OnCourse Software

Greetings,
I'm definitely loving this product as it gives ATC life to xplane. One issue that I have is that the approach is given very late in the approach. In the real world, we have a clue what approach we will receive through ATIS. We set up for approach before descent. The controller prior to approach control will also ask you approach preference or tell you what approach to expect. By the time you are talking with approach, you are all tuned up and loaded for the approach. I recommend that you have PF3 issue an approach at a set point prior to switching to approach. Currently I find myself scrambling to set up the approach while on intercept. In the real world you would usually hear "white plains is landing to the South, what approach would you like?" or "Baltimore is landing 15L/R, expect the visual, ILS, GPS etc.". Giving the type approach a decent time prior to approach control would be awesome.

Rich

g5flyer wrote: *

Mon Jun 19, 2017 2:14 pm

Greetings,
I'm definitely loving this product as it gives ATC life to xplane. One issue that I have is that the approach is given very late in the approach. In the real world, we have a clue what approach we will receive through ATIS. We set up for approach before descent. The controller prior to approach control will also ask you approach preference or tell you what approach to expect. By the time you are talking with approach, you are all tuned up and loaded for the approach. I recommend that you have PF3 issue an approach at a set point prior to switching to approach. Currently I find myself scrambling to set up the approach while on intercept. In the real world you would usually hear "white plains is landing to the South, what approach would you like?" or "Baltimore is landing 15L/R, expect the visual, ILS, GPS etc.". Giving the type approach a decent time prior to approach control would be awesome.

Rich

What you are quoting is very much a "local" procedure. And then entirely dependant on traffic and meteorological conditions. You would/should already have one (or two as an alternative) approaches set up in your a/c navigation systems. Nothing can stop you asking for a visual approach. PF3 caters for that quite well. But be aware that you must be able to see the runway in order to ask. Something that's not so easy in the sim. You are "scrambling" as you put it because you have left an important part of the fpl up to the discretion of ATC. Whereas you should plan it carefully yourself. In reality the correct approach would be at the point where your fpl finishes i.e. the last wypt before the start of a STAR. That STAR would be published and would take you to a certain point where either you can fly to the rwy intersection yourself or be vectored. So nine point nine times out of ten the approach is already known by the crew. No "scrambling" needed!

Which version of XPl are you using?

The problem is that you can never (in particular with calm or crosswinds) be sure which runway will be chosen by PF3 until PF3 gives the approach clearance. And that might be at a very late stage of the flight.

It would indeed be nice if PF3 would notify the expected runway earlier.

It has been suggested before and there already is a wishlist entry for that on the Beta Forum.

PF3 ATIS will indicate which runways PF3 plans to use for departures and arrivals. The problem is that in cases of calm winds or winds perpendicular to runways, PF3 and FS may not agree, and PF3 does not control the AI aircraft. If AI aircraft are arriving or departing, PF3 will use the runway being used by AI. If no AI are detected, PF3 makes an initial runway assignment based on wind, then periodically rechecks for AI activity and will issue a runway change to match the AI, unless you are at a late stage in the approach.

vololiberista wrote: *

Mon Jun 19, 2017 3:44 pm

g5flyer wrote: *

Mon Jun 19, 2017 2:14 pm

Greetings,
I'm definitely loving this product as it gives ATC life to xplane. One issue that I have is that the approach is given very late in the approach. In the real world, we have a clue what approach we will receive through ATIS. We set up for approach before descent. The controller prior to approach control will also ask you approach preference or tell you what approach to expect. By the time you are talking with approach, you are all tuned up and loaded for the approach. I recommend that you have PF3 issue an approach at a set point prior to switching to approach. Currently I find myself scrambling to set up the approach while on intercept. In the real world you would usually hear "white plains is landing to the South, what approach would you like?" or "Baltimore is landing 15L/R, expect the visual, ILS, GPS etc.". Giving the type approach a decent time prior to approach control would be awesome.

Rich

What you are quoting is very much a "local" procedure. And then entirely dependant on traffic and meteorological conditions. You would/should already have one (or two as an alternative) approaches set up in your a/c navigation systems. Nothing can stop you asking for a visual approach. PF3 caters for that quite well. But be aware that you must be able to see the runway in order to ask. Something that's not so easy in the sim. You are "scrambling" as you put it because you have left an important part of the fpl up to the discretion of ATC. Whereas you should plan it carefully yourself. In reality the correct approach would be at the point where your fpl finishes i.e. the last wypt before the start of a STAR. That STAR would be published and would take you to a certain point where either you can fly to the rwy intersection yourself or be vectored. So nine point nine times out of ten the approach is already known by the crew. No "scrambling" needed!

Which version of XPl are you using?

I'm a real world pilot and I've been doing it for 20 years now. I've flown to every corner of the world during my military and civilian flying. I stated in my initial post the we know the runway through ATIS. I even add the STAR and an approach prior to takeoff for timing purposes. Again you know the runway, but don't know which approach will be given. It's based on weather, where I'm parking and availability of approaches for a given runway. Again, during descent, ATC will give a heads up prior to handing you over to approach. Even going into KLGA, the controller will say, "you can expect the expressway visual". They use it alot due to traffic flow. Dan and Ralf hit it right on the head, thanks fellas. I was "scrambling" because PF3 will throw a totally different approach at you than planned and it happens way late in the game. Even in basic FSX ATC, you are told what to expect in advance just like real world and given the option to easily change. Even in the real world, you don't always fly the approach you planned. Mainly approach controller needs based. Even when requesting a different approach, approach has to approve it.