I got into a loop where ATC kept telling me to fly a particular heading - I was....how does it base it's decision as to whether you are flying the correct heading ? I assume it is the actual heading after one corrects for wind that is relevant ? So if I fly 90 degrees on the heading bug with a 180 degree 30 knot wind I actually fly around 70 degrees heading...so if ATC want me to fly 70 degrees would this be accepted by them ? so why do they keep badgering me when my actual ground track is the heading they gave me ?thnx

i'd like to see a .log, to have a better understanding of what is going on.Start fsStart rcClick debugLoad the .plnClick start rc Fly the flight Zip up and send me the .logif the heading is 180 from you direction of flight, you've missed a checkpoint. the rc display will always tell you the next checkpoint you need to flying towards, and what the heading isif you are in departure/center, and you're told to resume own navigation, that doesn't mean you can hang a 60 degree turn and try to join the fmc's path to the next checkpointyou also have to pass within 2 miles of every checkpoint in the departure procedure. you may have missed the first one, if it is on the field, at the departure airporti always dial the heading given, and have never had a problem. if i'm told to fly heading 270, i fly 270. i don't do any calculations to figure out the wind componentjd

Are the numbers you gave what was happening to you? If so, heading east with a south wind would be corrected more like 110^, not 70^.But assuming they weren't, RC does account for wind corrected headings though I have seen instances where it'd 'yell' at me for flying correctly.If you can, post the .pln file here. Maybe someone can fly it to see if they get the same results. Specify exactly where the error occurred. You'll probably have to furnish what winds there were as well (if you were using ASV6 or such) so the winds can be plugged in.Doug

Hi all,I am relatively new to all this but what I meant was: if I am meant to fly 90 degrees - (bearing ?) and ATC expect me to fly due East...if their is southerly wind I found that I had to fly a heading (? - or have I got the two terms the wrong way around ?)of around 100 degress. This kept me on a track of 90 degrees. But, ATC kept telling me to fly 90 degrees. It was almost as though they were sensing that I was using the heading bug and AP set to to 100 and not 90 and were throwing their toys out of the pram.I will try to reproduce it and use a "logging" thingey from now on - if it happens again I'll post.I'm just trying to suss out how it works really.

Gabe,You need to fly the heading given. Don't worry about making allowances for wind direction and speed. If you drift away from the waypoint RC will issue a correction. Just keep an eye on the active waypoint information in its display.If you don't fly the heading instructed RC will continue to nag.

A couple of things to consider that can vary with different circumstances such as FS settings and model avionics settings.As stated fly the heading given by ATC by referring to your gyro or ND readout.If you are flying a complex aircraft like a PMDG 737NG the heading bug on the ND shows your heading compensating for any crabbing of your aircraft into the crosswind component. The triangle shows the direction of the nose of the aircraft. I find that usually the difference is within RC's tolerance.Make sure FS (under realism for FS9) and your avionics is set to display magnetic, not true headings.If you find there is a difference of just a few more degrees than the tolerance RC allows (fifteen degrees I think is the default) you can increase the tolerance under deviations as found on the General page.If you are using a GPS the bearing to the waypoint should match the bearing in the RC window. You can watch both or either to make sure you are not drifting off the track. Slower aircraft require more correction because of the slower airspeed crab effect.If RC gives you a heading to a waypoint be sure on a GPS or FMC to perform the procedure to establish a new path from your present position to the stated waypoint (direct-to).

Ok I'm a little confused now.If I fly a real plane - which I don't obviously - if my next waypoint has a mag heading of 90deg and I have this southerly wind...I need to crab into the wind to ensure my actual heading remains 90. If I use an autopilot with heading bug...my bearing that I need to set will be around 110 say depending of course on various factors.Now, if I do this correctly, my actual heading/track on the ground and per the track on the GPS will be 90 degrees. Now if ATC have asked me to fly heading 90 degrees, surely they are happy with this ? OR (!) does ATC follow my heading bug info rather than the gps track ? That would explain why it thinks I'm not flying the correct heading and send me in a curved direction......ie. not realistic if you fly "correctly" ?Thnx again but I think this is very important in my learning process and I need to get this nailed both in terms of how I should be flying and how RC works. If I do need to trick ATC to thinking I'm doing the right thing while I actually AM (!)...by changing tolerances, then so be it...but I need to know how it is working so I can act so as to keep my experience as "REAL" as possible.Appreciate any comments guys.cheers

You're confusing course with heading and are trying to make this more complicated than it is. In the RW, if the controller tells you to fly a heading of 090 he means POINT THE AIRPLANE 090. He's probably already vectored a dozen aircraft through where you are in the last half-hour anyway and has as good a handle as you do (or better) on what the wind is doing.If you're flying vectors any offset for wind is the controllers problem, not yours, and will be inherent in the heading he gives you. It all changes when he sends you "...direct to (navaid)". At that point, wind drift becomes your problem again.

I see...that's made things much clearer...thankyou indeed !

Set the heading buckteeth on the heading the controller gives you. He knows your type of aircraft and assumed type of autopilot and navigation. He knows about wind drift, knows your approximate airspeed, and figures this in. He'll watch your track and issue corrections as necessary.If you are on an IRS and/or GPS based autopilot as on larger aircraft typically using an FMS, the buckteeth represent a desired track (magnetic) and in that case the system will take care of the crabbing for you. The controller knows this as well and will take this into account.Either way, your track will be monitored and corrections in heading issued to accommodate the track the controller expects.In summary, as the post following this states, set the bug as told and other than situational awareness don't worry about pilotage when given vectors except on the final intercept where the runway heading wind component could blow you way off the intercept course at a slow airspeed, not likely though. The controller will say "eight miles from the marker" or so giving you the length of the leg to intercept. Your approach plate will give you an acceptable altitude at and before the marker and how far out (before the marker) you can intercept. You do not want to intercept on the inbound (near) side of the marker or FAF so you would not want to crab excessively into the runway headwind component. You are generally safe just going with the controller specified heading here as RC does plan fairly long finals that allow sufficient latitude.