after taxiing to position on runway, planes drift

Pro Member Trainee
chinny4290 Trainee

Hey all. I have a question.

Say when I enter FS9, and choose an aircraft and fly on the active runway at the default Seattle-Tacoma airport, I set flaps, just forget about ATC clearance and do full throttle. Just a test run.

Plane runs straight and true and take off is a breeze.

Now I use the same plane, taxi from the gate to position on the runway. I use top-down view and use the reticle to make sure I'm aligned with the center lines on the runway. I also bound a key to "Center rudder." Everything's perfect. I either use TO/GA mode for take off or just do the throttle.

But then plane starts drifting. I hit the bound key "center rudder consistently." Keeps drifting too the side. I have to move the rudder and wheel in order to keep me on the runway...

I know I'm an amateur at flying aircrafts but I get the basic idea of how to fly on on FS2004 so I'm entirely a newbie.

and the same thing happens with other planes too. Custom or default.

Can someone explain to me why my planes drift?

Answers 10 Answers

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Pro Member First Officer
Mohit (Mc_GaNgStA) First Officer

Well I'm not too sure, but it could be due to the weather, as in you have a wind direction which pushes your aircraft to the side. I used to have the same problem before, and nowadays I don't use the top-down thing, I just look at the runway from the cockpit and try to keep the centre line of the runway, in line with one of my instruments (maybe the autopilot panel). This way if it goes to the right/left i just use my rudder a tadge, if not I use the wings as rudder may be too sensitive.

Pro Member Chief Captain
Jonathan (99jolegg) Chief Captain

Are they propellor aircraft? If not, then try calibrating your joystick and check again that there is no wind.

😉

TimTim Guest

Tensional Stress on the wheels?

Usually when you enter a runway, a right angle turn has to be made to line up. But if you make this right angle turn and then just stop, apply full power and roll down the runway, the plane will turn to the side to that you made the right angle (or any angle) to.

So if I approach on a taxiiway perpendicular to the runway, and I make a left right angle turn to face down the runway, but stop, apply power, it will start to drift left

To stop this when you turn onto the runway, line up with some power on, put the throttle to idle but dont use the brakes, just move slowly down the runway centerline, this removes any turning stress in the front wheeels.

Do this at all time, unless the runway is very very small and you dont have a lot of room to just 'creep' forward. Do this even when told to taxi into position and hold until departing aircraft is clear of runway

Tensional Stress can build up espcially when making turns with differential braking, but can also happen with just normal rudder turning

I hope this helps,
TimTim

Pro Member Trainee
wscott52 Trainee

TimTim wrote:

Tensional Stress on the wheels?

Do this at all time, unless the runway is very very small and you dont have a lot of room to just 'creep' forward. Do this even when told to taxi into position and hold until departing aircraft is clear of runway

Tensional Stress can build up espcially when making turns with differential braking, but can also happen with just normal rudder turning

I hope this helps,
TimTim

You are not going to make the tower very happy if you continue to creep along after being told to hold even if you don't cross over the double yellow line marking the runway. They don't like to look over and see planes moving that have been told to hold positon. Also in GA aircraft part of your preflight checklist will involve running the engine/engines up to check performance of the magnetos. You will have to be stopped for that.

I doubt if FS2004 even models "tensional stress" but if it did then moving a few feet straight forward should relieve it. Loading of the tires might be a factor in a big jet but I doubt you will ever notice it in a GA aircraft.

I'm gueesing he's seeing the effect of wind. I thought of prop wash but he says it's not all the time.

Pro Member Chief Captain
Jake (JarJarBinks) Chief Captain

what joystick do you have some joysticks have got a hatswitch that controls the rudder and you may have just bumped it

SRJ-900 Guest

wscott52 wrote:

TimTim wrote:

Tensional Stress on the wheels?

Do this at all time, unless the runway is very very small and you dont have a lot of room to just 'creep' forward. Do this even when told to taxi into position and hold until departing aircraft is clear of runway

Tensional Stress can build up espcially when making turns with differential braking, but can also happen with just normal rudder turning

I hope this helps,
TimTim

You are not going to make the tower very happy if you continue to creep along after being told to hold even if you don't cross over the double yellow line marking the runway. They don't like to look over and see planes moving that have been told to hold positon. Also in GA aircraft part of your preflight checklist will involve running the engine/engines up to check performance of the magnetos. You will have to be stopped for that.

I doubt if FS2004 even models "tensional stress" but if it did then moving a few feet straight forward should relieve it. Loading of the tires might be a factor in a big jet but I doubt you will ever notice it in a GA aircraft.

I'm gueesing he's seeing the effect of wind. I thought of prop wash but he says it's not all the time.

The tower allow for this, its a vital part of taxiing onto the runway. Besides, they wouldnt notice, you only move forward at about 2knots (ground speed)

I am a real world pilot, this is common practise. I'm not sure about GA aircraft as in the real world I only fly Boeing 737-700's, but I'm sure it the stress would be lessened, what with much less weight resting on the wheels and that

Pro Member Trainee
chinny4290 Trainee

I'll try relieving the tension on the wheels next time.

Also, I know that prop planes drift, especially two engined props.

I thought it could be the wind, but maybe the weight/payload too? I think I read that someone mentioned weight.

SRJ-900 Guest

chinny4290 wrote:

I'll try relieving the tension on the wheels next time.

Also, I know that prop planes drift, especially two engined props.

I thought it could be the wind, but maybe the weight/payload too? I think I read that someone mentioned weight.

Maybe you have more fuel in one wing than the other?

I dont fly prop planes but I call there is some prop sync feature that makes sure both props are spinning at the same RPM?

I hope this helps you!

Also make sure you try it with the weather on "Clear" so you know if its wind or not

Pro Member First Officer
Ryan Finn (pilotguy44) First Officer

...the only thing I can think of on FS9 that would cause this is winds. Check to make sure your winds are set to zero if you'd like a "straight and steady" take-off.

..keep in mind though that pilots in real life must make constant rudder/steering corrections to keep an aircraft on the centerline during take-off... whether it's a cessna 152 or a boeing 767.

i'd suggest getting a controller of some sort (if you havent already) ..joysticks work fine, but for the "full effect" get a CH yoke and rudder pedals. it's worth every penny, and you will never be able to go back to "keyboard flying" again.

..ground steering is a hell of a lot easier with rudder pedals, lol

Chief Captain
ceetee Chief Captain

The same thing used to happen to me in some aircraft, even with no wind.

Make sure your fuel selector is drawing fuel from the "both" setting, or your left/right take will empty, becoming lighter, and making your aircraft bank in that diretion.

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