Runways

[gfd 15]

Greetings

 

I am testing VoxATC. I would like to know if there is any official, or unofficial, method of restricting runway use. An example:

 

At CYVR, the wind direction of 150, favours the use of runway 12. This runway is a crosswind runway and is typically not used for airline traffic departures. Vox stated 12 was active in the ATIS and assigned me that runway. I had the option of requesting a different runway 8R (very good!); but all of the AI was being routed to 12. I checked a live ATC site and CYVR was using 8R.

 

Is there a way to tell Vox not to assign certain runways for takeoff or landing? I don't see anything in the manual, but I could have missed it.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Graham

[mhlarsen 2]

Greetings

 

I am testing VoxATC. I would like to know if there is any official, or unofficial, method of restricting runway use. An example:

 

At CYVR, the wind direction of 150, favours the use of runway 12. This runway is a crosswind runway and is typically not used for airline traffic departures. Vox stated 12 was active in the ATIS and assigned me that runway. I had the option of requesting a different runway 8R (very good!); but all of the AI was being routed to 12. I checked a live ATC site and CYVR was using 8R.

 

Is there a way to tell Vox not to assign certain runways for takeoff or landing? I don't see anything in the manual, but I could have missed it.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Graham

 

VoxATC is just using the available runways that FSX is passing on.

 

A solution to this would mean setting up every airport on the globe for whatever runways are in use at the given wind conditions. Not that easy to do.

An alternative would be for users of VoxATC to include their own template file for any specific airport that VoxATC then could read and react to.

Would be a nice feature for VoxATC.

[gfd 15]

Thanks for the reply Michael. I was thinking about airport options that would allow a user to designate an airport runway as take off, landing, or neither; much the same as you have suggested (the default being both). I hope I didn't put words in your mouth. That would seem to be the simplest solution.

 

Graham

[ckovoor 1]

Hello,

It is possible to use ADE or AFX to edit the airport "AFCAD" to open/close individual runways for take-off/landing.

I have done this at several airports and the AI follows the restrictions imposed.

Regards,

Chakko.

[jer029 3]

I also do as Chakko - change runways in ADE so that all AI traffic (including Voxatc controlled) will not use certain runways.  I did this particularly with PAJN that has default of AI doing ILS landing along mountain approach where this is no ILS as far as I understand.

 

Original post is correct though - when selecting other option you end up flying head-on into ai aircraft, since it appears that Vox loses all control of AI traffic control when you select another runway.  This is too bad because Vox does a very good job controlling ground AI - and even making landing AI go-around while you are taking off or landing on the originally assigned Vox runway.

 

John

[gfd 15]

Thanks for the replies. I thought about learning to close runways using an aircraft editor. That would add another layer of complexity. My hat's off to you.

 

Is closing a runway very difficult using ADE? Are there any side effects? If it is a quick fix, it could be part of the flight preparation routine. I am saying this as one may wish to reopen a runway in a given set of circumstances.

 

There are a number of addon products available that will allow the user to define runway use by airport. Therefore I'm guessing that it is doable. And given that Vox controls the traffic, all the ducks would be in a row.

 

Anyone know if the product's author monitors this forum regularly? If yes, hopefully he'll see the post. If not, perhaps I'll send him an email.

 

Graham

[jer029 3]

Yes - relatively easy.  Installing it is the more difficult than using it - you need to have some FSX SDK stuff (from your disk, but probably available from various sites).  Follow the install and it isn't too hard.  The interface is all graphic and very easy to use once installed.  Besides setting various runway takeoff and landing options I use it to adjust runway numbering when they change, radio frequency changes, etc. so that they match the navigraph stuff.

[gfd 15]

Thanks jer029. I took a chance and installed Airport Design Editor. I already had the FSX SDK installed for other purposes. I have to say that my hat goes off to the developer. Software is free. Manual is excellent. Support on the forum is first rate. I had only thought of modifying takeoff and landing options. But you are certainly correct. Updating runway numbers and frequencies...excellent. Save or rename the original. Create a modified bgl. Best of both worlds!

 

Now that I have totally abused your good nature, let's say you have an addon version of an airport. Do you modify the options on both, or just the airport with the highest priority.

 

Thanks

Graham

[jer029 3]

Hey Graham,

 

That's an area I'm no expert on - and there are various posts on forums that give more detailed answers.  For me, I load the airport that I want to change and compile it to the addon scenery folder.  It is my understanding that this folder can be used without needing to alter your library settings in FSX, as it has priority over all other files.  Therefore - even scenery like orbx airports, I open their airports from their folder but compile back to the addon scenery folder.  That way I always have the original in the original place, yet my changes in the addon folder.  I had tried putting the updated one back into the folder it came from - but then I started to lose track of where my changed airports were because I named them the same as the orbx file I was replacing.

 

For my simple airport changes this seems to work - but others will likely have better ideas and explanations.

 

John

[mhlarsen 2]

Thanks jer029. I took a chance and installed Airport Design Editor. I already had the FSX SDK installed for other purposes. I have to say that my hat goes off to the developer. Software is free. Manual is excellent. Support on the forum is first rate. I had only thought of modifying takeoff and landing options. But you are certainly correct. Updating runway numbers and frequencies...excellent. Save or rename the original. Create a modified bgl. Best of both worlds!

 

Now that I have totally abused your good nature, let's say you have an addon version of an airport. Do you modify the options on both, or just the airport with the highest priority.

 

Thanks

Graham

 

Yes you modify the airport version with highest priority in the scenery library.

[gfd 15]

Thanks for the reply Michael. I shut off crosswind runway for takeoffs and Vox complied.

 

Graham