OnCourse Software

Hi,

1/ I noticed that after take-off the control very often (in fact every time) gives a course that does not cross the flight path. It is often parallel.

Example: take off at heading 120, flight path is left at heading 095, the control will give me after a moment the heading more or less 095 which is actually parallel to the flight path, then tell me to resume my navigation instead of giving me for Eg an heading cap more or less 080 then to resume my navigation just before crossing the flight path.
I point out that the first point of my flight plans is never too close to departure.

I remember that in the very first PF3 versions the control gave me the right course to cross/join the flight path but not anymore after the versions that followed. Btw the other Atc programs I have work in this way.

2/ In the same register, when sometimes we are no longer on the flight path, the control signals it but does not give a course to reach it. It would be good to have this feature too.

Developper(s) please, do you think you can correct this in a future update ? Thank you.

Happy New Year Everybody

Regards,

Richard Portier

Regarding 1: At "resume own navigation" you are expected to fly a direct course to the first waypoint. If you want to fly a specific path indicated by your GNS, FMC or similar, you should enable the SID/DP feature. If your first waypoint is far away, I suggest using a navaid which easily allows taking a direct course to it (usually a VOR, but others work as well), or enter a new "direct to" from your current position into your GNS/FMC. But usually you could just enable your autopilot and make a detour to your saved flight path and PF3 won't complain.
But don't tell anyone I told you to do it
I assume other ATC programs do this to make flight sim users' life easier, since virtual GNS/FMC units are usually harder to program than real-world units due to the missing tactile interface (real buttons) and usually you don't have a co-pilot to do it either.

Regarding 2: There is an open bug report in the beta forum: "airway deviation noticed very late, questionable vectors", I think that covers this situation well.

ThomasAH wrote:

Regarding 1: At "resume own navigation" you are expected to fly a direct course to the first waypoint. If you want to fly a specific path indicated by your GNS, FMC or similar, you should enable the SID/DP feature. If your first waypoint is far away, I suggest using a navaid which easily allows taking a direct course to it (usually a VOR, but others work as well), or enter a new "direct to" from your current position into your GNS/FMC. But usually you could just enable your autopilot and make a detour to your saved flight path and PF3 won't complain.
But don't tell anyone I told you to do it
I assume other ATC programs do this to make flight sim users' life easier, since virtual GNS/FMC units are usually harder to program than real-world units due to the missing tactile interface (real buttons) and usually you don't have a co-pilot to do it either.

Regarding 2: There is an open bug report in the beta forum: "airway deviation noticed very late, questionable vectors", I think that covers this situation well.

Thank you for answered Thomas,

If I understand perfectly the meaning of your response on the other hand I don't understand why in this case the control gives an heading cap parallel to join the flight path...What is the meaning of this ? Why does not it give a course that crosses the flight path as in the very PF3 first versions ?
It was the point of my question not the "resume own navigation".

In fact I do not understand the logic of that. For me either after take-off the control should just say "resume own navigation" or the control should give a correct course (not parallel) to cross the flight path AND and then says "resume own navigation"(sorry to be redundant). Am'I wrong ?

Happy New Year to You, Family and Friends.

Richard Portier

PF3 doesn't know this 'flight path' you mention.... ATC will simply vector you toward your first way point and then give a 'resume own navigation' If, for some departures, this vectoring happens to send you close to or near the flight path generated by your flight planner it is a coincidence because as I said earlier, PF3 is unaware of such a projected path.

One little detail: The last vector PF3 gives you leads directly to the first waypoint, but it only gives vectors in increments of 5 degrees, so depending on rounding up or down, this might either cross the direct path from airport to the first waypoint or appear as being parallel to it.

What was your actual position in relation to the planned flight path and the first waypoint? If the angle was shallow (say less than 5deg) it is quite likely that you would not "cross" the flightplan. To get back on track you should follow the 1 in 60 rule.
However, it is used to get you to your destination.
If a pilot is flying a leg of 120 miles and finds after traveling 60 miles that they are two miles to the right of track then a correction of 4° to the left (2° to fly parallel to the intended track and another 2° to bring them to their target) will bring them to their destination.
This would require a turn of 8deg in this example to actually get you back on track within two miles. But bear in mind "destination" can also mean your next waypoint.

Here is another tip to work out compass bearings. The only problem is that you need a virgin as a passenger for it to work correctly! (see later).
T + V = M + D = C
True + Variation = Magnetic + Deviation = Compass
When dealing with variation and deviation remember "West is Best" and "East is Least," meaning you add when it is West and subtract when it is East.
Variation is recorded on the compass rose on the chart.
Deviation must be manually calculated for each compass onboard.

Example:
The bearings are 240 degrees True with 7 degrees West variation and 4 degrees East deviation.
T + V = M + D = C
240 T + 7 V (West is Best) = 247 M - 4 D (East is Least) = 243 C
You would then steer 243 degrees using your compass in order to proceed 240 true degrees.

The mnemonic to remember T + V = M + D = C is "True Virgins Make Dull Companions"