SIDs/STARs

Support for SID/STAR procedures has been added starting with X-Plane 12.2.0. These are published Arrival and Departure routes covering many airports worldwide. The purpose is to reduce radio communication and reduce the workload for controllers and pilots by using common, known routes that do not require vectors for every turn. These procedures cover the basics of the route, but may also specify minimum or maximum speeds and altitudes, turn directions, and more. Once you are told which procedure to use, you should fly that procedure accurately, requiring little further instruction.

When filing a plan, X-Plane will allow most faster aircraft to use SIDs/STARs. You can request specific procedures when filing your flight plan, and they will be used where possible. The only reason you would not get the procedures you requested is that they are only available for Runways that are not currently in use. Note that a Runway may be unsuitable for your aircraft type even if other types of aircraft are using the Runway; this also counts as “not in use”.

If you do not specify a SID or STAR in your plan, you will be assigned the best one, provided your aircraft is suitable, considering the rest of your flight plan. When your clearance is confirmed, you will be told which procedure to use, at which point you should set up that procedure in your FMS. If you do not wish to use the FMS, you can request the vectors mentioned above, or use the “No Procedure” radio request.

You can file a STAR as part of your flight plan, but many STARs are only valid for specific Runways. If you arrive at your destination and the active Runway has changed, the STAR you requested may be unavailable, and you will be assigned a suitable STAR based on your location and destination. You need to be ready to change the approach programmed into your FMS at this point.

X-Plane uses a generic set of SID/STAR data that is provided with the simulator for use in the FMS and ATC system. Published procedures change monthly, but the simulator data may be somewhat out of date compared to online flight planning. This is most apparent in mismatched procedure names, which are often numbered to show different versions. If you need the latest data, you can purchase a navigation data subscription from an online provider. If you only use the simulator’s built-in route planner, there will of course be no mismatch.

When flying a procedure, you should expect minimal ATC communication. It is your responsibility to listen carefully to the procedure you are actually cleared for and to ensure you fly the correct procedure. If your route, speed, or altitude limits deviate too far from the procedure, ATC will correct you.

ATC may ask you to ignore certain restrictions, usually altitude, if they would exceed your cruise altitude on departure or your current altitude on descent.

Many procedures include instructions to “Expect [waypoint]” at a specific waypoint, usually with a specific Heading to fly after passing the waypoint. This tells you that shortly before reaching that point, you will receive further vectors from ATC. As with any other instruction, you should comply immediately.

If you purchase a subscription to the latest SID/STAR data, you may also have access to charts that detail each procedure. These charts often contain information that is not encoded in the data used by the simulator. In particular, charts often contain restrictions on aircraft types or phrases such as “Military Only” or “Prior Approval Required”. Because the data does not contain this information, these restrictions should be ignored.

Settings

There are some settings that affect the ATC system under “Air Traffic Control” in the “Sound” tab in X-Plane Settings.

The first control controls whether the ATC dialog box automatically appears when you receive a message. The second control enables audio output for transmitted messages. Generally, this should be left on; turning it off does not disable the ATC system, only mutes the voice. Finally, you can choose the pilot’s voice. Currently, only two options are available, one male and one female.

Non-Radio Airports

Airports with no radio facilities have very limited operations. You can still file and activate flight plans by contacting an appropriate controller nearby. They will give you a clearance slightly different than normal, including a time limit. You should have your aircraft ready before requesting clearance to ensure you can take off before the time limit expires, then contact the controller in the air to confirm.

UNICOM is not supported by the system yet.

Interaction with your FMS

As mentioned above, you can exchange flight plans between the ATC flight plan tab and your FMS before requesting clearance. After that, any changes to the route must be made as they happen, either by requesting a route change from ATC or by adding or removing Waypoints from your FMS.

Setting a given route in your FMS is not a way of interacting with the ATC system. The FMS is there to help you, the pilot, to comply with your filed plan and ATC instructions. ATC is neither aware of nor cares what your FMS is telling you to do.

If you find yourself receiving unexpected Turn instructions during a planned flight, especially a Heading reversal, then you have almost certainly taken a shortcut without notifying ATC. You need to request a route change before taking a shortcut.

Interaction with Weather

The ATC system is fully aware of weather conditions. Aside from passing weather details, this is most likely to be encountered in Runway selection.

Each airport either has defined or generated a set of rules covering which Runways are in use at any given time. The most common rules consider wind speed and direction, but others may cover Visibility, Ceiling, or time of day. Selection also considers your aircraft type and capabilities, as well as surface conditions. Whether taking off or landing, you will be assigned a specific Runway from those currently active based on these rules. You can request a change to another Runway, provided it is also active and suitable for your aircraft. Requesting a non-active Runway is not currently supported.

