routings, and its uses

[trazee]

hello everyone im newbie in fsx, just wanted to know how the different routing and when its is best to apply.

routing options in FSX are:

direct GPS, low altitude airways, high alt airways, VOR to VOR

whats the difference?

[tigisfat]

it's quite simple, actually.

Direct GPS: will take you directly from your departure to the arrival airfield.

Low altitude airways; will take you through a system of designated highways in the sky (airways) but below 18,000 feet.

high altitude airways: the same thing as low altitude airways, but above 18,000 feet. The airways can be different here.

VOR to VOR: would be useful in an aircraft without a GPS or FMC. It literally takes you from on VOR to the next.


They all have their purposes, and it's apparent within their description. VOR to VOR is the one you'll use the least, because almost all FSX and FS2004 aircraft have GPS units in them. Once you file a flightplan, all the types get loaded into the GPS. For long distances, high altitude airways are most common. For short distances, low altitudes are called for. Usually, the MSFS flight planner will pick an appropriate altitude with terrain clearance for you.



Did that clear it up?

You can move the NAV/GPS switch to GPS, and then engage NAV hold on the autopilot and the aircraft will fly itself along the route you've designated.

[Tim_A]

Direct will always give you the shortest route. The others will likely be longer - you have to get to the airway, and then get off it, the nearest VORs might not be in the right direction, and so on. Airways apply primarily to IFR flight, VORs can be IFR or VFR, since all you are doing is hopping from one VOR to the next, and GPS can be either also.

Which is most appropriate depends on how far you are going, how high, VFR/IFR etc. Shorter routes would lend themselves to being direct. For longer routes, there may well be a convenient VOR route or airway, in which case, why not use it.

[trazee]

thank you for all the replies, now i have a clear view on this topic, and i just want to take advantage of this discussion to learn some more of it,

you see i lived near an airport, and planes initiating a landing pattern is a common sight, i learned from a friend that most planes/airlines makes some patterns prior to touchdown, i believe this is an international standard in aviation, but as what i exprienced here in FSX almost all of the approaches is done in a "direct manner" i mean, you will be routed by the ATC to certain directions and the final turn would be facing the runway right away, no landing patterns done, do i miss something in the flightplan? or it is a pilots option to to that? need some help :):):)

[lnuss]

Aircraft flying in to airports without a control tower typically use a standardized traffic pattern, which makes it relatively easy to know where to expect to see other aircraft, and sets up an orderly flow of traffic to and from the runway. This link (http://www.flightsim.com/fswiki/index.php/How_do_I_fly_a_traffic_pattern_%28or_circuit%29%3F) to the Flightsim Wiki (Wiki in the blue bar above) takes you to an explanation of traffic patterns, complete with diagrams.

However at an airport with a control tower, aircraft follow the instructions of the tower. Often the tower will tell them to use some particular portion of the standard pattern, but will sometimes give them specific headings (vectors) to fly.

ATC in FS is rather limited in its abilities, such that you don't always get handled the same way you would in real life.