active ATC can no longer find Orbx airports?

[Double J]

I don't know if this is possible but yesterday I attempted to do an IFR into KPSP and ATC kept directing me north of the runway about 20 degrees than turning me around to try it again. They also kept telling me to climb 8 miles from the airport..after 1.5 hrs of circling and 5 attempts I gave up, there was virtually no other traffic landing. Then today I was doing an IFR into Goodyear (freeware) and the same thing happened, they never did line me up with the runway then 10 miles out they told me to climb to 6000 feet then flew me over top of the runway then told me to contact the tower, no traffic again. Two different planes.

[FalconAF]

What ATC are you using?  Default or third party addon? And which flight sim?  It might make a difference.  Default FSX ATC can get itself confused in areas with many separate ATC facilities, like SCA.  They will fly you around in some of the most obscure ways switching you back and forth between ATC controllers.  And they do a VERY poor and unrealistic way of vectoring you for something like an ILS approach.  They'll send you 30 miles out of your way just to try to get you "lined up" for one.

 

For third party addons, you may need to run a database update once you install new scenery like an NA SCA to make sure the ATC program's database is updated with the new scenery too.

 

I've also seen the "duplicate AFCADs" problem account for what you are experiencing (rarer, but it can happen).  Have you checked you don't have multiple "AFCADs" (airport files) for KPSP or any other airports in the SCA area?

 

[Double J]

Thanks,

 

It's default FSX, I will check to see if I'm getting duplicate AFCADS,

[FalconAF]

OK.  One other thing (because the odds are it won't be multiple AFCADs causing your specific problem in the SCA area).  

 

Where are you starting the flight from?  And where are you INITIALLY contacting the default FSX ATC and requesting the ILS approach?  

 

With the FSX default ATC, you are requesting them to "vector" you to the ILS approach. They WILL send you way out of your way to do it.  The FSX ATC wants you to already BE, or will SEND you (if you aren't already), WAY away from the airport so they can get you "lined up" with an (approximately) 30-degree intercept angle to the localizer.  They usually send you on a series of "turn right, turn left, turn right, turn left" vectors to do that.  It's almost like they DON'T really know where you are and how to get you to a 30-degree intercept until they have you make a bunch of repetitive turns so THEY can figure out where you are.  If you started your flight with a loaded flight plan from another airport FAR ENOUGH from KPSP, and you were ALREADY on a 30-degree intercept angle towards your requested ILS approach, the default ATC would STILL start these "left, right, left, right" turns as far as 80-ish miles from the airport in some cases.  That's the way the default ATC does it.

 

And that means if you start your flight from KPSP itself, or an airport even 30-ish miles away from KPSP, you are already "too close" to KPSP for the default ATC to do it "right".  They may send you on an initial heading AWAY from KPSP to get you far enough from KPSP (and I really mean FAR) so they can do their "left, right, left, right" turns, THEN they will finally give you a 30-degree intercept heading to follow towards the localizer.   In the meantime, as the pilot, you are wondering, "What the heck are they doing?"  It's a valid question.

 

Combine that with the amount of different Controlled Airspaces in something like the SCA area, and the ATC will have to keep handing you off back and forth to other ATC controllers.  Half the time, those controllers will send you right back to the SAME controller that handed you off to THEM.  It becomes a vicious circle.  And the ATC never does figure out how to vector you for that ILS you requested.  You may end up back NEAR KPSP again, but not the way you should be, so the ATC just tries to "start over" again by sending you back AWAY from KPSP again.  You'll fly in circles all day long with a confused ATC sometimes.

 

That's why lots of people use a third-party ATC program for FSX.  The FSX default ATC can drive you nuts sometimes.  If you aren't careful,  they will even vector you into high ground terrain during approach to airport vectors.  They sometimes don't know or care there is a "mountain" between you and the airport they are vectoring you to.   

 

And note...NONE of the above is the fault of any AIRPORT.  There is nothing wrong with any ORBX airports that cause it.  It's the default FSX ATC.   

  

[Double J]

On 1/12/2016 at 0:10 PM, FalconAF said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's why lots of people use a third-party ATC program for FSX.  The FSX default ATC can drive you nuts sometimes.  If you aren't careful,  they will even vector you into high ground terrain during approach to airport vectors.  They sometimes don't know or care there is a "mountain" between you and the airport they are vectoring you to.   

 

  

Any recommendations for third party ATC?

[FalconAF]

I use Radar Contact v4.  But that does not mean there are not necessarily "better" or "worse" ones available.  Like many other flight sim addons, people will have their own favorites that do what they want the program to do for them.  I'm sure other people use other ATC addons that work just as well for them.