As I write this I am using P3D v5.1 and VoxATC v7.43.  Earlier today I was departing KDEN (I'm using FlightBeam's KDEN) in a PMDG 737NGu with Southwest Airlines colors.  (Note that SWA operates primarily out of Terminal C, which is is *much* closer to the threshold of RWY 08 than that of RWY 07.)

Anyway, the winds were light out of 110 and I was assigned RWY 07 by VoxATC.  This was unfortunate because my flight plan called for an initial waypoint of CHUWY (which would normally have been reached by flying the CHEWY1 SID).  Unfortunately, CHEWY1 is not available for RWY 07 (at least not with AIRAC 2010), but CHEWY *is* available with RWY 08, the threshold of which is, as I mentioned above, *MUCH* closer to Terminal C than the threshold of RWY 07 (something like 3 miles closer).

Here's my suggestion...

At larger airports like KDEN (with multiple large terminals and lots of runways, many of which are parallel) and also smaller commercial airports (like KMSP), it would be very nice if VoxATC would take into account (at least on departure) the gate at which I am parked, and if parallel runways are available, calculate the distance to the nearest one (given its threshold location) and assign a taxi route to the *closest* runway, not the one with the lowest number (as I suspect is the case), or whatever runway matches up with the wind *precisely* best (which could be a case of just a few degrees in the case of parallel runways).  The runway assignment should (ideally) also take into account the availability of a SID (matching the initial waypoint in the active flight plan, of course) in the currently installed AIRAC.  Doing that *alone* might help with RWY assignment when otherwise in doubt.

Not sure if this feature already exists in VoxATC, but perhaps it would be nice if I am given a taxi assignment to a particular runway, that I could request (via pressing 0, or whatever) a *different* RWY?  (Probably not realistic in the RW, but it could be useful.  Just a thought...)  

Please forgive me if this feature request has already been requested by another user.  I was just a little frustrated with this flight and thought I'd take the time to write up a product improvement request.  Btw, I really like the VoxATC 7.43.  It's much more stable than the last time I used it a couple years ago!

1 hour ago, tjahns said:

normally have been reached by flying the CHEWY1 SID

In the first instance, I find it curious you weren't assigned the CHUWY1.08 SID if that runway is open to take-off (in the afcad) for that wind.

Runways can be assigned in a light wind, even a tailwind, by VOX depending on which are open to either or both departure or landing.

The current Vox is more than respectful of afcad and airac "tweaks" to influence what clearances one receives & additionally directs AI to those same runways.

Can you recall what SID you were given from R07.

Edited November 11, 20205 yr by vadriver

I actually thought this or something similar already was a feature.  When you've been cleared to taxi to a runway, I believe you can press "0" and request a different runway.  Now I'm not sure how it handles SIDs, but I suspect if your flight was already set with CHEWY, it should stick with it...

2 hours ago, Gridley said:

I believe you can press "0" and request a different runway.

indeed, but i believe the choice is limited to open runways serving the same previously assigned SID ....... a rarely needed feature for me & thus must check my "thinking". 

In answer to your question about which SID I was assigned... I wasn't assigned a SID at all.  VoxATC merely gave me clearance direct to CHUWY.  I presume this was become CHUWY1 isn't available for my assigned RWY 07 (when it is available for RWY 08).  In the RW I suspect RWY 08 is used for departures (given favorable winds) because the threshold is *much* closer to the terminals (or at least it is with Terminal C and D, where SWA operates and the gate where I spawned) than the threshold of RWY 07.  Also (given current winds), RWY 07 would be used for arrivals because the end of that RWY is closer to the terminals.  The converse would be true if the current winds dictate it because the *threshold* of RWY 25 is closer to the terminals whereas the *end* of RWY 26 is closer to the terminals.

EDIT:  after further investigation, I can confirm that (given favorable winds) ATIS for FlightBeam's KDEN will assign both landing and departing notification for both RWY 08 and 07.

For your quick reference, here's a link to the diagram of KDEN:

https://flightaware.com/resources/airport/DEN/APD/AIRPORT+DIAGRAM/pdf

In any event, thank you for your consideration of my suggestion!

In answer to your question re whether 08 was a valid runway given the AFCAD and wind, I beleive ATIS indicated 08 as a landing and departing RWY (but I'm not 100% sure of that), I'll pay more attention next time.  Any problems with the AFCAD would be on the part of FlightBeam, of course.  To be honest with you, although I have been simming for a very long time, much of this is SID/AFCAD stuff is new to me.  

Edited November 12, 20205 yr by tjahns

3 hours ago, tjahns said:

SID/AFCAD stuff is new to me.

For me, reviewing airacs / afcads to see the "options" Voxatc may assign is vital to avoid surprises ...... with any ATC addon for that matter.

One can alternatively use "makerunways.exe" to compile for all installed airports a list of runways in use.

@tjahns

I recommend Little Navmap which is outstanding freeware for flight planning.

2 hours ago, jabloomf1230 said:

Little Navmap

Jay

I can't see that it can show open vs closed runways ...... any notes ??

That's a good question. Closed taxiways are marked with yellow diagonal lines in LNM, but I'll have to check about closed runways. I'm not at my flightsim computer ATM. You could ask in the LNM support forum here on AVSim.

