Er, that should be 'PAX' of course!!

 

It seems to me that ATC prefers to send my PAX a/c to a cargo ramp if it can, rather than to a gate. It happens over and over again at all airports, even ones where I see in AFCAD the parking places have been assigned a function under "Parking Users" and there are plenty of PAX gates available.

 

I forget where the vital information is held. Do the "atc_parking_codes=" variables make any difference to where the a/c is sent? Have I overlooked something else?

 

Thanks,

 

Martin

There may be many reasons of wrong parking assignment. Usually it will be a faulty AFCAD, wrong aircraft/gate radius.

Also make sure in your aircraft.cfg that you have: atc_parking_types=GATE

Will check that again.

 

M

Also check the aircraft's radius and make sure it's not too large. The radius may be examined and modified with either a stand-alone program like Air Ed or with the Aircraft Editor tool in AFCAD. The radius is saved in the binary Model file, so you can't just use a text editor to get at it.

 

The radius must be smaller than the gate radius (also changeable with AFCAD) or the aircraft will not go to that gate. For AI aircraft, the order of the gates (in AFCAD again) is important.

 

Is this for your AI planes, or for the one you're flying?

Download this file - vip_park.zip

 

It will answer your questions and show you not only how to get ATC to direct you to the correct parking space (cargo to cargo ramp --- pax to gate etc.) but allow you to reserve specific gates or parking spots for your particular aircraft. So if you're flying a United 737 you can reserve a particular gate in the United Airline area of your destination so your neighbors won't toss used barfbags at your plane for intruding into their gate area... :Peace:

 

You will know before you take off which gate you will be directed to on landing - which is actually close to real life, though gates changes en route are fairly common...

Yet another David Marshall contribution to FS (sure we all continue to miss his input here), thanks for pointing it out. I have downloaded this before, but not used it as you can only have one aircraft set up at a time - I would have to edit the files before every flight as I fly a large range of planes: I don't have a 'favourite'.

 

I have already spent quite some time editing my aircraft.cfg files - I found that many were missing the atc_parking_types= line, or had an incorrect indicator, so I have used a batch editor to correct this and then see that military,cargo, passenger aircraft have the correct entries. I hope this will improve things. If not, I will have to look at gate radiuses in the AFCADs, but that'll have to be on a case-by-case basis I think!

 

Martin

I'm not sure that ATC parking types works for anything but AI - but parking radii should give you what you're looking for. But once again, it will mean editing both aircraft and AFCAD. It's a shame MS didn't program user aircraft with the same logic as AI so ATC would use the same parking types - it would seem to be an obvious thing, but I'm probably over-simplifying...

 

Most of the time I don't bother calling ground after I've landed. I either use AES follow-me to get to a particular gate or I just taxy in the right direction until I see an available space in what seems to be the right area and then find an eager AES marshaller looking for something to do...

The problem with using AES to go to a gate without ATC is that when you arrive it is already occupied. Otherwise, yes, maybe better just not to ask ATC in the first place (but old habits die hard!),

 

M

The problem with using AES to go to a gate without ATC is that when you arrive it is already occupied

 

Martin, you can remove that occupying aircraft with one click thanks to FSUIPC's Traffic Zapper.

I don't have the registered FSUIPC.. I guess the utility is only available with that (I have never seen it mentioned before),

 

M.

I don't have the registered FSUIPC.. I guess the utility is only available with that

 

Well, frankly speaking I don't know, as I have always had the registered version.

 

By the way registered FSUIPC is one of the absolute 'musthaves' for FS9, for many reasons.

Do consider buying it. I have never heard of anyone who regrets it.

+1 On the last posts - parking codes mean nothing to user aircraft - I think ATC will always direct you to the lowest numbered spot with large enough radius. As such I too just ignore ground and head to the (current) company terminal, either by myself or via AES follow me. After that the zapper gets me a gate if all are full :Peace: .

 

FSUIPC registered is an absolute must - it's a whole suite of powerful wide ranging functions and fixes no one should be without.

I've been an FS 'nut for over 10 years and never felt the lack of FSUIPC registered - I have in the past scanned the list of what the registered version does and with all the other 3rd. party addons I have installed, have never felt the need to upgrade. But I will check again, maybe I am missing out without knowing it (the gate zapper sound useful!!) .... and it is of course a most 'worthy' programme to support.

 

M

Martin, you can remove that occupying aircraft with one click thanks to FSUIPC's Traffic Zapper.

Hi Rafal

I add my hearty agreement to your comment about registered FSUIPC - the weather enhancements alone make it worth every penny. But I do not seem to be able to find a "traffic zapper" - how does this work and where do I find it? I've looked through all the menu options but haven't seen anything

 

Cheers

Ian

ps. How is the reinstall going? I know I need to do the same but keep delaying......

Hi, Ian!

How are you, mate?

 

But I do not seem to be able to find a "traffic zapper" - how does this work and where do I find it?

 

You have to assign a key to Traffic Zapper.

Here's a screenshot showwing having letter 'O' key assigned to it:

 

 

 

How is the reinstall going?

 

Well, it is actually finished. I am going to make a second full flight in a moment.

But I am on a week graphics card now. Mine is undergoing wartranty service.

The difference is visible, but the sim is flyable.

 

I was going to have a month's break, but you know what it is like when you are an incurable FS addict....