What an airport needs to be recognized by AI

[YoYo]

Hello ,
I use AI Flight Planner for AI traffic (and ADE for creating airports), I know that its impossible to do flight plan between points (in the air), only from Airport to Airport and with the start and finish.

I have another idea with "hidden airports" (with transparent parts) and Touch and go only, but what it needs to be recognized by AI (for copters only)? For example runway (as short as possible), parking ramp, minimally of cours, ect.?

For example, here I have "start" point only but it isnt enough. I just need it for TnG only.



Thank You for any advices.

[Firebird]

Firstly, your idea has been used by MAIW for years. That is what a waypoint is. It is just that we mainly use it for spots in the air. Just have a look at them.

Now on the other aspect, I do have some knowledge here. A couple of years ago I corresponded with Don about the fact that AIFP wasn't finding information about waypoints.

The upshot was AIFP mainly looks for runways. No runway, no info. It makes sense as AIFP is a flight planning tool and therefore you need runways.

To this day I still occasionally find an old MAIW waypoint that I have to amend to add a runway for it's info to show in AIFP.

[YoYo]

Firstly, your idea has been used by MAIW for years. That is what a waypoint is. It is just that we mainly use it for spots in the air. Just have a look at them....

Thx.

Im still A.I. rookie . Ok so a runway is required, is there a minimum length for TnG, what length would be the best?

[John Young]

A helicopter runway, for use with vertical lift animation is typically 300-500ft, but even 800ft is OK.

Mike MacIntyre, when he and I were experimenting with vertical lift animation a while back, always put a note in the header of the aircraft.cfg file that says:

"The helicopters will also land on normal length airport runways with a tail low attitude. In neither case is this AI FDE intended to be compatible with or used for VFR TNG's".

I have continued inserting that warning and not used TNGs for helicopters. You could experiment however and see what happens. IFR might be OK.

John

[YoYo]

Thanks guys!

[Garysb]

John
I am playing with Tranquils repaint of your EC145 for the Caymans police and I have used VFR to 300' water runways and it looks ok.
As its over water I dont want it to land. The tail down is very small for this helicopter and looks ok, it stops hovers and takes off again


Gary

[YoYo]

John
I am playing with Tranquils repaint of your EC145 for the Caymans police and I have used VFR to 300' water runways and it looks ok.
As its over water I dont want it to land. The tail down is very small for this helicopter and looks ok, it stops hovers and takes off again


Gary

So did you test "water runway" in the air and over the ground yes? Am I correct?

[Garysb]

Over the water at 0'

This is one of them


Gary

[YoYo]

Ok, thx! I'll check your settings.

[YoYo]

Im tweaking still "the waypoint". With 0 alt was ok (but the copeter disappeared underground to do TnG), but when I changed airport height to the actual level I have info about "missed" approach. Hmmm. I'm looking for where is the problem, I increase the length of the runway, we'll see.

[Garysb]

Yo
My afcad is set to 0 as its sea level on the sea, as you have found out it needs the parameters and materials changing for over land, you should also check the height in the sim, NOT real life published data.

You will get a missed approach with IFR as the aircraft overshoots, VFR the aircraft lands, stops and then takes off again



Gary

[YoYo]

You will get a missed approach with IFR as the aircraft overshoots, VFR the aircraft lands, stops and then takes off again

Good advice! With VFR is ok now. After TnG, takes off right away, cool:



only one thing, the helicopter does the circle before VFR landing, it goes to the nearest hill (disappears in trees) .
Maybe change the whole flight to a higher one and it will be ok?

[Firebird]

OK one rule with flight plans.
VFR flight plans follow the height you set, no matter what is in the way, IFR plans will alter height to clear obstacles.

[YoYo]

OK one rule with flight plans.
VFR flight plans follow the height you set, no matter what is in the way, IFR plans will alter height to clear obstacles.

Doesnt this height (VFR) limited by something? It looks like something about FL45 or maybe this "waypoint" for TnG is too close (12 nm from airfield of take off)? I have a better result now but it still goes to the hill (the peak is on 4.000ft) and even if I give 60, 70 it does not fly higher during the whole flight.

[Firebird]

VFR ignores terrain, period.
If the waypoint is too close to the airfield for the aircraft to reach FL45 then yes you will always have a problem. Move the waypoint.

[YoYo]

This is my plan . thx.

[Garysb]

I didnt have that problem, not many hills in the sea

[YoYo]

I didnt have that problem, not many hills in the sea

Unless you're swimming yellow submarine .

Btw. doesnt A.I. crash on the water (if it has skids or wheels)?

[John Young]

Unless the aircraft also has a set of Class 4 (Water) contact points.

John

[Garysb]

Just using the water as waypoints so no landing