Bug or normal procedure.

[camaflight 0]

The flight was well prepared with FS Nav, wx-data processed by Active Sky and finally 250 passengers embarked the MD-11 to the ambient music by FS Passenger.And not to forget; RC was programmed and started in due time. 3 hours and 50 minutes calculated from gate to gate; Oslo (ENGM)

[jd 57]

if your co-pilot is flying, and you are held, you automatically get traffic vectors. which means, the controller tells you where to point your plane. he will seesentially spin you around and around and around until the area settles down and you are cleared in.it would have been helpful to see some dialog. do you remember being turned left or right 90 degrees from your on course heading? that would have been the start of your traffic vectors.traffic vectors are throughly tested, and work, so without some information from you, i can't tell what happened to you.i have yet to see advdisp disappear. there is a tutorial on flying holding patterns and traffic vectors, maybe a quick read through it, will prepare you for the next flight.jd

[camaflight 0]

I can't recall exactly, but it sounds reasonable according to where I came from that; if I was told to do a 90 degree left turn that would be a 025 heading (from 115). The flight path from FS Nav was at a time when I was near to Mallorca 167 degree. I had handed the aircraft over to the co-pilot for a moment and now I'm not sure if we first had a turn to 115 and then 025. But you are right about that the co-pilot was flying. First whilst descending and later after the turn to 025, because I got busy with the AdvDsp disappearing. About the AdvDsp, I think it was the text that disappeared. I have given the docked display almost the same background colour as the bacground colour of the panel area being in use for the AdvDsp. However the most of the times when I tried to right-or-left-click the empty docked AdvDsp, nothing happened. When I then called for the AdvDsp in the FS menu-modules, it was already checked as active. So I had to pretend I deactivated it in order to activate, resize and replace it once more. This happened really often. I tried to find out if this misbehaviour was connected to the toggling the FS Nav map, but it is difficult to say. I also use the FS Passenger that have a similar text display (maybe Adv DSp too...)But, to the ATC issue again. I have been reading a lot in the manual, so I think I understand a major part. But you tell the controller will let me spin around possibly for some time. Well what happened was that I was sent one direction for at least 200 NM.Is that a normal procedure - I don't know, but I find it a bit un-efficient to correspond with reality.One thing; because I thought the weather was going to be unchanged until I arrived Mallorca, I checked the runway box in the controller info section with 06L at LEPA. Maybe this caused some logical problem by the controller function as the active runways now had changed to 24R/L.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,921]

Hi Carl,PMFJI on this. I often fly into LEPA so I'm familiar with the approach.The most critical part of a flight with RC is meeting your crossing restriction. You mentioned you were cleared down to FL120 but you don't say whether you actually achieved that. If on reaching FL120 you're told to contact APP then it means you did. If you didn't get that instruction but instead were given a 90 degree heading change then you didn't and would be put into a turn until FL120 was achieved. After that you should turn towards the airport until receiving approach vectors.What I do during planning is to include a waypoint in my plan that is 40 miles from the airport. That way I have a rock-solid way of making that crossing restriction. I delete any waypoints after that as I always rely on approach vectors to guide me in. If you want to fly the IAP then include any necessary waypoints.You don't say if your aircraft had a CDU/FMC but if it does you can use that to create a waypoint 40 miles from LEPA and set a speed and altitude restriction of 280/120 (farside app) or 250/110 for a nearside one.Once you've met the crossing restriction the rest is a piece of cake whatever runway you're assigned to.Cheers,

[PeteP 2]

Well, as Ray has joined in, perhaps I could do the same. As soon as I read your description of what happened, I came to exactly the same conclusion as Ray. The most likely cause is that you didn't make your crossing restriction - perhaps you were too busy admiring the clouds to properly monitor your rate of descent :-) - and you were turned 90 degrees off track to keep out of approach's airspace.Did you by any chance stop your descent at a level other than FL120? If so, this would explain why you were not turned back towards the airport. If you have missed a crossing restriction, RC will not let you resume your own navigation or transfer you to approach until you've reached your cleared level.Pete

[camaflight 0]

Thanks Ray.I think it will be wise of me not to insist upon anything here

[Ray Proudfoot 8,921]

Hi Carl,I think you need to concentrate more on the flight than the view or your passengers. :-hah I would also take over control from the co-pilot as you'll learn more.Okay, that's the beating out of the way. I hope you didn't take that to much to heart ;-)I suggest you fly with the PMDG737 and assuming you're competent with the CDU I wouldn't anticipate you having a problem. The key to good piloting is planning ahead. Once you're within 60 miles of your destination get the local weather. Also make a note of whether you're cleared down to FL110 or FL120 when you get that clearance. That will tell you if you're getting a near-side or far-side approach.<

[camaflight 0]

Hi Ray,I can see from your answer that I have been giving you the impression of having a lack of knowledge about basics what concerns flight planning and

[Ray Proudfoot 8,921]

Hi Carl,<

[camaflight 0]

Thanks a lot Ray,I go for the short-routes !!!Later on, if I encounter problems I surely will provide a log along with it, making the investigation a lot easier.Cheers to you as well !Carl

[jd 57]

be sure you click debug, before loading the .pln, that gives a little bit more information.maybe a quick set of tutorials to get your feet wetjd

[camaflight 0]

Carl