I'm an fs2002 flyer, not clueless but no expert either. Filed an IFR flight plan from Page AZ to Albuquerque NM and took off for a climb to 21000 in my Baron 58. Normal instructions along the way. I'm on an instructed descent as I approach KABQ when it begins snowing. This was a surprise to me since date setting was mid-summer, but maybe it's picking up weather associated with the flightplan I created a week or so ago.I'm asked if the airport is in sight, which it isn't, so I peek at my GPS to see which direction I should be looking. The tower frequency is full of chatter & I can't respond that it still ain't in sight (running at normal simulation speed, not 4x or anything). With no break in chatter, I'm given a visual approach clearance on runway 26 but still can't respond. Pretty soon I *do* see the airport, but I'm clearly missing it. Finally chatter dies down & I punch in a missed approach.I'm vectored to climb to 7900, heading 065, which after a few minutes I see is pointing me into a mountain range. I turn my heading northward to maybe 025 but control whines about my heading. I turn back to 065 and start to climb over the oncoming mountain range, but control whines again. OK, I say, maybe I'm too green to judge the distance, so I stick it at 7900 & 065. Moments later I've crashed into the mountain range.So, my questions are...* Is it normal to get snow when the season is set to mid-summer? If so, do I need to suppress a weather setting or something?* Does it often happen that the tower radio frequency is jammed to the point where you can't respond to instructions while on a low-viz approach?* Does fs2002 control vector airplanes into mountainsides often?

Yup don't even think FS2002 took mountains into account when vectoring aircraft. I think FS2004 does, at least to some extent.

>>>>Yup don't even think FS2002 took mountains into account when vectoring aircraft. I think FS2004 does, at least to some extent.I wonder if there's a twisted intelligence at work here inside the machine as the sim tries to clear out all the non a.i. planes and just be left with the ones it controls itself. No, Hal, now don't be naughty.'Course it also flies a.i. planes into the hills as well so maybe it wanted to be an accountancy program.Andy.

Its an opportunity to display some airmanship, One of the hardest things is maintaining situational awareness when being vectored in RL. Rather than sitting there fat dumb and happy, why not keep tabs on your position, especially your position relative to the field and try and spot if you are in danger of being vectored into terrain. The two most useful charts in this regard are the Radar Vectoring chart for the airport and the specific approach plate.

I use FS2002, and I'm pretty certain that FS2002 does vector you around mountains :). A few months ago I was flying a 737-400 (FFX version) and ATC vectored me around the mountains approaching Mexico City! (See pic for proof!)http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/112988.jpgI got the distinct feeling that ATC was aware of the terrain! I have also noticed it very clearly at TTPP (Piarco), when approaching from the North. It probably works better in FS2004, though ;)

RC.JimCYWG

I put FS2k2 ATC down as a 'brave first attempt' by the programers. And never use it. After being vectored straight into a mountain once too often I switched to VATSIM and have never looked back!http://online.vatsimindicators.net/916312/3.png

Here, I'll give a go at the weather question since no one has said anything about that yet. Let me start out by saying that I am originally from Colorado and in the real world I have seen snow in August at high altitude so it is possible. I get the feeling that around ABQ it probably is not realistic though. :-) Ok, you can set your season to summer but then if you use a weather file that includes snow you will get snow. Sad, now I do not remember if FS2002 had weather downloads or not. I do know that it does not matter what season you set, the weather you create or download will not pay attention to what season you have entered, at least to my knowledge. If you want to fly in the summer and you have a winter like weather file you can always change the weather settings yourself to more closely match the season you want to fly in, or just create the conditions yourself. I hope that this helps you in some way.Philip Olsonhttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/supporter.jpg

RC? :-hmmm

Thanks for the replies.MD83, glad to know fs2002 does avoid mountains around Mexico City, but I can tell you for sure that it sent me right into the range east of ABQ. Maybe it's a missed-approach problem.I've also noticed that during flight planning if I lower the recommended altitude without paying attention to mountains in the area, ATC will happily vector me right into the mountainsides - but I guess that's my own dumb fault :)