Arrival

Approach, STAR, landing, parking

From top-of-descent to parking.

When the arrival begins#

The plugin builds the arrival path as you approach the destination. You will get a descent clearance from Center, and (when applicable) a handoff to Approach.

The arrival runway dialog#

If manual selection is enabled, the Arrival Runway dialog opens. You can:

Pick a runway, or use Automatic.
Don't use STAR — no published STAR.
Choose STAR — pick a STAR manually.
Automatic STAR — let the plugin pick one.
On Screen Preview — see the runway and STAR on the Nav Display.
Select parking at destination — pre-select your parking position now.

VFR flights force STAR off — they fly a visual pattern instead.

Approach#

Approach handles vectors to the final approach course, intercept of the ILS (or the localiser, or a visual final), and the handoff to Tower at the final approach point.

If the airport has no Approach frequency, the plugin skips that step and goes directly from Center to Tower.

Landing clearance#

Tower issues:

Continue approach, or
Cleared to land.

Read it back. After landing, vacate the runway and follow the taxi flow.

VFR arrivals#

A VFR arrival uses a visual traffic pattern:

Pattern entry (often a 45° to downwind).
Downwind leg.
Base turn.
Final.

The Nav Display shows the pattern when the arrival path is built. Tower issues pattern-entry, sequencing, and landing clearances.

Missed approach#

When on approach, the Radio Log can offer a missed-approach action. Use it when you cannot continue the landing. Tower keeps control or hands you off as appropriate.

After landing#

Vacate the runway at the first usable exit (or as instructed).
Tune Ground.
The Radio Log offers Report runway <NAME> vacated (for example Report runway 27L vacated).
Ground issues taxi to parking.
If manual parking is enabled, pick your parking position now.
Follow the taxi guide.

"I cannot see the STAR I want"#

Possible reasons:

The selected runway has no published STAR for your route endpoint.
The STAR is restricted to certain aircraft types or altitudes.
Navdata gaps.

Workarounds:

Use Don't use STAR and let the plugin build approximation fixes.
Pick a different last enroute fix that connects to a published STAR.

"I cannot find a parking position"#

Causes:

The airport scenery has no parking metadata for general aviation / cargo / gate type expected by your aircraft.
The airport is small and the plugin can only offer a generic parking.

Follow the assigned parking route when available. If scenery data prevents a usable assignment, report the airport and parking details. Stopping at an arbitrary position does not establish that the plugin has completed the arrival.

Parking assignment and reassignment#

A stand you selected can become occupied or reserved by built-in traffic. When NextATC assigns the arrival parking and the requested stand is unavailable, it selects another stand and shows the OSD notice Parking <name> is unavailable; reassigned to <name>.
In the Parking Map, a stand occupied or reserved by built-in traffic cannot be confirmed. A stand that is incompatible for automatic assignment can still be selected manually; the map shows a warning.
When no compatible stand is available, automatic assignment uses an incompatible one as a fallback and shows an OSD notice.
If the taxi route to the selected parking is unavailable, Ground tells you to hold position and select another parking, and the Parking Map opens again.

Wind used for the automatic arrival runway#

Automatic runway selection uses the surface wind at the destination when a recent observation of it is available, and the wind at the aircraft otherwise.