I filed a IFR flightplan with planned cruiseheight of 20000.Result ATC order me to takeoff and climb to 8000. I thereforeasked for cruise altitude increase of 10000. The ATC then tellsme to climb to 8000 and to expect vector to FL320 (which I suppose is 32000) after a while I am told to climb to 16000. I then asked forincrease in cruisealtitude of 2000. After a while ATC tells me to climb to 24000.Where does ATC get its numbers from? Not from me. I have filed IFR plan before and havn't encountered confused orders like this before.

Initial climbout altitudes are normally the upper limit of the departure/approach control. FS2004 doesn't model it, but normally what you will hear is something like this. "Climb and maintain 8,000 expect FL200 10 minutes after departure." FS2004 will clear you to 20000 once you reach 8,000. Your filed altitude was 20000. You asked for an increase of 10,000 feet. ATC must give you an altitude assignment that corresponds to your direction of flight. here is the altitude assignment chart from the latest FAA publication 7110.65 4-5-1. VERTICAL SEPARATION MINIMA Separate instrument flight rules (IFR) aircraft using the following minima between altitudes: a. Up to and including FL 290- 1,000 feet. b. Above FL 290- 2,000 feet, except: Below 3,000feet abovesurface Any course Any altitude Below FL 290 0 through 179 course degreesOdd cardinal altitude or flight levels at intervals of 2,000 feet 3,000 5,000, FL 250,FL 270 180 through 359 course degreesEven cardinal altitude or flight levels at intervals of 2,000 feet 4,000, 6000, FL 240,FL 260 At or aboveFL 290 0 through 179 course degreesOdd cardinal flight levels at intervals of 4,000 feet beginning with FL 290 FL 290,FL 330,FL 370 180 through 359 course degreesOdd cardinal flight levels at intervals of 4,000 feet beginning with FL 310 FL 310,FL 350,FL 390 Anyway I'm sure all is clear as mud now, but hopefully you found something of use here. FS2004 ATC does a descent job at modeling real ATC, but it definately has it's problems. Good luck,Scott

Once you have filed your flightplan just leave it alone and wait for ATC. If your flightplan specifies 20,000' (FL200), and they clear you to 8000, just start your climb. As you approach ~7800', they will come back and give you your next altitude step. It may be directly to FL200 or some altitude between 8000 and 20,000. Whatever they say, just do it.If you ask for an altitude increase at each step, it is added to the flightplan altitude. That's how you got such a big accumulated altitdue value. R-Oh BTW, Flight Levels start at 18,000 feet. Below that it is feet, above that it is FLnnn. Also reset your altitmeter to the standard barometric pressure or 29.92" as you climb through 18,000'. R-