In ,
Ron Ginsberg wrote:

If you are really into ATC control, then look at acquiring Radar
Contact. The latest version will work with both FS2K2 and FS2K4 and
requires the latest version of FSUIPC but should register itself with
that utility for the few services it requires.

Either before you intialize the flight or during any appropriate phase
you can request departure and arrival runways, or request to follow an
approach procedure (IAP) as published for a particulat entry. You can
use a flight planner of your choice exporting in the MS flight plan
format so SIDS and STARS can be used by entering the waypoints.

You can also let RC choose the arrival based on wind, runway
facilities, etc.

The latest version now recognizes AI enroute and will call traffic
target advisories (but not control AI). On final, it will recognise AI
entering the runway and order a go-around.

Be prepared to digest a fairly large manual in .pdf format. In my
case I had it printed and bound at a local shop.

You can find their support forum on Avsim.


Thanks Ron, I'll try to remember about this.

Trouble is, I've got FS2002 Pro. I've only just started using it and have barely
begun to try out some of the new features (relative to FS98). One if them is the
built-in flightplanner & the ATC menus. The manual says it's not designed to
handle SIDs/STARs (and what are the odds on the data being wrong for someone,
somewhere, if they'd tried to) but the user is free to define all the necessary
waypoints to perform these. The ATC vectoring and/or GPS control of the
autopilot will then take you through these, stage by stage.

If I find that there are serious shortcomings with the built-in system then I'll
consider buying a commercial add-on like Radar Contact but, having just bought a
whole new PC to run 2k2P on, I'm going to be a bit 'jurassic lint' for a good
few months yet.... :-\



--
regards,

Mark