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A few quirks

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Jimmah
Post subject: A few quirks
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:17 pm
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Hi, a few things that have been bothering me for a while:

1) A few of the regional airports I visit require a backtrack from where the one taxiway intersects the runway. PFE doesn't seem to recognise when I'm holding short in these cases (I guess because I'm nowhere near the start of the runway). I can usually work around this by asking for a takeoff clearance from that point. Since the last update, however, this doesn't seem to work. When I press "6", I suddenly make a traffic call that I'm rolling, despite still being on the tower frequency. It'd be nice to have a sequence whereby you could report holding for the runway/approaching the holding point (PFE wouldn't actually need to check your location), after which it clears you to line-up (as long as there's no-one else about to use the runway!!). Then you can report ready, which triggers a takeoff clearance.

2) Some of the level clearances are inconsistent. I, for example, have a SID set up with a 4000' maintain. I get cleared for something else though, and sometimes even that changes when I get cleared for takeoff (who does that by the way?, it's like the tower controller forgot that I already have a departure clearance, in which case I should read the departure back before being cleared for takeoff!! - even more cringeworthy when it's my own voice saying it!!!).

3) I'm not sure the software takes a 2000' transition layer into account. I have my transition altitude set to 13,000', which means the next useable level would be FL150. On descent, however, I'm often asked to descend to FL140 - the transition layer should never be used!

Otherwise I'm still loving the addon =)

Cheers,

J


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 10:37 am
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Hi Jimmah,

#1 With regard to you first point are you using version 2.11.1 ?? As for making a traffic call that you are rolling is not one of PFE's calls and should that occur again I would like to check your debug_monitor.log file. Whan taking off from anywhere other than the end of the runway you might well have to report to Tower as PFE will only do that for you when within 700' of the runway end.

#2 That has already been reported and is on our list of things to look at

#3 In PFE the transition level and layer are one of the same... maybe that's something else we could look at going forward although I do not believe it is relevant in many European countries and to the best of my knowledge does not occur anywhere in the USA... although I will gladly stand aside to be corrected on both counts. ;-)

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

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Jimmah
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:47 am
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Thanks Dave,

I certainly am running 2.11.1. I taxi out to the holding point, which at several airports is where you enter the runway for a backtrack, and press "6" to indicate I'm ready. Instead of hearing back from the tower, I make a call along the lines of "<departure airport icao code> <destination airport icao code> local traffic <callsign> departing runway xx to the <direction>". This despite having been talking to the tower earlier. Mind it doesn't always happen, but it is more common that not.

re: the transition, you're quite right, I didn't even realise that was one of our ICAO differences here :oops:


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:23 am
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The call you're hearing sounds to me as is you're flying VFR rather than IFR. Is that correct?

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

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Jimmah
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:23 pm
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Nope! IFR flight, and received an IFR clearance from the same tower earlier...


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:07 am
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Well something is certainly amiss... please recreate the problem then send me the latest debug_monitor.log from the PFE\Logs folder

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

I don't know if my memory is getting worse as I get older...
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Dave March
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:10 am
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Thanks for the log file.

For some reason your Unicom and Tower frequencies are the same and by default PFE checks Unicom frequency first and what you’re hearing is a Unicom procedure. I have added this to my list of things to look into but until then you could use my PF2K DB Editor to change the Unicom frequency for your departure airport. ;-)

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

I don't know if my memory is getting worse as I get older...
...I just can't remember how it used to be!

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Jimmah
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:05 pm
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Thanks Dave. Where do I find this editor? I've checked the airport AFCAD, and there's no Unicom (checked within FSX as well). I've also updated the PFE database.


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:38 am
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It should still be available from AVSIM.com or FLightsim.com

The original PF2K database shows NRZO with a Tower frequency of 120.10 and Unicom with 121.20. FS9 is showing Tower as 120.10 AND 121.20 with no Unicom. The way things work right now PFE is using the last Tower frequency from FS (overwriting the PF2K one) which, as you can now see, clashes with the Unicom frequency. It then just so happens that the routin causing the issue for you checks for an active Unicom frequency to see which facility you're tuned to. Going forward we will be dropping all PF2K frequencies which would obviously mean that in your case you would not have any Unicom facilities available at NZRO, though I doubt that would be an issue.

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

I don't know if my memory is getting worse as I get older...
...I just can't remember how it used to be!

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Jimmah
Post subject: Re: A few quirks
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:44 am
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Thanks Dave,

I found the editor, and fixed the issue =)

Cheers,

James


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