IFR cancelled on approach

[juanvito 0]

Hey guys, I'm having this issue from time to time, specially in busy airports. After I get the "you are some miles away, expect vectors ILS...." message from ATC, it vectors me away from the airport and eventually cancels my IFR plan. Any ideas about what I can do about it?

[FloG 148]

If you really feel you need ATC, you can't do nothing, except for following the advice given by ATC and read back/confirm it as quickly as possible (I know it can be hard when there's a lot of traffic on your particular freq, but that's the only way to deal with it), or at least read it back, not following the advice shouldn't make any difference if I remember correctly.

You could also just fly without ATC coverage, which is what I usually do, even under the worst weather conditions, because I hate the zig-zag approach vectors given by default ATC, or buy an addon that replaces the standard ATC (or fly online).

 

Regards,

Flo

[juanvito 0]

Thanks

 

I've been looking at ATC addons, but I feel they change too much and this is really the one thing that bothers me. I haven't tried flying without ATC, can I turn it back on after I land and will it send me to a gate, as usual?

[FloG 148]

can I turn it back on after I land and will it send me to a gate, as usual?

Yep, that's possible, just the same as with every unscheduled flight.

and it's not actually turning ATC off, it's more like not contacting them between reading back taxi instructions and leaving the RWY after landing. Note, that you'll probably have to follow a VFR flight plan, though, and not an IFR one.

 

Regards,

Flo

[juanvito 0]

Thanks, I'll try that.

[LHookins 3,103]

Here's how you fly without a flight plan.

 

Before takeoff: bring up the ATC window, click on the option to talk to ground control. Request taxi. They'll vector you to a runway, turn on Progressive Taxi to see the arrows. You may get hold short instructions. When you get to the runway, tune the tower from the ATC window, request clearance to take off. On uncontrolled airports, you announce taxi and takeoff on the local traffic frequency.

 

After takeoff: Once the tower clears you to tune another frequency, you can use the ATC window to tune the local control frequency. Request flight following. During the flight you'll be handed off between various control areas. You choose your own altitude and do your own navigation. It is not necessary to cancel flight following, as you can do this by phone on the ground after you've landed. Some people prefer to cancel flight following before doing the next step.

 

Before landing: open the ATC window and select Nearest Airport List, usually about 20 miles out from the destination airport. Select your destination from the list. Contact the tower and request landing instruction. They will give you a runway, but no vectors to that runway; you're expected to do the necessary lineup yourself. When you're close and lined up, you'll be cleared to land (or sometimes asked to go around). In uncontrolled airports you announce landing intentions.

 

After touchdown: You will be asked by the tower to clear the runway, probably several times. After clearing the runway, you'll be handed off to ground control. Request taxi instruction to gates. Turn on Progressive Taxi to get the arrows. Ground control may issue hold short instructions. At the gate, you're done. At uncontrolled airports, you simply announce clear of the runway and taxi to wherever you want; no assistance is provided.

 

The way to deal with the destination airport, which is what you were asking above, is to select from the nearest airport list. If you don't do this, you'll still have options to contact ground control after you've landed.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Hook

[SE-KMG 2]

If flying IFR, by default ATC will give you vectors to Visual, or ILS approach, if available.

 

When ATC gives you this. you have 3 selections.

 

1. Confirm clearance

2. Say again

3. Select another approach

 

With option 3, if you have a STAR you can request, VOR, NDB, RNAV, or any other type of approaches and you just select what transition you want.

ATC will then let you follow your STAR and just give you altitude vectors.

 

You can also request a new approach after you confirmed the default approach.

[woodhick 504]

Thanks

 

I've been looking at ATC addons, but I feel they change too much and this is really the one thing that bothers me. I haven't tried flying without ATC, can I turn it back on after I land and will it send me to a gate, as usual?

 

If you feel a real need for ATC coverage--and many of us do--you really owe it to yourself to try Radar Contact. There is a learning curve of course, and you will need to visit the manual several times to get into the swing of things, but you will be so very much more pleased once you are up to speed, especially over that crap default ATC. And if I am not mistaken, Radar Contact comes with a money back guarantee. Other than that your choice is VATSIM or some other real world system.

