When you are assigned a runway, using RC, what criteria do RC use to select one for you? - or is it just random? Most often i'm given another runway than MS ATC are using - and not parallel. If MS ATC send you out to depart hdg. 180 degrees, you can almost be certain that RC sends you out to take off 360 degrees. Since it's FSmeteo which runs the weather, it should be the same?? I of course know what to do, i just wonder... :-)Today i first flew from Jo'burg to Harare (FAJS TO FVHA) - and i was guided by Johannesburg Control all the way to the border to Zimbabwe, where i was handed over to Harare Control. Quite logic. But - like when i arrived a couple of days ago - i was listening to Harare Controll all the way to Jo'burg - until some 70 NM from the Airport. It's quite a long way into South Africa. Wouldn't it be normal to be handed over to their control when you cross their border? And this was the second time. (Also i therefor don't get any of the south african chatter, before thos 70 NM from the airport)... :-(Finally a more fun one. I was send directly down to 15.000 ft before landing at Harare. (It was the co-pilot who executed this). Some 68 NM from the airport i was requested to descend to 15.000 ft. - "go down now"... But already being in that altitude??? Are the controllers still celebrating New Year?? ;-)Talking about it - HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! :-)

- forgot this:At EDDF (Frankfurt) i was send down to land on rwy 25L. As stated in FSnavigator and Jeppesens chart, it has freq 111.35, so i was quite surprised that the co-pilot selected 110.70. Some investigation and after having spoken with a real time pilot, 110.70 is for rwy 26L. OK - it's kind of weird - as it's some kind of "double runway", but why not select 25L, when you are indeed told, that this is the runway you're going to land on? :-)

rc chooses runways based on runway length and wind direction for departure. ms atc does has it's set of runways that it chooses, not always in agreement with the windsrc chooses arrival runways based on ils equipped, runway length and wind direction. ms atc has it's own set of runways it chooses from. they don't necessarily always agree. the probably rarely agree.not sure of the center handoffs, john burgess is "center control" ;-)don't know where your last checkpoint was on this flight, but it is always good to have it close to the arrival airport.if you were at 15,100 or 15,010 you would probably get the start down now. the whole start down now dialog has to do with getting your new crossing restriction.

This conflict of interests between RC and MS poses some very interesting scenarios. Last night, landing my 777 at VHHH (Hong Kong), vectored to 25L (I think) by RC and an ILS approach to the runway. Wind was 270 at 26 knots. Touched down and braked to a near stop about midway down the runway when all of a sudden I see another aircraft heading straight towards me. It was obviously a AI generated takeoff in the opposite direction and took some of the paint off the 777 tail. FYI.

H Lars and jd,I can't see any obvious problems in the airspace file and also flew a test from Harare to J'burg and got the change of centre exactly where it should be.Lars, if you still have it perhaps you could copy your flight plan here so I can test the exact route you flew.All the best,John

Hi John!Here's the one from Harare to Jo'burg... [flightplan]title=FVHA to FAJSdescription=FVHA, FAJStype=IFRroutetype=1cruising_altitude=31000departure_id=FVHA, S17* 55.97', E31* 5.63', +004898.29departure_position=GATE 9destination_id=FAJS, S26* 8.02', E28* 14.54', +005557.74departure_name=Harare Intldestination_name=Johannesburg Intlwaypoint.0=FVHA, A, S17* 55.97', E31* 5.63', +004898.29,waypoint.1=VMV, V, S20* 3.41', E30* 51.22', +000000.00,waypoint.2=UTULI, I, S22* 10.05', E29* 27.50', +000000.00,waypoint.3=GWV, V, S22* 14.73', E29* 24.62', +000000.00,waypoint.4=GABNA, I, S24* 10.03', E28* 33.98', +000000.00,waypoint.5=JSV, V, S26* 9.43', E28* 13.86', +000000.00,waypoint.6=FAJS, A, S26* 8.02', E28* 14.54', +005557.74,But something strange is going on, but probably random. I short time after flew from Durban to Jo'burg. Approx. halfway into the flight - all the default + canned chatter disappeared. Only communication directly related to me was to be heard - and then the MS chatter when i was close enough to the airport. I haven't experienced this before or after. Normally - even in Jo'burg Intl. you hear both kind of RC chatter, so what have made them silent i wonder... The last i sofar don't really consider a problem, at least as long as it's only once i've experienced that. The biggest problem are the AI planes seeming to try to get me in the airport. No matter how remote a part of the airport you're driving, one pops up and drives towards you on a taxiway, where the only option is to either drive through it or use the grass next to the taxiway... REALLY A COMPUTER-GAME!! :-lol One day very soon i'm going to remove them, pushing the slider to zero!! (Wonder if i'm the only one being annoyed by them)..? ;-)Thank's for giving it a try! :-)

Lars,I looked at the South Africa directory (southafrica) and the wav files are there for atc1 and atc2, but not atc3 (which you'd hear at FL310). You should get generated chatter at that altitude. But you say you were getting canned chatter at one point? You're also not flying over water, so that's not a problem. Has this happened more than once?As for AI, I've never had them in my way. I'm always going the same direction as them if I have any at the time. I just have the default AI, so there's not a lot of it.

Scott,The problem with the disapearing sound, was while flying in FL180. Now - it was the first and sofar the only time i've experienced that. So - let's see if it repeats.. Have made 2 flights since then and there were for sure no missing sounds there..I have tried the PAI-stuff, but my computer almost goes dead when it try, so i'm only using the default... I did actually wonder - will it destroy anything if i use just the beginning of MS ATC - enough, just to get the pink line - and then, when i turn it off, forget all about it MS ATC - or will it cause problems with RC?? It's not in all airports it's a problem, but e.g. in LPFG and EGLL, it can be quite a travel - especially when it's dark - having to switch back and forth to FSnavigator to see where the h*** i am .... :-)

Lars,As long as you don't call Tower for take-off, then yes, you can call ground for progressive taxi. But that's only to whatever wrong runway MS is using.Also, when you lost chatter, did you by any chance touch the clock?

Hehe - well, it's probably not more wrong that the one i would have chosen. Without any small signs with numbers on the taxi-ways, it is a bit tricky. I would assume, following the pink line, i won't meet any traffic driving the opposite way - though it is of course Microsoft.. ;-) OK - re-reading it, it's to whatever runway MS is using for take off - hmm, well, in general it should be in the right direction?? The wind should only blow in one direction... LOLNot myself - but!!! I have this small utillity: FS real time - and since the timezone in South Africa not is like in real time (2 hours ahead of GMT, except the most eastern part, i passed a timezone on my way to Jo'burg - and MS first moved the time in the wrong direction, but the utillity changed it in the right direction, so for a split second it was p*** dark... It was at that time the sound disappeared... Could it really be this??

Lars,That might be it then. RC depends on the clock being stable to play chatter. This is how it handles chatter at 2x and faster correctly.I highly recommend you get the timezone bgl files to fix the MS screw up. Two versions later and they still can't get it right.

It also would explain the problem with centre hand offs ;-)All the best,John

Are you thinking of the t20.zip file and the update? Searching here on Avsim for TIMEZONE, it's what i find..

Version 20, to replace tz19h, was released mid Dec. Read the docs carefully as instalation has changed. tz20 always available by clicking "The Hermit" link below...

Thank's all. I did get it. Downloaded the newest version of FS Real Time, which includes T20.zip - and i got the update. Now i just have to see if i notice any changes! :-)