expect you to line your self up with the first waypoint outside that boundary. You can also elect that option on the controller page by selecting one of the two alt. restriction options.It is best not to have on airfield navaid waypoints for departure sent to RC as they are difficult to fly by within those limits.Try to plan your breaks during the enroute cruise option say after 100 nm out from departure or destination when things are not so busy.Check out in the manual the increased departure and arrival flexibility offered by the NOTAMS and for arrival the IAP options.Remember RC expects you to follow the waypoints you filed and does not care about FMC procedures. There are options available in syncing them as described in this document based on FSBuild.

[sheepfu 3]

Thanks Ron,I figured it was my own laziness that was at fault. I was also assuming it was me not returning calls that was causing RC not to recognize. I was just looking for confirmation so that I could plan accordingly. I will just stop asking for a review at the end of the flight so that I don't get lectured.

[ronzie 21]

On most aircraft OTTO can handle the comms however you lose the ability to request repeats or delay an ack until the aircraft starts making the change (in other words pausing RC's monitoring of your aircraft's actions for a brief period so RC gets impatient).

[jd 57]

also make sure you aren't flying at 2x, or 4x.