Hi all,Just spent all day trying to get AI to do what it is being instructed to do.Scenario:- FNLU Luanda) two Runways - 05/23 & 07/25. Nearest RWY to the terminal 07/25 length adjusted to 12300ft and farthest 05/23 Length 12164ft. Wind 290 deg.Attempted object, one for To and one for landings. Last try had Landings disabled on 07/25 and TO disabled on 05/23, I even broke the link to the TO taxiway to 23 and watched in disbeleif as a plane left the terminal then took the route, which originates from the landing end of 05 and then backtracked all the way down to the 23 TO point. There doesnt seem to be anything wrong with 07/25 runway. Because if I break the links from both ends of 05/23. AI seems to spit out it's dummy then reluctantly uses 07/25 for Landind and TO.Whatever settiings I alter in either AFCAD2.2 or AFX, AI ignores them and does it's own thing.Any ideas anyone, while I still have some remnants of hair left?Regards JohnT

JohnT,You've just discovered that the (FS9) AI engine has a mind of it's own, like all of us have discovered at some point in the past.Blocking any runway(s) for AI takeoff from a multi-runway airport usually works but blocking any runways for landing NEVER does and AIs will always land on the nearest runway to the direction from which they approach. The same applies to your user plane and e.g. ATC will also vector you to the same nearest runway, whether blocked for landing or not.However, wind direction can influence AI and user approaches but only if this has been previously saved with the active flight from which you are observing your AI activities. You therefore cannot just change the wind direction and expect all AIs to suddenly change their approaches and/or takeoff directions.When you depart from any airport yourself I assume you are doing so from an opened and previously saved flight. If you would wish to have your AIs performing (mostly) as you would like at your destination airport then you must set the wind direction and strength at that destination airport and then (re)save your flight at your departure airport. If you then re-open this flight and by the time you get to your destination airport, your AIs will at least be landing and taking off from/in the expected directions. However, with this method wind directions (and custom weather in general) can only be set at one of the two airports.If you break any taxiway links the departing AIs will take any remaining taxiways or even runways which are left open in their bid to get to their (non blocked for) take off runway.As far as I know and other than the above, there is no real fail safe way of directly influencing AI behaviour under all circumstances.Hope this helps.HansNetherlands

It appears the technique you need is the X-wind runway approach.Some background. FS will only use ONE set of parallel runways at a time. If you have runways with significantly different headings (greater than about 8 degrees), then FS only uses one of those at a time, for landings AND takeoffs. However, if the headings are less than 8 degrees from each other, then FS will use *all* of them (depending on other factors).So the trick is to make FS think that your very different runways are actually parallel, which means you need to "fill in" the difference between the two runways with little fake runways, each less than 8 degrees different from each other. If listed in heading order, FS will think all these runways are parallel and voila! your two "real" runways are now "parallel" as far as FS thinks. Set one for Takeoffs only and one for Landings only (which works just fine, BTW *for parallel runways*) and you have what you want.There is a tutorial for the X-wind runway technique here:http://www.downloadcenter.scruffyduck.org.uk/Go to Tutorials/Airport Design.Hope this helps,

Thanks lads,Will give it another go over the Weekend.I seem to have wasted a lot of time and gone along some blind alleys.Regards JohnT

Hi John,Something else I noticed that was not mentioned is that as well as setting a runway closed for take off you also need to delete the starts for the closed for take off runway.Hope this helps, . . . . . . regards,Mel

Hi folks,Just a quick progress report.Downloaded the manuals , as suggested by Tom above, The mate and I added a couple of crosswind runways. as per manual.Lo and behold AI is using both runways, dependant on traffic and wind direction. So after a couple of sleepless nights, both of us are now feeling pretty pleased.Many thanks to all the respondants.Now I feel it will be worthwhile, dressing up the AP adding lights and more scenery and the mate is so confident now he wants to tackle another AP.Regards JohnT

Glad you got it working JohnT. Only problem using that technique, the ATIS is messed up. If you can live with the ATIS indicating all the new runways in use, you're good to go.RJ

Hi again,I don't use MS ATC, but use RC4. Not tried it out yet.But in the light of RJ comment above, wonder if I run Make RNWY with a version of AFCAD installed that doesn't have the additional. Then install the modified AFCAD. That problem wont occur for the programs using Make RNWys database, such as RC4 and FSCaptain, same principal for FSCommander.Just a thought, not instigated yet.Regards JohnT

Hi,The only time I know that you need to delete a start location is when you are trying to use only *one end* of a runway. I have closed many runways for either takeoffs or landings without deleting start locations and they have all been honored, as long as you follow the rules.

Just for the Dumbos amongst us,What are the rules? There seem to be so many, which ones are applicable to closing RWY's?Sorry to be so pedantic, but would love to nail this down.Regards Johnt

The rules are:

 

1. The runways involved must be parallel, or FS thinks they are parallel using the X-wind runway technique.

2. You close both ends of the runway.

3. The wind favors that group of runways over any other group (or FS favors them, anyway).

4. In the group there is at least one runway open for landings and one open for takeoffs.

5. There are valid taxiways leading to/from the runways.

6. There is a black runway taxi line down each runway, with the proper designation.

7. There are red hold short nodes within about 200 ft of the runways for each entrance/exit.

 

Hope this helps,