OnCourse Software

Hi. Can I have ATC clear me right to my cruise altitude?

During climb, I get a new altitude assignment JUST when I'm leveling off, and I have to interrupt the leveling off to resume climbing when I could have just kept climbing! It gets jerky.

No you can't. As in the real world ATC can only clear you to a safe altitude, dependant on other traffic levels, etc.

What about the timing? I get the new altitude instruction just when I'm leveling off and I have to interrupt the level off and resume the climb. It's a little herky jerky.

One of your earlier posts asked about reducing the amount of AI aircraft chatter. On my setup if I have a large amount of AI traffic, my ATC instructions can be delayed by AI chatter. PF3 does give priority to your instructions but if there is a large amount of AI traffic, delays can occur. You can try reducing the AI traffic and see if that helps.

Note that if you are flying a SID, you may need to level off briefly at your initial SID clearance altitude before being cleared to climb further. This is consistent with real-world procedure since many SIDs have a 'top altitude' that cannot be exceeded without further ATC clearance, and if you reach your initial clearance altitude before getting further clearance you need to level off. I don't think this applies in your case though since it is only for initial SID clearances.

I've been using PF3 happily since it was first released. I was just checking to see if there were some ways to enhance the experience even further. Leveling off briefly is fine, but the way the program works now, there is not even a brief period of staying at the new altitude. I'm told to climb to FL220, and just as I'm leveling off at FL220, I'm told to climb to 320...and I'm like, Why didn't you just give me 320 in the first place if I'm not going to remain at 220 for even a moment!

Thanks.

Dan77 wrote: *

Thu Dec 30, 2021 1:26 am

You can try reducing the AI traffic

I have traffic set to 40% and there is literally constant talking the whole flight...not even 1 full minute of silence!
If I reduce traffic further, the airports are too bare, and I'm not playing with the slider during the flight.