Some Feedback + Weather?

[robertvo]

I'm a private pilot working on my instrument ticket.
So far I participiated on 2 flights, and have to say, I love the service, and would definitly pay for the service to fly more often.
I found the service very realistic and the controllers friendly and helpful. I think the service will definitely help me to reduce the costs of my IFR rating.

Since I'm practicing IFR, I set my weather to 1mile visibility and 800 overcast.
However it seems like controlers don't know the weather on my computer is really bad and offer visual approach, so I have to ask for ILS or LOC approach.
Other times they say traffic 3 o'clock 500feet above, so I have to say something like "instrument conditions unable to see". What's the correct response?
The weather reported by ATIS on my computer is also different from the altimeter settting given by controlers.

So, my question is how do you handle difference in weather conditions?
Should I put a comment in my IFR plan that I'm flying IFR in IMC so no visual approaches and no visual separation?

Great service guys, keep it up!

[David Carman]

Hey, thanks for the feedback!

Keith can offer a more official word, but I'll chime in real quick. Your suggestion of putting something in as a remark is the best solution I can think of. As controllers it generally isn't an issue if you have different weather, we can accommodate pretty much any approach with enough warning and definitely keep you separated. If you put it as a remark it means we'll know without having to ask, or issue an instruction and you say unable. One heads up, depending on the controller's individual set up, the software may not make the remarks section of the flight plan obvious, so some controllers may not read it and may issue visual instructions anyway, in which case continue as you are doing and say unable. Another option would be to just advise when you check on with a new controller that you are using IFR weather. Something as simple as like "Oakland Center, N12345 eight thousand, weather set to IFR."

As for the altimeter setting, the best bet will be to use the altimeter setting from the ATIS in x-plane, not the controller. The weather we issue as controllers is the latest METAR information, if you change the weather in x-plane, it won't be accurate so you might end up flying into a mountain or something! The ATIS in x-plane is whatever you have the weather set to, and will work out.

David

[TheMadDocMD]

I agree with what David has said;
In a situation where you don't inform the controller you have manually entered other scenery then real world, the controller just may think it was a freak cloud layer, which if you flew with me on Wednesday night, I did.

If I give a traffic advisory and you reply; "I'm in IMC, unable to see" then in my head I think (I know, its dangerous when I think )
Oh that pilot is in a cloud at the moment or I may look at the weather metar and see you may be flying through a area of clouds and then expect once the metars clear up you will be able to see again later in the flight. Which means in about 20 miles, I may issue you another traffic advisory in which I think your still in that SAME cloud from earlier

Letting us know you have manually set the weather rather than just saying I am in IMC conditions, help us understand what you are seeing on your side. So if it is in the remarks, or like David said, when you check in just let us know that you have set your weather to IMC conditions so we as controllers understand its not just a "patchy cloud" that blocked your view.

When it comes to approach requests, if you have a certain approach you would like to attempt, make that request with a controller a little bit from the airfield not right on top of it. This way we can see if it is a doable situation depending on traffic etc (especially if it is a circling approach where you may go against the normal flow of traffic). At which case we will coordinate amongst ourselves to try to handle the request.

[Anthony Pavlak]

We have to issue the traffic anyway. "Negative contact" is all you need to say. Expect more traffic calls, it's just part of the job IMC or not.

[Daddy O]

One thing about California is that you get some interesting weather often. I fly real weather all the time (and actual time of day most of the time) and on PilotEdge I get plenty of opportunity to fly hardball IFR. Sometimes it is so thick I have to shut off the strobes because the effect is so disconcerting, especially with an 8' screen. If is a lot of fun transitioning from vfr conditoions to vfr.

Try flying around San Fran for some interesting weather. It rolls in in the morning and later at night. Radiation fog.