LNM shows an X through the runway number.

Edited November 13, 20205 yr by jabloomf1230

19 hours ago, jabloomf1230 said:

LNM shows an X through the runway number.

that seems to be for "completely closed" both ends (?) ......... but will research more & perhaps ask at LNM forum.

i was hoping to help the OP (& perhaps others) review what his KDEN options were, takeoff vs landing ...... without needing to dive into afcads etc.

If it's a controlled airport and the runway has no approaches it is very likely closed to landing. Takeoff is a different story as there is no way of knowing from LNM unless the closure is listed in the airport text description. It's best to consult the airports charts.

Thanks to all who are participating in this thread! 

So I checked LNV and I do not see any red X's for any of the RWY's at KDEN, or at least not with FlightBeam's KDEN.

I have used LNV for flight planning before, but what I've been doing lately is tracking my PMDG NGXu a/c (I like to fly Southwest variants) in FlightAwaware in real time, then pick a flight where I own add-on scenery (at least on one end of the leg), and then set weather/time, etc. to match the flight, and then use SimBrief for fuel, payload, etc.  (FlightAware goes so far as to give the planned route and altitude, which I confirm with the current AIRAC in SimBrief.)  Personally, I find this to be very immersive.

Interestingly, in the flight I mentioned in the OP, FlightAware graphically depicted a departure route (with dashed blue lines) that would have been RWY 08 (with the CHUWY SID).  In the RW, presumably because the winds were light, the RW 737 in question actually departed RWY 34R (as shown by the ADS-B data collected at the time of departure) and then continued on with the CHUWY.SID.  As a reminder, note that Navigraph's AIRAC 2010 loaded into PMDG's NGXu FMC/CDU displayed that RWY 08 was a valid RWY for the CHEWY SID, but not RWY 07, so it seems FlightAware knew enough not to depict a planned departure of RWY 07. 

I'm not sure how FlightAware goes about calculating their dashed blue lines for departures and arrivals, but they must have put some thought into the logic.  Seems they do something similar with arrivals, i.e. arrival runways on planned routes seem to favor the side of the airport closest to the terminal where the a/c operator has gates.

As far as me digging into the AFCAD's and analyzing a makerunways printout, I may leave that for another day.  It certainly seems interesting, and perhaps well worth the effort to me considering that I am only flying (at least for the time being) select FlightBeam airports serviced by SWA.

I continue to stand by, however, my original suggestion that departure runways (when they are far apart and of more-or-less equal length, such as RWY 08/26 & 07/25 at KDEN) be assigned by VOX to the threshold that is closest to the departure gate given favorable winds. 

On a related note, it'd be interesting to analyze RW usage of these two runways from "spotter" data.  It would seem logical to me that when winds are out of the east, RWY 08 would be used for the northern terminals (where Southwest operates a hub), whereas RWY 07 might be used for departures for the southern terminal(s), if for nothing else, to cut down on taxi traffic congestion.  Perhaps someone who has actually worked ATC at KDEN could chime in?  🙂

https://denartcc.org/files/DEN ATCT SOP - 7110.11B.pdf

worth the read ...... though not real, sounds close to it !

Thank you for the read, vadriver.  🙂  Looks like RWY 08 (not 07) is preferred for departures to the east while 25 to the west, given high winds.  Light winds the four other RWYs are likely preferred (as I observed on FlightAware in the RW flight in my original post). 

I suspect KDEN may be a bit of a logic conundrum to work out for VOX.  I still think the RWY closest to the terminal would be a better choice than all the logic required to handle ops at KDEN, which would require special programming for each individual airport, I would think.

Btw, I ran MakeRwys 5.02 on FlightBeam's KDEN and both 07 and 08 appeared as available RWYs.  Maybe I'll get around to checking the AFCAD before long.  This is starting to feel like a detective/research project.  Fun!

Btw2, I live in Arizona and KPHX has a similar situation to KDEN.  American Airlines' terminals are on the north side of the airport (closer to RWY 08/26) while Southwest's are closer to parallel RWYs 25L/07R and 25R/07L.  Although I've occasionally witnessed A/C taxing across the taxiways (bridges, actually) that connect the north side of the airport to the south side, I suspect AAL lands and departs mostly from 08/26, while SWA uses the southside parallel runways.

And speaking of parallel runways, here's a discussion about when (when there are parallel runways of different lengths) longer runways are used for departure and shorter runways are used for landing:  https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=750531.  VOX apparently does the opposite, at least it did at KPHX in the SWA livery I was flying last week.  Maybe an AFCAD thing?  Or maybe it just depends on whatever the situation (logic) dictates?

7 hours ago, tjahns said:

MakeRwys 5.02 on FlightBeam's KDEN and both 07 and 08 appeared as available RWYs.

now this has not solved my original question as why you were assigned 07, not 08.

i have always considered Voc a master of its own "destiny / predictability" in so much that with an IFR flight & a "correct" plan, it would at least assign / select the runway with a SID if included in the airac.

do you still have the flights vox log which would list the atis data??

mind you, my regular airports aren't as complex as KDEN.