[Chief Cargo 0]

Or do What I did about a week ago, bite the bullet and get on Vatsim. A week ago I laughed, now all my flights have been on the network...It's not perfect but when there is ATC on in your area it's still a hundred times better than what FSX gives you by default IMHO.

[juanvito 0]

If you feel a real need for ATC coverage--and many of us do--you really owe it to yourself to try Radar Contact. There is a learning curve of course, and you will need to visit the manual several times to get into the swing of things, but you will be so very much more pleased once you are up to speed, especially over that crap default ATC. And if I am not mistaken, Radar Contact comes with a money back guarantee. Other than that your choice is VATSIM or some other real world system.

 

I've taken a look at it, but what stops me from trying it out is not having Progressive Taxi. Also, how does it deal with added callsigns from EditVoicepack?

[Jim Young 2,356]

You need to learn the default ATC first. It's basic. A good learning tool. No reason to go to the heavyweights yet. Your IFR was cancelled because you didn't follow instructions or got too far off course. This can happen if you did not set the proper course, the proper NAV1 frequency and you got off the flight path or you were too high or too low because you didn't reset your altimeter. IFR means you had to have a flight plan prepared (if you didn't, then you were flying VFR). When something like this happens, you can reload the flight plan but make sure you click no you don't want to start at the beginning. You want to start the plan where you are located. ATC will then try vectoring you again to the runway. There's a great program out there called FS Instant Approach that allows you to set up an approach as far out as you want and you can practice approaches and landings. You won't have ATC but you will have a tool to make sure you have all the settings set properly for a landing.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[juanvito 0]

You need to learn the default ATC first. It's basic. A good learning tool. No reason to go to the heavyweights yet. Your IFR was cancelled because you didn't follow instructions or got too far off course. This can happen if you did not set the proper course, the proper NAV1 frequency and you got off the flight path or you were too high or too low because you didn't reset your altimeter. IFR means you had to have a flight plan prepared (if you didn't, then you were flying VFR). When something like this happens, you can reload the flight plan but make sure you click no you don't want to start at the beginning. You want to start the plan where you are located. ATC will then try vectoring you again to the runway. There's a great program out there called FS Instant Approach that allows you to set up an approach as far out as you want and you can practice approaches and landings. You won't have ATC but you will have a tool to make sure you have all the settings set properly for a landing.

 

Best regards,

Jim

 

But I'm following ATC instructions to the letter, and I set the altimeter reset to be done automatically.

[Jim Young 2,356]

And you are setting the course and you have the proper NAV frequency for the ILS? You can be flying on the proper heading (which is the only thing IFR would give you) but you did not set the course or insert the proper frequency in NAV1. You did something wrong. What aircraft were you flying?

 

Best regards,

Jim

[juanvito 0]

And you are setting the course and you have the proper NAV frequency for the ILS? You can be flying on the proper heading (which is the only thing IFR would give you) but you did not set the course or insert the proper frequency in NAV1. You did something wrong. What aircraft were you flying?

 

Best regards,

Jim

 

The default 737 and the Tom Ruth A340-600, the last couple of times it happened. I'm usually very careful when inputting NAVs and courses for approach, that shouldn't be the problem.

[Jim Young 2,356]

There's nothing wrong with the default ATC so I don't know how anyone can help you. ATC vectors you based on your flightplan and the airport you are landing at. I suppose there could be something with the airport AFCAD. I know at the FSDT Las Vegas airport, runway 25L is off depending on whether you use the PMDG FMC or if you use the FSDT course or use the FSX default and NAV data. Some say you can get it fixed by updating FSX magnetic variations via this link - http://forum.avsim.net/topic/336155-magnetic-variation-updates-for-fs9-and-fsx/. In other words, I suspect there's something wrong with the airport you are trying to land at. Hopefully someone here can help you!

 

Best regards,

Jim