"Contact tower"

First off, the huey is the first and only clickable module that I own. My questions may be common with other modules that have clickable avionics. I cannot know that so I'm posting it here.

Yesterday I was for the first time requested to use comms. Although the whole avionics stuff was familiar to me through flight simulator and I had already read the manual and watched some tutorials, this was the first time that I actually put it in use - specifically on the third mission of the UN Campaign ("reporters") where the captain asks you to get permission to land and let the reporters get off. After I found out the differences between UHF and VHF comms (and their corresponding channels, that is 2 and 3 respectively) and I discovered the alt+\ peculiarity on the Huey I was able to to contact the airport and get a reply for the "inbound" option on the radio dropdown menu. However, after a few moments the ATC contacts again and tells me to "contact tower" to request landing. Well, I hit the option to request landing but none replies at that point. Still, if I hit request azimuth from the same dropdown menu the ATC comes back with the vectors. It's only the request landing option that is ignored. Is it that I have to contact another frequency for the tower (there's no other frequency for the airport either on the briefing or on the F10 map)? Is it just a bug? Am I doing something else wrong. By the way, I have tried this with both VHF and UHF radios; same results. Anyone familiar with this?

There's another thread in this forum about contacting tower on the same mission, yet my question is quite different.

I don't really have a real answer for you, but my experience is that tower respond when you are really close to land (only have experience with FARPs, any helicopter). It shall do so on the same frequency.

So try continue your approach an see what happens (if you haven't done it already).

Thanks Holton. I was flying around and above them for quite long while I was trying to figure it out. No luck. Eventually I crashed while looking at the avionics panel :D

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They will indeed respond on the same frequency. They can be a little stubborn about the landing clearance, but generally once you're given the option to request it, they'll clear you as you're on your final approach.

The in-mission messages may just be flavor text, so I'd recommend giving the landing a shot and seeing if things will progress, even if you can't get ATC to cooperate.

TL; DR: You were dealing with the generic DCS ATC that expects aircraft landing on runways -

• 'inbound' is the initial radio call:vectoring to a 'Final Approach Fix' (perhaps 7 mile from the runway)
  
• 'contact tower' is the radio call when you are on 'final approach', visual of the runway and confirming permission to continue the landing to touch down.
  

There's no penalty for ignoring the ATC radio and the instructions/scripts aren't always correct for landing a helicopter/at a FARP anyway.

It sounds like you had completed most of mission 3 and just needed to land at the airbase and then shutdown at the FARP to achieve 'success' but were confused by the generic DCS ATC messages (which you could have safely ignored).

Detail

After I found out the differences between UHF and VHF comms (and their corresponding channels, that is 2 and 3 respectively) and I discovered the alt+\ peculiarity on the Huey I was able to to contact the airport and get a reply for the "inbound" option on the radio dropdown menu.

"RAlt+\" is a common radio key shortcut when NOT using 'easy coms' in a number of modules, so the Huey isn't 'that' peculiar.

IIRC airbases and FARP's always respond to the initial call.

However, after a few moments the ATC contacts again and tells me to "contact tower" to request landing. Well, I hit the option to request landing but none replies at that point. Still, if I hit request azimuth from the same dropdown menu the ATC comes back with the vectors. It's only the request landing option that is ignored.

I forget whether it's because you are in helicopter or because it's a FARP but either way, ATC doesn't always respond (have the audio/text) for all possible requests

Is it that I have to contact another frequency for the tower (there's no other frequency for the airport either on the briefing or on the F10 map)?

No, there isn't another frequency for approach/landing/ground handling/taxi. To get realistic ATC, players need to take on those roles in a MP environment.

Is it just a bug? Am I doing something else wrong. By the way, I have tried this with both VHF and UHF radios; same results. Anyone familiar with this?

It's working as designed - so not a bug.

It just isn't very good for helicopters landing at a FARP's, etc. Improved ATC is on ED's todo list.

You aren't doing anything wrong, accurate ATC in DCS requires MP and other players in the role(s).

DCS ATC has a smallish window to request landing. Too early and no response. Too late and they just give you permission automatically (similar to how you get permission to takeoff by barging onto the runway or permisson to taxi by rolling without).

Many thanks for your answers, especially Ramsay for taking the time to compose such a detailed answer! At least I am now confident that I'm not doing something wrong.

Frederf, if I understand correctly, you're saying that I have more chances to get a reply if I do things as the ATC expects me to do them. For this matter flying an approach like an airplane I guess. I'll try it. The ATC regardless how incompetent is surely part of the immersion.

I don't know the expected procedure for helicopters. I would guess it is a maximum range. In airplane ATC after it says "cleared for the visual, contact tower" there are three possiblities:

1. Ask, no response = asked too early

2. Ask, reponse = asked correctly

3. Automatic clearance to land = asked too late

ATC mentions 300m a lot. Maybe that's it. You could try getting approach clearance at some range and keep trying for landing clearance repeatedly while closing until you get a response (but not so close as it gives it to you automatically).

Just tried it again this afternoon. I flew an approach towards runway 9 as requested instead of going straight to the landing spot and permission was given this time. Many thanks to all!

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