OnCourse Software

Initial checkin for tower when landing is hotkey #1

As usual confusion reigns (for me)
Last contact is with Departure and the hotkeys listed are 0 initial check-in 1 Start approach handoff 9 report position.
Works fine as I approach arriving airport, but other than enroute coms, nothing from PF3 ATC. What am I missing here?
pck42

If you are flying VFR Free-Flight, Departure will terminate services when you leave their area, and it's up to you as to what to do next. You can fly without ATC until you near your destination, at which time you contact destination Approach to announce your landing intentions and get further instructions. If you want to remain in contact with ATC after Departure terminates services, you can request enroute Radar or flight-following service by tuning the appropriate frequency and pressing 0 to make initial contact. Enroute frequencies can be obtained from FSS or by using PF3 Display or Web Display utilities. You won't really get instructions from Radar or flight-following, since you are VFR and can fly anywhere you want en route to your destination. Section 8.20.2 in the User Guide has more info on VFR Free-Flight.

Hey Dave, just wondering, how hard would it be to have an option for departure clearance to read back the IFR clearance in C.R.A.F.T format?

Clearance
Route
Altitude
Frequency
Transponder.

Cheers,
Nathan

Didn't think that happened in the rw? I had both CAA and FAA controllers on the beta team at one point and it was never mentioned.

Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk

Dave March wrote: *

Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:43 am

Didn't think that happened in the rw? I had both CAA and FAA controllers on the beta team at one point and it was never mentioned.

I can say that we do use that format on VATSIM but I have never considered the difference significant. The PF3 clearance omits 'as filed' for the route, and transposes the order for frequency and transponder.

With no SID, PF3's current clearance:
'Execjet 732 cleared to KSGF runway heading departure maintain 15 thousand expect flight level 300 ten minutes after departure. Squawk 3263 Departure frequency 119.35 '

and standard format would be:
'Execjet 732 cleared to KSGF as filed, maintain 15 thousand expect flight level 300 ten minutes after departure. Departure frequency 119.35, Squawk 3263.'

With a SID, PF3's clearance:
'World 732 cleared to KMIA departure via Tango Echo Sierra Tango cleared to 9 thousand Squawk 4324 Departure 123.6 '

and standard format would be:
'World 732 cleared to KMIA via Tango Echo Sierra Tango departure then as filed, cleared to 9 thousand. Departure 123.6, Squawk 4324.'

As you say, none of the RW pilots or controllers on the team mentioned it.

Thanks Dan

Thank you, Dan/Dave, duly noted re: FSS. However, I don't think it addresses the Feature Request, which is basically Can I or can't I contact an airport other than the Departure and Arrival airports using PF3 ATC. Previous log submitted should indicate I tried contacting KISM and KLAL in order to do T&G. No Luck at all! So, if possible, please advise how to do this. If not let me know and we can put this request to sleep.
pck42

Thanks Dave and Dan, yeah no real biggie

pck42 wrote: *

Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:05 pm

Can I or can't I contact an airport other than the Departure and Arrival airports using PF3 ATC.

I don't think you can simply tune another airport and make contact. If you tune FSS there is an option (Hotkey 8) to amend your flight plan to land at the next available airport. Once you do this you should be able to contact Approach, and then request touch-and-go when handed to Tower. I haven't tried this so am not sure exactly how it works.

If you think you may want to land at a specific airport along your route, you can enter the airport as an alternate when you load your original flight plan. Once in contact with Radar or flight-following, you can use Hotkey 8 to amend your flight plan to land at your alternate airport.