Is this a weather issue or something else?

[Dragonmount 5]

I was told to expect vectors to runway 15, and normally they are spot on, but today, RC4 just gave me one heading, and never gave me another, and just completely forgot about my aircraft, I am wondering if I did something to confuse RC4, or if its a weather issue, or  what? I'm way out over the ocean when I should have been told to turn 5-10 minutes ago.

[ronzie 21]

First, make sure you have acknowledged all RC commands and followed. RC will stall if an ack is outstanding.

 

A bit more description such as replying with you .pln pasted in and the runway you were assigned.

 

Did the copilot have the coms? By this time you must have been flying the aircraft.

 

If you can repeat this and follow the same route but with a closer origin, turn on debug before loading the plan and let us see if the problem can be captured. If the problem occurs alt-tab to the full RC window and hit quit (was the start button) so RC will properly close and keep the log. This avoids RC hanging and losing a log when closed with the task manager.

 

We have seen intermittent reports of this with near straight in approaches on a short final segment. Was this the case?

[Dragonmount 5]

I will try the same flight again today, and try to do everything the same way I did it. RC4 kept talking to other aircraft, but never got back to mine, is that what happens when it stalls?

[ronzie 21]

I will try the same flight again today, and try to do everything the same way I did it. RC4 kept talking to other aircraft, but never got back to mine, is that what happens when it stalls?

 

I'm not sure. Are you running the prerecorded chatter option? It is not recommended as it causes confusion and slows performance.

[Dragonmount 5]

Only AI chatter.

[ronzie 21]

What was your route?

[Dragonmount 5]

KGSP to KCHS,

[ronzie 21]

I got the (Free FAA) charts from:

http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/KCHS/ALL/all/pdf

 

Look at the RWY 15 ILS approach chart, LUTHR is the IAF intercept.

 

Here's the route I used:

KGSP SPA.OSPRI3 KCHS

 

and the STAR expansion and route image:

 

 

 

While the instructions for landing on RWY 15 indicate no vectors (See the OSPRI3 chart and instructions as part of the downloaded bundle linked above) RC would issue vectors right after TRTLS unless you requested an IAP to do your own navigation.  (The FL240 in the route image might be a crossing restriction in the AIRAC for that airport. RC will disregard that altitude and use its descent from your chosen cruise for this 192 nm flight.)

 

For RC vectors if you had TRTLS in your plan I would guess you would get a vector of about 110 degrees from TRTLS to intercept just after LUTHR closer to MAMAE. That would be about forty degree intercept.

 

Occasionally on a straight in there has been a problem.

 

What  I suggest is flying this plan I have below. You can paste in the FSX or FS9 version. Turn on debug in RC  and load the plan and fly it choosing your altitude. Turn off AI in FS and use the clear weather theme with no weather app running. When RC APPR states to expect a runway request runway 15. This should make the flight conditions repeatable. If RC hangs then alt-tab to the RC window and click the QUIT button to properly close it and save the log to send in.

 

FSX plan to paste into a text editor (notepad) and save as a text file and make sure the extension is .pln, putting in your FSX .pln folder under your documents.

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<SimBase.Document Type="AceXML" version="1,0">
    <Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>
    <FlightPlan.FlightPlan>
        <Title>KGSP to KCHS</Title>
        <FPType>IFR</FPType>
        <RouteType>HighAlt</RouteType>
        <CruisingAlt>17000</CruisingAlt>
        <DepartureID>KGSP</DepartureID>
        <DepartureLLA>N34° 53' 44.00" , W82° 13' 07.00",</DepartureLLA>
        <DestinationID>KCHS</DestinationID>
        <DestinationLLA>N32° 53' 55.00" , W80° 02' 25.00",</DestinationLLA>
        <Descr>KGSP, KCHS</Descr>
        <DeparturePosition>04</DeparturePosition>
        <DepartureName>GREER/GREENVILLE_SPARTANBURG_I</DepartureName>
        <DestinationName>CHARLESTON_AFB/INTL</DestinationName>
        <AppVersion>
            <AppVersionMajor>10</AppVersionMajor>
            <AppVersionBuild>60905</AppVersionBuild>
        </AppVersion>
        <ATCWaypoint id="KGSP">
             <ATCWaypointType>Airport</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N34° 53' 44.00",W82° 13' 07.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>KGSP</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="SPA">
             <ATCWaypointType>VOR</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N35° 02' 01.00",W81° 55' 37.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>SPA</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="STANP">
             <ATCWaypointType>Intersection</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N34° 18' 15.00",W81° 24' 42.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>STANP</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="NINJA">
             <ATCWaypointType>Intersection</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N33° 17' 27.00",W80° 42' 46.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>NINJA</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="TRTLS">
             <ATCWaypointType>Intersection</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N33° 13' 58.00",W80° 40' 24.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>TRTLS</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="OSPRI">
             <ATCWaypointType>Intersection</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N33° 08' 10.00",W80° 23' 18.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>OSPRI</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="LUTHR">
             <ATCWaypointType>Intersection</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N33° 08' 04.00",W80° 12' 59.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>LUTHR</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
        <ATCWaypoint id="KCHS">
             <ATCWaypointType>Airport</ATCWaypointType>
             <WorldPosition>N32° 53' 55.00",W80° 02' 25.00",</WorldPosition>
             <ICAO>
                 <ICAOIdent>KCHS</ICAOIdent>
             </ICAO>
        </ATCWaypoint>
    </FlightPlan.FlightPlan>
</SimBase.Document>
 

 

and if you need for FS9:

 

[flightplan]
title=KGSP to KCHS
description=KGSP, KCHS
type=IFR
routetype=3
cruising_altitude=17000
departure_id=KGSP, N34* 53.44', W082* 13.07',+000964.00
departure_position=04
destination_id=KCHS, N32* 53.55', W080* 02.25',+000046.00
departure_name=GREER/GREENVILLE_SPARTANBURG_I
destination_name=CHARLESTON_AFB/INTL
waypoint.0=KGSP, A, N34* 53.44', W082* 13.07', +000000.00,
waypoint.1=SPA, V, N35* 02.01', W081* 55.37', +000000.00,
waypoint.2=STANP, I, N34* 18.15', W081* 24.42', +000000.00,
waypoint.3=NINJA, I, N33* 17.27', W080* 42.46', +000000.00,
waypoint.4=TRTLS, I, N33* 13.58', W080* 40.24', +000000.00,
waypoint.5=OSPRI, I, N33* 08.10', W080* 23.18', +000000.00,
waypoint.6=LUTHR, I, N33* 08.04', W080* 12.59', +000000.00,
waypoint.7=KCHS, A, N32* 53.55', W080* 02.25', +000000.00,
 

Not knowing your actual plan RC might have gone further SE and then gave you a two leg base intercept. If you got the one intercept vector then you would not have heard from RC until you intercepted the ILS turning on final and started your descent at which point you would be told to contact tower.

 

My best guess.

 

 

There are no SIDs (DPs) for KGSP but SPA, the transition for the OSPRI3 STAR is just a few mile NE.

 

Also, your crossing restriction of 11,000 or 12,000 feet would be just before TRTLS.