I am making Kotzebue PAOT for FS9, which does not have a control tower, and I have noticed that AI aircraft seem to prefer the east-west asphalt runway to the north-south gravel one, even when the wind is 16 knots from the north. In fact "seem" is an understatement, they fly as if there is only one runway. To head off the inevitable question, I have checked and both runways and all taxiways are connected and there is nothing preventing them using the gravel runway. Is this normal? I think it is the first time I have made an airfield that has the two surfaces plus adequate runway lengths for both.

Runway surfaces do not influence AI behavior but wind direction certainly does. However, you cannot just change a wind direction at any airport and expect it to stay that way. Wind directions are never related directly to any airport. Here's what you can do:

 

Change the wind direction (and weather, parking position, etc.) at your airport but then save your flight at that airport. The wind direction and many other aspects, will be saved and will automatically become active when you have shut down FS9, re-opened it and have re-opened that same saved flight. Your AIs will then behave according to your (new) wind direction.

 

The same applies when you open a pre-planned and pre-saved ATC controlled flight at a departure airport with your named airport as it's destination. Open your flight at your departure airport, change the wind direction at your destination airport and then (re-)save your flight at the departure airport. In this case the wind direction at your destination airport will be saved and AIs will be behaving accordingly by the time you arrive there. However, please be advised that FS9 cannot save wind directions at your departure airport AND at your destination airport.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Good luck

Hans

 

Tom Gibson solved it on flightsim. It is because of the ILS!?!