Hi there,

I like to fly out of Archerfield (YBAF) in Queensland Australia.FS2002 had the default runway which is 28R correct. But FSX always directs me to runway 4L, which is a grass strip. No one uses 4 left in real life. I was flying out of Archer in 1969/70 and 28R was the runway we used unless we wanted to have a bit of fun on the grass.Which was very rare.

Does anybody know how to change the default runway in the FSX Config or Scenery files please?

Thanks in advance

Franglen

FSX decides which RW is the active taking into account only the direction of the wind, but not the RW surface. By default wind is set to 360 degrees, i.e. coming straight form the North. FSX "activates" the RW which heads closest to the direction of the wind. In your case that would be 4, because 4x differ less from 360 than 28x something. You can change the active by changing the wind direction - either everytime before you start your flight or by creating a new waether theme, in which wind direction is 280 degrees.

 

Regards

Flo

I've just been doing some of the same on one of my airfields.

 

Agree with OE-LAT. First thing to do is set the wind so that 28R is the obvious runway and see if you get it.

 

If not, then the available runways are defined in the AFCAD file for the airport. Freeware program ADE9X (from Scruffy Duck) will allow you to view/edit this file and check which runways are enabled/disabled for takeoffs/landings. You may find that 28R is disabled for some reason. If not you can disable 4L (and any other runway) to force selection of 28R.

You may find that 28R is disabled for some reason.

Just checked the airport out in Google Earth. I'm totally sure neither 28R nor 28L are disabled for TO or landing, especially 28R, because it's the longest runway, and it's got an asphalt surface.

Just checked the airport out in Google Earth. I'm totally sure neither 28R nor 28L are disabled for TO or landing, especially 28R, because it's the longest runway, and it's got an asphalt surface.

 

That's the real world. And in that case it should be enabled in FSX. But I've found several anomalies in FSX that have nothing to do with RW !

I'm sorry for taking so long to respond but my internet computer blew up and I had to crawl (grovel) to the missus for another one. I'm still in the process of setting it up.

I tend to agree with DickB. FSX does some strange things.

I have tried changing the weather and wind directions and still get runway 4. I have requested

"Depart straight out to the west" from the ATC and what do I get.... RUNWAY 4. No Matter what I do it is always the same. A friend suggested that maybe it depends on aircraft size. But that should not make any difference. Should it???

FSX is POSSESSED!!!

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I tried changing the runways with ADE and I still got runway 4. So I guess I've screwed up somewhere.

I'll most probably crash the flightsim knowing me lately.

Thanks again

Frank

That is strange. I found I could stop unwanted runways being used by either making them unavailable for Take off and Landing or closing them completely in ADE. One thing worth checking is that the runways are numbered correctly in the first place. I have found quite a few airports where the runways were incorrectly defined, usually reversed.

 

The other thing to check in ADE is that there is a Start Point for Rwy 28R and the taxiway links are all good. If not, that might be forcing FSX ATC to send you to Rwy 4. The Fault Finder tool in ADE should identify any broken links. And I suppose conversely, you could try removing the Start Point and links for Rwy 4.

Thankyou Dick. I wouldn't mind betting that I am to fault here. If anyone can stuff up it's me. I'll have another go in the near future and see what happens.

You can also try removing or disconnecting the runway links to the runway that you do not want ATC to send you to and see how that works. This always seems to get the best results when FSX refuses to follow the logic of opposite end open/close combinations. And again, there are many options that do nothing no matter how you set it up.