Is this an ATC bug?

[TommyK 0]

Hello ladies and gentlemen... I´m having a really annoying problem with the default ATC that I´ve googled on without results, so I hope someone here can help me out.

When ATC "switch" me from different departure control towers and centers, like for instance "London center" to another, they kind of switch me back to the one I was tuned in before.

And so this weird thing continues, I´m told to switch back and forth between two different centers. It mostly happens when leaving the border of a country, as England for example (London center).

This happens only during flight and it´s really annoying cause I don´t understand if it´s a bug or not. I hope anyone else has experienced this and can tell me how to fix this?

One other thing that occurred in a mission: I was flying IFR and had clear instructions of climb/heading. But ATC never gave orders for me to descent and intersect the way to the airport.

This may just be a bug with the mission, if so, then ignore this last comment...

 

I have no ATC addons. Only addons I have is GEX, UTX, FS Global 2010.

 

/Tommy

[Mickel 42]

That, I'm afraid to say, is not the only ATC bug. I gather that Radar Contact gets around it, but RC does appear to have to appeal to taste. The other option is to join an online ATC group, such as Vatsim.

 

I suspect the cause is that you're flying along a boundary, and bounce either side of the line. If you're on a long trip, you can always hand off from one controller then simply not contact the next. After a while you'll clear the conflict and it will settle on one frequency (doesn't need hand off - it will just pick the appropriate one). Unfortunately, this isn't so effective for departure and arrivals if you're getting vectors and altitude clearances.

 

With the second issue, did you forget to tune to and/or contact a new frequency after hand-off? I do that from time to time. Most annoying...

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

Mike

[Berlopez 34]

Same things happens to me, If I leave an airport and am already a cruise alt. I get message from departure airport with new altimeter setting, this is normal, then I might get another mesag to contact another tower,also to set the same setting.It can get annoying.

[TommyK 0]

That, I'm afraid to say, is not the only ATC bug. I gather that Radar Contact gets around it, but RC does appear to have to appeal to taste. The other option is to join an online ATC group, such as Vatsim.

 

I suspect the cause is that you're flying along a boundary, and bounce either side of the line. If you're on a long trip, you can always hand off from one controller then simply not contact the next. After a while you'll clear the conflict and it will settle on one frequency (doesn't need hand off - it will just pick the appropriate one). Unfortunately, this isn't so effective for departure and arrivals if you're getting vectors and altitude clearances.

 

With the second issue, did you forget to tune to and/or contact a new frequency after hand-off? I do that from time to time. Most annoying...

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

Mike

 

 

Thanks for your answers Mickel. I will join VATSIM when feeling more experienced in flight sim. These "small" bug in FSX are the most annoying... No there wasn´t any issue with tuning frequency on the mission problem. ATC just never gave my instructions to decent. ATC is so vital to getting a realistic flying experience, it´s sad that microsoft has to muck it up like this...

 

Same things happens to me, If I leave an airport and am already a cruise alt. I get message from departure airport with new altimeter setting, this is normal, then I might get another mesag to contact another tower,also to set the same setting.It can get annoying.

 

So it looks like there is plenty of different bugs with ATC... It totally ruins the flying experience for me man.

[Berlopez 34]

This does exlain some of what it is all about:

 

suspect the cause is that you're flying along a boundary, and bounce either side of the line. If you're on a long trip, you can always hand off from one controller then simply not contact the next. After a while you'll clear the conflict and it will settle on one frequency (doesn't need hand off - it will just pick the appropriate one). Unfortunately, this isn't so effective for departure and arrivals if you're getting vectors and altitude clearances.

 

My Radios are set to Auto Tune....There couls be a bug there, though I've checked that the correct frq. is set,when it's given by ATC.

It the repetition that is maddening.... :p0129:

 

berlopez

[Rocky_53 1,662]

I'm afraid the bottom line is that FSX ATC is a load of old tosh! I'm just about to throw the towel in after getting sick of being vectored into airports and then when a few miles out redirected back up to about 12,000ft!! Other instances include being sat at the end of the taxiway, just waiting and waiting for clearance, with none coming, ATC simply not responding, and being vectored into the side of mountains!! I will at some point fly with Vatsim, but at this moment in time I can't find a suitable alternative. I know there are 3rd part progs such as Radar Contact, but I'm afraid the entire immersion of my flights would be ruined by the robot like voices that are used. (sorry, that's just me) I'm amazed that there's no alternative that produces ATC voices similar to those in FSX.

[Glynn 405]

Hello howard,

While the Radar Contact voices are not as well edited as the FSX default ATC they are recorded by fellow simmers and with the Meatwater edited versions do not really sound robotic at all.

When I listen to live ATC with the amounts of radio interference that you normally get, the Meatwater Radar contact voices sound much the same to me.

PFE voices are even smoother and you cannot beat hearing a french controller as you cross the channel for immersion

How are the FSX American ATC voices for immersion whilst flying around North Somerset ? :smile:

[Rocky_53 1,662]

Hello howard,

While the Radar Contact voices are not as well edited as the FSX default ATC they are recorded by fellow simmers and with the Meatwater edited versions do not really sound robotic at all.

