Planned arrival/block time...

[xwhitemousex]

What time exactly does this one mean?

Does it mean time in the air, so if I set it to 50mins, it means my time from wheels up to wheels down on runway = 50 minutes?

Or does it mean time from you start the flight and passengers begin to board, and until you are parked at destination and all passengers have left the
airplane = 50 minutes?

I'm a bit confused as to what time exactly it refers to...

From boarding to unloading passengers, total time = 50mins as you set it, or

From you take off from runway until you land at destination / taxi off arrival runway = 50 minutes?

[timtomairways]

Block time refers to the time gate to gate

so the dffrence between Off block (Departing gate) and On Block (arriving at gate) hence the name block time

wheels up to wheels downis reffered to as Air time: time in air

[gbapache]

If you are trying to time your flight along with setting your destination then the clock starts when you unlock the parking brake and stops
when you set the brakes. If you are within three minutes either side of your planned arrival time you will get the bonus points for precise
arrival, if you are early DO NOT set the brakes, do whatever it is that you do in the privacy of your man-cave untill you are in the proper time.

[gbapache]

Post Edited ( 10-14-10 01:45 )

[xwhitemousex]

Thanks guys, that answers my question

But, you say it's from you release parking brakes until you set them again.

I usually taxi and position on runway, then set parking brakes as I do the final precheck before takeoff where I make sure doors are shut,
flaps are set, trim is set to takeoff, passengers are all belted, lights are on and so on. Would the game then stop my block time again?

I'm going to assume it doesn't since I'm still at departure airport, but just want to ask so I don't jinx my own flight. Been flying mostly
without any set time since I wasn't sure how long the flight would take, but now I've had alot of flights to and from same two airports so I
have some good historical data on how long it takes. Figured I'd try for the bonus points

Bit sneaky with the early arrival, just sitting and waiting until it's time to set the brakes. Basically that means it's better to set a timer that's
15-30 minutes longer than what you expect, then just wait on the ground until you are within bonus range?

I've found that when I return to my main airport at ENZV from ENHD it takes approx. 55 minutes totally (including ground time). But that's
largely determined on which taxiway I roll off on (since one of the exits from the main runway means you have to taxi around the entire
airport to get to the gates), and it depends alot on wether or not I get a go-around. If I get a go-around it takes close to 1.5 hours rather
than 55 minutes when flying the missed approach pattern to get back on glidepath.

The airport is a bit silly since the taxiway exits are on the first 1/3 of the runway when using RW18, and if I overshoot those, I have to roll all
the way to the other end of the runway to find the next taxiway exit. Landing the other way, using RW36 I've found that landing on the
runway threshold is a waste of time, so I've begun to touchdown halfway down the runway, so I can just slip right into the taxiways closest
to the gates.

Dunno if that is entirely according to the books, but either I need to land at edge of runway and brake like mad to avoid rolling down entire
strip, or I can opt to land halfway down the runway and minimize groundtime on the runway itself.

[DavidK]

I usually taxi and position on runway, then set parking brakes as I do the final precheck ...... Would the game then stop my block time
again?

No -- at least, I haven't noticed anything like that (using FSPX) when I'm waiting for clearance to roll onto the runway and have the
parking brakes on. I assume FSPX's timekeeping only ends when it detects parking brakes on at or near a gate or parking spot.

Bit sneaky with the early arrival, just sitting and waiting until it's time to set the brakes. Basically that means it's better to set a timer
that's 15-30 minutes longer than what you expect, then just wait on the ground until you are within bonus range?

Yes, I suspect that's what many (most?) folk do, although 15 to 30 mins might be a bit excessive. If I find myself more than five minutes early, I resist the temptation to indulge in taxiing somewhat slowly or taking my time powering down the plane before setting the parking brake and triggering the end of the flight.

I've found that when I return to my main airport at ENZV from ENHD it takes approx. 55 minutes totally (including ground time). But that's
largely determined on which taxiway I roll off on (since one of the exits from the main runway means you have to taxi around the entire
airport to get to the gates), and it depends alot on wether or not I get a go-around. If I get a go-around it takes close to 1.5 hours rather
than 55 minutes when flying the missed approach pattern to get back on glidepath.

When you say "get a go-around", is that because you've goofed or because ATC instructs you?

....either I need to land at edge of runway and brake like mad to avoid rolling down entire strip, or I can opt to land halfway down the runway and minimize groundtime on the runway itself.

