How can I prevent my ASK-21 glider from switching to the wrong take-off runway after requesting a tow-plane?

Question

Hi everyone.  How do I prevent my ASK-21 glider from ending-up on a different "take-off runway" (other than what I clearly specified in my "saved situation", attached) every time I press the [t] key on my keyboard (before every takeoff) to request a tow-plane?  I must be doing something wrong.  Anyway, attached please find the following: (1) log.file; (2) saved situation; (3) screen image 1-before pressing the [t] key; screen image 2-after pressing the [t] key but before pressing the [Understood] button; and screen image 3-after pressing the [Understood] button (where you will see that the take-off runway for the ASK-21 glider and tow-plane has erroneously shifted 180 degrees (from Rwy 26 to Rwy 08).

The following steps will show how to recreate the above problem:
(1) launch X-Plane 11 beta (pre‐release beta 11.00pb11 (build 110017 64‐bit). 
(2) click [Load Saved Flight].
(3) select Output/situations/Randall Takeoff 1 ASK-21 Replay.sit  (

Download file

)
(4) click [Load Flight].
(5) RESULTS:
(5.a) ASK-21 glider is displayed without a tow-plane at beginning of Rwy 26 (attachment 1).
(5.b) note that the heading on the compass points WEST.
(5.c) note the tail of the yaw string is blowing LEFT.
(6) press the [t] key on your keyboard (to request a tow-plane).
(7) RESULTS:
(7.a) the above ASK-21 window (5.a, above) is completely overlaid with a new screen containing a "BE ADVISED" warning box (attachment 2).
(8) press the [Understood] button on the screen.
(9) ASK-21 glider is re‐displayed "with a tow-plane" this time EXCEPT that it is pointing in the wrong direction--i.e. it re-positioned itself onto Rwy 08 (erroneously) instead of keeping the glider and tow-plane both on Rwy 26 (attachment 3)
(9.a) note that the heading on the compass is now (erroneously) pointing EAST.
(9.b) note the tail of the yaw string is now blowing to the RIGHT.
(10) here's my X-Plane 11 log.txt file (

Download file

)

 

Looking forward to your ideas..
Thanks, -Joe Todaro

Answer 1

By default the t key is not bound to any commands in X-Plane so you'll need to specify what you have assigned this to. The option that seems most likely to me is "glider tow start" which is a flight reset. There is no default keyboard command that is will simply call the tow plane.

Comments

Thanks for your quick response.

OK, in fact, when I originally purchased/installed the X-Plane 11 beta (almost two weeks ago on Feb.2) -- first thing I realized was that I needed to set my [t] key to the command "Glider tow start" since there were no other commands available to me that would allow me to "call for a tow plane".

Hmm, if only there were some option available that would allow me to skip / bypass that intermediate [BE ADVISED] screen -- the one with the [Understood] button -- I'm sure that that my reported problem would just disappear.

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I would recommend setting up the flight exactly how you want it (with the towplane and correct runway) then saving a new .sit file. I'm not sure how the file got set up without a tow plane originally, as in all my tests, the tow plane is saved in the .sit file as well as the glider.

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Actually, I did set up the flight 'originally' with both the glider & towplane and then saved it to a new .sit.file.  However, per your recommendation I figured it wise to just create a new .sit file to try and reproduce the problem (which was easy to do -- see step thirteen below where things start to go awry) as follows:
(1) launched X-Plane 11.
(2) selected Randall (as my Location).
(3) select Start on Runway 26.
(4) clicked [Start Flight] button.
(5) clicked [Understood] button.
(6) both the towplane and ASK21 glider correctly ended up on Runway 26.
(7) saved the new situation file to Output/situations.
(8) exited X-Plane 11.
(9) re-launched X-Plane 11
(10) clicked [Load Saved Flight] button.
(11) selected "Randall Takeoff ASK21 (test) Replay.sit"
(12) clicked [Load Flight] button.
AND, HERE'S WHERE THINGS START TO GO AWRY:
(13) only the ASK21 glider--without the towplane--ended up on Runway 26.
(14) pressed the [t] key (Glider tow start). 
(15) clicked [Understood] button.
(16) both the towplane and ASK21 glider erroneously ended up on opposite Runway 08.
(14) exited X-Plane 11.

NOTE: Thank you so much for your excellent recommendation, which was definitely worth a try (especially for the sake of my sanity).  Anyway, I did figure out a good WORKAROUND, which is simply to create a NEW FLIGHT each time, which I really don't mind doing especially since the parameters of my takeoff situation (except for occasional changes in wind direction & speed and thermal activity) are basically the same each time.  

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Thank you for the very specific steps. I was able to recreate this. It appears to be only an issue at sim launch (step 9/10). The first time I loaded the .sit file there was no tow plane, but I loaded it a second time and the plane showed up then took off on its own.

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Yes, I also noticed the exact same thing -- i.e. upon loading the .sit a second time, both the glider and towplane appear on the runway, but, for whatever reason, the towplane decides to take off on its own. In fact, on subsequent loads of the .sit I've even noticed it ground looping...going around in circles!

Well, thanks again for all your help--.at least now we know that the issue can be easily reproduced.