The traffic rules provided or generated may differ from those used at real-world airports. Other factors also affect the traffic selected, including other (AI) aircraft. An aircraft taxiing at or near the airport intending to land can keep the flow open for a short time after the airport would normally change traffic. You may be asked to hold at the gate or in the air to allow existing aircraft to clear the Runway of the old flow and allow the new, more suitable flow to be enabled. These differences mean that you should not expect the assigned Runway to always match the Runway you see on real-time online flight tracking services.

Each controller will have a specific Altimeter setting at any given time. This will be passed to you when needed or requested, and you should immediately set your Altimeter to that value to ensure you are flying at the correct altitude as far as ATC is concerned. For controllers covering large areas, the Altimeter setting may differ from that used by local airports. The controller will maintain a single value throughout the airspace.

Some airports also offer ATIS broadcasts, which will give you an indication of local weather conditions. ATIS messages are pre-recorded and usually occur hourly. Unless a significant change has occurred, the same message will remain valid for the entire hour, so these messages may also differ from current conditions. ATIS support is currently incomplete, as the pilot will never say “…Information [X]” if you listen to the ATIS broadcast before contacting Tower. Tower will always provide you with the relevant information.

Other airports may offer AWOS broadcasts. These are fully automated and thus update in real time. Rarely, AWOS messages are broadcast on a VOR frequency, so you will need to enable the audio monitoring for NAV1 or NAV2 on your radio to hear it.

The weather in the simulator may differ from any weather report you see elsewhere, including the simulator’s own data files. While it should always be similar to those conditions, many aspects of weather simulation will always create variances. Specifically for wind speed and direction, small variances can result in different Runway traffic rules being selected, and you need to expect to fly according to conditions present in the simulator, rather than expecting a bit-by-bit match to any specific weather condition.

If you absolutely need a specific Runway, for example, you can influence the controller’s choice by setting the wind direction appropriately before starting the flight. Set up your flight initially with live weather download enabled. Enter the weather configuration dialog, and after the initial download completes, switch from “Live Weather Download” to “Manual Weather” mode. The live weather settings will remain in place. You can then change the wind direction and speed for the layer closest to the ground. Note that many airports define “low wind” flows, and wind speeds near the ground are often lower than at altitude, so you may need to increase the wind speed by a few knots to ensure a specific directional flow is used. Generally, 10 knots or more is sufficient to trigger a directional flow, but this varies by airport.

Request Summary

This is a brief summary of every available radio call a pilot can make. All calls are only available in the ATC dialog box where appropriate, as a guide. For example, you will never get the ability to “Request VFR Takeoff” if you already have a different takeoff clearance or are already airborne.

Generally, the most relevant calls for any given situation are at the top of the ATC dialog box.

• Radio Check. As the name implies, this checks your radio. If the controller can hear you—and remember, your transmitter range will be very limited on the ground—then they will respond and indicate how well they can hear you. This tells you your radio is capable of transmitting and receiving. This is one of the few requests that does not require or affect specific controller ownership.

• Read Back. After you receive any instruction from the controller, you should “read back,” which means repeating what the controller said so they know you heard correctly.

• Say Again. If you are not using automatic readback, you can immediately request the controller to repeat their last instruction if you didn’t hear it clearly.

• Request VFR Takeoff. This tells the controller you want to take off, but do not want to file or use a flight plan. You can choose options to indicate your initial direction from the airport, to give the controller a better chance of assigning a suitable Runway, or depart for the circuit.

• Request Clearance. After filing a flight plan, you need to request clearance for that plan to activate it and tell ATC you are about to fly.

• No Procedure. Tells the controller immediately after clearing the flight plan that you cannot follow SID/STAR procedures and asks them to issue vectors instead.

• Cancel Departure. Cancels the previous VFR departure request.

• Cancel IFR. Tells the controller you no longer wish to continue your flight plan. This can also be done in the air, leaving you with no controller as an owner.

• Request Pushback. Once you have permission to taxi, you can request pushback (if the airport provides it). You can also do this directly from the ground operations dialog.

• Stop Pushback. Cancels the previous pushback request before the truck arrives.

• Request Different Departure. After you have your initial departure details, you can request a change, either for a different type of SID (if your aircraft is capable), or for a different active Runway.

• Request Taxi. After you request flight plan clearance, you need to request permission to taxi to the departure Runway. Note that currently, if you request VFR takeoff clearance, taxi clearance is granted immediately.

• Request Altimeter. The controller will provide you with the current atmospheric pressure to set your Altimeter.

• Request Weather. The controller will provide you with a summary of the airport’s current weather.

• Request Weather en Route. Requests weather conditions for any Waypoint along your planned route. If you are flying VFR, the route programmed into your FMS will be used to provide these Waypoints. This is consistent because it is the pilot reading the FMS, not the ATC controller.

• Request Departure Information. At airports without ATIS facilities, the controller will provide you with basic information about current weather and the active Runway.

• Check In. After being told to change frequencies to get a different controller, this will be the only command available; the old controller has “handed you off,” and you must contact the new controller to inform them you have changed to their frequency.

