Arg... Some help with MRAI compiler

[calnation]

Hey everyone,
So last night, I finished coding my first airline for AI, Aerolineas Argentinas '75. Only then did my headaches begin. The compiler found some errors due to typos. I got it all squared away as was ready to have complete airline... only to have my hopes dashed!

I'm stuck because it says there is 1 too many flights into SAME (Mendoza) and 1 too few flights into SABE. Has this happened to anyone before? I tried to look for where the problem was, but couldn't find anything. Any suggestions as to how I can try to look for the problem? Thanks!

-Calvin

[Christian Page, RAI]

Yeah, it needs an equal number of flights to and from every airport - it's a limitation of the FS architecture. the solution is to create "ghost" or "ferry" flights - flights that didn't actually exist and operated late at night - so that the total numer of operations equal out. For example, if you have 2 flights more into SAME than you do SABE, simply make up two late night flights from SAME to SABE so you have an equal number. yes, it's not 100% accurate, but it's a sacrifice we all make to get the rest of the schedule to work

[calnation]

I think I figured it out now. I believe the AA schedules are incorrect since every flight to Mendoza has an equal flight back... except this one. It would fly into Mendoza every Tue and Thurs, but only fly back on Sat according to the printed schedules. Based on the logic of the rest of the schedules, I have to assume that the flight is the same aircraft. Now, the question is whether it is suposed to be Tues and Thurs, or Sat? I tried both ways and they appear better if on Sat. It's hard to tell where aircraft go just looking at the schedules.

Found another problem too that is confounding. Take a look at this:

MMMX - SAEZ AC#,AR703,1%,WEEK,IFR,1/01:10,@1/05:35,340,F,0370,KLAX,1/09:15,@1/11:30,350,F,0371,MMMX,1/12:30,@1/15:35,310,F,0371,SBKP,1/16:35,@1/21:20,340,F,0371,SPIM,1/22:20,@2/02:15,350,F,0371,SAEZ,2/12:00,@2/16:10,360,F,0370,SPIM,2/17:10,@2/17:55,350,F,0370,SBKP,2/18:55,@3/00:10,320,F,0370,MMMX,3/01:10,@3/05:35,340,F,0370,KLAX,3/09:15,@3/11:30,290,F,0371,MMMX,3/12:30,@3/15:35,330,F,0371,SBKP,3/16:35,@3/21:20,360,F,0371,SPIM,3/22:20,@4/02:15,350,F,0371,SAEZ,4/13:00,@4/17:05,330,F,0372,SBKP,4/18:05,@4/23:20,340,F,0372,MMMX,5/00:20,@5/04:45,360,F,0372,KLAX,5/09:15,@5/11:30,350,F,0373,MMMX,5/12:30,@5/15:35,350,F,0373,SBKP,5/16:35,@6/00:55,360,F,0373,SAEZ,6/01:30,@6/12:00,340,F,0300,KJFK,0/00:30,@0/03:00,320,F,0311,KMIA,0/03:59,@0/12:35,330,F,0311,SAEZ
SAEZ - MMMX AC#,AR703,1%,WEEK,IFR,0/12:00,@0/16:10,360,F,0370,SPIM,0/17:10,@0/17:55,310,F,0370,SBKP,0/18:55,@1/00:10,320,F,0370,MMMX

If you notice, MMMX-SAEZ and SAEZ-MMMX are just sitting there. They're supposed to be attached to the following aircraft, but somehow, the compiler keeps leaving them out. Any suggestions? Thanks!

-Cal

[calnation]

To clarify, MRAI compiler is leaving out SAEZ-SPIM-SKBO-MMMX for the first aircraft and sticking it afterward. It has no logic, however, because there is no direct flight SAEZ-KLAX as the FP appears. The problem is that the SAEZ-SPIM leg leaves at 12:00 and the KMIA-SAEZ leg leaves at 12:35, so you can't just tag the SAEZ-SPIM-SKBO-MMMX bit at the end onto the front of the first. I just don't get why it doesn't take the LAX leg and tag it on to the other LAX flights on other days of the week, and take the JFK leg onto the other JFK flights for the week... Perhaps some manual editing is needed...

-Cal

[Andy]

Cal,

When I have an odd ball flight like that Saturday flight with no return, I usually just drop it. Although, you could add a ferry flight to get the plane back.

The second problem is slightly more complicated. The MMMX-SAEZ notiation is telling you that the aircraft needs to somehow get from SAEZ to MMMX for the following segment to work. You need to make a ferry flight. Usually this happens in pairs so that you have a corresponding need, in this case a SAEZ-MMMX ferry as well. This will even out your arrivals and departures. You need to create a flight that gets your aircraft to MMMX in time for the first leg of this trip: i.e. by 01:10 on Monday (GMT). Create a ferry flight that gets a plane of this aircraft type form SAEZ to MMMX by 01:10 GMT on Monday. Then create another ferry flight from MMMX to SAEZ to meet the other need. This one needs to get to SAEZ by 12:00 on Sunday.

Actually, I'm a little uncomfortable with these long range ferry flights. The ones I end up with are usually shorter.

Andy

[tgibson]

Hi,

Either change the arrival time of flight 311 to earlier than 0/12:00 or make flight 370 depart later than 0/12:35. That way they will fit together. Trust me, no one will notice.

Hope this helps,

[calnation]

Thanks for the advice, guys! I corrected it all and now it looks good. I guess I thought this whole mrai compiler was perfect...