Hi all first post here and hopefully you can help me.I'm looking for an add-on for FSX that will automatically respond to radio calls and set the autopilot if required.I don't want some big expensive all singing all dancing commercial add-on like "it's your plane" as that is way more than I need.Basically if I am doing a trans Atlantic flight and want to make a coffee or go to the toilet or have any other distraction I have to pause the flight or risk that ATC will try and contact me and cancel the flight plan if I miss it.I feel this does not take away from the realism since in the real world you would have the copilot there to do it. Actually not having it takes away from the realism.All the other flying I can take care of myself I just want it to respond to the radio and set autopilot if needed.and preferably free or very close to it. if it is pay it must have a demo version that will work on a 737 800 as I refuse to buy anything I cant test first.

A solution: Wait for ATC to give you a hand off. When they do, acknowledge the hand off and tune the new frequency but do not contact them. This will stop them from canceling your flight plan. When you are ready to deal with ATC again, you can initiate contact. Upon initial contact with the new controller, they may give you a bunch of instructions to turn this way or that way. Ignore their instructions and they will eventually tell you to proceed on course.

A solution: Wait for ATC to give you a hand off. When they do, acknowledge the hand off and tune the new frequency but do not contact them. This will stop them from canceling your flight plan. When you are ready to deal with ATC again, you can initiate contact. Upon initial contact with the new controller, they may give you a bunch of instructions to turn this way or that way. Ignore their instructions and they will eventually tell you to proceed on course.

right! I was really happy when I once found that "bug", I frequently do long haul flights over night now and contact ATC again next morning.

I have used this method since ATC was included. I typically step away from the sim once I am cleared to my cruise altitude and come back to it before ToD. The only problem with this method is when I can't get a hand off soon enough. That means I have to sit there for a while until I get one. This may sound strange to those that sit through the whole flight but comments like, "Honey, I'll be up for dinner as soon as I get a hand off" are common in my house.My question: What chart or map feature can I use to see when I can expect a had off? Sometimes I just walk away and refile the flightplan later only to find out I got a hand off two minutes later. I'd to be able to predict when it is coming.

A solution: Wait for ATC to give you a hand off. When they do, acknowledge the hand off and tune the new frequency but do not contact them. This will stop them from canceling your flight plan. When you are ready to deal with ATC again, you can initiate contact. Upon initial contact with the new controller, they may give you a bunch of instructions to turn this way or that way. Ignore their instructions and they will eventually tell you to proceed on course.

Well I did not know about that so I will certainly try it.

...My question: What chart or map feature can I use to see when I can expect a had off? Sometimes I just walk away and refile the flightplan later only to find out I got a hand off two minutes later. I'd to be able to predict when it is coming.

Hand-Offs occur when flying from one FIR into the next (or into a TCA). Programs like Flight-Sim Commander can show FIR boundaries on a map (as well as your aircraft).Cheers,- jahman.