Contact Cleveland Center - 13 times???

[brucets 94]

On a flight from ORD to LGA ATC had me contact Cleveland Center 13 times! I reflew the route and sure thing *ctc Cleveland Center* 13 times, again! This seems excessive! Is it??Also I have had occasions where atc has sent me up a 1000 - down a 1000, up a 1000 - down a 1000, over and over. That is very annoying as well.Scott

[Geofa 108]

If your route takes you right along the atc boundry or in and out of it that could happen. I've had something like this happen in real life 2 times- though 13 does seem excessive though (my recollection is about 5). The fs atc isn't perfect-but either is real world atc. :-)If they could just get my aircraft/ call sign right (real world)-seems like 50% of the time now they screwup...either the wrong call sign or the wrong aircraft....http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

[Virtualwombat 4]

Yep, I've often had similar ATC experiences. Changing courses and altitudes over and over for no obvious reason, zig-zagging all over the landscape. Repeatedly handing back and forth from adjacent control centres. Let's face it, FSX ATC has limited realistic functionality (aka porked) just like it was in FS9. That's why there's space on my hard drive for Radar Contact. Cheers,Noel.

[cklink 0]

Sounds like a flight level of 10,000 or 18,000ft maybe? I had that experience with a flight I did across vancouver airspace at 10K (bad choice). All I did was switch coms back and forth the whole time.Best to pick a flight level above or below those mentioned (and not at them) and you wont be throwing ATC for a loop by flying at the transition levels, thus it telling you to adjust alt or switch coms.Regards'Garett

[Geofa 108]

...or vox atc.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

[brucets 94]

Thanks all for the feedback.I was at FL315 both trips. I just think the game is designed to not let you sit idle for long periods. I also notice that ATC stretches short flights and keeps you busy, not wanting to make it too easy ---or so it seems.Scott

[Guest Traffic]

Not to be nit picking here but why at FL315? At those altitudes you're IFR so you either should be at 310 or 320. A wild guess here but maybe you're throwing atc off at that altitude for the possibility that two sectors overlap and separate vertically at 315?

[Guest RonB49]

>I was at FL315 both trips.I don't know if this is your problem but FL315 is not a valid enroute altitude to my knowledge. Try FL310 (or another odd flight level) for an eastbound flights and FS300 (or other even FL) for westbound flights. FL315 would be a VFR flight level but no VFR flights are allowed above FL180.The default flight planner knows the FAA rules and suggests a legal altitude based on your direction but it lets you choose whatever number you wish. I don't know if the default ATC is aware of the regulations.R-

[tf51d 284]

>Yep, I've often had similar ATC experiences. Changing courses>and altitudes over and over for no obvious reason, zig-zagging>all over the landscape. Repeatedly handing back and forth from>adjacent control centres. >>Let's face it, FSX ATC has limited realistic functionality>(aka porked) just like it was in FS9. That's why there's space>on my hard drive for Radar Contact. >>Cheers,>>Noel.I presume you are flying manually or by heading, VOR? If you fly the flightplan, with NAV autopilot set to GPS, your plane will follow it's course and the only transmissions, you'll get is switch center, and traffic messages, prior to decent. The only time ATC will intervene with the course of your flight, is if you fly it manually, or by heading auto pilot and drift off your assigned course a few degrees!

[brucets 94]

Not being an actual pilot, I basically learned what I know by experimenting, asking questions of a few friends whom are retired military and commercial pilots, and reading these forums. (I immediately gave up on Rod Machado and the lessons - couldn't stand his stupid jokes)Anyway, I seemed to remember a friend who is a retired B-52 driver tell me that proper altitudes were Eastbound = odd + 500; and Westbound = even + 500! (and I confuse those every now and then too) He may have been refering to VFR at the time though. I'll copy him on this thread and he'll get a laugh out of it, I'm sure. Anyway, I'll redo the trip at 31000 and see what happens. Don't think that will change things though.Thanks for the lesson!Scott

[Geofa 108]

Those are vfr altitudes (+500). Leave off the 500 and you will be appropriate.In addition:Class A Airspace is the airspace from FL 180 or 18,000 feet to FL 600 or 60,000. All pilots flying in Class A airspace shall file an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan and receive an appropriate air traffic control (ATC) clearance. When climbing through 18,000 feet, the pilot will change the altimeter setting from the local altimeter (30.01 for example) to 29.92. This ensures all aircraft flying in class A airspace have the same altimeter setting and will have proper altitude separation.So also-if you didn't reset your altimeter and were flying at a vfr altitude this very possibly explains why atc was getting on your case.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

[brucets 94]

Thanks Geofa! I'll print this and tape it to the monitor till I get used to it. I have reset the altimeter on occasion, when atc states a setting that is different from the current setting. Seems like it is most always at 29.92 though. Also didn't know Class A airspace was a verticle measurement 18000-60000! I thought they were all horizontally restricted areas! Once I figured out that, with an IFR flight plan, ATC will tell you exactly what to do and when to do it, I just didn't pay much attention to learning the other rules/regulations etc.I'm out the door in a minute to go fly fishing, but this afternoon I'll refly the ORD LGA trip at 31000 and see what happens. Thanks again for your responses.Scott

[Guest abulaafia]

Nothing to do with deliberate design, MS ATC has been rubbish in FS9 and is still useless in FSX. For something more professional look for a programme called Radar Contact.

[brucets 94]

FWIW, Just got to the point where ATC told me to CTC Cleveland Center for the 13th time, again----so being at a proper fl of 310 didn't change anything. Also there was no call to change the altimeter. It was at 29.92 the entire time.I hadn't planned on purchasing any of the more sophisticated addons, however as FSX matures I may do so. Radar Contact sounds like a worthy investment.Thanks again for the tips.Scott

[Brian Doney 127]

As has been mentioned, you're most likely flying right along the border of Toronto and Cleveland, crossing back and forth between them.Only thing you can do is to try and adjust your route, north or south, to avoid flying along the border.