Hi,
I have been flying the PSS Concorde (FS9) back and forth across the Atlantic this week (Heathrow/Paris CDG to KJFK) and have had some PF3 problems with the descent: in essence I don’t get any initial descent instructions. When I come out of oceanic airspace and am contacted by ATC, the pilot confirms back to ATC that the a/c is descending to (for instance) FL400 from FL550, but no such instruction has been given to me (so in fact the a/c is not descending at all, it’s still at 55000’) – this is confirmed by the ATC text box I have open on my 2nd. Screen, which shows that it’s not a case of my having missed the request.
Presumably the problem arises because no descent instructions are given whilst the a/c is in OA (??). Then, to confuse matters further, although ATC has just confirmed the pilot’s descent information, they shortly give the instruction to maintain FL550 (?!).
I have set waypoint altitudes in the PF3 setup before connecting... but maybe they are part of the problem? I need Concorde to maintain 28000’ until it is over the ocean, and then (at least this is what I was trying to achieve) climb to FL500 until about 50% of the fuel has been used, and then climb again to FL550. (Before at least 50% of the fuel has been used up, the a/c struggles to get much above 54000’).
I suppose I could forget about trying to set this ‘step climb’ after FL280 and just set PF3 not to nag me about maintaining altitude at all (as Concorde alternately climbs and descends as it slowly attains cruise altitude at Mach 2), but I would certainly like to solve the issue of not getting timely descent instructions, if anyone has any ideas. (I am guessing that Concorde’s high cruise altitude is part of the problem too: if I were in a 747 at FL390, things would perhaps be working OK?).
Logs attached.
Thanks.