Recently I seem to be having a problem with the Approach Controller. It is not in every flight, maybe one out of four. I'm getting the final instruction some 20-25 miles from the marker and each time fail to capture the localiser.The final waypoint in the f/plan is always near to the arrival airport. I have 4.3 and I believe the current vers of FSUIPC and makerwys. I've updated the database. Is there something I'm missing?Bud

We need more of what happens. Does your localizer come alive when given the final vector? Is it reverse sensing? Are you just not capturing the glide slope?Make sure you have run the scenery rebuild utility if you have changed any scenery or afcads.A typical scenario can be due to an anomaly in FS. If the airports you are having difficulty with have the same localizer frequency at each end of the runway and the FS default localizer property is incorrectly left enable, you will be getting the wrong localizer until you are within a couple of degrees of the extended centerline. You need to know the localizer ident either via audio morse code or an avionics readout. You can correct (in FS9) this feature by using the freeware AFCAD available in the utlities section here to go into airports with the shared frequency and disable the back course property.If you are flying into FAA airports (including of continent ones) a good place to get a bundled free collection of procedure plates in .pdf format for each airport is www.flightaware.com. Enter the airport ICAO identifier, click on resources, terminal procedures, and download the complete bundle.Having this information will give you identifier codes, the correct courses and navigation, and therefore a "situational awareness" of what is going on. While RC in giving vectors (it is your choice to also navigate on your own with the IAP option) following standard entry patterns, you'll at least know if you are given the correct heading for the localizer merge.Check out the RC manual for information on the patterns used for approach. Remember unless you select an IAP at approach contact you will have to follow ATC vectors.

what is the msa of the airport you're having a problem with?are you approaching the airport from the opposite end of the runway, or from either side of the runway? or are you approaching the airport almost in line with the runway?do you get turned downwind, base, final, and then the intercept? or is the approach more of a turn to base, and then to intercept?jd

Ron and JDMany thanks for your considered replies. Particularly grateful for the app. plate site. Been looking for this for a while.OK, first I have rebuilt the scenery d/base - I actually have little change in a/ports/scenery anyway. I cannot say that it is one particular airport which is the issue. My last two flights have been to LSZH both from EDDF. Flight one - hand off to app. controller, initial vector exactly as expected but then some 22nm from the marker received heading to intersect with the LOC. I flew it, tho' with little confidence, and sure enough, LOC was not captured and I completed the flight manually.I then flew the flight again, this time with the intention of sending a log file for examination. Of course, all worked as it should. The initial vector from App Controller was the same as on the first flight but subsequent vectors placed me correctly on an intercept course.I will make a log of each flight from now on and send it to jd when this problem occurs again.Bud

Sorry jd, I'm seeing lots of lines thro' my post in reply. Have I transgressed in some way - if so, I apologize.Bud

no idea. i didn't do it jd

Hello RonNo more flights but a bit of research and I found that at each of the a/ports where this anomoly arose, the rwys to which I was directed did have shared frequencies, well bar one, Zurich. Have to say I had not heard of this oddity before. Is this what causes the final turn instruction to be given so far out from the marker?In fact it does not matter much in the UK as I have app. plates for airports I use. Couldn't get 'em for Continental Europe from the site you mentioned tho'Thanks again for flagging this up for me.Bud

The duplicate frequencies have no effect on RC. It just confuses your navigation avionics.When you got the vector that did not intercept the localizer, did your hear ATC state that it was the intercept? If you had an outstanding acknowledgement of communications, then that would stall further ATC instructions for quite some time leading you to a poor position. It is best to perform your heading and altitude adjustments and ASAP ack your instruction.As JD states, your current altitude and the MSA plus your position and heading have a lot to do with how far out your are turned in to an airport. RC's MSA comes from a terrain database that is averaged around the airport quadrants. Some approaches are between obstacles and may require specific navigation toward the end of STARS to an IAF and a dedicated approach procedure. This is the time you need to navigate on your own following approach plates. I think LSZH is one of the difficult airports as I recall from certain arrival directions.As for repeatability the weather needs to be the same so the same runway end is in use.There are chart sources for areas of Europe from those chapters of VATSIM. The SAG (Switzerland, Austria, Germany) has a library of terminal procedures.http://www.vacc-sag.org/?LANGUAGE=ENhttp://vateud.org/default.php?section=1⊂=0On this last bookmark click the area or country of interest and then go to the chapter web page, not the link to their administrator.

Thanks once more Ron.For the offending intercept, yes the Controller stated that this was the intercept course. I was at 7000 and received a lower altitude instruction to 6500. All instructions are ack. and effected immediately. I have had similar problems in UK at Edinburgh and Prestwick - Rwy 31. In all instances the intercept heading is given a long way out. In these cases I am using app. plates so have not been so concerned. I can see no reason, however, why for Edinburgh a final instruction should be given at a distance of 20 nms.Have to say I find this intriguing, so I will make logs of my next flights and in the event this issue crops up, full info will be available.Bud

jdA log file is on its way to you. It's Zurich again!Bud

help me remember what i'm looking for..

A final instruction from the app controller given some 20 nm from marker. The course given does not intercept with the LOC.Bud

jdJust wondering if you managed to get anything from the log file I sent.Bud

i received it 1/1/8 at 7am local time. i responded at 4:15pm local time (news year day).everything looked fine to me. i guess you didn't get the reply?here it is, in case the reply was lost, or junkedWhen you make a log, the first thing after starting rc, is to click debug, and then load the .pln. that way I can see how your scenery files are influencing the vectoring. I have no idea what your runway 14 heading is.You

Thanks jd. No, I didn't get the reply, anyway you shouldn't have been working on New Years Day . It seems I must have messed up the log file process - sorry.I don't often use the ATC vectors on app to airports so I wasn't aware of the need, in some circumstances, to keep an eye on the airport bearing line in the RC display. Thanks for clearing that up.Bud