Some questions from European pilot

[speedbird1229]

Hi,

First of all PilotEdge is an awesome place to fly with. Very realistic experience indeed. I have flown IFR in real here in Europe a lot and also countless hours in VATSIM and I know the European IFR very well. However, there are indeed some differences in the US which have made me look a bit newbie when flying on PilotEdge. I have some questions for you.

1) Getting clearance from the Delivery - they often give me also the STAR I will follow at the arrival aerodrome. Is it just because it's a short leg like KLAS-KSAN or is this regular practice?
2) Where am I supposed to get the departure runway? Or the arrival runway? The only ATIS available on PilotEdge is the Xplane's integrated ATIS and I don't think it has anything to do with PE controllers.
3) When I want to start and push, I can just switch over from Delivery to Ground without any handover and then contact ground once I'm on the edge of the ramp. Right? At least that's what has worked for me on PE so far. Now, the Ground gives me clearance to taxi until the holding point. Is he supposed to transfer me over to Tower or am I allowed to switch over myself?
4) Is it regular practice in the US that Tower hands me over to Departure frequency or when can I contact Departure on my own? In Europe very often you switch over after departure with no ATC approval.
5) Last time I flew KLAS-KSAN I filed flightplan BOACH6 TNP LYNDI4. That's what PFPX planner gave me. And there is no thing in the US like CFMU Validate which would approve or deny a flightplan. Now when I got the clearance, the controller said I will be flying instead BOACH6 TNP LUCKI1. Now I ofcourse got a little bit confused since LUCKI1 does not connect to TNP. I thought I'll ask the Center when I'm airborne. He said I am supposed to fly TNP MOMAR LUCKI1. How should I have known that I should have used MOMAR? Or was the controller supposed to tell me this anyway sooner or later?
6) Descend clearance - is it always so that when controller gives me cross MOMAR FL240 then I am allowed to descend until FL240 whenever I am ready? Because in Europe such phrases never work as clearances unless the controller specifically states "When ready descend FL240 to be level by MOMAR". A cross phrase like was used in the US would only mean that a pilot will still ask for descent but he will plan the descent to be level 240 by MOMAR.
7) I am flying the IXEG 737 on Xplane 10. I don't see any setting for squawk mode in the PilotEdge plugin. Does it mean it's able to pull the mode off my 737 transponder knob?

Sorry for so many questions but it is a little bit confusing for me. Not very much to ask anymore but these things sure made me hesitate. Thanks so much.

[sidfadc]

Hi George.

I'm by no means an expert far from it, but coming from the UK and the other side of the pond I'll help you where I can.

1. Sometimes this will be given if it's different to what you have filed. Otherwise the controller will state "then as filed". Good idea to do some decent flight planning before hand to make sure the star is applicable. Particularly if you fly something other than a JET. I have found the majority of stars are JET only for the larger airports at least.

2. myflightroute.com - click on the ATIS player

3. No need to request "push and start" in the US unless you are pushing onto an active taxiway. If you are pushing onto the movement area just say "request push onto Alpha". This is done with the ground controller, switch to this frequency yourself once you have obtained clearance from clearance delivery and ready to go. Call for taxi when ready (with ground). Once you are at holding point X you can switch over to Tower yourself, I believe this is one of the only times you can switch frequencies without getting handoff from ATC.

4. In my experience Tower has the responsibility to hand you off to departure, never change frequencies on your own except in point 3.

5. Not sure on that one - let someone else reply. What I will say is I have spent literally an hour before a flight to make sure my flightplan joins up at both ends. Be prepared to get full route clearance, be prepared for it to change and it also pays to spend some time looking at all the possible sids/stars/fixes/vors/airways you are likely to get when calling for clearance. This will make it less of a surprise when the controllers reads off the clearance. Two good sources for routes which I use - http://peaware.pilotedge.net and http://flightaware.com.

6. If the controller says "cross MOMAR at and maintain FL240" then you need to be at 240 when crossing MOMAR. That's my understanding maybe someone else can clarify.

7. I don't have the iXEG, I'm on FSX however if I press Squawk altitude using the PE popup client on screen this will automatically change the setting on my aircraft. Not really sure about xPlane so someone else can respond.

I hope this helps.

Welcome to PE! I've been here since October and absolutely love it. Highly recommend the free training workshops from the homepage. Very indepth discussions on all things VFR and IFR.

