I have been a long time MSFS user and I sure do understand the many faults and issues with ATC. Many years ago, when John Decker first started to code an alternative to the basic MSFS ATC I jumped to be part of that work. Now many years later and the knowledge that I have gained working with both his FAA Controller partner and then all the worldwide controllers, I came to understand how difficult it is to program for worldwide ATC terminology.Understanding SID/STAR procedures in FAA/ICOA countries is just mind boggling. Ground handling at airports and enroute procedures is awesome. Now having said all that, Radar Contact v4.3 at present is the closest program to invoking real-world procedures. Folks talk about voices in RC, trying to get accurate country “real people” to pronounce the thousands, yes thousands of speech elements all over the world has been an unbelievable difficult task.If you have real world knowledge of ATC, compare Radar Contact with all other programs and you will come to the realization that its as close to real ATC for the time being available for MSFS. Can we do better, oh yes and will do everything in the future to get it there.Bob

Wow! What a fantastic response.This is what this Forum is all about. You guys embellish it.Many thanks.Vololiberista, what a coincidence as I'm posting this reply,I'm actually flying a BOAC VC-10 HKJK-EGLL and right over Italy at the moment. Unfortunately,as it is not an FMC-equipped plane,I'm relying on the in-built GPS to follow my track, the route having been FSC v9 generated. I very much look forward to your updates. Looks interesting.Will follow your updates.

Forgive me for being naive, but what exactly is MCE, and where can I order it from

MCE (Multi Crew Experience) is a multi-functional software add on for FSX and FS9, there is actually currently a hotlink to it on the top left of the main Avsim page, since there is an advert for it in that slot. The review for Avsim was done by me, and you can read that here:http://www.avsim.com/pages/0409/MultiCrewExp/MCExp.htmBut to save you the trouble (if you don't want to read that rather extensive review) it adds a number of things to FSX or FS9 (works with either). It will add an interactive co-pilot who can operate your aircraft via your voice commands, he/she can also advise you as well as run through custom checklists that you can create for any aircraft and have the co-pilot run through them with you, with the F/O flipping the switches too if you like. Then there is voice controlled ATC, plus a crew and ground service personnel that you can also command via voice. It can also implement failures on demand. The nicest thing about it, is that you can cherry pick any or all of those features and then select several different levels of interaction for all of them. Because it can do all that, I recommended it for an Avsim award, which it won. Incidentally, there is a free fully functional demo of it. The only downside to it (if there is one at all) is that it is vastly improved if you add a Cepstral voice pack, and they cost about 22 quid each. By default it uses the normal MS OS voice packs, which are a bit robotic, but even that can be lived with.MCE main site: http://www.multicrewxp.com/If you think of MCE as being a bit like FS2Crew with voice control and a few other whistles and bells that works for any FS aircraft (not helicopters) then you'll get more or less where it is coming from. Worthy of note too, is that the support for it is outstanding, and it is regularly updated for free too. It really earned that Avsim award.Al

Hello All. This may have been asked before, so please forgive me if I ask it again. I have been using the default ATC ever since I first got into FS but due to its crazy anomalies, specially in the turns asked to make when nearing the destination airport, I just ditched it. However, I'd like some sort of ATC interaction instead of sitting there flying a long route with no voice interaction.Hence, I'm putting it to the far more experienced FSX/FS9 users out there, before I shell out,which ITHO is the best ATC package to opt for. I've heard of VoxATC,Radar Contact,VATSIM,etc,etc but have no idea of the merits of de-merits of any of these packages.Thanks in advance for any advice.

You *did* saw that huge thread on online flying just a thread or two below your own?? It tells all that has been said here, plus tons of other information.As for your question: VATSIM all the way. Can't beat living person as ATC (granted, some make lame errors but so do in real life). Downside: NO AI, sometimes no ATC. But for me, the kind of control online on VATSIM is simply the best. Once you have tried it, you will hardly go "back" to a computer voice.

MCE (Multi Crew Experience) is a multi-functional software add on for FSX and FS9, there is actually currently a hotlink to it on the top left of the main Avsim page, since there is an advert for it in that slot. The review for Avsim was done by me, and you can read that here:http://www.avsim.com/pages/0409/MultiCrewExp/MCExp.htmBut to save you the trouble (if you don't want to read that rather extensive review) it adds a number of things to FSX or FS9 (works with either). It will add an interactive co-pilot who can operate your aircraft via your voice commands, he/she can also advise you as well as run through custom checklists that you can create for any aircraft and have the co-pilot run through them with you, with the F/O flipping the switches too if you like. Then there is voice controlled ATC, plus a crew and ground service personnel that you can also command via voice. It can also implement failures on demand. The nicest thing about it, is that you can cherry pick any or all of those features and then select several different levels of interaction for all of them. Because it can do all that, I recommended it for an Avsim award, which it won. Incidentally, there is a free fully functional demo of it. The only downside to it (if there is one at all) is that it is vastly improved if you add a Cepstral voice pack, and they cost about 22 quid each. By default it uses the normal MS OS voice packs, which are a bit robotic, but even that can be lived with.MCE main site: http://www.multicrewxp.com/If you think of MCE as being a bit like FS2Crew with voice control and a few other whistles and bells that works for any FS aircraft (not helicopters) then you'll get more or less where it is coming from. Worthy of note too, is that the support for it is outstanding, and it is regularly updated for free too. It really earned that Avsim award.Al

Hi Al. Once more,thanks for your as ever informative and helpful responses. I'm now aware what MCE is as I had read about it and was contemplating getting it just before I spotted an FS2Crew Voice Commander special offer which I now use for my PMDG,FT,FS9+FSX, and Level-D aircraft. Being used to both flavours of FS2Crew, how would I go about integrating MCE with this,or would you suggest another ATC program to sync with FS2Crew?

