Of course, more questions...

[bowler_man]

1) On free flight, I request to taxi to take off, and the ATC says "Airport currently IFR, request denied". And I can't do anything except for taxi to the gates, parking, fuel, etc. But ATC won't let me take off. What do I do?

2) When I contact center, and one of my options is "Request Flight Following", what does that mean?

[smiley=dankk2.gif]
Jimmy

[BAW0343]

1) In IFR conditions you must have IFR capabilities, most FS aircraft do, and you must also file an IFR flight plan. As the weather conditions are below the minimum for VFR flight.

2) Flight following (in FS anyway) is ATC watching you an radar, in FS they will give you basically only traffic advisories. Im not exactly sure how it works in real life.


But remember Google is your friend  ;D

[reider]

OK, there are basically two routes to go in the sat/nav planning. There are more but these are the main two you`re talking about.

IFR: Intrument Flight Rules, this is where you apply to fly a route prior to departing, on clearance you then gain taxi clearance. Having lined up with the runway you were sent to, you apply to the tower for takeoff. Shortly after takeoff you are given the compass heading to tune to, this changes as you go along, as does your height setting. This will take you from your departing runway and line you up with the arrival runway, a door to door aproach.

VFR: Visual Flight Rules, again you go through the various permission, and the Garmin (Sat/Nav) will follow the route. Subject to the correct settings it will `fly the pattern` and/or `a holding pattern` on arrival until you gert the go ahead to land, with the correct input to the Garmin it will then commence movement to an external runway marker, turn around and begin vectors to final for your landing approach.

It is best to practise both, since at times your VFR request will be denied, due to the weather conditions, all airport departures at this point will be under IFR conditions. Not many people like IFR, I started using it when VFR was refused and have been hooked ever since. Where an airport has no Garmin/sat-nav/VFR facility the IFR still gets you there door to door and is very reliable. Lining you up for a visual approach with IFR is absolutely perfect for a line up to the runway. If there are no facilities at the airport then VFR will just get you there and you find the runway yourself.

Hope this helps,

Reider

[bowler_man]

Ya,  I know, I try to look them up first, because I know that people don't always like people asking a bunch of questions, but I never seem to find what I need. Thanks for the help though!

[reider]

When you plan a flight in the flight planner, prior to setting off you need to inform the control tower you wish to use the plan, so they can track you in there air space.  This tracking is continued by other airports in there airspace as you pass one to another.  So, at take off you follow runway heading, increase altitude to your flight level and answer the radio messages.  when you see the `Request flight Following` part you apply this, so that you get permission to fly your flight plan.  you get a squalk code which you acknowledge, this will be automatically entered in your comms.  The air control can use this as your personal tracking number.  You acknowledge the last message after this confirming they have seen you at whatever altitude on the radar.  Now, make sure the GPS/Nav switch is on GPS, hit the Nav hold switch and follow the purple line automagically!

When you arrive at the destination or within about 30 miles, ask for permission to land of the destination airport (this shows on the nearest airport list on the radio-the one on the sat nav is within 200 miles but can`t be used to radio).  At this point you will be given a runway number, access the Garmin and enter the number (see Garmin500 help), set it to begin approach.  At this point set flaps to approach mode, adjust the speed to suit, landing lights on and undercarriage lowered.

The Garmin will automatically fly you left base and in a holding pattern forever and a day on this setting (or whatever approach you were advised).  On being given clearance to land you set VTF in the Garmin (Vectors To Final).  depending on its current position it will fly you to the outer marker (upwind final), turn to the approach leading to the runway (Downwind Final), this is VTF.  If you skip this setting then its known as Short Final.  You must set the flaps to full, adjust the speed to suit at this stage and keep adjusting as you fly toward the runway, for your glideslope.

If all is well you were first in the pattern and will proceed to touchdown.  If you were given follow the aircraft on final or 2nd, 3rd in the pattern then the runway must be totally clear before you land.  Other obstructions are aircraft still taking off, believe it or not.  If you see any obstruction then you must go around, if tower tells you to go around then you must, you will follow the pattern once again til you get a successful landing.

Hope this helps,

Reider

[Brett_Henderson]

I'll take a stab at this.. If you go about planning it like it's real-life, it makes more sense.

If you're at a towered airport (obviously you were or they'd not have told you that it was currently IFR), listen to the ATIS. Then you'd know you HAVE to file an IFR flight plan to take off.

Given the limitations of a PC simulator, it's still quite realistic. Once you've filed your flight plan, you then contact clearance delivery. Have a piece of paper and pen ready and copy your clearance as read to you (even though FS does the readback for you). After comfirming that you understand your clearance... you'll contact ground for permission to taxi (write that down too, for practice). When you arrive (HOLDING SHORT) at your runway, contact the tower for takeoff clearance. As soon as you're up and climbing, you'll be turned over to departure... and then departure will hand you off to an ATC entity (airport approach or center) after entity until you contact the approach entity at your destination. After cleared for the approach (which is NOT cleared to land), you'll finally get turned over to the tower, for landing clearance.

Flight following is a VFR thing... so you won't use it on an IFR flight.

How you fly the approach is up to you. Personally, I don't like using the GPS (at all) for approaches.. so I usually have to request the ILS, or non-precision approach. And I REALLY hate using the auot-pilot for anything except the cruise portion of the flight. It more fun, challenging and educational to fly as much by hand as you can.

[bowler_man]

Okay, wow, thanks. What's the difference between "Clearance Delivery" and "Ground". What is it? Is it an actual controller, or a recording, like ATIS. Sorry if this sounds dumb, I'm not all that knowledgable.

[TSC.]

[quote]Ya,

[Brett_Henderson]

Okay, wow, thanks. What's the difference between "Clearance Delivery" and "Ground". What is it? Is it an actual controller, or a recording, like ATIS. Sorry if this sounds dumb, I'm not all that knowledgable.

At smaller airports, like most class Delta, ground and clearance delivery are on the same frequency (and normally the same guy). At larger airports, clearance delivery will be a separate frequency. If you've filed IFR from an untowered airport, you have a couple of choices. You can get your clearance by phone... or from the nearest departure/center. Sometimes you can reach them by radio from the ground (that's how FS does it), but more times than not, you'll have to contact them AFTER takeoff. Which can be a problem if it's IFR right down to the ground (back to the first option).

Radio communications can be a bit confusing... Even VFR.

[DaveSims]

[quote]

2) Flight following (in FS anyway) is ATC watching you an radar, in FS they will give you basically only traffic advisories. Im not exactly sure how it works in real life.


But remember Google is your friend