• Ready for Departure. When you reach the holding point for the departure Runway, Tower will ask you to “report ready.” This is your response, telling them your aircraft is set up and ready to enter the Runway and take off immediately. They will then tell you when it is safe to enter the Runway; you must not do so until you hear “Cleared for Takeoff.”

• Request Taxi to Gate. During taxi, you can request to return to the parking ramp, optionally choosing a specific gate. This also cancels your departure intent. Used on arrival, it allows you to choose your gate.

• Request Bearing. While airborne, you can ask the controller for a direct bearing to a nearby airport. This is for reference only and does not imply an intention to actually fly there.

• Uncertain of Position. The polite way of saying “I’m lost.” The controller will provide you with an indication of your position relative to a nearby airport.

• Request Frequency Change. In normal circumstances, you will rarely need to do this. However, you can request to be handed off to a different relevant nearby controller if you wish.

• Change Frequency. As mentioned above, this indicates you will be changing to a different frequency. The difference is that you are telling the controller, rather than the other way around. This is only used when talking to FISO controllers at small airports, where it is your responsibility to initiate the frequency change.

• Request Visual Landing. Ask airport or center control to issue instructions to allow you to land. Depending on the controller type, you may also specify which airport. The landing will be a normal visual landing, though you are of course free to use the ILS if it exists on the assigned Runway. Note that Center controllers cannot arrange landing clearance at airports that are not fully controlled. See the section on landing at uncontrolled airports.

• Request ILS Landing. Ask airport or center control to issue instructions to allow you to land. Depending on the controller type, you may also specify which airport. The landing will use a Runway with an ILS if available. Note that Center controllers cannot arrange landing clearance at airports that are not fully controlled. See the section on landing at uncontrolled airports.

• Request Low Approach. When already set up for landing, request to change the landing type to a low approach, where you will fly low and slow over the Runway to allow Tower to visually inspect your aircraft.

• Request Touch & Go. When already set up for landing, request to change the landing type to a touch and go, where you briefly touch down and immediately take off again without stopping.

• Cancel Approach Clearance. After receiving initial landing clearance, tells the controller you no longer intend to land.

• Retry. Tells the Tower controller you will try the landing again.

• Request Zone Transit. Request permission from Tower control to fly through their airspace without landing.

• Over Zone. After receiving zone transit clearance, notify the controller you are overhead the airport.

• Leaving Your Zone. After passing overhead the airport during a zone transit, notify the controller you are leaving their airspace. You can then change the frequency back to Center control and resume Flight Following.

• Request Flight Following. Ask Center control to provide you with basic services. These include traffic proximity alerts, terrain alerts, and more. It also allows you to make requests of the controller, such as getting information or requesting to land. Generally, it is good practice to use Flight Following as a basic safety feature.

• Cancel Flight Following. If you are currently receiving Flight Following services, this will ask the controller to stop providing them. Usually, the controller will automatically cancel Flight Following when it is no longer needed, so this command is often unnecessary.

• Request Descent. While flying a flight plan route, tells the controller you would like to begin Descent for landing. This is only possible within a certain range of the destination airport, and the controller will automatically provide you with Descent instructions when they deem appropriate. This is only needed if you wish to begin Descent earlier.

• Request Route Change. This has several sub-options. You can turn to a nearby airport, turn at a chosen angle for a distance, proceed direct to a navigation aid that is part of your flight plan, or fly a specific Heading for a distance.

• Request Direct to Destination. Ask the controller to route you directly to your planned destination airport and issue instructions.

• Request Altitude Change. This is for changing your cruise altitude, such as climbing above a storm. It is not used for Descent; that will only delay the controller from providing you with actual Descent instructions.

• Report Field in Sight. After requesting landing from Center control, they will ask you to “Report field in sight” before handing you off to the airport Tower controller for final approach instructions.

• Report Localizer Established. Similar to “Report field in sight,” but used for ILS approaches. In bad weather, you might not be able to see the field at all, so setting up the ILS correctly is sufficient.

• Report Downwind. When flying the approach pattern for smaller airports, especially when you are flying the circuit, you should report “downwind” when you are on the downwind leg. This tells the controller you are about to land.

• Report Final. After calling “downwind,” the next call will be “final,” when you are aligned with the Runway and about to land immediately.

• Report Overhead. Tells the controller you are passing a compulsory reporting point on a SID or STAR procedure, in case your Transponder is broken. Rarely used.

• Transponder Broken. Tells the controller your Transponder is not working. This will stop the controller from reminding you to set the Transponder and require you to report overhead at any compulsory reporting points.

• Transponder Working. The opposite of the previous call; if you previously reported your Transponder broken, this tells the controller it is working again.

• Request Different Approach. After you have your approach details, you can request to approach using a different Runway or procedure. Only active Runways can be requested.

• Shutdown. After taxiing to the designated parking spot, tells ATC you are parked and are about to shut down the engine and end the flight.