Worst Flight Ever

[dbaty]

Today I flew an IFR from KMEM to KORD. First, I was handed off a total of 28 times. Then once I was established for 14L they told me to go around with a heading of 355. I was almost 30 miles from KORD and I finally turned around and headed back. The controller kept trying to get me to go back to a 355 heading. Finally aftering getting back to KORD and setting up for 14L approach using the ILS, my DME showed the runway 3 miles straight out in front. Pulled up a different view I was right over the runway. What the heck is going on? I did another go around and finally was able to get down on the runway. For whatever reason the tower forgot about me until I was on final approach and then I was given clearance to land. Total flt. took 2.5 hrs. What a pain. I guess I need to invest in Raqar Contact.

[zon756]

Today I flew an IFR from KMEM to KORD. First, I was handed off a total of 28 times. Then once I was established for 14L they told me to go around with a heading of 355. I was almost 30 miles from KORD and I finally turned around and headed back. The controller kept trying to get me to go back to a 355 heading. Finally aftering getting back to KORD and setting up for 14L approach using the ILS, my DME showed the runway 3 miles straight out in front. Pulled up a different view I was right over the runway. What the heck is going on? I did another go around and finally was able to get down on the runway. For whatever reason the tower forgot about me until I was on final approach and then I was given clearance to land. Total flt. took 2.5 hrs. What a pain. I guess I need to invest in Raqar Contact.

tower just loves to put me into a approach by first leading me 50+ miles from LSZH then to return and land...once had they left me hanging around kord. have no idea why it does this but it sure is a common problem.. i believe its just that ATC takes AI as top priority.. then again it shouldnt take any plane as a "high priority".

[kagazi]

Look at the thread fsx atc, Whicker explains it nicely. It sounds as though you were flying a vector to final in which case you would be put in a holding slot depending on other traffic cleared to 14L.

Go arounds are not uncommon at large airports with lots of AI traffic. Several payware programs can help to eliminate or reduce go-arounds (STB or AISmooth), but if you prefer not to spend money, certainly tuning down AI and not accepting vector to final, but rather a transition to the runway of choice will help as well.

[zon756]

Look at the thread fsx atc, Whicker explains it nicely. It sounds as though you were flying a vector to final in which case you would be put in a holding slot depending on other traffic cleared to 14L.

Go arounds are not uncommon at large airports with lots of AI traffic. Several payware programs can help to eliminate or reduce go-arounds (STB or AISmooth), but if you prefer not to spend money, certainly tuning down AI and not accepting vector to final, but rather a transition to the runway of choice will help as well.

AISmooth is a freeware program that eliminates go-arounds and makes holding patterns...tho it once froze my sim.

[shermank]

one of the annoyances with the built in atc is that runway direction by atc often ignores winds...another is that pilots are often directed to a distant runway for takeoff that may or may not be consistent with prevailing winds...

I've noticed that radar contact is more responsive to wind.

Sherm

[ReggieF5421]

my DME showed the runway 3 miles straight out in front. Pulled up a different view I was right over the runway.

The DME does not show you the distance from the runway. It shows you the distance from the transmitter.

If you are at 16,000 ft and directly over the transmitter, your DME will read about 3.0 miles.

The DME for Rwy 14L in the Stock KORD is 10,790 feet from the runway threshold. When sitting on the threshold, the DME should read approx 2.0 miles. A the touchdown marks, it should read approx 1.8 NM.

This approach chart shows the FSX localizer is correctly placed.

http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0909/00166I14LC2.PDF

[ReggieF5421]

One point to remember.

If you accept the default ILS approach with vectors to final, you are accepting the novice level hand holding approach.

If you want your aircraft to have priority over AI aircraft, or you want to fly in advanced mode, you must request an approach with a transition.

[dc4bs]

Erm...

How?

I often fly IFR (traffic 2005 for FSX + all patches (~40% traffic sliders) + aismooth and FSX default ATC) and partway down the descent, I start getting approach vectors (prior to that, I'm flying my plan on "own navigation"). Usually, I get a pretty reasonable approach and then a "make straight in" runway clearance. Once I figured out how to adjust aismooth to deal with them slow-poke helicopters, I almost never get go arounds.

When / how would I request to convert something like that to an approach with a transition to a runway in this case?

-dc4bs

[dbaty]

One point to remember.

If you accept the default ILS approach with vectors to final, you are accepting the novice level hand holding approach.

If you want your aircraft to have priority over AI aircraft, or you want to fly in advanced mode, you must request an approach with a transition.

Hmmm! Interesting.

[FlyingKiwi]

I think the AI gets it worse from the default ATC in FS than we do most of the time, yesterday when I was landing in Athens (and not for the first time) I heard them clear someone to "maintain FL370, cleared ILS approach" just after telling them that they were 15 miles from the field.