You'll get the on-time points so long as you apply the parking brake at a gate / parking spot within three minutes (I think) either side of zero hour. So, you have around six minutes leeway and taxiing speeds up to 25 kts (I think).

David K



Post Edited ( 10-14-10 09:29 )

[xwhitemousex]

When you say "get a go-around" is that because you've goofed or because ATC instructs you?

It's because ATC instructs me.

Normally I do IFR flight plans and follow ATC all the way to approach, but I have Ultimate Traffic 2 installed and quite often I have aircraft of
different sizes both in front and behind me during approach. Quite a few times I've had a Learjet or 737 behind me, and while I'm floating
away on approach at a leisurly 65-75knots in my Cessna 172, the bigger jets will race past me and "steal" the runway.

I've started to use the "Clear Approach" function for UT2 to avoid situations like those, but even with just the regular FSX airplanes I
sometimes get directed too close to an aircraft in front of me. And with the taxiways being as silly as I've mentioned in previous post, they
take awhile on the runway before they have cleared it, thus making the ATC issue a go-around for me as I'm comming closer while they
are still on the runway.

I'm more aware of the situation (with aircraft spending a relatively long time on the runway before it's cleared on this particular airport) so I
generally try to keep a more-than-usual spacing between myself and the aircraft infront of me during approach.

Of course, I could probably just ignore the go-around and just land since the Cessna172 barely uses any runway to land, especially not
with full flaps, in headwind and with both brakes applied. But I prefer to play the game for what it is, a simulator, so I follow the instructions
I get.

With one exception this weekend when I had a few beers before flying. ATC told me to use RW18, and in my head I was thinking 18 =
south, so I have to fly south and land that way... couldn't figure out why ATC never gave me the clear to land instruction... or why there were
3 aircraft all lined up at the opposite end of the runway. So yeah, I landed on RW36 rather than RW18, and had 3 large jets comming in for
landing from the correct approach ^^

Don't drink and fly :D

[gbapache]

To figure out an accurate flight time you need accurate weather. Most of us use some form of wx engine (mine is Active Sky 6) to give
accurate flight times using real world wx, just add a few extra minutes depending on the size of the arrival airport.

[DavidK]

Normally I do IFR flight plans and follow ATC all the way to approach, but I have Ultimate Traffic 2 installed ......

I'm not familiar with this add-on, but it probably does make trying to landing a little GA plane amongst big airliners more realistic -- in which case, okay, I guess you'll just need to work out a reasonable cushion timewise and if there are occasions when you arrive at the gate/parking well ahead of time, sit it out until there's less than three minutes to go. If you still end up arriving late (more than 10 mins after zero time, I think), well, that's the way it is.

I mostly fly turboprops and there've been a few occasions on final when I've been overhauled by one of the bigger boys, but the standard FSX ATC
system has told them to go-around, not me. So, I only find myself going-around if I've misjudged things -- and, as I try to fly pretty tight times, I know that'll almost certainly mean I'll be penalised for a late arrival.

David K



Post Edited ( 10-14-10 16:17 )

[xwhitemousex]

Part of the problem is that the default FSX ATC AI doesn't always recognize the aircrafts from the Ultimate Traffic 2 addon. So sometimes they are
just simply blind to the aircraft and don't warn you about them as they come racing past you.

But they do have the Clear Approach option which removes all UT2 aircrafts that are nearby the airport, thus making the approach clear for landing or
takeoff.

[timtomairways]

I use traffic X instead of UT2

but i can tell you that default ATC gives landing priorty on a first come first serve bassi

EX
lets say 3 airplanes are imbound for RW 32, A C172, B738, LJ45 respectivly. assuming they are all on a IFR flight and have been told to
contact the tower, the first aircraft given a landing clerance is the one who will land first

so the C172 is given landing clerance than the B738 behind him is given it as #2 to land, then when the 738 over takes the 172, he will be
told to go around. and so will the LJ45. however Wake turbulance could be a problem to, but thats why i dont flyinto bigger airports in a
172

[xwhitemousex]

Well, I just got my C3 license (Yaay), so now I can start flying my PA-34 Seneca. Should help me avoid being raced past as much as I have been. Will
be nicer to approach at 85-100kts rather than 60-75 hehe.

But not so sure about the airplane behind me being told to go-around even if he is #2 to land. I've had them slide past me, land, and I get told to
bugger off... so yeah, first come, first serve, but if someone else touches down before me, I get waved off.

Someone mentioned an AI addon, AI Smooth I think it was, that helps make the ATC recognize aircraft from addons like UT2.