I have finally taken the leap into real time and real world weather flights. I have had some problems with the AI giving me near suicide approach clearance and runways. For example, I am flying from KJFK to KDCA in a CRJ-700. The weather at KDCA is 9 mile visibility and a 8 knot wind at 210. However there is also a severe thunderstorm warning and plenty of lightning and a ceiling below 6000.

Here is the problem... ATC makes me land runway 22 visual, wich is fine but they forgot that its almost impossible to approach the runway with out violating P-56 airspace unless you do a s curve around the airspace onto the runway. I would like to fly a LDA 19 or ILS 1 in these conditions because winds at 8knots is almost nothing to worry about but I must wait until I get Radar Contact as the default atc loves to use the phrase circle and land 22 no matter what approach I pick . Here is the Rossyln LDA 19 approach plate wich gives a good view of the P-56 and runway 22 as-well as the runway lengths- http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0907/00443ROSSLYNLDA19.PDF

The second problem is runway 22 is very short and I take up almost all of the runway with reverse thrusters, spoilers and braking. The worst thing that happened was in the same conditions I got a runway 15 visual clearance which I have flown before but the ATIS did not prepare me for a soaking wet runway because it was not raining. So very short runway + wet condition and a 9 mile visibility and not enough fuel for a go-around(second go around) I am pretty sure the ATC killed me their. We took a swim in the river on the other side of the runway when the plane hydroplaned right off the runway. The plane also failed to rotate fast enough to attempt and emergency touch and go.  

So I guess a few Questions emerge from all this. 1)How can a pilot prepare himself for a Short Field Visual Approach that requires heavy maneuvering(or else) in severe IFR flight conditions, and 2) What did I do wrong with the failed visual 15 approach? Should I have taken more fuel or filed for an alternate after the first go-around? KIAD was very close. I haven't crashed in a a very very long time so that was a wake up call to the introduction of weather

I also want to add that my weight by the time I get to the airport is about 65-63k which allows for a 128kias approach with 45 degree flaps and the CRJ-does not seem to have auto-brakes for some reason. FDC sets them but they never activate because the Plane apparently does not have them. On a side note I also am saving up for Radar Contact to hopefully resolve the runway issue and allow me to fly realistically by picking active runways by discretion.

Thanks for the great flight training forum, I have learned alot from reading the tutorials!

-Aiden

EDIT: I just found out that when I hit randomize on REX is selected Flooded runways for wet conditions. That is equivalent to a hurricane lol, no wonder I couldn't stop  . But that still dosn't change my question about what I did wrong.

Brett_Henderson wrote on Jul 28^th, 2009 at 9:33pm:


I noticed when listening to real world atc at KEWR a lot of the pilots actually prefer visual during the night. It must be a personal preference then because I prefer ILS when its available.

So far I am able to fly ILS, ILS cat II, LDA, LDA/DME, and GPS. Still trying to learn VOR, VOR/DME and NDB. 

As for Visual, I will accept them because I don't want people to say I'm lazy but in real life the excuse for ILS would be safety.

As for the atc the vectors they give are mostly realistic and I end up in the same places as the real guys but the lack of changing runway at discretion, holding and alternates makes me want to call up Microsoft.  The atc will give me any approach I want and ground doesn't seem to care as-long as I am detected leaving the runway lol. I am using real world flight plans for the COMAIR CRJ-900's that seem to be really good, they take me around the bottom of NJ with the JFK wavey DP and the flight time is less than an hour.

I guess then there's nothing I can do until I upgrade the ATC unless I ignore the circle to land, it feels empty and unrealistic without it. I don't use it for VFR though.

Thanks for the reply,

Aiden

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That explains my problems lol... I think I need to find a better AFCAD then to close the runway  .

I was in DC visiting the memorials a week ago and I watched  737's, CRJ's and MD's flying one of the 3 Runway 19 approaches every 2-3 minutes for the few hours I was there. It also is the Countries National airport and I saw Marine 1 go by twice so I assume Air-force 1 and 2 use the airport as its just next to the white house  . I wonder how many times flights are delayed for Air Force 1  .

I agree with you that Rossylyn LDA is annoying but it has a glidslope. The good thing is the alternative LDA/DME uses another localizer and a 145 course instead of 147 so there's no left turn and 920ft minimums. I only use a nav/app hold for the localizer with manual throttles and pitch control. I have never seen a more complicated approach in all of my years of Sim flying  .

I will search for an AFCAD that closes the runway. I assume they closed it because of the airspace making it almost impossible to safe takeoffs and go around with fighter jets at Andrews air force base standing by if anything even dares to fly into it.

I was wondering if you have any tutorials on the NDB approaches? The one I read was overly complex and I am not a real pilot (yet) so I just barely mastered VOR navigation.

Aiden

Edit3: I used FSX planner and closed runway 4/22 ( but left the markings the same) and set Primary and Secondary Take off/landing to false, tested it by setting the winds in favor and I get runway 15 all the time. I just checked the rest of the runways and Runway 1/19 is set false for primary and secondary....What was Microsoft thinking when they made the BGL  . Clearly runway 15 is never used because I just flew into it with a Cessna and the pentagon is less than a few miles roughly in line with the runway  .

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I probably wouldn't want to be in that situation until I have any flight training lol. My goal is to be as realistic as possible and also use realistic use of autopilot and procedures based on airline SOP's and actual manuals and training material I can find.

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Believe it or not that is almost exactly my goal, I've got everything down expect for naviads, fuel and changing flight based on air temperature. I am a temporary hold on winds until I can get a Yoke and pedals and I have learned bad habits of using roll to correct my alignment. (my joystick is not very good at it).

I did read part of the NDB basics and I am able to fly towards them but flying approach publishes is a bit confusing. I will re-read on post some question in the appropriate thread before this thread gets even farther off-topic.

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I guess you can consider me one of them, or on my way to be one of them. My goal is to get a pilots license and maybe have a career in it so I will do everything to make my flying as real as possible. I am even about to purchase the Captain Sim 757 because the lack of systems in the default airliners but am trying to learn navigation first so I don't overload when I must use the FMC for flight plans .

Thank you for the help and replies, I will continue to read all the material here and I do have some questions in other topics  .

Aiden