Long SIDs and RC4

[el_kab0ng 29]

I noticed today when flying out of Denver using a real world flight plan (KDEN STAKR3 PYPER PNH J17 ABI DILLO LAIKS1 KAUS), that RC4 doesn't seem to like it when SIDs are longer than 30NM in distance. I was getting barked at by RC4 well before I was able to get on track to PYPER. Is there a way to configure RC4 to honor SIDs that are longer than 30NM? I've set the alt restrictions flag like I always do, so I'm not sure if there's another location to tweak the distance before barking or not.

 

Thoughts?

[ronzie 21]

Are you including all of the SID waypoints outside of 30 nm in the plan sent to RC? Alt-Restrictions just turns of RC vectoring within 30 nm. Waypoints outside of 30 nm are monitored by Center and treated as enroute. RC itself has no SID or STAR database.

 

Maybe some ideas in what I wrote in the following "paper" might help:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/owuz7p2ohx7y7st/fsb%20tips%20and%20update.pdf?dl=0

[el_kab0ng 29]

Let me see if I can better articulate how I usually fly with RC4 based on things I've learned here:

 

When I load a flight plan within RC4 which includes SIDs and STARs, I usually leave the SID off (I do include the way points to the STAR since RC4 will typically vector me before the STAR is completed) and then turn on alt restrictions so that ATC ignores the waypoints within the SID (in case runway changes force me to use another SID). This works 99% of the time, but I noticed that with the STAKR3 SID out of Denver, it went outside of the 30NM radius and RC4 kept telling me I was off my filed flight plan. To be fair, the STAKR3 SID has a total distance of 127NM before hitting the first waypoint RC4 is aware of (PYPER). With that said, is the 30NM radius configurable, or is this just an unusual case and ignoring RC4 in this instance is appropriate?

[ronzie 21]

The departure zone of 30 nm out is fixed and not adjustable.

 

Please review page 108 and vicinity in the rcv43.pdf manual (available from the documentation segment of jdtllc.com). Also check out page 43 about NOTAMS in the departure phase and continuing the Center until you advise on course.

 

With the two choices of altitude restrictions and no altitude restrictions RC does not monitor your lateral navigation. It is up to you to navigate to cross the first waypoint outside of 30 nm where monitoring starts as you are now in Center ATC phase unless you chose a NOTAMS departure (in the controller tab of RC preflight).

 

As outlined in the paper I referred to I send one plan to RC and another for the aircraft navigation if the aircraft has a navigation database capability of AIRAC terminal data. The FSBuild planner I use allows you to "export plans from the route waypoint grid" so I can choose certain waypoints for each plan version.

 

Departure and Destination Radar coverage do not necessarily include the full range of a DP/SID or STAR waypoints. Center will include these outside of the RC departure and approach zones. If you listen to real world ATC  ( http://www.liveatc.net ) you'll see handoffs to Departure to Center before a SID is completed with Center continuing to monitor the plan. If you look at the log of a real world flight on flightaware.com you'll see the ATC jurisiction for waypoints throughout an FAA flight area.

 

I suggest reading the tutorials which cover situations you are describing and how the RC options can be applied.