Yesterday I remembered that I bought Radar Contact years ago, when I started to fly in FSX, but since than never touched it again, it was a very big bite for me, all that ATC protocols and phraseology for a beginner. So yesterday I installed it, and tested it in Munich - Hamburg flight with PA 320. I like it a lot, but I'm still in some real ATC protocols a newbie, so I looked at the manual, God so much to read and learn.

 

One of the thing that I didn't find in the manual are the details for a flightplans made in FS2004 or FSX. I usually create a simple flightplans for airliners in FSX, IFR, GPS direct route, not adding any waypoints. Why? Because I used default ATC, which can guide your approach, sometimes clumsy, sometimes fair enough. I tested RC with direct GPS flightplan without added waypoints, and I didn't knew what approach option to use, IAP, VOR, DME? That is a first thing. Second I want to know how I must crate a flightplans for RC to handle properly approaches? High-altitude airways, or VOR to VOR flightplan?

 

Did I must create a VOR to VOR flightplan for example, and manually add approach waypoints in the flightplan?

 

Also, can please somebody explain me in short (if it is possible) a procedure in RC for descent and approaches, what approach options to use, etc?

 

cheers

 

Predrag

You can use RC with FSX flight plans, they can be gps flight plans or vor to vor. I find it works best if you have a departure airport, followed by a fix of some sort (vor, NDB, or intersection), followed by a final approach fix near the destination airport, and finally, the destination airport. By default, RC will give you vectors to intercept a ILS to the destination airport. If there is no ILS, it will vector you to the active runway.

 

You may want to start with some simple flights and use the autopilot set to NAV with GPS selected until the controller turns you over to approach control. Then, switch the autopilot to heading and the nav source to v/l. Check the weather about 50 miles out and RC will let you know what runway to expect. The RC info window will tell you the ILS frequency and the runway heading, or you can look it up in the FSX MAP.

 

I remember how overwhelming IFR rules were when I was training to be a real world pilot, but it's just a matter of learning the terminolgy and lots of practice. Try to stick with it and you will find a lot of satisfaction in completing an IFR flight in weather.

Thank you for the explanation Dale.

"You may want to start with some simple flights and use the autopilot set to NAV with GPS selected until the controller turns you over to approach control. Then, switch the autopilot to heading and the nav source to v/l." Yes, that is a standard procedure I used with default ATC. But default ATC approaches are awful, it will prolong the approach and generally flight from 5 to 10 minutes with some crazy navigation.

 

In my test flight I didn't checked the weather 50 miles out, my first mistake. Second, I didn't knew what approach option to use in RC.

Regarding flightplan - "followed by a final approach fix near the destination airport", I'm not sure where that fix should be? I'm choosing the runway when making the flightplan, then choose the appropriate fix in front of that runway localiser? Or I simply choose VOR (fix) somewhere near the airport?