Hi Dave

Infinite loop with ATC handing me off to approach from center in an endless loop

Sequence of events

• I was flying a GA IFR into Nelson NZNS in New Zealand from Stratford NZSD.
• I created a flightplan in P2A and hit Autoplan.
• P2A added an approach for the flight.
• I took off from Stratford which is uncontrolled.
• No frequencies available on the ground so I take off on Multicom freq.
• Climbing out I contact centre and ask for IFR clearance which they give me
• I get instructions everything is fine including handoffs etc
• At around 16:00 On TOD center wants me to contact Nelson approach in an unstoppable infinite loop.
• I had to disconnect and reconnect to stop the controller repeating the same message over and over. 
• then manually ask for a visual into the airport from approach which they give me
• but they don't hand me off to the tower as I arrive on final

Please find attached logs and flightplan. Note that the infinite loop happens at around 16:00.

Link to logs:

Logs_p2A_glider1_24062018.zip

Thanks for your help.

Glider1

I believe the newly released 2504R2 should fix this problem.  It was not fixed in the beta version you have.

Dave

I'm confused Dave. I downloaded it as an update from your website yesterday about 12 hours ago.

There was a packaging error, so the 2505b1, which was not supposed to be released at all because it had known issues, was packaged as 2504R2.

I have now uploaded 2504R3 which is the correct code and should work.

Sorry for the trouble.

Dave

Hi Dave sorry to be a pain but this problem is back again for me on 2.5.0.4.x64.R3.

Here is a link to the log:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7qg6ie1kc67sk8h/P2A_2018_Trace_File1.log?dl=0

It could be because I flew out of Norfolk Island NSW Australia which is uncontrolled after filing an IFR plan. I was hoping to contact center once in the air.

Your software doesn't list center frequencies (I wish it would!) so I was flying blind for frequencies until approach turned up in the list for NWWE. No center frequencies worked not even official frequencies and not even the ones displayed in the taxi monitor.

In order to find out if center is live I pretty much always start up by giving them my callsign and my altitude and wait for them to acknowledge. I also listen for background chatter which is a good indicator that the frequency is live.

So I gave up on center and contacted NWWE approach but forgot to get IFR clearance from them. Approach didn't seem to care and immediately started giving me IFR directions which I found very strange (there is a bug like that in PF3 as well).

But then they handed me off to another approach and that is when the infinite loop started.....

At 16:42 in the log you start to see dozens of Trigger:ReachedArrivalSetup.

I eventually had to disconnect, reconnect and refile my plan.

Thankfully, I could contact approach and they carried on vectoring me in which allowed me to complete the flight successfully.

But having to reconnect is a pain in the a... especially with a VR headset on.

Could you take a look at the log please dave especially from 16:42 onwards?

Sorry for the long post I realise you are very busy.

Cheers, Glider 

Someone else had a similar issue and I'm investigating.  Will get it fixed for the next release.

Thanks for the report and log.  They should help in finding the problem.

Dave

In testing the YSNF-NWWE route, I found that you can contact UNICOM and request IFR Clearance.  They will tell you to contact center and give you the Center Frequency that works.

Honda One Victor Bravo Ready to Copy IFR Clearance; 

Honda One Victor Bravo After airborne, Request IFR Clearance and Release from Center on One Two Four Point Three,  goodday 

After airborne I contacted center, got clearance, squawk code and assigned altitude and all proceeded normally from there.

Still investigating the multiple Approach Ctlr assignments.

Dave

Thanks Dave. What about airports where there isn't even UNICOM? How do I find a center frequency that works either on the ground or in the air? Australia is full of long dirt airstrips that have no services at all with vast distances between them. Normally I'd look it up on a chart but in P2A I can't be sure the frequency is live unless it is in the frequency list.

Thanks, Harry

I have added the Center Controllers to the Info panel and the Freq list so you will be able to dial in Center freq at such airports and get clearance on the ground and then IFR Release when ready for departure.

This will be available in the next version - 2505.

Dave