Flying over the Rockies last night and my simbrief flight plan completely ignored the fact i needed to fly much higher than 10,500 feet. Unfortunately FSHud seemed to be fine with those bad instructions. Am i doing something wrong or are these programs not able to handle this? 

Edited January 19Jan 19 by RobJC

Interested in answers to this, as I'm also using FSHud while making my way south through the Andes and have to basically override the ATC directions in order to survive.   It's typically only during the approach phase, which also has continuous minor course corrections only seconds apart. 

Edited January 19Jan 19 by Stoopy

33 minutes ago, Stoopy said:

Interested in answers to this, as I'm also using FSHud while making my way south through the Andes and have to basically override the ATC directions in order to survive.   It's typically only during the approach phase, which also has continuous minor course corrections only seconds apart. 

Nothing breaks immersion like flying into a mountain. 

5 minutes ago, RobJC said:

Nothing breaks immersion like flying into a mountain. 

*cough* no landing gear on AI planes *cough*

4 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

*cough* no landing gear on AI planes *cough*

Your plane is in infinitely better shape than mine would be. 

I do (have done) a great deal of mountainous flying in MSFS, in most parts of the world…including in night and low visibility conditions…

Irrespective of the SimBrief flight plan output, I always ask AI in advance, “What’s the highest point on my route from A to B?”, whether I’m flying in the Andes or in England…🙂…This (usually) keeps me (and my airplane) safe.

I’m surprised though that SimBrief did not ensure safe altitude for the Rockies…

15 minutes ago, P_7878 said:

I do (have done) a great deal of mountainous flying in MSFS, in most parts of the world…including in night and low visibility conditions…

Irrespective of the SimBrief flight plan output, I always ask AI in advance, “What’s the highest point on my route from A to B?”, whether I’m flying in the Andes or in England…🙂…This (usually) keeps me (and my airplane) safe.

I’m surprised though that SimBrief did not ensure safe altitude for the Rockies…

My instructor gave me this exact advise for flying VFR cross-country flights - plot your route and note the highest sector altitude for the entire flight then be sure to fly above that altitude for the entire route - never have to worry about obstacles. I absolutely NEVER deviated from his advise for night flying - and it possibly saved my life on a perilous night cross-country when I ventured into IMC (not instrument rated and on a VFR flightplan).

I never had a RW instructor…🙂…but do recall reading the same advice somewhere…

I’m quite familiar with the U.S. Rockies from RW visits, and have flown in MSFS into (and along) the high Rockies, many times, sometimes departing from Denver and heading west.

Those mountains are surely not to be messed with at low altitude…🙂…so, situational awareness is mandatory at all times…especially at night and poor visibility conditions, but, indeed, rather exciting to fly in MSFS…

The Rockies (mountainous) scenery is reasonably rendered by MSFS.

1 hour ago, P_7878 said:

Irrespective of the SimBrief flight plan output, I always ask AI in advance, “What’s the highest point on my route from A to B?”, whether I’m flying in the Andes or in England…🙂…This (usually) keeps me (and my airplane) safe.

Hmm.  I always just look at the appropriate charts, just like I did IRL.  Seems to work OK.  😁

In all seriousness, I admit I really don't pay much attention to altitudes in Simbrief FPs.  I look at the routing and plan altitudes based on the plane I'm flying, coupled with what I see in the en route charts.  And if mountain flying VFR in a normally aspirated piston plane, I'm DEFINITELY looking at the charts.  In a normally aspirated plane, there's no such thing as flying above the highest altitude sector in places like the Rockies.  Mountain flying in those circumstances generally means you fly through the mountains, not over them.  No flight planning software that I'm aware of is going to automatically give you those kinds of routings.

 

Scott

Was this flightplan IFR or VFR?

Thanks guys. I guess my expectations in this area were incorrect.

3 minutes ago, Dave_YVR said:

Was this flightplan IFR or VFR?

IFR

Interesting. I've never seen an issue IFR wise in the flight planning part from Simbrief.

Well BATC uses the terrain database from the sim, if you want to try that. I have never been vectored into a mountain by BATC but I've seen some reports from people that have. I'd assume FSHud would also use the terrain database, as it's the only (algorithmic) way to know about minimum altitudes.

2 minutes ago, Dave_YVR said:

Interesting. I've never seen an issue IFR wise in the flight planning part from Simbrief.

I will try again today.