Contact approach whilst on departure.

[Benbo 53]

Ray,

Yes file is copied over,will test this evening LFPG to ENBR,i will keep you informed.

Gary.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Gary, 3 days on and I haven’t heard from you. Do I take it my last suggestion worked?

[Benbo 53]

Hi Ray,

Sorry not got back to you sooner but with work etc i have not had a chance to test it.

I will get a flight done over the weekend and report back to you,thanks for the help

on the matter.

Gary.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Good man. 👍

[Benbo 53]

Ray,

Just completed a short flight LFPG to EGCC,2 of my problem airports without any

issue whatsoever,think the problem is finally resolved all thanks to you.

Would just like to ask for some advice on the NOTAMS option at the arrival airport.

I did a flight a few weeks back into LIMC and was instructed to comence my decent

90 before TOD was showing in the MCDU,i had to decline the offer because i would have 

ended up buried in the Alps.I was not getting the turn heading or decend to when able

until i was in the area of the airport.

 

Gary.

 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Hi Gary,

Good news. 👍 Regarding NOTAMS you should have enabled it for LIMC. There are mountains to the north that require you to keep to a Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA). What happens in RC when that option is selected is you will be instructed to descent if able.

That last bit is the critical part. You won't be told off for not descending but will still be expected to be at FL110/FL120 40 miles out.

If you have a CDU it helps to enter the 40nm waypoint into it and set the altitude accordingly. When RC wants me to start down earlier than the CDU just enter a descent rate of 200fpm - the minimum to keep RC4 happy. Then descent in line with the CDU when appropriate.

[Benbo 53]

Thanks for that Ray,what i usually do is put a 40 mile radius ring around the airport.

The only reason i asked the question was that i had the NOTAMS ticked for LIMC

but was still getting asked to decend to altitudes that would put me in the side of 

a mountain,plus i wasnt getting the if able call at all during the decent.only when i

was in the vicinity of the airport.

 

Gary.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Gary,

You won’t get “if able” at all altitudes, just once you get to Approach. We’re those instructions outside the 40nm radius?

RC knows there is high ground at the airport but not its direction. That was planned for v5 which sadly never came to fruition.

[Benbo 53]

Ray,

Yeah is was outside the 40 mile radius,i suppose that answers my question.

I will just have to manually manage my decent outside that radius and ignore

the request to decend to FL120 in a mountainous region and take the slap

on the wrist lol.Once again Ray thanks for all your help and advice its very

much appreciated.Keep up the good work.

 

Gary.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

You’re welcome Gary. Where were you flying from? I’ll check it in a day or two.

[Benbo 53]

It was from EGLL to LIMC in a Aerosoft Airbus A320, Orbx Base,Vector and OpenLC Europe.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Thanks. Do you have the plan?

[Benbo 53]

I dont Ray sorry,i tend to delete my flightplans after i have flown them,it was 

generated by Simbrief if thats any help.

 

Gary

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

No worries Gary, I’ll use PFPX to create it.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

Hi Gary,

I flew into LIMC from Stuttgart this morning. But I forgot to set NOTAMs for Milan! 😕 Dozy bugger!

Anyway, I was cleared down to FL120 70nm out. When I reached 40nm out and about to be handed over to App I was on Airway N850 between DEGAD and ODINA. The MSA was 120 but higher to the east and west. At no point did the Radar Altimeter drop below 2500ft so it looks like that is the ideal routing from the north into Milan.

Soon after I was cleared down to FL90 on a heading of 170 directly towards LIMC. The mountains were behind me by them. Once abeam the airport I was cleared down to 5000 and then 4000 for an approach and landing.

Earlier in the descent I was instructed "When ready descend to one three thousand". With high ground around me I stayed high until I needed to descend to meet the 40nm altitude requirement. I suggest if you get the same instruction you maintain altitude or descend gradually to keep clear of terrain and then descend quickly when able. I imagine that is similar to how it would be done in real life.

Of course with NOTAMs selected all descent instructions would have been prefaced with "if able" so the responsibility remains with the captain to safely navigate his aircraft. As long as you descent at 200fpm or greater RC4 will never tell you off when a lower altitude has been commanded.