Help with Airports Gates

[saos]

I have FSX, win7, when I select that take off from the airport (flight plan) I choose GATE from which I start the simulator. Some fields GATE when I choose a specific example I simulator starts in mid-field close to the airport.

Does anyone know why? And how to fix the the problem?

[mrzippy]

Welcome to the Forum!:pilot: Depending on what airport you are spawning at, when you choose a GATE, it can be a GATE with a jetway or it can be a spot on the ramp. Pretty much the same situation when landing at an airport, your parking spot can be a jetway GATE or RAMP GATE.

 

With default aircraft this is a common thing to happen. If you are flying a repainted or 3rd party addon aircraft, be sure to make some changes in your aircraft.cfg file:

 

The example below is for my Southwest 737-800

atc_parking_types=GATE

atc_parking_codes=SWA

 

The red s in each line is important. I give ATC only the GATE option for parking and my airline parking codes is identified as SWA for Southwest Airlines. This will help to insure that I park with all my fellow Southwest aircraft.

[REDDAIR]

MrZippy,

 

I was following this thread and wondered what changes can you make to an aircraft file?

Example--the following is my cfg 747 Boeing FSX file. This is a FSX installed aircraft. There are no parking entries, so I begin to suspect I am not looking at the right file--this file is located in Sim Objects/aircraft. I recognize my question is a broad one, but if anything, can you "toy" with these entries (Temporarily) without permanently crashing the game or wiping out something? Or better yet, is there some kind of "book" explaining this stuff--as you seem to have this great knowledge.... Thanks.

 

[fltsim.0]

title=Boeing 747-400 Paint1

sim=Boeing747-400

model=

panel=

sound=

texture=1

kb_checklists=Boeing747-400_check

kb_reference=Boeing747-400_ref

atc_id=N747K

atc_airline=Boeing

atc_flight_number=1123

atc_heavy=1

ui_manufacturer="Boeing"

ui_type="747-400"

 

Redd

[il88pp]

here's "the book" about the aircraft.cfg -file (and other files). This is ESP, but for this it can be used.

The info is also available in the fsx-sdk help files if you have the sdk installed.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526949.aspx

 

always make a backup of the aircraft.cfg file before you edit.

(Backups can be kept in the aircraft's folder. Call the first one: "aircraft -0- orig.cfg" and a next one: "aircraft -1- added a livery" for example.Using numbers organises them in the folder in the correct order below each other. Descriptions are usefull.

 

As long as you have a backup of the file you can't mess up much doing this. Even if you mess up flight dynamics or something, by closing fsx and restoring the original (or previous) aircraft.cfg -file again it should be ok again.

 

*********

Just in case I do mess up, I have a copy of the full fsx folder on a seperate disk. That is only there to restore a file from, in case I accidentally delete something, or in my enthousiasm forget to make a backup of an original.

 

Enjoy:)

il88pp

 

[il88pp]

Oh, it is a good idea to add comments at the top of the file. Keep track of the edits you made.

Everything on a line that follows // (two slashes) is regarded as comment by fsx, and will not be executed.

 

So, after adding a Pan-Am livery, I would add at the top:

//Added liv PanAm, texture folder is texture.PANAM

 

Or after also reducing fuel fow, I would add another line, so it becomes:

//Added liv PanAm, texture folder is texture.PANAM

//reduced Fuel_FlowScalar from 1.0 to 0.9

 

 

Makes it easy to keep track of the last change you made. In case you want to undo something.

 

The list at the top of the aircraft.cfg file of the edits you did gets longer and longer. And every time you make a backup, the list is in there too, up to that point. So if you look in an older backup of the file you know immediately at what point it was made.

[saos]

First of all thank you, I tried to do what you have written has not worked out, I start the simulator is not at the gate just in the middle of the runway or the name of an empty area near the airport, though, I wanted to start at the gate.

