Hi,

I just tried a flight from Bend Oregon to KPDX using FTX Pacific Northwest. I was only at 9000ft in a Cessna 182 and flying IFR with the FSX ATC. For the whole trip over the mountains, ATC kept saying "descend to 8,400" then as I get to 8,400, "climb to 9000" and as I approach 9000, "descend to 8400" back and forth. I kept this roller coaster ride going for most of the trip over the mountains. Was this because ATC was confused with the elevation changes?  Is there a workaround without cancelling IFR?  Thanks.  Tom

 

 

Is there a workaround without cancelling IFR?

What I do to avoid this behavior is I don't contact the next controller after I get the new frequency, but I just switch freqs. Then I proceed on my flight plan until I have the feeling that it is soon time for me to start my descend, so I make contact with them again. Usually ATC is abit confused at first, and they want to vector me back, but if you just read back all of their advice without following it, they will soon just give the expected descend and approach.

Best bet??  Try Radar Contact or some other payware ATC add-on.  Default ATC is really sucky.

What I do to avoid this behavior is I don't contact the next controller after I get the new frequency, but I just switch freqs. Then I proceed on my flight plan until I have the feeling that it is soon time for me to start my descend, so I make contact with them again. Usually ATC is abit confused at first, and they want to vector me back, but if you just read back all of their advice without following it, they will soon just give the expected descend and approach.

 

 

Comes pretty close to cancelling IFR, IMO ...

 

Well, sometimes I do just the same even with RC4.3!

 

 

ATC kept saying "descend to 8,400" then as I get to 8,400, "climb to 9000" and as I approach 9000, "descend to 8400" back and forth

 

One of the reasons I quit using FSX ATC once they give me my departure runway.  I will continue to tune in and change channels throughout my flight to have some extra chatter in the background, but not select contact so they can just screw with me even more.

 

 

What I do to avoid this behavior is I don't contact the next controller after I get the new frequency, but I just switch freqs. Then I proceed on my flight plan until I have the feeling that it is soon time for me to start my descend, so I make contact with them again. Usually ATC is abit confused at first, and they want to vector me back, but if you just read back all of their advice without following it, they will soon just give the expected descend and approach.

 

That happened to me a coupld of days ago on a short hop.  Up and down, up and down.  When I told them I wanted an ILS, all the sudden it stopped and things went smoothly.  Dunno if that's the fix or not.

 

 

Comes pretty close to cancelling IFR, IMO

That's true, but it's a simulation, so I'd say it's legitimate to do that, especially since the only thing ATC will do is hand you over from one station to another one, and eventually you'd get a traffic alert (about an aircraft that is 2000ft below your plane, at your 6 o'clock ), so not much of use, actually. That's mainly the reason I've nearly completely quit using ATC.

I'll echo the previous sentiments. I never contact ATC although I'll tune them in for some background chatter due to its numerous shortcomings. On a rare occasion when not using an FMS managed descent, I'll contact them for vectors to final making sure they're not doing something illogical. Fsx ATC is not very well suited for an approach to an airport with high terrain around. They will fly you right into a mountain if you let them! LOL

 

 

That's mainly the reason I've nearly completely quit using ATC.

 

Me too.  Sometimes I listen to FSX ATC doing handling all the aircraft (I have a lot of AI on) and, if you think about it, they do the work pretty well...handling them one by one, getting them out and in  But, it's there's an awful lot to be desired in terms of altitude, heading, frequency ping pong, no sid/star and the occasional turn into a mountain.  I actually kind of like this idea of ignoring them for a while and just flying the flight plan.

(...), and eventually you'd get a traffic alert (about an aircraft that is 2000ft below your plane, at your 6 o'clock ), so not much of use, actually. That's mainly the reason I've nearly completely quit using ATC.

 

 

... even heading the opposite direction!!!

 

No sweat; I'd even shutdown RC completely before RC would evaluate my flying ...   :blush:

I stopped using default atc, I find it adds nothing to the simulation experience.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I am familiar with Radar Contact. Are there any other realistic ones out there?   Tom

I have RC.  In my opinion, it's not that much better overall when you consider what it doesn't do that FSX ATC does do.  I think the only realistic options are Pilot Edge if you fly in the southwest US or VATSIM or IVAO.  Typically, if I don't have one of those three I just depart VFR, fly my route and then get the ATIS and call the tower when established on final.  If the airports are IFR I either ignore ATC or (if I have AI turned on) create a short flightplan as I'm arriving to get a vector.