When I listen to live ATC with the amounts of radio interference that you normally get, the Meatwater Radar contact voices sound much the same to me.

PFE voices are even smoother and you cannot beat hearing a french controller as you cross the channel for immersion

How are the FSX American ATC voices for immersion whilst flying around North Somerset ? :smile:

Hi matey, OK, I would love to be sold on it. So what on earth is Meatwater edited versions? Is this an addon to RC and if so where can I hear some examples?

[Glynn 405]

So what on earth is Meatwater edited versions

 

Hello Howard

The Meatwater edited voice files are available in the library and are the normal Radar contact voice files reprocessed to add some background radio static noise.

There are probably some examples on YouTube but I will say that when you are actually in the Sim with the distraction of everything else going on, the voices do sound quite good, not perfect but not really robotic anymore.

And the actual ATC experience is a lot closer to reality than the default ATC thats for sure.

[scottb613 1,188]

Hi Howard,

 

Concur - get Radar Contact and take the time to download/install the "Meatwater" mods... That's one guy I hated to see drift off to other interests - he did a lot to improve MSFS...

 

I'm a huge Radar Contact fan - but - my biggest gripes...

1) Doesn't really offer traffic separation by routing around AI or route AI around you...

2) No real taxi clearances other than proceed to runway...

3) No VFR services...

 

It's still the best ATC services we've got without going "live"...

 

Regards,

Scott

 

PS: Don't forget to add "AISmooth" to your list - as it will improve your experience as well...

 

Regards,

Scott

 

[TommyK 0]

I'm afraid the bottom line is that FSX ATC is a load of old tosh! I'm just about to throw the towel in after getting sick of being vectored into airports and then when a few miles out redirected back up to about 12,000ft!! Other instances include being sat at the end of the taxiway, just waiting and waiting for clearance, with none coming, ATC simply not responding, and being vectored into the side of mountains!! I will at some point fly with Vatsim, but at this moment in time I can't find a suitable alternative. I know there are 3rd part progs such as Radar Contact, but I'm afraid the entire immersion of my flights would be ruined by the robot like voices that are used. (sorry, that's just me) I'm amazed that there's no alternative that produces ATC voices similar to those in FSX.

 

I´ve just realised that ATC has so many bugs FSX would have been better without it! I also get those crazy vectors - for instance when just departured, ATC hands me directly over to arrival thinking that I´m on my way to land in the freaking airport I just took off from. The bad thing is that VATSIM don´t have controllers in every place on FSX, so ATC is not always "on". Or maybe I´m wrong?

[yellowjack 28]

How are the FSX American ATC voices for immersion whilst flying around North Somerset ?

 

I don't know, the last time I took of from Canberra, Australia (RW that is) I got a start clearance with a broad Yorkshire accent. So FSX ATC is not the only thing with non local accents!

[Ken_Stallings 2]

FSX is trying to replicate reality, but like a lot of the ATC behaviors, takes it to an extreme.

 

In real aviation, you often fly through a Class C or Class B airspace sector. So, since they are served by what are called approach controllers, you will be flying in center airspace and get switched to the approach controller, and then once you fly through the Class B or C airspace, get switched back to the same center controller you had before.

 

It works like this example: Flying with Houston Center, you are on a westerly heading. You then approach the east side of Lubbock Approach's Class C airspace. So, Houston Center switches you to Lubbock Approach. You then fly from the eastern sector to the western sector of Lubbock Approach, and so you get switched to the west sector approach controller. Then, you exit Lubbock's Class C airspace on the west side and get switched back to Houston Center, or perhaps even directly to Albuquerque Center.

 

Now, in the real world, depending upon traffic volume on that given day, you may get a break and have one approach controller take you all the way through, especially if your flightpath just nicks some other sector but you stay on the radar scope of the dude you're working with. Many times, ATC won't switch you for such a quick period of time, but in the FSX world, rules are rules and so even if you're in the sector for ten seconds you get switched. Yes, it's stupid. But, it's the same unreality as having a controller change your heading by a degree or two non-stop to keep you within a tenth of a mile on some perceived track that the ATC software in FSX demands you stay on.

 

If the world had been blessed with another version of FS, I would have liked to see a more realistic ATC interface. But, alas, not to be!

 

Ken

[scottb613 1,188]

I'm not as familiar with FSX but in FS9 default had the famous little course zigzags - 5 degree left turn - 5 degree right turn - 5 degree left turn - syndrome...

 

Regards,

Scott

[Ken_Stallings 2]

I'm not as familiar with FSX but in FS9 default had the famous little course zigzags - 5 degree left turn - 5 degree right turn - 5 degree left turn - syndrome...

 

Regards,

Scott

 

Unfortunately, exact same bug in FSX! Annoying! Unrealistic! Totally ridiculous!

 

Ken