I'm learning to use VNAV, but it's causing a problem in career mode, where I'm working towards Cargo-Heavy.

My main aircraft is the PC-12, although I doubt it's unique to it.  The flight plan shows TOD, as I approach I set target altitude and press VNAV, and sure enough the aircraft descends after it passes TOD.  The problem, however, is that ATC keeps insisting that I maintain my previous cruise altitude for quite a bit longer.  I get continually pinged and I can lose enough brownie points that I can't get the A needed to count towards the Cargo-Heavy target.  IOW, ATC is penalising me for following the flight plan that I have ensured has been sent to ATC!!!

In the meantime I can go back to my former practice of waiting until ATC tells me to descend, then making a very steep descent worthy of a WW2 Stuka because it's invariably way after TOD and close to the destination, but that's hardly the sort of flying I want to do.

Any ideas?

Are you able to request descent prior to the ToD?

Cancel IFR and fly it as VFR and you shouldn’t lose points as long as you use atc to contact tower/traffic. I know this isn’t realistic but ATC is a disaster and they shouldn’t penalize you for how incompetent it can be.

I got dinged once for landing lights not being on because I was so close to the airport yet I wasn’t even below 10,000 ft yet because of how long ATC took to have me begin my descent.

I don't think 'Cargo Heavy' is available yet.

3 hours ago, bailout said:

I don't think 'Cargo Heavy' is available yet.

It is.  It's the Airliner Heavy qualification that's I think is still not there.

 

13 hours ago, Dave_YVR said:

Are you able to request descent prior to the ToD?

I can ask it to reduce the cruise altitude but not commence descent to land.

7 hours ago, JasonPC said:

Cancel IFR and fly it as VFR and you shouldn’t lose points as long as you use atc to contact tower/traffic. I know this isn’t realistic but ATC is a disaster and they shouldn’t penalize you for how incompetent it can be.

I got dinged once for landing lights not being on because I was so close to the airport yet I wasn’t even below 10,000 ft yet because of how long ATC took to have me begin my descent.

I don't seem to get Cancel IFR until very late in the flight when descent is under way anyway.

I've also had ATC recommend lowering the undercarriage when the aircraft is ridiculously far/high/fast in the descent.

13 hours ago, Dave_YVR said:

Are you able to request descent prior to the ToD?

No.  Can't request descent at all.

 

Edited February 15Feb 15 by Malcolm Street

There is no good answer, the whole career feature is so broken, you end up having to "game" it in the various ways being described,  which ruins immersion... so what's even the point, at least that's way I feel about it. It's really unfortunate, I really would love to see something that worked 😞

Same here. I just start requesting lower altitude a bit before TOD and keep doing it in steps until ATC finally clears the descent. It’s dumb, but it avoids the penalties.

I am still using 2020.  In 2024 career mode can you use a third party ATC program like P2ATC or Beyond ATC during missions?  Or do you have to use the default ATC?

Third party ATC I'm using outside of the career mode only! But for IFR even in career mode sometimes, but the problem is that default ATC program for different levels...And I try FSHud - Air Traffic Control build in route manager instead of Simbrief, there you can set at each point altitude you want, so it can work!

On 3/4/2026 at 4:34 PM, TexasGary said:

I am still using 2020.  In 2024 career mode can you use a third party ATC program like P2ATC or Beyond ATC during missions?  Or do you have to use the default ATC?

You have to use the shambles default ATC, which is why I don't touch career mode.