Two Heathrow questions

[Rob Corp]

Hi all - just a couple of Heathrow Extreme Afcad-related questions, for the FS9 version.

First - heavies arriving on 27R tend to backtrack and vacate the runway at around the mid-point, ie, parallel to the end of the T1 pier (where Aer Lingus tend to congregate). Is there a cure for this?

Second, is there anyway to get BA's 757s to go to Terminal 3? I'm fairly sure they're still being used on the Barcelona, Nice, Helsinki, Lisbon and Madrid runs. I know it's all about getting the radius on the a/c model to match the Afcad parking radius - I just haven't found one that works most of the time.

Cheers

Rob

[Norman Dean]

Hi Rod,

There is an answer to stopping the occasional back track of the runway, but it does depend on which ai aystem that you are using, the weather set, and even individual models. The default FS9 coding causes a model to leave the runway by the exit that will give the shortest route to the parking spot. If that exit is behind the model when it finishes its landing role then it will back track. It is possible to overcome this to some extent by putting in false exits combined with breaking the centre line. However, this isn't foolproof and in some instances causes more problems, so I have left it alone here.

As far as BA 757s going to T3, the information I was able to gather for the AFCAD file was that only the Miami flights would continue to use T3 in the short term, but even these would move to T5 early in the year. The AFCAD file therefore was produced to reflect that situation. Now, with Heathrow being in flux due to the T1 developments it may be that other flights do use T3, but unless this was a permanent setup we would not change the file. It isn't the parking radius that matters as such, as there are plenty of spots available of sifficient size at T3, but the airline coding. if you want to have BA flights at T3 then you will need to amend the AFCASD so that the gate you want to use has the airline code BAW as the first one designated.  If you don't want any other airline to use that gate then add xxx, xxx, xxx after the coding.

Norman

[Rob Corp]

Understood about the back-tracking, it's just one of those things.

With reference to airline moves - it's musical chairs at Heathrow right now.

So far, United and Air New Zealand have moved from T3 to T1.

Iberia and Clickair are now at T3. Finnair moved to T3 from T1 some time ago, and now BA's remaining 757s (used to Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Nice and Helsinki) are now at T3 (ahead of other Oneworld airlines, notably Malev and Qantas relocating there too). Apparently the 757s don't have cargo holds that can take containers, so are incompatible with the new baggage handling system at T5 - fact fans...

So, to make BAW 757s use T3, I have changed the mdl radius to 29m using Parking Manager, and have three 'small' gates at 29m radius. So far, it appears to be working - previously I was getting BAW Airbi and 767s at T3 and 757s at T5.

Rob

[Norman Dean]

Hi Rob,

You usually need a parking radius of 32 to 34M for the 757s, but this does depend on the ai model. If 29M works for you then stick with it. There is a problem, in that 767s can also park at spots of the same size, so don't use any gate where it would cause a problem with them. By the way the designation Small, Medium and Large has no practical use, it simply creates a standard sizing if you do not specify another.

Thanks for the heads up on parking areas. When we next do an upgrade I can take this into account (assuming that it hasn't all changed again by then).

Norman

[Rob Corp]

Norman, this probably won't affect the Afcad too much, but at www.heathrowairport.com you can read that BA is making a couple of changes - flights to Malaga and Vienna now go from T3, Nice changes to T5. I think this still means B757s operate from terminal 3.

Rob

[Norman Dean]

Would appear so, Rob. I'll put a gate in at T3 and then post a new file. It will be a day or two, as I have to finish off Belfast.

Norman