VOR flight help

[flyinjoe]

I'm trying to learn how to do VOR flights and I've got everything figured out in terms of getting from point to point, except when I reach my destination.

[BFMF]

Brett Henderson has been doing a series on flight training down in the 'Flight School' board, and the next one is on VOR and NDB navigation. He can explain in better than I could.

When flying into an airport, you have to use the ATC window to select the airport from the atc menu, giving you various options for that airport's frequency, such as tuning to the ATIS/AWOS, Unicom, or Tower frequency.

I would suggest holding off on flying IFR flightplans untill you get the hang of navigation.

[flyinjoe]

I don't think you understand what I'm asking.

[BFMF]

Flight following while on a VFR flightplan simply tracks you on radar, and gives you aircraft traffic alerts. In real life it's usefull in the event you end up crashing, they will have a better idea where you begin search and rescue operations because you were being tracked on radar. You still have to navigate on your own.

To fly into a controlled airport, you're going to contact the tower 10-20 miles out. I did a short flight into Felt's Field, a small class D controlled airport in Spokane, Wa. VFR flight following won't automatically vector you into landing. Open up the atc window, and you will see the options to create an IFR flightplan, cancel flight following, and an option for nearest airport list. Select 'Nearest Airport List'.




Now you will have a list of a bunch of airports. If you don't see the airport you want on the list, select 'Airports Farther From You'.




Ok, Felts Field is the second from the top. I've selected that.




There will be an option to tune to the ATIS frequency to listen to the weather, and an option to tune to the tower frequency. Select 'Tune Felt's Field Tower'




Now there are more options. You can tune to the ATIS freq, request permision to transition the controlled airspace, request touch and go, or request a full stop landing. Select 'Request Full Stop Landing'.




The tower will give you instructions to land, and in this case, i've been instructed to fly straight in and land on runway 21L. If I want, I could select another runway, and in some cases, you have the option to select different approaches. When you get closer, the tower will clear you to land. As usual, Aknowledge, land, and continue to adhere to ATC instructions. It's pretty straight forward, but I hope I was able to explain it better.



At an uncontrolled airport, you're going to select the airport from the menu the same, but instead of talking to a tower, you're simply going to announce your own intentions

[garymbuska]

Boy now that is what I call precise instructions.
I could not have made it any clearer
Like Esselbach said you need to select a runway to land at if flying VFR even if you are using flight following, as ATC will not give you vectors to the airport you selected when you filed your VFR flight plan. ATC does not have a clue as to where you intend to land at. ONLY in IFR will ATC vector you for a landing.
Some people start out flying VFR then file a IFR flight plan when they get close to there destination. That is one way to do it. 8-)

[Brett_Henderson]

If you file IFR, "VOR to VOR" in the sim.. one of the last transmissions you'll get from ATC  will be to expect a certain approach.. and your last transmission before being turned over to the tower will be, "cleared for the approach". .. just like if you filed GPS direct. It sounds (like Andrew is pointing out) that you've indeed filed, but you might have missed the "IFR" check in the flight planner.. and it ended up being VFR flight following.

Did the flight start with you receiving clearance, with a readback and a quick hand-off to departure afetr taking off ? MSFS ATC will still bounce you around on what seems like headings of their choice, no matter how you file.. so the fact that they did not leads me to believe that you inadvertantly filed VFR.

All that aside.. please join us when we get to radio navigation.. and eventually get to realistic instrument training. Flying VOR-to-VOR is just the tip of the radio navigation iceberg. Tracking radials and finding intersections (no GPS allowed); flying holds by nav radio, and then flying approaches by the published approach plate, are all on tap  :)

[flyinjoe]

just like if you filed GPS direct. It sounds (like Andrew is pointing out) that you've indeed filed, but you might have missed the "IFR" check in the flight planner..

As it turns out, my problem wasn't this, but it was something just as simple and stupid.  In fact, so stupid that i'm not even going to mention what it was.  But thanks all for the help.  I do have it figured out.