Speedbird70

Reluctlant to say (and quite embarrasingly too!), but I have to admit that I have struck the fuselage underside on low hilly terrain, during previous attempts to land... this was at night and while strictly following FSX's ATC vectoring.

Thanks... sounds like a great idea! When opening FSX programme, isn't there a link on the main page where you can click to fly online? Or just simply Google search Vatsim and Ivao??

For sure... Barometric is a pressure reading, as opposed to a radio wave reading. QFE (Threshold): is this refering to the runway threshold? I have heard that when making an approach into an inland airport, some pilots prefer to know their height above land level instead of sea level.

Also, do you have any suggestions for finding charts of international airports? Thanks.

Hi Al and thanks for your reply. I'm not sure that my navigation problem on approaches is much to do with ATC itself, as it is with the whole FSX programme. As you pointed out, with FS taking into account the type of aircraft you are using and then ATC calculating your approach. But also, in addition to surrounding terrain, there's aircraft location, speed, height, weight and weather... quite a lot of information for the programme to compute there! Not to mention a whole load of other addons you may have plied your FSX basepack with. I appreciate that Microsoft and other associated flight sim software manufacturers, have put a lot of reasearch and hard work into the production of their programmes - and I guess you can forgive them for missing a few things out! Hence the deficiency of FSX's ATC I've mentioned. Charts or no charts, yes pilots do have a duty of also considering what their eyes are telling them, and reacting appropriately to avert danger. But it does drive me nuts when making an approach on FSX, where ATC is repeating the same message over and over again to descend, but I keep having to climb and go around, in order to avoid the impending threat of close proximity terrain! Needless to say, because I ignore ATC guidance in these cases, clearance to land never comes! However, on the FSX Flight Planner, when loading a default flight route, you can obviously change it to your personal liking, by clicking/holding your PC's mouse and dragging the 'line' between Waypoints. Having said that, like most flight sim enthusiasts I imagine, I'd like to make my simulation experience as real as I can get it. So I'm open to various suggestions, as you've made one here: Payware 'ATC Radar Contact'. Where would I obtain this from? And is it similar to the programme 'AirNav Radar Box-3D', which I've seen advertised on the back of various aviation magazines?? Regards, Ned.

You assume correctly... and thank you. I shall take a look on the link you've provided and comment on this matter in due course

Yes Pete, I understand that ATC will always command altitudes in AMSL. The problem is, that when I'm making an approach into an inland airport surrounded by high terrain, I am suddenly finding that I'm in fact way too low for the correct approach... as indicated by the (AGL) Radar Altimeter. And when carrying out a flight using the standard Flight Planner in FSX, the stupid ATC will keep instructing you to descend to the (AMSL) Barometric altitude it requires you to, before giving you your Vectors To Final and eventually, the clearance to land. Yes, of course, as you mentioned, in real world aviation, that wouldn't (or at least shouldn't!) happen... as you would also consider what your eyes are telling you too. Along with aviaton charts for reference, in reality, I'm sure that Approach Centres and Control Towers would know the ground clearances required for pilots making an approach. And they would provide vectors to flight crews, in guiding them around high terrain and in for their final approach for a safe landing. So maybe this issue is just one of those sticking points with Microsoft's FS programme... I don't know. But I've yet to find a solution.

Gosh, really?? Perhaps some people may find reading coloured text a little hard, but I had no idea it's regarded as bad etiquette!! My motive on this site is genuine and in good spirit... and certainly not an attempt to 'draw attention to myself'. Using a different coloured text, especially when quoting on someone's post, in my opinion breaks up the continuous black text and therefore, thought would make for some easier reading? But maybe not... so black it is then. So anyway, when you say 'charts', what charts do you mean? NDB and VOR/DME Approach Plate charts, or other? And where would I obtain these charts to use with MS Flight Simulator?? Thanks.

Hi Pete, Thanks for your prompt reply. Yes, I am aware of how a Radar Altimeter basically works, and I understand it provides a more accurate reading of height, compared to a Pressure Altimeter. However, couple of things here I wasn't aware of: I didn't realise a Radar Alt would only give a reading over land. I imagined the radio waves of this device would bounce off any surface, be it solid land or water - and at any height? Of course, if you are flying over water or, as you said, a desert or an area of flat land depression below sea level, all those surfaces are level terrain... so you're Pressure Alt should provide an accurate reading of AMSL. However, when making an approach into an airport situated on regular terrain (ie; an uneven surface, like surrounding hills and buildings), you're still making your descent as per ATC instructions. And the height settings you input to the Auto Pilot are still being read by the Pressure Alt, which is still giving an AMSL reading... not good when you're trying to make an approach into an airport with surrounding high terrain and you're Radar Alt is telling you something different!! So what am I missing here? What am I doing wrong (or not doing), when I'm making an approach to land, but can't descend to the altitudes given by ATC, as my Radar Alt is indicating that I'm 'dangerously' low?? Regards, Ned.

Hi People, Please let me know if I've posted this article in the wrong area... I'm new to the forum! But here goes my query: When using the Boeing 747-200/300 Series (Just Flight product by CLS) with MS FSX as my basepack, I'm getting a difference in height readings between the Pressure Altimeter and Radar Altimeter. Whatever altitude clearances I'm given from ATC, my Radar Alt always produces a reading MUCH LOWER, even when I input the given Altimeter/Baro settings by ATC (eg; 29.94). This is obviously very dangerous, particularly when setting up a landing approach in areas of high terrain. So, I increase my height, in order that my Radar Alt reaches the final approach height given by ATC (and to avoid danger), but then because my Pressure Alt reading has increased by about 600-800ft more (sometimes by a couple of thousand!!), ATC then instructs me to descend before it transmits any further! I don't seem to have a problem when using any other programme, only this one... so I'm wondering if someone out there can shed some light on this issue?? Thanks.