ATC roller-coaster! And two questions

[iwannaflySC]

Ok folks:

So I'm flying IFR to Asheville, NC from Charlotte (using a nice downloaded Beechcraft 1900D.  You know, the wolrd of add-ons is finally opening up!) at 6000. ATC gives me the ILS 16 approach into KAVL.  About 40 miles out, I get an instruction to climb to 8300.  Then to 9300.  I figure there's some terrain I'm being directed over.  And then, at least *six* times, I was told to descend to 8600, then climb again to 9300!  It's like ATC was making me fly up and down the valleys!  I was laughing out loud!  :D I finally got cleared down to 7700, and then to the correct altitudes for for the approach to rwy 16.

I've read of weird ATC stuff before, mainly involving AI traffic, aircraft spacing and the like.  First time I've encountered this kind of stuff with ATC!  Weeeird. :-)

Ok, question 1: when flying IFR, ATC normally vectors one at the correct altitude, and for the correct approach to be lined up with the runway.  When would one use the plates of the kind that one encountered in the lessons (the SIAPs and SIDs and the like)?  If ATC is doing all the work for you, then the plates seem a little redundant, eh?  While flying VFR?  Just curious ...

Second question: how does one get jetways and the like added on to the airport buildings?  I presume there's some freeware/payware out there that does that ...  ???
Happy flying y'all.

[Graycat8524]

Heya iwannaflySC,

I'm surprised that nobody has answered your post.  Everybody must be flying out of town for the Labor Day Weekend!

I just flew my Pan Am 747 SP from KDAL to KDEN and ATC did the exact same thing -- had me change altitude every minute!  

In answer to your question about approach plates you are correct in that they are primarily used for VFR flight.

To answer your question about scenery programs there are many to choose from some payware, some freeware.  A good freeware program that I use occasionally is Airport for Windows by Tom Hiscox and Brian McWilliams.  You can download it here:

http://www.airportforwindows.com/downloads.html

This is an easy-to-use program which features full user documentation and many Add-Ons to make FS 2004 Scenery Modification easier.

[iwannaflySC]

[quote]Heya iwannaflySC,

I'm surprised that nobody has answered your post.