[evm]

I have FSX, win7, when I select that take off from the airport (flight plan) I choose GATE from which I start the simulator. Some fields GATE when I choose a specific example I simulator starts in mid-field close to the airport.

Does anyone know why? And how to fix the the problem?

 

Could be conflicting AFCAD/scenery files for the airport. Where does this happen exactly? What addon scenery do you use? Is it at every gate or are just some of them off?

[saos]

At first it was only one airport (Example: Rome) - Airport I use is the default game. After a few flights I've seen in any field I fly away I do not start an exit gate unrelated but from the same airport.

Maybe it has to do AFCAD / scenery ... How do I change the settings of this function.

[evm]

Scenery conflicts will arise only with addon scenery. If you have not installed anything beyond default, this is not the problem. How do you choose your gate exactly, when starting your flight?

[saos]

I choose at the airport from which I want to fly, then down list all the exit gates or ramps from I want to make the flight. So there I choose an example G9 and the current has started the game in the center plane runway or an open area near the airport.

[evm]

In that case, and assuming you don't use addons anyway, you should consider a repair or reinstall of FSX. Something seems to be wrong with your coordinate system in the sim. If you want, set your plane at a gate at LIRF, then post the lat/long coordinates here (taken from the map window). I can check on a vanilla FSX if they match.

[mikeandpatty]

I am not fussy about where FS puts my plane; I just go to top down view and use slew (Y) and the arrow keys in the NUM PAD ("5" within the group stops the slew motion, but not the mode) to get near a gate I am interested in. I then use the "+" and "-" keys to zoom down to get the plane exactly into the parking spot the way I want it.

 

The NUM PAD is MUCH easier to use in SLEW than the joystick - you can really fine tune position by combining zoom and quick keystrokes - the further away, the further the plane will move, or rotate heading faster with a keystroke, ZOOM in ,quick keystrokes just nudge the position.

 

I realize many folks like a precise parking position both coming and going - that is a part of the enjoyment of VA flying especially.

 

However, my method saves a lot of headache at smaller airports where gate programming is virtually non existent except for the gas pump.

[mrzippy]

MrZippy,

 

I was following this thread and wondered what changes can you make to an aircraft file?

Example--the following is my cfg 747 Boeing FSX file. This is a FSX installed aircraft. There are no parking entries, so I begin to suspect I am not looking at the right file--this file is located in Sim Objects/aircraft. I recognize my question is a broad one, but if anything, can you "toy" with these entries (Temporarily) without permanently crashing the game or wiping out something? Or better yet, is there some kind of "book" explaining this stuff--as you seem to have this great knowledge.... Thanks.

 

[fltsim.0]

title=Boeing 747-400 Paint1

sim=Boeing747-400

model=

panel=

sound=

texture=1

kb_checklists=Boeing747-400_check

kb_reference=Boeing747-400_ref

atc_id=N747K

atc_airline=Boeing

atc_flight_number=1123

atc_heavy=1

ui_manufacturer="Boeing"

ui_type="747-400"

 

Redd

 

Sorry for the delay in my answer. I was flying to Sandy Eggo shortly after my first post. The entries you see in my aircraft.cfg for ATC parking codes and types must be added. Over the years you will see different things that people have added and tried and will post on the forums as fixes. Some are worth trying and some won't have any effect. Always back up your work.

[REDDAIR]

Thanks to MrZippy and il88PP for further information on the subject of understanding FSX programing. Not to say I understand it, but I am working on it.

 

Redd

[il88pp]

 

If you choos a gate here, for example:

GATE 68 -- GATE SMALL

you end up near a building.

 

But if you choose:

GATE 72 -- RAMP GA

you end up on the RAMP, the open parking area away from the buildings.

 

****

But, this does not Always work.

I am using an addon for example where they are all:

GATE 01 -- GATE

GATE 02 -- GATE

etc.

But only about half of the gates are actually near buildings. They are somehow not correctly defined/named in this Addon Airport file.

