ATC drops out

[WebbPA]

I'm trying to go from S. Fla to Atlanta (IFR with a PLN) but somewhere around Tampa the ATC totally drops out.  Can't even get the window to open up.  I've experienced  it from KEYW and from KMIA to KATL at 30FTL in the Lear.  Any ideas?

[BFMF]

Can you still open the atc window with the simicon?

[WebbPA]

No.  Neither the icon nor ` works.

[BFMF]

I've never had that problem before. My problem is that while on IFR flights, I spend so much time on the forums that I miss my hand offs and get yelled at and  my flight plan cancelled

[WebbPA]

I'll try the old standby cure all.  Scandisk and defrag.

[FSTipster]

I may be way off the mark here, but this thought sprang to mind:

There are a couple of places in FS2002 where the scenery is missing. One example is near Stonehenge in the UK.

I'm just wonderig if the same could be true of ATC - a missing sector for that particular area. If it happens in the same place all the time, it's a possibility.

If you could repeat it, and make a note of the Lat/Long, and post what your original IFR flight plan was, it would be easy enough for one of us to duplicate the flight, fast forward it to near where it happens to you and see if it happens to us too.

[WebbPA]

Tipster,

I just emailed you the flight plan.  It happened again and I decided to finish the flight to see what would happen.  I also tried opening ATC from the Alt menu - no good.

As I pass Tampa I am handed off to another ATC.  This time (it's happened 3 times now) I remembered the frequency and tuned to it.  Nothing.

The nav and com radios still work manually, at least to receive.  After I landed at Atlanta I did not get handed off to ground.

I'll try it again to get you the lat/lon.  I'm also considering trying it in another jet but I don't know if I can get a 737 off that runway.

[FSTipster]

[quote]Tipster,

I just emailed you the flight plan.

[WebbPA]

Good idea.

The exact coordinates are N 27 55.91, W 82 20.20, 4.5 miles S. of the Tepee intersection.

[fisharno]

I had that problem a few nights ago. I think I was around the San Fransico Bay Area. The flight started normally, ATC was fine. West of Travis AFB, I noticed it was quite. I couldn't get the ATC window with the icon, or from the tools bar. It was just gone. It didn't appear that it was caused by the scenery, though.
I always fly this area and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and never had that happen before. I attributed it to a new panel I was shaking down, which is a fairly large file. An so is the C-5 I was flying. But, it hasen't happened since.

[WebbPA]

It happened again in the 737 so it can't be the plane.  I have some add on scenery for Florida so that may be it.

[FSTipster]

[quote]It happened again in the 737 so it can't be the plane.

[FSTipster]

Remind me never to assume anything with Windows.

I'm typing this from Win98 because something (looks like Office 2000) has just sent Windows XP belly up.

System Restore is unfortunately affected so it's back to square one.

Sorry Jim - if no-one else manages to confirm whether there's an ATC problem in that area, I'll do it when I get back.

[WebbPA]

Ahh.  The simple pleasure of a reinstall!

After experiencing this glitch 5 times I have come to accept it.  But if someone could confirm that it's not just my machine I would appreciate it.

The next time I fly this route I will try deleting the offensive waypoint and see if that helps.