PilotEdge Forums

I guess I should expect the unexpected with X-plane 10!

I thought I'd try it out on PE today - I was just going to fly VFR from KSNA to KCNO, but then, since I have the real weather on, it looked like marginal VFR at KSNA. Since I didn't think I could manage the cloud clearance on the way over to Chino, I filed IFR, planning to cancel if I made it into VMC.

Takeoff was fine, and I was on my way to SLI VOR, talking to Socal approach as usual. My frame rate, though, was about 9 (it dropped soon after takeoff, certainly due to the cumulus clouds). I thought, "oh, I'll just zip into settings to lower the cloud detail." As soon as I clicked the settings menu item (I'm on a Mac), my sound cut out. Entirely. Not even any engine noise.

I squawked 7600 and kept going on my cleared course. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting to PE, but the issue was clearly on my end with XP10. I finally broke out into VMC just south of Brackett. I descended VFR and landed at Cable (uncontrolled). After landing, my next step r/w would have been to call ATC to let them know I had landed and to close my IFR flight plan --- so this post is my phone call

I am curious, though, whether PE controllers were seeing my NORDO squawk, or whether I just vanished off the system.

Fun times!

Doug

Hi Doug, your were squawking a radio failure and we could track you all the way to your landing.

Excellent! Do you have any recommendations for me, procedure-wise, anything I should have done differently (other than not try to fiddle with the sim's cloud settings!)? I thought the flight went OK in general.

Oh, one more question: if I had been IMC the whole way, I hadn't yet said my intentions for the approach - what would ATC expect? I would have done the ILS for 26R, thinking that would be the most likely for ATC to assign and precise and easy for the pilot.

Thanks,
Doug

NM Doug wrote:Excellent! Do you have any recommendations for me, procedure-wise, anything I should have done differently (other than not try to fiddle with the sim's cloud settings!)? I thought the flight went OK in general.

What you wrote looked good to me.

Oh, one more question: if I had been IMC the whole way, I hadn't yet said my intentions for the approach - what would ATC expect? I would have done the ILS for 26R, thinking that would be the most likely for ATC to assign and precise and easy for the pilot.

Continue on your cleared route, maintain the highest of the following altitudes:
- assigned altitude
- altitude to expect after xx mins or at a certain waypoint
- minimum enroute altitude

Assuming your route overflies a feeder or IAF for an approach at the destination airport, shoot the approach from that fix once you fly over it. There is a debate that normally starts regarding clearance limits, holding over the IAF, or a bunch other subtle nuances, none of which will every really be relevant in a real world emergency....but the above is a good start

ATC is going to give you a fairly wide berth and will keep other IFR traffic away from you as you shoot the approach at your destination.

Thanks for the feedback - that all sounds good.

In the Bob Gardner "Say Again, Please" book, he concurs - in his conversations with controllers, he reports they generally just want to get you on the ground (intact).

- Doug