Hi, Using Radar Contact should I follow my GPS flight plan or the ATC advise? When following GPS I keep getting the annoying messages from ATC that I am off course and do I need special assistance, I hope you don't drive like that etc. I wish I had two-way radio totalk to the ATC. I am frustrated and will soon give up on Radar Contact if ATC keeps hasseling me about being off course.Dave Lusty [email protected]

ATC RULES! It can as in the real world command a deviation from your flight plan. I assume you have the same plan loaded into your GPS as in RC.Here are some tips to get both synchronized:For departure if you plan to take vectors make sure your first plan waypoint is more than thirty nm from the airport. RC ATC will vector you to get you nearly headed to that first waypoint. When told to resume your own navigation you must go directly to the waypoint indicated in the RC window. RC uses your aircraft heading on a calculated direct-to for that waypoint, not your flight path. Know how to manipulate the GPS to go direct from your present position to that waypoint without returning to your original path. If you are close enough you may wish to steer using the A/P HDG following the bearing indication (TRK) to get within two miles of that waypoint. It should "pop" off the GPS and RC as you cross it. You should now be on your planned track and you can engage NAV in GPS mode to follow the GPS flight track.When you near approach in the arrival process you will be told to expect vectors to a specific runway. At that time you can request an IAP and do your own navigation or take vectors and altitudes as assigned by ATC. ATC vectors will break away from your loaded plan at some point and you will need to use your A/P HDG and ALT controls to comply. The vectors will take you to intercept the assigned runway inbound course if possible. If you elect to do your own navigation (IAP) you will not hear from RC ATC until you are told to contact tower when you have placed your aircraft inbound on final.Make sure you meet your crossing restriction altitude on arrival when taking vectors or you will be vectored around until you reach it.If you wish to navigate your own departure you can:(1) place your first waypoint within 30 nm from the airport and RC will assume you are following a published departure procedure. You will receive a fly as filed departure clearance and not get vectors to that waypoint. You still must cross that waypoint to get credit from RC so it pops off the RC stack. You can also use the RC extended menu to choose from a list of waypoints to fly direct to skipping some of the waypoints in your plan.(2) on the Controller page choose No Altitude Restrictions or Altitude Restrictions. See the RC Manual p. 109 for clarification of these two choices.At least read through some of the tutorials to get a handle on ATC compliance.

>I am frustrated and will soon give up on>Radar Contact if ATC keeps hasseling me about being off>course.>Dave Lusty [email protected] know what you mean. I fly regularly from London-Gatwick to Glasgow in Scotland. My flight plan is through FSX. I'm told to fly runway heading. I do it. I'm then told to "Resume Own Navigation". I try to turn nearer to the magenta line in my GPS and ATC shout at me to to turn back. OK, fair enough. Then, towards the end of my journey, ATC shout at me for straying off course and give me a heading which directs me towards the magenta line. Eh! that's what I tried to do at the start. I can't win. My journey is short approx 50 Min's in a B737.

ignore the magenta line. the controller can't see it, and if he could, he probably wouldn't care.when you are told to fly heading nn, fly heading nn, regardless of where the magenta line isif you're told to resume own navigation, fly direct to the next checkpoint. don't go flying all over the sky trying to get back on the magenta line.if you think you're doing it right, follow the directions at the top of the forum, and generate a .log.be sure to click debug before loading the .plnthen duplicate the problem, and send me the .log - i'll look at it, and see where it's getting fouled up for youjust curious, have either of you read the manual and/or flown any of the tutorials?jd

>I'm then told to "Resume Own>Navigation". I try to turn nearer to the magenta line in my>GPS and ATC shout at me to to turn back. Nope. You do not turn back to your flight plan path on your map. You need to go direct to your next filed waypoint as indicated in the RC window.>Then, towards the end of my journey, ATC shout at me for>straying off course and give me a heading which directs me>towards the magenta line.When you merge with the waypoint mentioned above, your path on the plan/map should from that point be the same as ATC expects. I assume you fed the same plan to RC and your navigation device. When you are about forty miles out you should start receiving vectors to line you up for a proper approach pattern which differs depending on your arrival direction and runway assigned.