Personally, if I was going to use an FS2Crew add on, I'd probably not use many of the features of MCE and might not even fire it up at all. FS2Crew is a more specialised product that does a much more focused job on really making one particular aircraft's flight deck operations very believable, and it does so very well indeed, so it would probably be a better choice if you were aiming to fly one particular aircraft a lot of the time. Fs2Crew is a bit 'on rails' compared to MCE in a way, so some of the preference will be down to personal taste.Having said that, there are a lot of other things MCE does that don't clash with that FS2Crew speciality, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility to use them both at the same time - talking to ATC via voice for example, and it is cool to hand over ATC duties to the MCE co-pilot when you feel like you are too busy driving, not unlike a real airline skipper might choose to do.The slightly bum thing for me with FS2Crew is that the 737 is my fave aircraft, and it was me that did the UK pilot's voice for the FS2Crew iFly 737, so it would be a bit narcissistic to have my own voice as the co-pilot as well LOL, but, then again, I could use the other nationalities.What I really recommend is that you try MCE for yourself and see if it floats your boat; there are some people who don't like it. But of course the nice thing is that you can find that out for yourself without spending any money because of that free demo. If you do like it, then all you have to do is activate the demo with a code you buy and then you are in business.Ultimately, whatever suits you is the best way to go, and just because I like Radar Contact with MCE along with the odd detour into FS2Crew-land, does not mean anyone else has to do it that way.Al

Personally, if I was going to use an FS2Crew add on, I'd probably not use many of the features of MCE and might not even fire it up at all. FS2Crew is a more specialised product that does a much more focused job on really making one particular aircraft's flight deck operations very believable, and it does so very well indeed, so it would probably be a better choice if you were aiming to fly one particular aircraft a lot of the time. Fs2Crew is a bit 'on rails' compared to MCE in a way, so some of the preference will be down to personal taste.Having said that, there are a lot of other things MCE does that don't clash with that FS2Crew speciality, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility to use them both at the same time - talking to ATC via voice for example, and it is cool to hand over ATC duties to the MCE co-pilot when you feel like you are too busy driving, not unlike a real airline skipper might choose to do.The slightly bum thing for me with FS2Crew is that the 737 is my fave aircraft, and it was me that did the UK pilot's voice for the FS2Crew iFly 737, so it would be a bit narcissistic to have my own voice as the co-pilot as well LOL, but, then again, I could use the other nationalities.What I really recommend is that you try MCE for yourself and see if it floats your boat; there are some people who don't like it. But of course the nice thing is that you can find that out for yourself without spending any money because of that free demo. If you do like it, then all you have to do is activate the demo with a code you buy and then you are in business.Ultimately, whatever suits you is the best way to go, and just because I like Radar Contact with MCE along with the odd detour into FS2Crew-land, does not mean anyone else has to do it that way.Al

Thank you Al,for your in-depth reply. Much appreciated.You have given me some food for thought.And thanks to everybody else's contributions, too.

I wish there was an addon that actually replaces the FSX ATC, rather than giving support for a pre-fixed flight plan. I want to fly around the world and contact the ATC addon without having to create a flightplan before-hand.

This is really where it's at IMO too. I'm really surprised developers have not gone down this road yet--which makes me guess there must be huge technical hurdles. For starters, FSX's default ATC at least sounds realistic even it it doesn't behave so. RC series behaves much better, but sounds artificial. I used version of RC prior to 4 and got tired of it and have stuck w/ default for the very reason you mention. You want something that sounds and behaves realistically, without the need to create a script at some level. Maybe someone will get on to this some day. If they do it has the potential of becoming a true 'must have' add on for everyone. Perhaps MS Flight will improve on the default ATC.Noel

Hi flighing folk, Sorry to jump on this thread but is there any good atc programs for vfr or are the programs mentioned any good with vfr.Thanks,Dave...

Both VOXATC and PFE support vfr flights, Radar Contact does not.Bryan.

Wow! What a fantastic response.This is what this Forum is all about. You guys embellish it.Many thanks.Vololiberista, what a coincidence as I'm posting this reply,I'm actually flying a BOAC VC-10 HKJK-EGLL and right over Italy at the moment. Unfortunately,as it is not an FMC-equipped plane,I'm relying on the in-built GPS to follow my track, the route having been FSC v9 generated. I very much look forward to your updates. Looks interesting.Will follow your updates.

You had better learn how to use the INS :-) In my model the GPS has been completely disabled!vololiberista