What is going on with XPlane 11 ATC ?

Question

Hi

I don’t use the horrible XPlane 11 ATC and you would think by now with all their updates that they would get it better, but they haven’t. If you use their ATC and it clears you to depart to 3000 feet then you do that. Then it tells you to “Resume Own Navigation”. Well my next waypoint on the FMC is at 10,000 feet so I start to climb out of 3000 feet towards the 10,000 foot waypoint.  Suddenly the XPlane 11 ATC comes back on and tells me to descend back to 3000 feet.

Obviously this is not right if they just told you to resume you own navigation. So unless you change your flight plan and descend back to 3000 feet you are stuck. I guess you have to maintain 3000 until the XPlane 11 ATC tells you to climb to 30,000 feet, or whatever your cruising altitude is.

Someone needs to tell the X Plane 11 people that “ Resume own Navigation“ means “ Resume own Navigation” They should really  remove that phrase from their program.

Comments

Yea, your right about X-plane 11s ATC its just garbage!!  If you could at least type and say what you want and if that were the case then I would turn on the microphone then it would be a perfect simulator.  But instead you click a button.  I do hear them talking about fixing there ATC because of the comments about it but they can't work off of those comments because they say stuff like x-planes ATC sucks and stuff like that.  But you can't fix that because it doesn't give any info on the problem so they can't fix it.  That is why X-plane doesn't fix there atc.

Answer 1

Not 100% sure, but I think it only means lateral navigation, and altitude is still ATC controlled (in real world too).

Comments

Thanks. I guess that’s the way it is. But real world ATC ( departure ) will clear you pretty quickly above 3000 feet especially if your SID chart that you were cleared on shows waypoints and altitudes.

Answer 2

Yes, I'm fairly certain that whoever wrote the ATC system and user documentation has zero experience flying.

"As in the real world, any ATC interaction begins with filing a flight plan."

Wrong.

"You need an IFR clearance before you can proceed"

Wrong (there's such a thing as VFR).

"You must read back all instructions from ATC."

Wrong. Just clearances (otherwise, you'll tie up the frequency and annoy everyone).

"At some point, you will be handed off to the center controller"

Well, sure, if you're IFR, though you could also be handed off to a TRACON/terminal controller. If you're VFR, don't count on it. There's also a lot of uncontrolled IFR outside the U.S.

"Continue on your heading and altitude and eventually he will begin vectoring you to an approach at your destination"

If you're VFR, not usually (though they will in busy airspace like NY approach."

And so on.