New Pilot!!! needs a little help.............

[BuzzDatAzz]

Hello all!

OK I will just make this a simple set of questions

1. Why don't I ever get approach or landing instructions or clearance from ATC, under any circumstances just handoffs and traffic sightings. ILS works fine and I am "guided in" but I never get clearance from ATC

2. When I land, I never recieve ground control instructions, "taxi to gate" etc.

3. Finally, Is there a way to tune your com1 or com2 to a frequency and initiate communication? I thought maybe that is why I never get any directions or clearance from ATC, but when I tune into my destination airport approach or any other frequency there is no way to "make contact" using the ATC menu unless I am doing somthing wrong.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!  ;D

[dave3cu]

1. you need to be flying an IFR flightplan to request/receive ATC clearance or approach instructions/vectors.

2. Once you leave the runway (at controlled airports only) you must contact 'ground control'. (In Settings>Air Traffic Control place a check mark in 'Auto open ATC window' and it will pop up with your options in this case or any other that require your attention)

3. Simply tuning to a freq. allows you to listen only. To communicate you must 'tune' using the 'nearest airport list' option from the ATC window.

Dave

[beaky]

Hello all!

Howdy.

1. Why don't I ever get approach or landing instructions or clearance from ATC, under any circumstances just handoffs and traffic sightings. ILS works fine and I am "guided in" but I never get clearance from ATC

You may not be fully using the ATC menu. Assuming you have it "switched on", if you are approaching a controlled field, and you select the option to tune to the tower frequency, you should get a clearance and other instructions. Enroute ATC may clear you to enter a Class B, for example, but oinly Tower can clear you to land, and they will direct you to the appropriate localizer or pattern entry instructions.

2. When I land, I never recieve ground control instructions, "taxi to gate" etc.

Same problem, I think, as #1. If that ATC window is open, once you touch down you should see an option to "contact Ground". Ground will give you taxi instructions.

3. Finally, Is there a way to tune your com1 or com2 to a frequency and initiate communication? I thought maybe that is why I never get any directions or clearance from ATC, but when I tune into my destination airport approach or any other frequency there is no way to "make contact" using the ATC menu unless I am doing somthing wrong.

Short answer: No.
The sim has to be ready to give you a menu item for initial contact. I don't know what the range is, but you have to be close enough for the airport in question to be on the list of available airports. Once you select that, the sim tunes your radio for you, and you then choose to contact them, followed by a list of possible requests.

[BuzzDatAzz]

I thank you guys for the quick response and I do understand what you are saying, however maybe I am just slow, but when you say IFR flight plan is that like when you use the flight planner and then save your route??? Or is there a box that should be checked or something? I have opened up the ATC menu on the ground and I no option for taxi instructions, but i think like you guys said I must have IFR in order for all the ATC instructions to work. Thank you guys I REALLY appreciate it. There is nothing worse in this sim than flying around with no one to talk even if it is just AI voices, then you land there is no one to guide you, basically I have been just parking the plane as close to the nearest building as possible and shut down the plane and end flight, BORING!!!!

Oh yeah one last question guys, is there a way to start your flight from the gate or runway with the plane totally shut down and you have to start it up instead if it all ready running at the start of any flight???

Thanks a million!!!

[Sir_Crashalot]

Hi,

to fly IFR you select that in the flight planner. There is an option IFR/VFR. If you start your flight press the (`/~) button and the ATC menu will come up. There you initiate contact with Ground or Tower (depends on the airfield). If you don't do that ATC will never say a word to you.

To start a flight from the gate with the engines and lights off, first of all you must assign a key or joystickbutton to Engine Shutdown. You can do that in Settings ---> Assignments. If that is done, load your flight at any gate you like. Shutdown the engines and the lights (L) and save your flight (; key). Make it the default flight. From now on all your flights will be with the engine and lights off, where ever you start them.

Hope this helped a bit,

Crash

[BuzzDatAzz]

Thank you guys for all your help, everything you suggested has worked and I am flying high now!!! Thanks Again!   8-)

[commoner]

Hi there...No need to be flying to any flight plans to get ATC instructions.....not on my PC at least......when at the gate or wherever you happen to be  flying, I just toggle ATC ON (or OFF) with the  ' key...thats on the same key as @ on my key board........ATC will then give you various options to select from which will (hopefully) keep you safe from other nasty aircraft which are trying their best to make your life a nightmare

 Best...commoner

[JBaymore]

Once you select that, the sim tunes your radio for you, and you then choose to contact them, followed by a list of possible requests.

Actually, that is an option that you can set up in the settings screens.  It is something like "auto-tune radio" or something like that.

In my simpit I have that auto-tune function checked "off" so that I have to manually tune the frequency that ATC speaks.  ["As real as it gets".  

best,

....................john