Is anyone else experiencing long approach to finals? For example, tonight, while approaching KBUF I was brought out to 62 miles, down to 2,200ft and cleared for the ILS. The vectors to approach took longer than the actual flight. I was almost over Trenton, Ontario.Does anyone know how to prevent this or know a work around it?

Don't know how to avoid it, but I sure wish I could. I hate that!KP

I accept the approach, stay at my desired altitude and heading, then when within normal distance call missed approach. If you are say,around 20-25 miles when you call missed, they will vector you normally.

Get Radar Contact 4 , and you won't have to put up with weird ATC anymore. I have flown about 12 flights with RC4 in just a few days and the ATC is amazing.

does it work on OFFline mode, or do you have to be online with Vatsim and such?thanks

Never accept the novice level Vectors to Final ILS approach.Always choose an approach with a transition.The default straight in approach is designed for the newbie who has never completed the lessons and does not know what an approach plate is or how to fly an approach.Or if you don't want to learn the very realistic procedures built in FS, you can spend your money on some very good products or fly on-line.The long finals are caused almost always by overcrowding the system with AI traffic. FS can accept five inbound aircraft to one runway at a time. By default FS will vector the aircraft to five separation points about 5-8 nm apart - straight out on the runway centerline from the FAF.When FS moves your aircraft or an AI aircraft from the enroute mode to the approach mode - the aircraft will be assigned the IAF altitude - which is too low for any aircraft except the first in the sequence.You cannot make easy changes to the AI aircraft behavior, but you can easily change the behavior of YOUR aircraft and the ATC directions.Choose an approach with a transition from the default GPS - ask for it - fly it.

>does it work on OFFline mode, or do you have to be online>with Vatsim and such?>>thanksIt works off line, any time, day and night with excellent ATC and tons of your own AI traffic to keep you company..I like Vatsim, but especially on weekdays , the following happens fairly frequently:1. No controllers within 500 miles2 No other aircraft on any airports or in flight3 A controller that logs out 10 minutes after I take off4. Only a ground controller at the destination airport. While I like the idea of the real life controller, I get more and more discouraged in the off hours, with flying with Vatsim. Once you fly with Vatsim, the idea of using FS9 ATC will drive you crazy. Now in comes Radar Contact 4. There are so many things going on in this program, it cranks up the realism of flying on FS9 by leaps and bounds. I was a little hesitant about getting it, since it has a rather lengthy owners manual, and I didn't feel like spending days and days of study before I could actually use the program. Well they have a quick start guide, and it will have you flying in about 10 minutes from installation of the program. From there you can learn as you go, with some excellent tutorials that are posted on their web site. I just print and read the tutorials and try out the new stuff on my nexty flight. It is very easy to control and you can even turn your plane over to the co-pilot, who will fly the aircraft and handle all communication while you go downstairs to make some coffee...How about flying into a field like Atlanta, and asking for a short approach in a 767 and getting it, or requesting another runway for takeoff or landing, or being able to change altitudes, or flying a SID or a STAR, or declaring and emergency and being vectored to the nearest suitable airport for your aircraft, getting the weather and arrival runway, while still miles from the airport.., not having aircraft try and pass you on the glideslope as you are flying the ILS, getting sensible vectors to an ILS, flying into a busy airport like KORD, and being flown around for spacing, before final vectors to the approach ( you are told that this is happening) , having ATC warn you about conflicting traffic... etc...etc.....Since I installed RC4, last saturday , I haven't even flown Vatsim. It is just like flying in the real ATC system. It is so easy to fire up RC4, see all my AI, talk to Clearance delivery, ground, tower, Departure Controller, Centers, back to Approach, Tower and Ground. You can even ask for a grade by ATC on how well you followed the ATC instructions.... I am on vacation this week and getting some work done on my home, and right after breakfast I am going to fly a couple of UPSVAC flights using RC4, like I have been doing since last Saturday. It is really addicting.....http://www.jdtllc.com/

I see you need a program capable of exporting a flightplan. Here is my problem, I usually get realworld flightplans off of FBOweb and just program the FMC of the particular aircraft I am flying and use that. Will I have a problem with RC 4. I dont see how I wont have a problem but I figure I would ask someone that has the program.Thanks

Other than getting RC4, which I just tried last night and is a breath of fresh air in terms of ATC, try this: when it's obvious that the FS ATC is doing weird things just go ahead and fly the published approach. Eventually I've found the ATC will catch up with you when it discovers you are on the proper approach and will suddenly clear you to intercept the localizer and contact tower. The down side is you have to ignore all those annoying "please expedite your turn...." calls. Mike

I've found that requesting the visual will get you vectored in much closer to the FAF. Much better than being sent to Birmingham while trying to land at Atlanta!

Radar Contact is the only way Im aware of, V4 which was just released is amazing. Ive been using it since 2002, and have wouldnt go without it.

You will need a flightplan in FS8/9 .pln format.There are some freeware planners that work such as NAV 3.1 and Super FlightPlanner. I use the payware version of FSBuild2.22 since it exports in both .pln and formats for some FMC company route imports such as PMDG 737/NG and 747. FSBuild can also connect to ASVe when it is running so winds aloft can be taken into account. Anyway with plans exported in FS9 and PMDG format I use them for the FMC and NAVLOGS from FSBuild and ASVe (winds aloft) and with RC4. I prefer FSBuild because it can run without FS running unlike FSNav. FSBuild can provide a rudimentary moving map in its own window outside FS but I never use it nor recommend it. There is an early no longer supported version of FSNaV 1.4 that is freeware. The point I'm making here is that using a planner with multiple export formats with compatible aircraft avoids redundancy.RC 4 does have short approach options for smaller aircraft. The normal not straight in approach is about 20 nm on final. If AI are active then RC will sync with that pattern. If not in IMC you can also go visual. You can also select a published approach and follow the plates. RC also allows NOTAM options for departure and arrival which allow you to depart from ATC instructions without nagging. It also does not cancel your IFR when you are naughty in any mode.Anyway, with the logs from ASVe and FSBuild I have what amounts to most of the data a dispatcher would issue to a pilot concerning the route including winds aloft and fuel requirements besides route nav info.For using US approach and departure plate data you can go here:http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/onlineproductsfor DPs, STARs, and IAPs of the current cycle.

One way to solve the AI clumping is to use the freeware AISmooth 1.12. It places AI aircraft into holding patterns and lets you define their seperation on final to allow you to merge.Since I do not use FS9 ATC so I do not know how AIS affects its sequencing and pattern calls to the user aircraft. I use it with RC4 which offers some closer in AI protection as well.

Hi guys,three little questions regarding RC 4:1. This is not just Text-ATC. You can hear it, eh?2. If you can hear it, is the default FS-Sound used or newly recorded ATC-Files?3. The performance issue: I assume that RC is an external program which runs in addition to FS itself in background? How big is the decrease in FS performance?Thanks for your answers.Regards, Roger

Hi Roger,The answer to your questions...1. Yes, spoken commands recorded by real people, not computer-generated voices.2. Newly recorded voice sets - 10 pilot voices, 18 controller voices and 10 Ai pilot voices.3. No measurable performance hit on my P4 3.0, 1Gb RAM, 9800 Pro system. It will also run across a network via WideFS.For more info click on the icon below or visit the Radar Contact forum here in AvSim.Cheers,