Approaches: ATC, GPS and Charts

When I am flying an IFR flight plan, following ATC commands, when I am nearing my destination and ATC starts vectoring me in, is ATC actually vectoring me according to a published Approach that I can use the chart and GPS as an aid, or is it just random commands that may or may not be the same each time I fly the same flight plan? If ATC is actually vectoring me according to a published Approach, how can I tell which one it is?

Thanks, Dave

Keep in mind that ATC, however stupid they seem, also take into account the wind and other conditions for determining your runway and approach. Also any published approach is what's programmed into FSX when it was created, several many years ago. Many airports have updated their runways since then. Using your GPS, as an aid, should work fine.

Many airports have updated their runways since then.

 

And many charts (approach and other) have had changes, even if runways were not changed. It might be frequencies, obstructions, waypoint name changes, or other details, not just runways, that cause chart updates.

 

To the OP, it's not random, even in the sim, but it's rather simplistic, so isn't necessarily what you'd get under the same circumstances in the real world.

 

In the real world, if you're on an IFR flight plan, ATC will tell you which approach you'll be using (and you can ask for a different one, though they may not always agree to your desired change), so you don't have to guess. I've not done much of that in the sim, so I'm not sure how it's set up.

 

You can check out the Instrument lessons in the sim, too.

ATC (FSX) or real life, does not vector an aircraft to any specific fix within a published Arrival Procedure. ATC is vectoring you for sequencing traffic control, or to a desired point within a Class B or Class C air space. They are also vectoring you to a point to which intercepting final approach course will be within 2 or 5 nm outside of the IAF. I've found no two vectors alike in FSX which keeps it interesting. The rules governing this are found in FAA operating rules FAR 91.131, 91.117, and 91.215. Happy flying. FSX offers a pretty close to real conditions.

If FSX ATC are vectoring you with STARS, they are doing a pretty shoty job of it. Especially SIDS. All ATC in FSX cares about on take off is lining you up on the GPS course. On arrival they just vector you to intercept the runway LOC. Sometimes they can't even do that right.

 

I've inquired about a better ATC replacement and I think ProATCx might be the ticket. There you CAN set real life SIDS and STARS.

 

SID: Standard Instrument Departure

STAR: Standard Terminal Arrival

IAF: Initial Approach Fix

FAF: Final Approach Fix

LOC: Localizer

 

In aviation, a localizer is the lateral component of the instrument landing system (ILS) for the runway centreline when combined with the vertical glide slope, not to be confused with a locator, although both are parts of aviation navigation systems.

STARS aren't for vectoring, and SIDS are for departure (but no vectoring there, either). Both are published procedures for the pilot to fly, when cleared for them. ATC vectors, as Gipper indicates, are given by a set of rules that govern what the controller says and does, including traffic, terrain clearance and more. The FS ATC is poor at times -- I've seen vectors into the terrain -- and it tends to vector large and small, slow and fast aircraft the same, while real world ATC takes those factors into account, also.