Has anyone figured out a way to set FS to auto-reply to ATC, or at least extend the amount of time it gives before cancelling your flight plan? It's annoying on long flights after setting the AP and FMC to have to keep checking in on the flight to make sure you don't miss a call and then find out that ATC has cancelled your flight plan.Thanks in advance,JD

I don't think it is possible. And it may be for a good reason. Depending on the phase of the flight a lot can happen within a few minutes. Imagine a pilot who fails to acknowledge clearance to intercept ILS - in 2, 3 minutes he may be totally out of area. You could perhaps argue for longer allowed delays during extended cruise but that would probably be very low on Microsoft's priority scale. Bottom line - pilots should be attentive or a situation could develop that might be very confusing for the simulated ATC to deal with. Michael J.

One quick and dirty trick that does work very well with long flights is this.When you're handed over from Center A to Center B acknowledge A's handoff but don't make contact with B. ATC will then leave you alone for as long as you like. When you want to get back in touch with ATC, just make contact with Center (by then it'll be a different Center of course). ATC can then get a little puzzled as to how you've teleported across the Atlantic and will probably give you a 180 degree change in heading immediately followed by a 180 degree change back to your current heading - just acknowledge these. From then on it's as though you've never been away.Not desperately realistic, admittedly! But it saves sitting within earshot of your PC for ten hours.Hope this helpsMike (aka Sunray)

Thanks Mike, your solution is something I can live with!- JD

Just have to say ditto to Mike's solution. Works everytime.Rick