Thanks
Sid

[Flying Penguin]

On point 3, pushback and start is always from ground, you can switch as soon as you get your clearance. But remember you only need to ask for push and start if you are pushing onto a taxiway, if you are still within the apron you just call when ready to taxi.

On point 6, yes, "Cross {Waypoint} at and maintain XXX" means be at the specified height by the waypoint, they may ask you to report leaving your current flight level, but otherwise it's your choice as to when to start.

[Shawn Goldsworthy]

I'll do my best to clear this up for you:

Hi,

First of all PilotEdge is an awesome place to fly with. Very realistic experience indeed. I have flown IFR in real here in Europe a lot and also countless hours in VATSIM and I know the European IFR very well. However, there are indeed some differences in the US which have made me look a bit newbie when flying on PilotEdge. I have some questions for you.

1) Getting clearance from the Delivery - they often give me also the STAR I will follow at the arrival aerodrome. Is it just because it's a short leg like KLAS-KSAN or is this regular practice? - You will generally get the SID and transition and "then as filed" in your clearance. If your STAR needs to be changed, then it will be given with the clearance. Generally you'll only get a STAR change if the entire flight takes place within the same ARTCC. The SAN-LAS example that you used takes place entirely in the Los Angeles ARTCC.


2) Where am I supposed to get the departure runway? Or the arrival runway? The only ATIS available on PilotEdge is the Xplane's integrated ATIS and I don't think it has anything to do with PE controllers. - Like the others have mentioned. Go to myflightroute.com for the current ATIS. We have no control over the ATIS in your simulator. It will list the departure runway. If multiple departure runways are in use, feel free to ask the clearance delivery controller for a departure runway.


3) When I want to start and push, I can just switch over from Delivery to Ground without any handover and then contact ground once I'm on the edge of the ramp. Right? At least that's what has worked for me on PE so far. Now, the Ground gives me clearance to taxi until the holding point. Is he supposed to transfer me over to Tower or am I allowed to switch over myself? - You can change from delivery to ground at your discretion, same deal with switching from ground to tower when holding short of the runway. Push clearance is not required unless you have to push onto an active taxiway.


4) Is it regular practice in the US that Tower hands me over to Departure frequency or when can I contact Departure on my own? In Europe very often you switch over after departure with no ATC approval. - In the USA, always wait until the tower controller tells you to contact departure.


5) Last time I flew KLAS-KSAN I filed flightplan BOACH6 TNP LYNDI4. That's what PFPX planner gave me. And there is no thing in the US like CFMU Validate which would approve or deny a flightplan. Now when I got the clearance, the controller said I will be flying instead BOACH6 TNP LUCKI1. Now I ofcourse got a little bit confused since LUCKI1 does not connect to TNP. I thought I'll ask the Center when I'm airborne. He said I am supposed to fly TNP MOMAR LUCKI1. How should I have known that I should have used MOMAR? Or was the controller supposed to tell me this anyway sooner or later? - If MOMAR was not in your filed route, it should have been given in your clearance. You have no way of knowing that you should have used MOMAR other than like you said, TNP does not connect to the LUCKI1.


6) Descend clearance - is it always so that when controller gives me cross MOMAR FL240 then I am allowed to descend until FL240 whenever I am ready? Because in Europe such phrases never work as clearances unless the controller specifically states "When ready descend FL240 to be level by MOMAR". A cross phrase like was used in the US would only mean that a pilot will still ask for descent but he will plan the descent to be level 240 by MOMAR. - Feel free to descend whenever you like. Descend now if you like, or wait until you see that TOD on for map screen. Just make sure you're at MOMAR at FL240


7) I am flying the IXEG 737 on Xplane 10. I don't see any setting for squawk mode in the PilotEdge plugin. Does it mean it's able to pull the mode off my 737 transponder knob? - In X-Plane, turn your transponder on in the plane itself, nothing else is required, it works. the FSX/P3D clients are a little different.

Sorry for so many questions but it is a little bit confusing for me. Not very much to ask anymore but these things sure made me hesitate. Thanks so much.

[Peter Grey]

I just want to clarify one point, that while answered, is being answered without an understanding of the Europe procedure you are referencing.

In the US you always get a "complete" clearance from the departure airport. This is unlike the European procedure of not issuing a STAR until you are well enroute. So in the US if you are to be assigned a STAR it will be given to you in the initial clearance (or assuming you file it, is included in the "then as filed" portion of the clearance). Note that for a variety of reasons the STAR you are given may be changed enroute.