Simviation Forums

when I see a long line start to form at busy airports, some of the AI planes dissappear after waiting too long to take off. why is that, and is there a fix i can download, here or at avsim?

The AI aircraft will dissapear if they dont move after 5 minutes. There is a fix but I dont know what it is.

There are a couple of reasons as to why AI craft disapear
1). Not enough parking spaces at the airport

2). Hold shorts are not placed correctly.

Both of these problems can be solved by using AFCAD
Ther are a few default airports that the hold shorts are not placed in the correct spot. The biggest problem that I have seen is on runways that have a long thresh hold for them the hold short is placed back on the taxiway and not at the end of the actual runway. The way to spot this problem is to taxi down a taxiway and see where you actually get the option to request a takeoff if you have to taxi onto & down the thresh hold before you get the option the hold short is probably placed in the wrong place .
If you watch Ai and see them stop on the taxiway you know the hold short is in the wrong place
The airport at KGSO is guilty of this problem I fixed it by changing the taxiway to come out at the start of the runway rather than at the end of the thresh hold and that fixed it.

I think also, that AI planes waiting to take off will vanish when there isn't enough time left for them to complete their "flight plan"..

I think also, that AI planes waiting to take off will vanish when there isn't enough time left for them to complete their "flight plan"..

...only to appear magically in flight where they should have been, had they not being tardy.

This is the wonderful bug infested world of AI in FS, my friends, but be happy, in FSX... nothing has changed.

BTW, It would be useful to have a list of the airports that need a corrected AFCAD to make the AI behave properly. Do any of you know if such a list exists?

That dissappearing is caused by a gridlock system that FS9 has incorporated in it...It's annoying and takes away the realism...The fix (fortunately) allows you to change that time from 5 to 17 AFAIK...The utility can be found at Avsim..."aitp.zip" minus quotes

"2). Hold shorts are not placed correctly."

IMO, this is the Number One (#1.) problem why AI planes taxi out then sit there until they disappear. Just because you d/l and install someone's scenery (freeware or payware) doesn't mean the AF2 file is correct.

I've corrected dozens of errors in one, single AF2_FILE; this includes F1UT_ files which ship with Ultimate Traffic payware.

Simply stated: AI planes on IFR flightplans WILL NOT TAKE-OFF if the RED NODE is missing or misplaced in the AFCAD2 file in FS9

Iam glad I am not the only one who has noticed the hold short problem. But you are correct there are alot of them around. I am slowy fixing them as I find them. I have lost count as to how many I have fixed.
I have found out the more AI traffic you add the more hold short problems you find.
What I do now is every time I go to take off from a run way is to pay attention to where the take off request pops up at
I have alao noticed that it might have something to do with where FS puts you if you select the active runway. Who ever made this part of FS had no knowledge of avaition. Any time you select this option it should put you on the hold short for that runway and not on the runway it self. But this also can be fixed with AFCAD

Iam glad I am not the only one who has noticed the hold short problem. But you are correct there are alot of them around. I am slowy fixing them as I find them. I have lost count as to how many I have fixed.
I have found out the more AI traffic you add the more hold short problems you find.
What I do now is every time I go to take off from a run way is to pay attention to where the take off request pops up at
I have alao noticed that it might have something to do with where FS puts you if you select the active runway. Who ever made this part of FS had no knowledge of avaition. Any time you select this option it should put you on the hold short for that runway and not on the runway it self. But this also can be fixed with AFCAD

I don't have a problem with the AI traffic disappearing just yet, but they aren't showing up to many on FS! For example there is only two CX Traffic in VHHH!

About why FS puts you on the active runway. Who ever made this part of FS had no knowledge of aviation. Yes I agree with you, but I think is better on if you can start at the gate or even a random one will be good.  ;)