IFR and Flight Plan closing question.

[ptwaugh]

I'm a ATC at VATSIM ZLA sector (ie a simulated ATC environment for FS), and had a couple of questions for pilots.

If you are flying IFR and landing at say LAX, when socal approach completes your handoff to tower, is your IFR and/or flight plan automatically closed?

Are flight plans closed by tower or dispatch, or must you close them somehow manually?

At the VATSIM ZLA artcc we strive for realism and that's why I'm asking. Currently, what we do is after aircraft park at the gate, ground is saying, "SWA1087 your flight plan is closed 1834Z" and although not real obviously, we thank the pilot for flying ZLA. Now we are thinking that advising the FP is closed is probably not realistic either.

Comments?

Thanks,

Patrick