I've noticed recently on longer flights that RC4 will skip a waypoint.  My FMS or GPS shows I've hit them, along with my FSC9, but RC4 will be stuck on a waypoint and show an ever increasing distance from it.  I sometimes won't notice it until about mid-decent, when the controller starts telling me I'm off course and to take a heading to the missed waypoint.  Any way to prevent this or to tell the controller I didn't miss the waypoint?  He gets pretty insistent that I'm off course when I'm not.

You can "Request Direct" to the next waypoint. Use the 9 key to scroll to the next window until you see Req Dkt (I think that's it, I'm not looking at it just now) When ATC responds ask for the next waypoint by using the corresponding # key. Check page 188 of the manual. Their are a couple of tutorials in the manual that discuss this.

 

 

I've noticed recently on longer flights that RC4 will skip a waypoint. My FMS or GPS shows I've hit them, along with my FSC9, but RC4 will be stuck on a waypoint and show an ever increasing distance from it.

 

This can happen if you delay a response when you're very close to a waypoint. By the time you do respond and RC acks it won't have credited you with passing that waypoint. It can also occur if there's a lot of Ai in your area and RC is talking to them.

 

And as Joe points out you can also request Direct To using 9 then 1.

In departure and approach phases you get a tolerance diameter of two nm to cross a waypoint. Enroute you get five nm.

 

Is your GPS using the same waypoint coordinates from the same .pln file sent to RC? If you are in a STAR descent or SID departure, and your navigation device has its own internal database, the waypoints must agree with those sent in the .pln to RC.

 

Take advantage of the option in RC of the Checkpoint Ding where you'll hear a chime when you get credit. Keep an eye on the RC in flight status window to check the waypoint progression and course to the next waypoint.

 

Another cause for an aircraft missing a waypoint (by RC tolerance) is in some aircraft that implements predictive turns and has bank limitation selection. Depending on the change in course and speed they can turn with the turning path outside of that tolerance usually from starting a turn too soon.

 

To have RC skip a waypoint if you missed it go to the extended menu (9) by default and choose Direct Waypoint and select it. From your present position navigate to that waypoint. Do not return to your original path until you cross your selected waypoint.

 

Also do not confuse a missed waypoint with missing an altitude crossing restriction. If you miss 11,000 feet or FL110, or 12,000 feet or FL120 - restriction depends on arrival path to destination - at about 40 nm out, you'll get delay vectors until you attain the correct altitude to proceed.

Thanks, folks.  Some info I can use.  The interesting thing about the past two times it happened is I was at cruise altitude and flying essentially a straight line through several waypoints.  Not much AI going on, no turns, and pretty quiet from the controller.  Should have been within the 5 nm enroute circle.  I've noticed when I miss a waypoint on climb or descent the controller is on me almost immediately.  In the past two cases for me, I was over 1000 nm from the waypoint (and had passed through several others) before the controller started complaining about it.

RC will stall if you do not ack an ATC message promptly when near a waypoint. You will not then get credit for it nor any response for a long time.

 

Did you see the RC status next waypoint change when you crossed it? That is an indication that RC is still working.

 

The other off course message has to do with the heading check that RC thinks you need to use. This can happen with long legs because RC uses a different type of geometry than either FS9 uses or FSX. FS9 uses a flat world model and FSX uses a spheroid model.

 

Increase your allowed heading deviation about 10 degrees above default and between waypoints keep it below 300 nm if possible.

 

Within a couple of nm of a waypoint your RC waypoint status should change before or after your navigation next waypoint changes to keep things in sync.

 

Keep referring to the RC status window to insure it all comes together within a short time.