 

The scenery density influences it too. I just tested, I started a flight, and then set scenery density a little lower. I normally have it at 'very dense' and set it to 'normal'. Now there are fewer buildings, so where there were 6 planes parked next to a building, there are now just 6 parked in a semi-circle. No sign of the building.

 

It can be tricky to find the Gate you want to start from. After you fly from an airport a bit more often, you sort of remember what gate you usually take. I never found a good way to predict where I end up. Choosing --GATE HEAVY will give enough size for your airliner. But ending up near a building is a matter of trial and error.

 

I hope you know that after the flight has loaded you can jump to another parking space. Just press ALT, in the menu bar, click world - go to airport. Then select the next gate to try.

You'll learn the layout of the airport pretty quick that way. (Terminal D (delta) with gates D, terminal-E(alpha) with gates-E, etc)

 

****

The parking code shouldn't matter to much. As you say the default b747_477 has no parking codes in the aircraft.cfg but it still parks at HEAVY gates with jetways without problem.

The Parking codes mainly add a preference. You can make this a "American Airlines" plane, so it parkes in a section of the airport reserved for "American Airlines". Unles there is no such parking, then it just parks anywhere.

I never added parking codes to my default b747_400, and it parks just fine at any gate, and attaches to jetways also.

 

For a jetway, the [exits] section, needs to be defined. But in the default 747 exits are defined. That plane works ok in that respect.

(see the [exits] section near the bottom of the file.)

 

il88pp

[mrzippy]

To be clear on why I use the ATC parking codes and types. Is due to the fact that I do not use the default 737-747s so I don't want parking just anywhere that's handy. I like parking next to my cohorts in crime. for departure flights it will be trial and error getting to know your airport and where your brethern park.

[REDDAIR]

OK, Let me ask, how does FSX know which terminal gates are associated with one airline? I have had the impression the game does not know particular airline gate priorities/"owners"--but am I uniformed--or have FSX Gamers written this coding into the game themselves? Take a major airport like O'Hare in Chicago USA--Terminal 1 is a large building used by United (UAL), and actually has 2 parts, so if you have a UAL Plane--does the game know of the UAL terminal buildings? As a note--the more I use this game, the more it amazes me in its complexity....

 

REDD

[il88pp]

Well, when you design an airport (with airport design editor, ADE, for example), you can add a parking code to a gate.

Most Addon Airports are designed using ADE.

The default airports don't have these codes built in.

 

You can add a parking code to an aircraft too, in the aircraft.cfg file.

 

When that aircraft then lands, fsx will direct that aircraft to the gate that has a matching parking code. (unless the gate is already occupied of course. or unless the spot is not large enough.)

 

 

*****

To give an impression of ADE. In ADE when you open an airport you view the airport from above in a map form. You see the taxiways, runways etc, and the buildings are represented by rectangles. You can add taxiways, runways, parking spots, buildings, etc. Then you store the airport seperately. You don't actually change the default airport files, they remain in place. Instead, the created file works as an addon airport. You install it in the "Addon Scenery" folder. This way you basically create your own addon airport.

 

*****

A reason to use parking codes is if you want certain airlines to always park together.

I use Addon Traffic. So the traffic is now in real world livery's instead of pacifica, etc. I don't use the default airline traffic anymore.

The addon traffic (WOAI, World Of AI), has parking codes in the aircraft.cfg files. They are aircraft that are AI only and can't be flown by the user. On addon airports I have, where the creator added parking codes, they all park according to airline. At other airports they are all over the place. I don't mind that much.

[mrzippy]

I have found when landing at the major International airports, KSFO, KJFK, KSAN, KLAS, Heathrow, Etc. flying airlines like American, Delta, Southwest, Alaska, etc., that I wind up at the proper terminal parked with similar aircraft that belong at that terminal.

 

Example....KSFO, terminal 1, airlines include Southwest, USAir, and Alaska.