OnCourse Software

This is becoming frustrating. I like flying out of controlled airports, and I also like to fly out of smaller, uncontrolled airports (lots of these in Canada and Alaska). The procedures for doing this are not mentioned in the manual, tutorials, or any other place I could find. I'm simply trying to open my flight plan, get clearance, and contact center on departure. I'm using the FS9 atc frequencies as instructed. On the ground at CYZU I tune multicom and get my flight plan opened. That's the last thing that works right. When I press 4 to request the center frequency, I'm told to contact center on "0.0." Shortly thereafter PFE disconnects from FS9 or closes altogether. This happened at a different airport too. So I figure I'll use 132.05, which is the center frequency listed by FS9 for that airport. (Why am I asking FSS for the center frequency if I can look it up? To see if that function works. It doesn't.) I can't figure out how to get clearance on the ground (tried tuning center and pressing 0 and nothing happened), so I'm guessing I get it in the air after take off. I taxi and take off, tune to 132.05 and press 0. Nothing. Just to see if PFE is still responding at all, I press C+S+W to warp to the next waypoint. The message I get is "Not available until runway has been assigned." Apparently PFE thinks I'm still on the ground.

I'm doing the best I can here with no documentation. I've asked here previously how to access the docs for PF2000 and was told to view the tutorials. I still don't know if there PF2000 docs are available. If PFE is unable to handle departures from uncontrolled airports, I wish that would have been mentioned somewhere...I wouldn't have bought it. If it can, it would be nice to have instructions on the procedures.

If you're flying out of an uncontrolled airport with only Multicom or Unicom facilities you will not be able to contact Clearance. With these facilities you report your position and intention for other aircraft to hear.

If your flight plan is VFR you should contact FSS just prior to take-off and ask them to open your flight plan.

You should have the PF2000 manuals on your PF2000 folder

Sent from my Dumbphone

I just recently found the PF2000 help file, Aerosoft\PFE\FS2000\PF2000\PF2000help.chm.

dmarch wrote:

If your flight plan is VFR you should contact FSS just prior to take-off and ask them to open your flight plan.

You're quoting from the PF2000 docs, which I found thanks to you. The problem is that I'm not flying VFR, and the PF2000 docs don't seem to make any mention of what to do in that situation. There's no equivalent "If your flight plan is IFR you should yadda yadda." It also says in the section on Clearance "If your departure airport has a Clearance Delivery frequency, then you must contact them before any other facility and get your clearance." Again, no mention what to do if an airport does not have a CD frequency. From the wording they're using, I'm getting the sinking feeling that it's not possible to initiate an IFR flight from an uncontrolled airport. Now I know you didn't write PF2000 and are not responsible for it's limitations, I'd just like to know what those limitations are. With RC, I can open my flight plan at an uncontrolled airport through FSS, and also get my clearance through FSS (they contact Clearance and get back to me). Then once I'm in the air I contact Center and get further instructions. I'm not bringing up RC because I think it's better than PFE (having tried PFE, I prefer it), I'm bringing it up because it's what I'm used to, I've been under the impression that it handles uncontrolled airports realistically. If I'm trying to do something with PFE that simply can't be done, please let me know so I won't spend any more time trying to figure it out.

If you're flying IFR just contact FSS to open your flight plan

Re-read my first post, Dave. Contacting FSS to open an IFR flight plan works, but I'm unable to contact Center after take off. The cruise altitude for the flight is below 14,500'. Does that mean I'd not be able to contact Center the entire flight? If I change the 14,500' to something lower in PF2000, will it take effect when the adv it compiled?

As for clearance, I had the idea to just add a clearance frequency to those airports that don't have one. It's not realistic, but I am, after all, flying a desk. I won't be able to test this until later today.

You won't be able to contact centre until you reach centre altitude

Sent from my Dumbphone

OK, I guess I can try lowering the center altitude for these short flights.

I've found a solution that is not perfect, but I'm happy with it. All that's necessary is to add a Clearance Delivery frequency to an uncontrolled airport. Tower & ground not necessary. So now the sequence goes like this:

1. I contact CD directly instead of through FSS and am given the usual instructions, including the freq for center.
2. Upon takeoff I tune the center freq and check in. Instead of center responding, approach responds even though there is no approach freq for the airport. A glitch but a minor one.
3. Upon reaching the contact center altitude (in this case I set it at 6000') I'm handed off to center and Bob's your uncle.

So I'm considering this one solved. Oh yeah...if you add or change any freq at an airport, you have to run MakeRwys.exe and then rebuild the PFE database or PFE won't recognize the changes. Makes sense.