Problems at Destination

[Guest Bud]

I've suddenly started to have a peculiar problem. This has happened on the last four flights all in Europe but to differing destinations. Just after I leave frequency for wx - so approx 50 nms out and at an alt. of around 13000ft I receive an instruction to fly a heading which is about 90 degs from my filed route. I comply and wait for a further instruction - which never comes. I do get calls to contact other Controllers, but no instruction to change either heading or alt.I've not so far as I know transgressed any rules and I'm flying with the correct Eu trans alts.Previously all has worked fine - I've no idea why this has cropped up, I've made no changes to RC or to FS itself. Anyone have a clue as to what might be happening. Bud

[Ray Proudfoot 8,946]

Hi Bud,<>Are all the destinations in Europe too? If so note the Transition Altitude on the Controller page. Remember, if you're new to flying in Europe many countries will have different Transition Altitudes and in the UK many airports have different ones. Quite different to the 18000 in the US :-)<>I'm sure you meant FL130 and not 13000ft ;-) That means you have not met the crossing restriction of either FL120 or FL110 at 40 miles from your destination airport. You will have been told off when reaching 40 miles. Your final instruction by a controller would have been "I need you down in 30 miles or less". Did you hear something to that effect?<>Oce you've descended to either FL110 or FL120 you will be told to contact Approach. If you don't hear that instruction it's likely you're still too high.Without specific information there is a degree of guesswork in my reply. Can you provide the route or better still upload the FS9 plan you fed into RC4. I can then give you specific help.Cheers,

[Guest Bud]

Hello RayMany thanks for the response. Makes it more of a puzzle really. I only ever fly in Europe. This route from EGBB[brum] TA 4000 to EDDF TA 5000.I did mean FL 130. This was actually a discretion altitude and was the last instruction I had from Controller. Now I come to think about it, each of these problem flights have been after a discretionary. On none of these have I got to within 40 nm of the destination. What I think I'll do is to repeat today's flt with debug enabled to produce a log file.Bud

[Ray Proudfoot 8,946]

Hi Bud,If the clearance was discretionary then it could be difficult to know when to descend if you don't have a FMC. In these circumstances I would suggest you start down immediately and then at least you won't miss the crossing restriction. If you do use a FMC then include a waypoint 40 miles from the destination and set it to FL110 or FL120.I use FSNav to create my plans and include a waypoint 40 miles (as the crow flies) from the destination airport. You can then gauge your descent easier knowing you have to be at either FL110 or FL120 when you reach that waypoint.If you follow these guidlines I'm sure you'll be fine. It sounds like you have a good handle on TAs :-)Cheers,

[Guest Bud]

Hello RayCouple of points - I was in descent when I got the discretionary. I had plenty of time and airspace to get to 130. I did not get a call to either 120 or 110. However, even if I had done so, and somehow missed it, I would have expected my 'punishment' vectors to eventually bring me back on course to destination. The 90 deg vector was all I got. Some 100nms later, I felt I was going nowhere and completed the flight manually, as I had with the previous three.I think altitude is a problem here - for some reason RC does not know the FL I'm at. Normally I use the 'silent pilot' process but as a test on this flt, I used co-pilot comms. What I did notice was that a couple of times, the co-pilot gave a wrong alt to control. Why this should be I have no idea. Hopefully a Log will give a clue.Bud

[Ray Proudfoot 8,946]

Hi Bud,Yes, it does sound as though you're not at the correct altitude / Flight Level. Without knowing your route I can only guess about Transition Altitudes but the basic rule is...If you're cleared to a higher altitude - say 8000ft - then you remain on QNH. If cleared to a Flight Level (FL190) then change immediately to standard pressure (sp) and remain on sp during the climb and cruise.When RC gives you a descent clearance it will most likely be to a lower Flight Level so you remain on sp until you're cleared down to an altitude (8000ft) at which point you switch to QNH. I would advise you to dial the actual pressure into the altimeter. That way you know it's set correctly.<>It suggests your destination airport is well above sea-level so maybe FL130 was the approach altitude. To fly a further 100 miles suggests things went seriously wrong. Did RC vector you towards the airport at all or continue to complain you weren't at the correct altitude?I'm not familiar with the 'silent pilot' option so can't comment on it.Please upload the plan and I'll fly it and see what's happening.Cheers,

[Guest Bud]

Hello RayI did repeat the last flight with debug activated. The log file showed that the altitude the a/craft was at and RC's version were significantly different. Clearly this is the source of the problem but why it should suddenly appear, I have no idea. The TAs were properly set in RC and the plane's FMC as always. I'm using the LDS 767 and have had one or two snagettes with it lately. On the basis that the issue probably lay with the plane, rather than RC, I re-installed it and started afresh as it were.I have flown the offending route just once since the re-install. That went well with no problems. I'll next try the other routes where things have gone wrong. If I have no issues, it would seem to confirm that 'twas maybe some error in the plane's FMC which caused the probs. I have no idea at all what that could be - it's a concern, I really like to get to the bottom of these things so as to prevent possible future repeats. At the mo' I'll console myself with the thought that it could well be pilot incompetence.Bud

[Guest jboweruk]

If a re-install cured it then it was likely a corrupt file somehow rather than 'pilot error'.

[Guest Bud]

Hello JohnMany thanks for that vote of confidence. You should try flyin' with me sometime Seriously tho' I think you're right. One or two other small things which had been going awry were also apparently cured.Bud

[Ray Proudfoot 8,946]

Hi Bud,Thanks for letting me know about the problem and how you hopefully fixed it. With any luck it won't reoccur and you can enjoy the 767 and RC :-) Other RC owners will have the LDS767 I'm sure so if anyone else has had this problem they might chip in.I doubt it's down to pilot incompetence if you can handle the LDS767.Time to get back to the World Cup! :-wave