OnCourse Software

is it possible to use PFE and still do a flight without using SIDS and Stars like in the default fsx atc?

i tried disabling sids and stars in the options but i was never told to descend when nearing the airport
i was given directions to the ILS but no descent instructions


any suggestions?

thanks
sam

capsam500 wrote:

is it possible to use PFE and still do a flight without using SIDS and Stars like in the default fsx atc?

i tried disabling sids and stars in the options but i was never told to descend when nearing the airport
i was given directions to the ILS but no descent instructions


any suggestions?

thanks
sam

The default settings do not use SIDS/STARS. You will then get told to fly headings on departure, and be vectored to intercept the LOC/ILS or the FAF if visual.

Not getting descent instructions is not connected to SIDS/STARS. Best wait for Dave to reply as he will probably want to see the log file.

pschlute wrote:

capsam500 wrote:

is it possible to use PFE and still do a flight without using SIDS and Stars like in the default fsx atc?

i tried disabling sids and stars in the options but i was never told to descend when nearing the airport
i was given directions to the ILS but no descent instructions


any suggestions?

thanks
sam

The default settings do not use SIDS/STARS. You will then get told to fly headings on departure, and be vectored to intercept the LOC/ILS or the FAF if visual.

Not getting descent instructions is not connected to SIDS/STARS. Best wait for Dave to reply as he will probably want to see the log file.

saying that i did get descent instructions but only to 7500 feet and they told me to descend way too late so i didnt have time to get low enough to intercept the approach phase of the ILS

I had the same problem at first, being too high too close to the airport to capture the localizer and glideslope. In PF2000, not PFE, there are settings that you can experiment with to fix this problem. Run PF2000 and click on the Settings button, top middle. At the bottom of the next screen are boxes where you can specify the distance of the Final Approach Fix from the runway and the angle of intercept for the localizer. I have mine set at 11 miles, 40 degrees, and that seems to work quite nicely. Every once in a while, though, PFE will seem to forget about me, or give me weird vectors that take me much too far away from the airport. In cases like that I just request clearance to final at pilot's discretion and fly my own approach.

sidneyschwartz wrote:

I had the same problem at first, being too high too close to the airport to capture the localizer and glideslope. In PF2000, not PFE, there are settings that you can experiment with to fix this problem. Run PF2000 and click on the Settings button, top middle. At the bottom of the next screen are boxes where you can specify the distance of the Final Approach Fix from the runway and the angle of intercept for the localizer. I have mine set at 11 miles, 40 degrees, and that seems to work quite nicely. Every once in a while, though, PFE will seem to forget about me, or give me weird vectors that take me much too far away from the airport. In cases like that I just request clearance to final at pilot's discretion and fly my own approach.

Right Ok
Thanks for the suggestion.

It could be that your flightplan altitudes were not ideal. How far from the airport was your last waypoint and what altitude was assigned to it? Ideal is 20-30 miles I believe, and you dont want too high an altitude assigned to it. Review this in PFE before you connevt to the sim at the beginning of your flight.

Also check on the SIDS/STARS page in PFE for your arrival airport. There is a setting there where you put in a FAF minimum altitude. This should be the same as the altitude you expect to intercept the glideslope at. If it is too high you wont get further descent instructions.

Peter

Another possibility: The "missing descent instructions" problem can occur if you request a change in flight level from ATC during the flight. I try to avoid this at all costs. (Change the altitude of your waypoints instead.) It's not clear why this happens but Peter and others have raised the issue in several forum posts. Check the bottom post of this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1290&hilit=descent+instructions

also

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1312

Not an expert with the program yet; however, reading the manual has some good suggestions regarding planning flightplan. Especially from Beta Tester's Guide To PFE(pg.125). I was a little confused building a flightplan without sids/stars and asked the question how PFE handles it. And as others have said, it just vectors you to 1st waypoint, follow flightplan to last waypoint then vectors you for ILS. As far as too high, make sure you adjust waypoint altitudes on descent. If you just leave same altitude for whole flight, you will of course be too high. Also, make sure last waypoint is around 4,000ft as per suggestions in manual. This should give you a reasonable approach for ILS.

capsam500 wrote:

is it possible to use PFE and still do a flight without using SIDS and Stars like in the default fsx atc?

i tried disabling sids and stars in the options but i was never told to descend when nearing the airport
i was given directions to the ILS but no descent instructions


any suggestions?

thanks
sam

kramerdc9 wrote:

Not an expert with the program yet; however, reading the manual has some good suggestions regarding planning flightplan. Especially from Beta Tester's Guide To PFE(pg.125). I was a little confused building a flightplan without sids/stars and asked the question how PFE handles it. And as others have said, it just vectors you to 1st waypoint, follow flightplan to last waypoint then vectors you for ILS. As far as too high, make sure you adjust waypoint altitudes on descent. If you just leave same altitude for whole flight, you will of course be too high. Also, make sure last waypoint is around 4,000ft as per suggestions in manual. This should give you a reasonable approach for ILS.

capsam500 wrote:

is it possible to use PFE and still do a flight without using SIDS and Stars like in the default fsx atc?

i tried disabling sids and stars in the options but i was never told to descend when nearing the airport
i was given directions to the ILS but no descent instructions


any suggestions?

thanks
sam

Yeah that sounds like it could be that. When I next do a flight ill check the waypoint altititudes and ensure they are correct

Thanks!
Sam

kramerdc9 wrote:

Not an expert with the program yet; however, reading the manual has some good suggestions regarding planning flightplan. Especially from Beta Tester's Guide To PFE(pg.125). I was a little confused building a flightplan without sids/stars and asked the question how PFE handles it. And as others have said, it just vectors you to 1st waypoint, follow flightplan to last waypoint then vectors you for ILS. As far as too high, make sure you adjust waypoint altitudes on descent. If you just leave same altitude for whole flight, you will of course be too high. Also, make sure last waypoint is around 4,000ft as per suggestions in manual. This should give you a reasonable approach for ILS.

capsam500 wrote:

is it possible to use PFE and still do a flight without using SIDS and Stars like in the default fsx atc?

i tried disabling sids and stars in the options but i was never told to descend when nearing the airport
i was given directions to the ILS but no descent instructions


any suggestions?

thanks
sam

just attempted a flight and set the final waypoint to 4000 and still i wasnt told to descend early enough and had to abort the flight

any ideas?
thanks
sam