Does anybody flying for a virtual airline use an add-on ACARS system with the PMDG NG?If so, which one, and how do you like it?THIS IS NOT A COMMENT ON THE EXISTING LIMITED ACARS IN THE CURRENT PMDG NG - I'M GLAD THEY SHIPPED THE PRODUCT WHEN THEY DID AND DIDN'T DELAY IT TO PERFECT THE ACARS (OR INS).

I and a few others at Britannic vA do and find it very useful. To show you the results,I have copied below such a flight(LD767)Gatwick to Tenerife S. The program works fine with all AC, incl PMDG 737XXX.Apart from VA use, it is very useful for anylysing your performance.It is free!Get it here:http://www.satavirtual.org/fsacars/ [2005/04/26 09:16:00]Flight IATA:539Pilot Number:28Company ICAO:BRITANNICAircraft Type:763PAX:264Aircraft Registration:G-OBYIDeparting Airport: EGKKDestination Airport: GCTSAlternate Airport:GMADOnline: NoRoute:EGKK SAM2V SAM UN866KONBA KONBA1G GCTS Flight Level:36009:16 Zero fuel Weight: 256124 Lbs, Fuel Weight: 74819 Lbs09:16 VATSIM:EGKK 260820Z 15006KT 120V190 7000 FEW010 BKN015 BKN070 11/09 Q101009:16 VATSIM:GCTS 260830Z 03009KT 360V060 9999 FEW030 SCT200 19/11 Q1018 NOSIG09:27 Parking Brakes off09:36 VR= 151 Knots09:36 V2= 160 Knots09:36 Take-off09:36 Take off Weight: 329163 Lbs09:36 Wind: 155

Hello,yes, we use the ACARS function from FSFlightKeeper in our V.A.It

I use the British Airways virtual ACARS and it is quite amazing. Unfortunately you do have to be a member and fly online. Even though BA don't operate the NG you can still use it with any aircraft.Plenty of info on what it does can be found on http://icc.bavirtual.org:81/Documentation/ACARS/index.html My favourite feature is the challenges, which if successfully completed earn the pilot bonus hours!I can see you fly for Southwest but one advantage of the simming world is that you can fly for more than one airline.

Tim,Try FSAcars, it's freeware and my KMCO hub for SWVA uses it. Very nice...

I'm a pilot with Frontier virtual and I use FSACARS.Very nice. I have 2 PC's: one for FS9 and FSACARS and the other SQB3.I play FS9 in full screen 3D and with the FSACARS gauge I can "talk" to my company pilots and ask for the weather.Erik

I fly for the klm-va.nl, and we use fsacars, wich is ok, only minor "problem""is that it reloads the scenery when you start the log.At the va we pick our flightplan of excisting routes, and when you start fsacars you just click "flight from va" and everything is inserted.RickKlm 027

BA Virtual has a very good ACARS system designed by Ferry Van Aesch.Cheers

MidContinent Airlines uses an in house devloped application. It has some interesting features. http://www.midconair.com

>I fly for the klm-va.nl, and we use fsacars, wich is ok, only>minor "problem""is that it reloads the scenery when you start>the log.>>At the va we pick our flightplan of excisting routes, and when>you start fsacars you just click "flight from va" and>everything is inserted.>>Rick>Klm 027That doesn't generate an FMC .rte file, does it?I expect that what I'll do is use FSBuild to create the various route plan files for PMDG/AS2004/SB3/FSAcars and then just have to load up the various add-ons.I joined virtual Continental last night. I'll be featuring SimSouthwest and Virtual Continental in the VA section of the book, as they fly different routes, styles (no autothrottles for SWA), and one requires online flying and the other doesnt.Looking forward to shooting some approaches into KDCA in a -800.

MidContinent Airlines features a proprietary ACARS developed by Darren Hess called MCACARS. This little gem retrieves your dispatched release, fuels the aircraft, records your times and retrieves WX requests. It also allows a Pilot to Dispatch chat feature when Dispatch is online and tracks your aircraft. You can go to the MidCon website and see the parameters of your aircraft on the flight status board and the dispatchers can also follow the status of your flight, allowing for them to advise you of WX, including helping you avoid thunderstorm activity, and allows them to send you NOTAMS and gate assignments. At the end of the flight, the MCACARS will send your times to your online logbook.One thing I forgot to mention, when MCACARS is initialised, it will also present you with an actual fuel load slip, showing the fuel loading, what was defueled if needed, and signed by the dispatcher. Very cool.

On their site, I saw no mention of using an NG... I assume this is acceptable?

For which airline?

MidContinent...

Sorry for taking so long to respond. Real-world concerns keep us from our hobbies sometimes.Yes, MidContinent has taken delivery of a few 737-700 and 737-800 planes, and is scheduled for one delivery per month. I have been dispatched to fly the 737-800 a few times and the -700 once. A great bird, and the MidCon repaints are at the MidCon site.