instructions before contacting approach.

[felony 0]

Hey guys. I am using RC4 with latest patch/update for FS9.My problem occurs right before I am usually told to contact approach. I have been told by center to descend and maintain xxxxx in 30 miles or less. I descend at a reasonable rate (1500fpm), and sometimes I am told to contact approach. My problem is that sometimes I am never told to contact approach. I am flying towards my destination, say heading 360 and on course - just descending as told. The center controller will then adivse my turn to 270, or 090. Basically telling my to turn 90*. I thought I was getting this instruction because I did not make my altitude. So I adjusted the altitude deviation up to a few thousand, but I still run into the problem.Getting instructions for failing to descend fast enough is one thing, but when this happens it seems that RC4 usually forgets about me. I have flown 90* from my course for nearly 50 miles before I cancel IFR and return to airport. All the time RC4 is not talking to me.Am I doing something wrong? I have adjusted altitude deviation to accept my altitude even if I bust it. I sometimes run at 2x/4x simulation rate. I have traffic set to 100%, but only have RC4 interact with AI, not have AI chatter.Thanks in advance, and happy holidays!Dan H.

[jd 57]

are you adjusting the altimeter at the appropriate time? that is the only thing i can think of, that would cause rc to not talk to you. he's waiting for you to reach 11,000 or 12,000 - and you never are.jd

[ronzie 21]

If you are doing the comms and are not using pilot auto-reply then make sure there are no outstanding acknowledgements in the RC window. Sometimes when you are busy it is easy to forget that.

[felony 0]

In response to both of your questions/suggestions.Altimeter is adjusted when leaving FL180 - and set to standard pressure.I always let "otto" have the comms.Hmm - any other ideas?

[jd 57]

and what airport are you flying into?

[felony 0]

First of all - thank you for your responses on this holiday, it is appreciated. BTW this is a brand new install, only a week or so old.Recently I have encountered the problem @ SBGR (Sao Paulo) and EHAM (Amsterdam). Those are two that have come up off the top of my head. I seem to run into the problem more often outside the US.When descending through FL180 I use the auto set altimeter which is defaulted to 'b'. I use it numerous times on descent to ensure that I am at the right setting. I too thought I was at the wrong altitude so I changed my altitude deviation to 10000ft, just to see if I would still encounter the problem, and I did at SBGR.Some times I am instructed to turn 90* from my course, then within moments back on course and told to contact approach. Other times I continue 90* from course with no instructions.Again, any and all help is much appreciated.Dan H.EDIT - - -I just noticed this for the first time and I think it's obviously the reason I am getting this problem.On departure from SBGR, and 'otto' w/ the comms I was told to contact departure. Otto switches over and informs departure we are climbing through 11000ft when my altimeter says 8000ft or there about. Againt I was told to contact center/control. Otto lets them know we are climbing through FL230 and I am not even near FL180 yet. No idea what is causing this, but I am sure my altimeter is correct.

[jd 57]

sbgr and eham have different transition levels that 180there is quite a bit of information/documentation on transition altitudes and transition levels in the manualalso there is a tutorial in non faa controlled area, again dealing with transition levels and transition altitudes.i'll bet you were told to descent to FL120 or FL110, not 11,000/12,000jd

[ronzie 21]

SBGR has a TA of 6000 feet.EHAM has a TA of 3000 feet.The FS B key altimeter setting is hard coded for 18,000 feet, the FAA US standard which is not universal. Therefore anywhere else the B key is not correct as below 18,000 it will set the altimeter to surface pressure instead of standard pressure.If you will look at any plates they usually state TA = nnnn feet, TL by ATC.The Controller Info page of RC will give you the TAs. One clue, as JD stated, as you are instructed to fly above the TA the controller should state climb to flight level nnn, the altitude divided by 100 with the altimeter set to standard pressure (29.92 inches or 1013 mb). On descent your are given altitudes above the TA in flight levels (altimeter pressure still at standard). When told to descend below the TA you be given the altitude in feet and also at some point the QNH or surface pressure reading. As you climb or descend through the TA you should also hear an audio announcement "altimeter check"Without appropriately adjusting the altimeter pressure for surface or standard pressure, you could be off by enough feet to cause the discrepancy. I believe RC is looking for you to start a climb or descent if you are not at the correct altitude before it gives the next instruction.As jd states, read the section of the manual pertaining to this to keep you correct and also safely above terrain.I do not use Otto for the comms so I do not know how he determines FL or feet responses.

[felony 0]

Just ran into the problem again. Really getting confused on this one. I understand the problems I encountered in EHAM and SBGR. And that explains why I have been there and they keep saying to descend to FL110 and I never get it because I am at one one thousand. At least RC4 keeps telling me get to that altitude while still vectoring me to the approach course.I just ran into the problem again, this time in the US, on descent into KJFK.Told to descend to one seven thousand, altimeter 29.83. Passed through FL180 switched altimeter to 2983 and descended to one seven thousand. Center/control then told me to turn 90* from course, and forgot about me again.Again, thanks clearing up some of my problems at EHAM and SBGR..Should changing the altitude deviation up to 10,000 like I have basically eliminate the problem I am running into? If so, why do I still have the problem?Sorry for my stupidity here. I have had the program since RC4's release and only recently have starting running into this problem??Thanksdan h.

[jd 57]

tell me you don't have your altitude deviation at 10000find the info pinned at the top of the forum, on how to create a .logduplicate the problem and send me the .logi should be able to see what is going wrong therejd

[ronzie 21]

You should not need over a 300 foot altitude deviation. In any case do not put in over 500.I always insure I'm down to the altitude by 35 miles from the airport. I use if there is a VOR/DME reading available the DME adjusted for any off-airport navaid offset distance deviation. If I am flying an FMC model I'll place a 40 nm range around the airport with the FIX page setting up a range ring for display on the nav display. You could also use the GPS as a guide and/or a waypoint near the forty mile radius as a guide.This does not fix the problem but avoids it hopefully by being at the assigned altitude in time to meet the crossing restriction. See if things are OK by trying this for now.Make sure you are using the most recent version of FSUIPC 3.7x. Some specific earlier versions had positioning problems.I think you said you ran a scenery database rebuild to make sure RC had the correct airport/runway information.Try flying with a default aircraft to insure there is no aircraft position reporting problem unique to the model you are using.