Predicting which runway I'll be landing on.

[visualchaosfx]

I just did a flight from Seattle to San Fransisco in the B747. By listening to the ATIS for KSEA, I was able to determine that I would be departing from runway 34R. While programming the FMC I assumed that I would be landing at runway 28L at KSFO. Instead ATC gave me an approach to runway 28R. It wasn't a big deal or anything. All I had to do is reprogram the FMC for the given approach and thats it. Is this what real airline pilots do? Kind of like a guessing game as to which runway they will be landing?

For example last weekend I flew into Heathrow and had the FMC programmed for a 27R approach because earlier I had taken off from that runway. Now I'm being told to land on runway 9L. This kind of stuff confuses me.

[AndyT]

In real life, which runway you get depends on which way the wind is blowing. You will always take off and land in the direction most directly into the wind, on a runway suitable for your sized aircraft. There are of course exceptions, but this is the standard that is used worldwide.

This is why you are supposed to listen to ATIS (Auto Terminal Information Service...ie, Weather Report) before calling the tower at your destination. It will tell you what runways are being used for incoming and outbound traffic. ATIS is usually updated every hour but different airports have different schedules in different countries.

What the sim does is freaky on occasion. I've been fighting a strong direct headwind coming to land on 8L at HNL and ATC will vector me around to 26 for some stupid reason. If there is someone on final, then ATC should have you extend your downwind or whatever section of the pattern you are in, not send to you land with a tailwind. Landing with a tailwind can double the amount of runway your aircraft needs to safely land.

[dodiano]

Ok check the weather forecast for the time you will be arriving at the destination Airport that is how we determin what Runway we are going to use, now for experience we know that in Places like LAX 80% of the time is Runway 25L for landing, SFO 28R etc... but if not 100 miles before your top of descent you shold be able to hear the ATIS and program the correct Runway... Another good tip for Fuel Purposes is to enter the Farthest Runway, therefore if you land to a Runaway that is nearer to you you save fuel... That is real life by the way!

Regards,

Roberto

[visualchaosfx]

In real life, which runway you get depends on which way the wind is blowing. You will always take off and land in the direction most directly into the wind, on a runway suitable for your sized aircraft. There are of course exceptions, but this is the standard that is used worldwide.

This is why you are supposed to listen to ATIS (Auto Terminal Information Service...ie, Weather Report) before calling the tower at your destination. It will tell you what runways are being used for incoming and outbound traffic. ATIS is usually updated every hour but different airports have different schedules in different countries.

Oh ok. See for right now, I'm using the default ATC. I do have Radar Contact but have not reinstalled it yet because I need to do some upgrades on my computer so I don't get a framerate hit. When I fly an IFR Flight plan I do not have the option of listening to ATIS for the destination airport. But if I fly VFR, I can listen in on the ATIS for the destination airport.

Another thing that really got my me last night was I was doing a night flight from KSFO to KLAS. I was maybe 70 miles from the airport and was given a heading to fly to and a flight level to hold at which was 6000. Since I was doing a night flight I ended up flying into the side of the mountains that surround Las Vegas. So needless to say I wasn't real happy last night. I think I'm going to start flying VFR for the time being until I can get my computer to run faster and then I can install Radar Contact 4.

Ok check the weather forecast for the time you will be arriving at the destination Airport that is how we determin what Runway we are going to use, now for experience we know that in Places like LAX 80% of the time is Runway 25L for landing, SFO 28R etc... but if not 100 miles before your top of descent you shold be able to hear the ATIS and program the correct Runway... Another good tip for Fuel Purposes is to enter the Farthest Runway, therefore if you land to a Runaway that is nearer to you you save fuel... That is real life by the way!

Regards,

Roberto

Is there any way of checking that in Flight Simulator? I don't use the real weather feature because I don't want my flight sim computer connected to the internet. I had Activesky 6.5 but ended up uninstalling that as well because of framerate hits when using VC mode in the PMDG 747. But even before when I had Activesky installed, I rarely used the addon.

[AndyT]

You had a CFIT? On directions from ATC? Default ATC I can understand as its very buggy. Use your Radar Contact or something else to avoid this kind of thing in the future.

But, real life CFIT happens from time to time as well.
(Controlled Flight Into Terrain)

[Lezam]

Vatsim might work for you, squawkbox doesnt really take up too much resources.

[visualchaosfx]

You had a CFIT? On directions from ATC? Default ATC I can understand as its very buggy. Use your Radar Contact or something else to avoid this kind of thing in the future.

But, real life CFIT happens from time to time as well.
(Controlled Flight Into Terrain)

Yeah they give me the headings and I followed then I got a "too low terrain" and thats all she wrote. I just completed the flight right now and everything went well. Might have been a glitch in the system or something last night. I also figured out how to tune onto the ATIS in the PMDG 747. I got get in the habit of reading the manual lol.

Vatsim might work for you, squawkbox doesnt really take up too much resources.

Until I get a high speed connection I wouldn't be able to fly on Vatsim. I will most likely reinstall Radar Contact just because they didn't give me headings that would run me into a mountain lol.

I'm also going for some realistic traffic at the airports. I am currentky using Ultimate Traffic 2004 and my Traffic slider is set to 80% which puts a moderate amount of traffic at the airport which looks cool. But when landing at a major airport the ai planes sometimes fly right past me or through me and if I had the crash settings on well, bye bye to me. I was suggested to use AISmooth but I really don't see any difference. I've tried the traffic slider at 50% but there isn't enough aircraft at the airport. I was curious as to what ya'll had your traffic settings on?

[AndyT]

For FSX keep your traffic between 70% - 75%. I dont know if its been fixed, but anything higher than that causes problems.

[paulj]

If you use your Radar Contact this will be able to interact with the ai and keep them out of your way or direct you to go around if they are already on the runway

Paul

[Michael Carter]

At FL6000 you must have been in orbit. Try contacting Houston next time!