OnCourse Software

I wonder if someone could take a look at the attached logs. Every time I fly into UK2000 EGNT Newcastle I get instructions to maintain level xxxxx usually in the 10000ft plus range but am given the Baro pressure as if they are expecting this level to be the final approach level below Transition alt (6000). It only happens at Newcastle and I have tried remaking the flight plan using different levels but makes no difference. Thanks Steve

Yes, that looks odd:

Code: Select all PF FAF Alt set to 2500 User adjusted FAF Alt set to 19000 14/01/2017 20:00:45: 010 - FS Screen : Loaded FP: EGFF to EGNT - Closed Captions ON - VCP Mode 2 - TAs 6000 / 19000 14/01/2017 21:02:32: 480 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Descend and maintain Flight Level 190 ' 14/01/2017 21:06:42: 360 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Descend to Flight Level 170 ' 14/01/2017 21:07:01: 630 - TA set to: 6000 14/01/2017 21:07:01: 630 - PF Region: 4 14/01/2017 21:09:02: 220 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Descend and maintain Flight Level 100 ' 14/01/2017 21:09:39: 840 - TA set to: 19000 14/01/2017 21:09:39: 840 - PF Region: 4 14/01/2017 21:09:43: 030 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 maintain 17 thousand 5 hundred Cleared to final for runway 25 at pilot's discretion Contact Tower on 119.7 when established. ' 14/01/2017 21:10:55: 870 - Transcript: 'Roger Ryanair 24 QNH 1021 ' 14/01/2017 21:28:26: 100 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Winds 285 at 3 QNH 1021 Cleared to land runway 25 '

Open PF3 -> SIDs/STARs -> EGNT (+Enter) and check Transition Altitude and Minimum FAF Alt at EGNT.
Maybe setting FAF alt automatically forces transition altitude to at least this value, as specifying FAF as a flight level wouldn't be useful.

"User adjusted FAF Alt set to 19000
14/01/2017 20:00:45: 010 - FS Screen : Loaded FP: EGFF to EGNT - Closed Captions ON - VCP Mode 2 - TAs 6000 / 19000"

This is the problem, and follow Thomas's advice to correct it.

I don't believe Rustydog changed the FAF to 19,000 himself, as I recall this issue coming up once for me during beta testing, where a FAF would mysteriously get set to 19, 000. Can't remember if it was resolved but I have never seen it since. Rusty, make sure you are running the latest version of PF3

ThomasAH wrote:

Yes, that looks odd:

Code: Select all PF FAF Alt set to 2500 User adjusted FAF Alt set to 19000 14/01/2017 20:00:45: 010 - FS Screen : Loaded FP: EGFF to EGNT - Closed Captions ON - VCP Mode 2 - TAs 6000 / 19000 14/01/2017 21:02:32: 480 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Descend and maintain Flight Level 190 ' 14/01/2017 21:06:42: 360 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Descend to Flight Level 170 ' 14/01/2017 21:07:01: 630 - TA set to: 6000 14/01/2017 21:07:01: 630 - PF Region: 4 14/01/2017 21:09:02: 220 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Descend and maintain Flight Level 100 ' 14/01/2017 21:09:39: 840 - TA set to: 19000 14/01/2017 21:09:39: 840 - PF Region: 4 14/01/2017 21:09:43: 030 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 maintain 17 thousand 5 hundred Cleared to final for runway 25 at pilot's discretion Contact Tower on 119.7 when established. ' 14/01/2017 21:10:55: 870 - Transcript: 'Roger Ryanair 24 QNH 1021 ' 14/01/2017 21:28:26: 100 - Transcript: 'Ryanair 24 Winds 285 at 3 QNH 1021 Cleared to land runway 25 '

Open PF3 -> SIDs/STARs -> EGNT (+Enter) and check Transition Altitude and Minimum FAF Alt at EGNT.
Maybe setting FAF alt automatically forces transition altitude to at least this value, as specifying FAF as a flight level wouldn't be useful.

Thanks ThomasAH and pschlute Both TA and FAF were set to 19000 at EGNT. Don't know how that happened but now reset to zero as all other airports are. Will test later but I'm sure you hit the nail on the head. I do a round robin of mainly uk airports and this one has been bugging me for weeks. Many thanks to you both. Regards Steve.

Personal preference I suppose but I set my airports to the actual TA of the airport (6000 for most of UK and EGNT), and the FAF to the lowest level I want ATC to clear me to on approach...so for EGNT either 3500 if doing a teardrop approach from NT NDB, or 2200/2000 if relying on ATC vectors.

If you leave them at 0 generally you should be ok as PF3 will use the TA you have set for the region and a default 2500 (I think). However this can lead to problems, for example:

Manchester is one airport in the UK that has a 5000 TA

If you are flying to an island airport you may experience the problem that ATC applies an 18,000 TA, rather than the area TA.

Relying on the default (2500) FAF will lead to problems where you have to overfly higher ground on the approach as ATC will have cleared you to below the mountain tops.

Thanks Peter. Yes I can see that would be a better idea and will implement this on my next flight later today. Just trying to do it the lazy way I guess and let PF3 do all the work. It's not often ATC get it wrong and a great piece of software but I suppose as a pilot I should do some of the work.

Rustydog wrote:

Thanks Peter. Yes I can see that would be a better idea and will implement this on my next flight later today. Just trying to do it the lazy way I guess and let PF3 do all the work. It's not often ATC get it wrong and a great piece of software but I suppose as a pilot I should do some of the work.

Yes and PF3 does a really good job most of the time, but will fall over in the examples I gave (just as default ATC would). I dont suggest updating every airport you have to the right numbers in one go, but as you plan a flight just check the charts and add them as you go along. It is very nice to have the ability to do so and another of the many reasons why PF3 is such a good addon.