FSX ATC

[paulh1 0]

As we all know FSX ATC is very basic and out dated.

 

However early arrival information is helpful in determining runway selection for landing.

 

FSX ATC will not give you access to tower or ATIS until you are very close ie  20-30 miles at best.

 

I believe that when you can select your airport from the ATC (nearest airport menu) you probably cannot contact ATIS or Tower by radio frequency.

 

Why FSX stops radio contact up until this final position I have no idea.

 

Does anyone know how I can contact atis or tower at an earlier time (say 60 miles out) or obtain rwy info so that earlier preparation and FMC set up is possible.

 

Regards  Paul

 

 

[Humberside 6]

Paul,

 

Do you use active sky? If so, you can load a flight plan and then tune 122.02 and gain ATIS for the arrival airport.

 

Joe

[Orlaam 306]

Paul,

 

Do you use active sky? If so, you can load a flight plan and then tune 122.02 and gain ATIS for the arrival airport.

 

Joe

This isn't always helpful because FSX will often give a wrong runway despite the winds. Especially when the airport has multiple crossing runways. It's not always straight forward. It is nice to have the weather info though. Personally I use an app that gives the real world weather which is the same as what ASN gives you. And aside from active sky, FSX usually gives default ATIS about 60 miles out, so I'm unsure why you aren't getting it sooner. I think real world is sometimes more like 90 miles. Still makes planning arrivals tough since knowing the active runway determines how soon to start the descent.

[Humberside 6]

 

 

This isn't always helpful because FSX will often give a wrong runway despite the winds.

 

I can only speak from my experience, which is I find the method I use to work 99% of the time. But then I also have Topcat and PFPX which also gives me an idea on the arrival, as well as real world flying experience.

[kevinh 409]

FSX doesn't stop you contacting ATIS before you are close to the destination. If you check the airport chart you should be able to see the ATIS frequency. You can always manually tune it. The only problem comes if the FSX ATIS frequency is not current, which is more than a possibility. I don't tune ATIS and use ASN current conditions to get the weather conditions. Any weather program should be able to give that information in some form or other..

 

As for having to wait until the nearest airport list shows your destination, if you file an IFR flight you will be handed over to the destination airport well before that. If the runway FSX ATC assigns isn't appropriate then just ignore it and land where you feel is best.

[BrianW 124]

I use the ASN Flight Watch feature too. If you load a flightplan into ASN you can also get the forecast weather info for the destination at any time during the flight based on TAFs (Terminal Area Forecasts) .  TAFs are important because they will tell you what the winds are forecast to be at the time of your arrival unlike METARs which are only a current snapshot. In some cases (like a frontal passage) the wind can vary up to 180 degrees between METARs so knowing the forecast can also help your runway planning.  

 

[SteveW 1,792]

If FSX ATC is confused about the runways it might not have received the proper information at the right time when the flight starts, check the weather engine documentation. Or maybe something to do with the airport maybe the AI package. Overall, I'd say FSX ATC is 99% ultra precise about the runways in use.

[SteveW 1,792]

Another consideration is that the sim works with a radius of around 70 miles about the user aircraft, called the reality bubble. Anything outside that may not be considered. Depending on the weather engine type, the weather "effect" can extend up to 300 Nm if using the metar injection. Weather engines using the legacy weather themes engine may not have that range and ATC not updated. Then come into range with slightly later weather. Very small changes can alter the ATC runway selection.

[pcubine 143]

 

 

Very small changes can alter the ATC runway selection.

Like 2 degrees. Consider a runway heading of 360/180 degrees. If the wind is 276/8, FSX uses 36. If the wind is 274/8, FSX uses 18. No airport is going to changes runways like FSX does. Like Kevin Hall wrote "If the runway FSX ATC assigns isn't appropriate then just ignore it and land where you feel is best."

[Orlaam 306]

I can only speak from my experience, which is I find the method I use to work 99% of the time. But then I also have Topcat and PFPX which also gives me an idea on the arrival, as well as real world flying experience.

 

 

I'd agree, however, a while back I did a flight to KEWR and winds favored runways 4 the whole time.  Then when I got to the airport I find out that 22 is in use.  Kinda annoying.  This was with ASN and forced winds checked

[SteveW 1,792]

Like 2 degrees.

Like 1 degree and 1NM Gust or 1NM winds, 1m in location of runway with respect to your ramp taxi distance, and so on. But these are for when initialising the ATC/AI and it won't swap runways around for little changes after that and with planes landing taking off. Must be some other issue...

[por930 51]

Wen you have AI working at fairly high rates, then pretty important to work out the active runway, otherwise, landing into departing traffic a bit disconcerting. I use ASN ATIS, which most times selects the active runway.

[tf51d 284]

If you file an IFR flightplan ATC will give you your initial clearance and expected landing runway (With the option to request another) about 70nm out.

[Orlaam 306]

If you file an IFR flightplan ATC will give you your initial clearance and expected landing runway (With the option to request another) about 70nm out.

 

Yeah, except ATC won't let you descend on time.  Even requests for early descent are delayed, and selecting a transition waypoint (IAF), won't let you descend properly, unless you're ok heading 30 miles downwind.

[kevinh 409]

Yeah, except ATC won't let you descend on time. Even requests for early descent are delayed, and selecting a transition waypoint (IAF), won't let you descend properly, unless you're ok heading 30 miles downwind.

I always ignore FSX ATC during descent. I just acknowledge it. Once you start the approach it usually comes to its senses and gives you landing clearance.

 

It's worst of all for a go-around. You get vectors all over the place. Sometimes away from the airport and then it forgets you need to land. Just ignore it, vector yourself back to approach.