I have been using Radar Contact for over 10 years. It is recently after P3DV4 or FSUIPC 5 that Radar contact is not interfacing as it used to be with the terrain and Ai aircraft.

I have had landings instructions to use runways opposite to the ones Ai aircraft are using. Yesterday  I was approaching, Barcelona. The winds were calm. and Approach assign me to Rwy 25L as I was approaching the airport I could see that all traffic was departing in my direction. I requested a rwy change to Rwy 7R, and I was told by ATC that it could not be done because of traffic. I hit TOGA and requested the full ILS approach to RWY 7R. 

In past years RC use to detect when an aircraft entered the rwy and commanded a go around. That is no longer happening.

Another issue is that in the past week I have been vectored twice to approaches that put me right into mountains.

The first a flight from LSGG to LFMN, ATC commanded a descent to 7,000 feet when I still had to cross mountains that were about 10,000 in height.

In yesterday's flight (LSGG-LEBL) ATC vectored me north of Barcelona heading west, just a bit north of the foothills. It commanded a descent to 4000 feet and a turn to a SE heading, which put me about 100 feet over a mountain. 

In over 10 years of using RC this things were not happening. I have been updating the databases, but It looks like something new in Prepar3D or FSUPIC is not flowing smoothly to RC.

Is anybody experiencing this things? It would be shame, as I have been so happy with RC for such a long time. 

Regards

Juan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juan, light and variable winds do result in a bit of a lottery with runway choice. But I agree that RC4 should assign you to the same runway as Ai traffic. It’s unusual not to be granted your preferred runway. Regarding Go-Around instructions they still work. I had one the other week. What Ai package do you use?

Regarding being vectored into terrain the solution is to enable NOTAMS for the airport in question. You will be instructed to descend “if able”. The vertical watchdog is turned off when that option is selected. You then follow the MSA (Minimum Safe Altitude) for the arrival.

Clearly the RC4 code hasn’t changed but whether FSUIPC5 is responsible is a hard one to call. You should install the latest version released a couple of days ago as there were problems with P3D crashing when AIG Ai injected a high number of aircraft into the sim.

Edited July 30, 20196 yr by Ray Proudfoot

Hi Ray,
Thanks for your quick reply. Before the go around I asked for the runway 7R which is the one that was being used for the takeoffs. ATC replied that could not be assigned due to traffic.
So, somewhow ATC is not getting the information for the traffic departing. It does communicate correctly with the AI, as I can hear the interaction between ATC and the AI aircraft.
I don't have an AI traffic package. I download the actual flightplans from Alpha India Golf, and the liveries from different sites, and I compiled them with AIFP.
How do you enable the NOTAMS? Is that in the RC settings?
Regards,

Juan

Hi Juan. You can just request 7R again and it will eventually be granted. There is a random refuse factor built in to RC4.

I also use AIG OCI which is the user friendly version of what you have. Same result just using different ways of achieving it.

NOTAMS is in the dialogue where you enter your gate numbers and FL (from memory).

Hi Ray, I am lost on your comment regarding where the NOTAMS are. I am still using FlightSim Commander 9.6 as my basic flight planner, and I have no software on which I have to enter the Gate number.

Another unrelated question I have, is the fact that I have never in all the years I have been using RC, I have never been instructed to a holding pattern. I have changed the settings to Weather and On in the options menu, but still I have never gotten instructions to enter a holding pattern.

How is it done.

Thanks and Regards,

Juan

Juan, given you have been using RC4 for 10 years I'm surprised you're having these problems. All I have mentioned is in the manual.

Controller Info button  has the NOTAMS option for departing and arrival airports. It also has a space to enter Gate Number for both airports.

The software you use to plan your flights is not a factor. I use PFPX.

Holding is covered on P55. I've never had a Hold either but it doesn't bother me. You have to have comms though, not handed over to Otto. I believe from memory your final waypoint before Approach must be a VOR. No other type is accepted for the Hold option.

Thanks Ray,

I believe the issue with the holding is that not only the last waypont has to be a VOR, but it also has to be no more than 5 miles from the airport. 

In regards to the flight planner, I am also going to change to PFPX as FSCommander is having issues updating afcads for airports  added using the xml way.

Regards

Juan

Hi Juan,

That rings a bell. In that case no wonder holds are never issued. That would involve holding virtually over the airport. The holds for UK airports are many miles away. Probably the same elsewhere too.

I've had PFPX for years and the Navigraph updates don't cause any problems.

 

My memory may be a bit shaky as I haven't simmed, and hence haven't used RC, for some years, but I think that even though the VOR must be close to the destination, you are instructed to hold 40 nm from the VOR.

In case you're wondering - I'm just spending some time here whilst waiting for more info on the next MFS, in case it might tempt me back to simming.