SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:44 pm Post subject: ifr course corrections

In FS2004, flying IFR from Kansas City Downtown to Omaha, ATC plagued me with alternating course corrections: turning from heading 310 to 345 then back to 310. Rinse. Repeat. Sometimes they would direct me to 345 then back to 310 before I'd even completed my turn. It only seemed to get worse as I approached my destination.

Is this something that happens in real life? Or is FS ATC being neurotic?

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject:

Yeah you do get vectored by atc in real life into holding patterns, approaches and other things.
But in real life it isn't as extreme.
It's just a problem with the ATC in Fs.

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:56 pm Post subject:

Sounds like you might have had a right crosswind. What was the weather?

If you figure the cross wind correction, and add it to the heading ATC gave you, you will stay on the heading they want you on. For example if they want you heading 310, and the correction is 5 deg, you crab at 315 to stay on a heading of 310. This has worked for me in FS9.

Even in real flying, ATC doesn't take winds into account when they issue a heading. They want you headed in a direction to maintain separation or proper vectors to intercept the localizer. They issue the heading and watch your progress and correct as required. I got that right from a controller that was in my ground school class.

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:14 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info! I'm sure that was the problem.