OnCourse Software

Hi there, I have what I hope is a pretty easy question but I haven't been able to find an answer in the manual or googling/searching the forum. How do I select the runway I callout for takeoff on unicom? I'm currently trying to take off from CYRB and I am calling runway 35 despite a 13 knot tailwind. I've tried adding runway 17 to the flight plan in little navimap but it didn't make any difference, I'm still calling runway 34 in Unicom.


Thanks!
Adrian

*See Below*

adomeitus wrote: *

Sun Apr 30, 2023 9:21 pm

Hi there, I have what I hope is a pretty easy question

Easy question?

If possible, please zip and attach the debug_monitor.log file from your PF3\Logs folder so we can see what happened. The file must be zipped to be attached to your post.

The runway designation in Little Navmap does not affect PF3.

Strictly speaking, when you are departing from an uncontrolled airport, there is no designated active runway, and the runway you use is at your discretion. I think there was some discussion at some point about removing the runway identifier entirely from the Unicom announcement, so it would simply say, "CYRB traffic, *Callsign* is taking the runway". Another possible solution would be to use the runway starting point you are closest to when you make the Unicom announcement, which would effectively allow you to choose the runway to be announced because you are closest to it. A third option would be PF3 asking you to select your departure runway when you make the announcement. I don't think this was ever resolved so maybe we will revisit it. In the meantime use the runway of your choice for departure.

adomeitus wrote: *

Sun Apr 30, 2023 9:21 pm

Hi there, I have what I hope is a pretty easy question but I haven't been able to find an answer in the manual or googling/searching the forum. How do I select the runway I callout for takeoff on unicom? I'm currently trying to take off from CYRB and I am calling runway 35 despite a 13 knot tailwind. I've tried adding runway 17 to the flight plan in little navimap but it didn't make any difference, I'm still calling runway 34 in Unicom.


Thanks!
Adrian

PF3 uses the active runway for your call. It does this by first checking to see if any AI traffic are currently assigned to land/take off and if so it will use the same runway. If no AI are found it uses wind direction to determine the best runway. If, as Dan suggested, you attach your debug log we will be able to tell you exactly why that runway was chosen

Hi both, thank you! It's very helpful to know that I wasn't doing something incorrect, and I totally understand that this is very minor and I can still fly as I would want to.

Unfortunately I don't have the initial log (I think I loaded another session in between, sorry about that) but I've just tested now and reproduced what happened before - new log attached. The only difference is less wind - the tailwind on runway 35 is now only 7 knots (I've checked that in the in-sim metar and roughly verified it by looking at a wind sock at the airport). If that's not enough of an adverse wind please let me know and I can test again if/when I get the right weather.

Thanks again,
Adrian
P.S I made a mistake in my original post, the runways are 17 and 35, not 17 and 34

adomeitus wrote: *

Mon May 01, 2023 11:12 am

Hi both, thank you! It's very helpful to know that I wasn't doing something incorrect, and I totally understand that this is very minor and I can still fly as I would want to.

Unfortunately I don't have the initial log (I think I loaded another session in between, sorry about that) but I've just tested now and reproduced what happened before - new log attached. The only difference is less wind - the tailwind on runway 35 is now only 7 knots (I've checked that in the in-sim metar and roughly verified it by looking at a wind sock at the airport). If that's not enough of an adverse wind please let me know and I can test again if/when I get the right weather.

Thanks again,
Adrian
P.S I made a mistake in my original post, the runways are 17 and 35, not 17 and 34

Thanks for the logs.

I was able to reproduce what happened to you and so investigated a bit further. This is either to do with the geographical location of CYRB or bad FS data. The heading for runway 17 is 214 degrees and the heading for runway 35 is 34 degrees, so with a wind direction of 115 runway 35 is the one selected. Normally runway 35 would have a heading in the region of 350 degrees. A runway with the heading of 34 degrees would probably be designated as runway 3 or 4

Hope that helps

dmarch wrote: *

Mon May 01, 2023 1:59 pm

Thanks for the logs.

I was able to reproduce what happened to you and so investigated a bit further. This is either to do with the geographical location of CYRB or bad FS data. The heading for runway 17 is 214 degrees and the heading for runway 35 is 34 degrees, so with a wind direction of 115 runway 35 is the one selected. Normally runway 35 would have a heading in the region of 350 degrees. A runway with the heading of 34 degrees would probably be designated as runway 3 or 4

Hope that helps

Thank you so much David, and for looking into it so quickly! It looks like bad MSFS data - possibly looking at the charts they've accidentally used the bearings for an abandoned runway instead of the existing one, but I'm not going to mess about with it because of true vs magnetic north and I don't want to break anything. In any case, PF3 is working as intended, and this has helped me understand a feature(unicom) that I might never need to use again Thank you again, and I hope it's not inappropriate of this internet stranger to say that I hope all is good and that you are well. Thank you too Dan for your help.

dmarch wrote: *

Mon May 01, 2023 1:59 pm

I was able to reproduce what happened to you and so investigated a bit further. This is either to do with the geographical location of CYRB or bad FS data. The heading for runway 17 is 214 degrees and the heading for runway 35 is 34 degrees, so with a wind direction of 115 runway 35 is the one selected. Normally runway 35 would have a heading in the region of 350 degrees. A runway with the heading of 34 degrees would probably be designated as runway 3 or 4

I think the issue is magnetic variation.

The exact figures may differ between simulators, but in FS2004 Runway 17 has a bearing of approximately 167 degrees. Magnetic variation is shown as -48 degrees. Add 48 to 167 and you get 215 degrees.

John

johnhinson wrote: *

Tue May 02, 2023 1:06 am

dmarch wrote: *

Mon May 01, 2023 1:59 pm

I was able to reproduce what happened to you and so investigated a bit further. This is either to do with the geographical location of CYRB or bad FS data. The heading for runway 17 is 214 degrees and the heading for runway 35 is 34 degrees, so with a wind direction of 115 runway 35 is the one selected. Normally runway 35 would have a heading in the region of 350 degrees. A runway with the heading of 34 degrees would probably be designated as runway 3 or 4

I think the issue is magnetic variation.

The exact figures may differ between simulators, but in FS2004 Runway 17 has a bearing of approximately 167 degrees. Magnetic variation is shown as -48 degrees. Add 48 to 167 and you get 215 degrees.

John

Yes I think you're right!

I've found a bit of a workaround here, though it is entirely optional. If your Unicom announcement calls a runway different from the one you want to use for departure, use the Ctrl/Shft/W key sequence to 'request' a different runway. Your pilot voice will request the runway change, but there will be no response on Unicom. Then repeat the Unicom announcement to take the runway, and the desired runway should be announced. Again, this is optional but I tried it and it seems to work.