FS9 AI traffic and weather programs

[hobby]

I have recently been developing a Ttools program based on Linton on Ouse which imitates a Lancaster training base circa 1944.

To make the simulation more realistic I have been using Active Sky Evolution to produce realistic weather for the Linton Lancasters (23) to fly in. I have developed the EGXU AFCAD to bring back into use all three runways. I have been successful in seeing that ASE does, when the correct AI buttons are pressed, direct all acft to the correct duty runway.

However when I use the default FS9 "user sets weather", with ASE shut off, FS9 ATC directs aircraft to runway 04 regardless of the wind direction I set in the default FS9 weather program.

Can any member please tell me how to correct this fault or advise me where I might find assistance?

[Airspeed]

Jeepers, Hobby!
Regret I have no real answer, as I am very green on AI.
It sounds to me that maybe your AFCAD (which I wouldn't recognise if it came up and bit me on the leg) is taking its data from ASE.
Cryptically speaking, maybe Peer Gynt - "Death of ASE" has something to do with it?
i.e. May I ask why you would kill/shut off ASE and use another weather system? After all, it sounds like it works with ASE.

Amazed that you haven't been answered on this one.
Come on you techsperts, I thought that loads of you do this stuff?

[DaveB]

I'd love to have answered it but I've always seen the same thing with FS using ATC and the default weather engine. It seems to do as it pleases so for my part.. I never use it

ATB
DaveB

[NigelC]

Once you've got your weather set right, increase the sim rate to x8 momentarily. This will reset the ai traffic, bring it back down again and see what happens. I think with FS9, once any aircraft is on an approach to any particular runway or an aircraft cleared to taxi to it, ai traffic will continue to use that runway until all the traffic is cleared, once there is a gap it will then change runway if necessary.

[hobby]

Thank you for your replies.

Nigel: I tried several times setting the weather during a gap in my AI program for Linton when no aircraft were flying. I then made the sim rate X8 followed by bringing the sim rate back to 1.0 but FS9 ATC still directed me to the wrong runway with the wind at 180* I was directed to rnwy 22.

In the original Afcad2 for Military Airfields in Yorkshire EGXU has only one runway in service 04/22. I modified that AFCAD to bring all three runways into operation - perhaps FS9 default ATC does not recognise my modified AFCAD, strange, because ASE does recognise wind shifts and all three runways at EGXU providing that one pushes all the correct buttons and adjusts FSUIPC as advised in ASE insytructions.

[TSR2]

Hi Hobby,

I might be way off here, but I'm pretty sure FS9 (and FSX for that matter) the ATC reads the weather that's fed to it. IE the weather program doesn't control the runways that are used, its always FS that does that. Now interestingly I think it depends on when you load the 3rd party weather program as to how the AI behaves. Now this is in FSX, but if I load my weather program before I start FSX, the weather seems to be applied to the whole environment, however if I launch FSX first and start the flight so that I'm sitting at the gate and then load the 3rd party weather it seems to apply the weather only to my aircraft. I know this sounds strange, but in the latter instance I've been directed to one RW and an AI aircraft which called for its clearance immediately after me was directed to the opposite RW. I don't know if that helpful or not, but might be worth a try.

There is also something in the back of my head that FS9 wouldn't use secondary runways for AI no matter what, i.e. it would only use the main RW or its reciprocal.

[TSR2]

Actually, another question, are your flight plans VFR or IFR?

[NigelC]

I wouldn't argue with Rwy 22 for a 180' wind.

[petermcleland]

I wouldn't argue with Rwy 22 for a 180' wind.

Indeed not Nigel as there is only a 40 degree crosswind

BTW...I have a very complex setup at McLeland Field with Turf Green and McLeland Field all in the same space. All three will use the correct runway for the actual wind and when the Real Weather wind changes, if that change make another Runway the more into wind then at an appropriate moment in Traffic, it will change the active runway, but anyone already on an approach or taxy out will not be changed to the new one. However, if one one approach has to overshoot then he will be directed to the new runway in use.

Even my cruise ships anchor into wind

[hobby]

Progress so far:

I am using Linton on Ouse (MAIY) with all three runways in use and a cheat ILS on Rnw 04/22. The three runways are 04/22 -6000ft, 10/28 - 4390ft and 18/36 - 4200ft.

Of 52 flights in my AI program 49 are IFR with 3 VFR.

Today I followed the advice to start my 3rd party weather program for FS9 first (ASE) using the ASE internal switch button to connect to FS9. The weather program takes a few minutes to download the actual weather from HiFi HQ2 and two further minutes to load weather into FS9 during which one waits making no adjustments. When the ASE weather was operating correctly in FS9 I set off on a triangular course of Linton, Cranwell NDB, Ottringham VOR and return to Linton where after one approach in lousy visibility, half a mile in snow, I diverted to Doncaster where the ASE weather gave 7 miles visibility in light rain.

At Linton both on take off and return I was directed by FS9 ATC to the correct runway for the prevailing wind (116*/10kts) and when I diverted to Doncaster I was given the correct approach courses for an into wind runway.

Once again the lesson was pressed home: In 1944 it would have been very difficult to navigate accurately without our current real life nav aids. Also patently obvious that it was, and might still be, very easy to kill oneself when flying in IFR conditions.

ASE ran very well with FS9 and the system seems to work best if one loads the 3rd party weather program first before linking the latter program to FS9.

Thanks to all forum users who offered help and advice.