9. Arrival, Approach, and Landing

As you near the destination, NextATC builds the arrival path. In manual mode, the Arrival Runway dialog lets you choose:

• Automatic runway selection or a specific runway.
• Don't use STAR.
• Choose STAR.
• Automatic STAR.
• On Screen Preview.
• Select parking at destination.

VFR flights force STAR use off because STARs are IFR procedures. VFR arrivals use a visual pattern instead.

IFR arrivals may include:

• STAR fixes when a suitable STAR is found.
• Approximation fixes to smooth the path toward final.
• ILS/final fixes when runway and nav data permit.
• Descent clearances.
• Approach handoff.
• Tower handoff.
• Landing clearance.

After the STAR, your arrival and built-in arrivals join the final the way radar vectors do: at 30 degrees or less, outside the final approach fix, through a base leg and a downwind when needed.

In Alpha builds ATC clears IFR arrivals to the published approach altitude of the ILS, localizer or RNAV approach, names the approach variant when there are several ("ILS X") and offers RNAV approaches on runways without an ILS. Where the STAR leads into a published transition (the VIA in the FMS), the route follows it and ATC clears the approach at its start ("cleared ILS X approach runway 17L via INSTA"). Built-in traffic flies the same approaches.

If an airport has no Approach frequency, the plugin skips that controller and continues the flow through the available Center/Tower frequencies.

After landing, vacate the runway and contact Ground when instructed. If manual parking selection is enabled, choose a parking position. The taxi guide can then route you to parking.

In Alpha builds, with manual parking selection, the arrival parking map opens on approach, a few miles before final, instead of at the Tower handoff. The action sound plays when the arrival parking map or the arrival runway window opens by itself.

Approach choice (Alpha builds)#

Right after the arrival runway and STAR are set, the Approach after the STAR window shows on a map the ways from the end of the STAR onto the final:

• Radar vectors: the path Approach would vector you along.
• Published transition: when a published approach transition starts at the end of the STAR.
• Shortest, Long final and Other side, when they differ from the vectors. A published final keeps its own fix, so it has no long final.

Each way shows its distance to the runway and an estimated time. Pick one, shorten or lengthen the final or change side for the vector options, and press Apply. Keep the current one closes the window without changes. Remember as my preference applies the same kind of way to the next arrivals without asking. The way in can change until about 5 NM before the end of the STAR.

A VFR flight plan gets the Joining the circuit window instead, after its last route fix: the circuit on the side the airport publishes for the runway (left-hand where none is published), the circuit on the other side, and straight in when the route already arrives along the final.

The window opens by itself when you fly by hand. With AutoFly it stays closed and AutoFly flies your preference. While there is still time to change, Approach choice in the Radio Box ATC menu opens the window again.