Emergencies and Weather

Emergencies (7700)

Once you are past the earliest levels, aircraft can declare emergencies. The tag turns red with the 7700 squawk, and a countdown starts. Your job: clear a path and get the aircraft on the ground before the clock runs out. A safe emergency landing pays a bonus; running out of time loses the aircraft.

What can go wrong:

• Bird strike
• Low fuel
• Engine failure
• Medical emergency
• Cabin pressure loss (get them low, fast)
• VFR pilot caught in bad weather

Emergency aircraft still follow your commands. Give them priority: shortest path to the nearest runway, other traffic out of the way.

Radio failure (NORDO, 7600)

The special case. A 7600 aircraft has lost its radio: the tag turns amber, and it stops accepting commands. It flies its last clearance, predictably. You cannot steer it, so steer everyone else around it. After a while comms are restored, you get points, and it is yours to command again.

Thunderstorms

On stormy levels, cells build, drift, and dissipate across the airspace. Flying through a cell costs a hefty penalty and can end much worse (there is only a few seconds' grace inside one). Vector around storms, hold traffic upwind, and expect computer-flown traffic to deviate around cells on its own (they will rejoin their route afterward). Aircraft holding on the ground are safe; held departures release automatically when the cell clears.

Storms also have tops. A cell that is still building or already fading tops out low; a mature cell reaches about 20,000 ft. If you have the altitude, climbing over a cell is a legitimate escape.

Wind matters too: a wind shift can retire the active runway. Aircraft already established on approach get a grace period, but re-check your plan every time the wind warning fires.

Terrain and obstacles

Mountains do not move. The radar shows contour lines and spot elevation labels; commanding an aircraft below the terrain ahead triggers a warning ("TERRAIN, LOW ALTITUDE" and an orange flash), including when the aircraft is climbing toward higher ground. Respect the numbers at mountain airports; the valley approach is usually charted for a reason. In city helicopter airspace, buildings are obstacles too.

The golden rules

1. Separate first, sequence second. Points lost to a conflict outweigh any elegance gained.
2. Altitude is your friend. A 1,000 ft split solves a conflict instantly.
3. Use game speed. Drop to 1x when an emergency lands in a busy picture.
4. When in doubt, go around. A climb away costs seconds; a bad landing costs the aircraft.