I seem to experience a pattern (no pun :P ) when landing with MCE. It's the command for the taxi lights, regardless of the speech variation in use.

 

While I can turn them on and off in every other phase of my flights, the command to turn them on when on final receives a confirmation by the FO (plus the red text showing it correctly), but he doesn't switch the taxi lights. As said, only happens when landing, so the flaps are out, later the gear.

 

Anyone else saw this?

What aircraft??? Have you tried this on different aircraft?

Currently on the CS737. Well, it works in any other phase (same plane), except for the approach where the flaps are out. So climbing out or taxiing isn't a problem.

 

As a detail. While he usually confirms the taxi light command with 'taxi lights off' or 'taxi lights on', he only says 'taxi lights' when this happens. But the red text shows it correctly with 'taxi lights on'. And I'm not speaking any different, it's just that phase which seems to trigger the inability to actually switch those lights.

 

'Taxi lights off' works as a command. He replies that they are off already. But 'on' is stuck when landing/approaching.

 

Mmm I had

[OPTIONS]

Debug=1

but he didn't record any log. I've edited the ini in AppData/Roaming/multi crew experience but I can't see a log or something.

 

I will try some default aircraft to check. Edited. Confirmed, happens with the default 737 too. Same appearance, he says 'taxi lights' (without on or off), the red text shows the correct text 'taxi lights on' but no switch is moved.

 

To try, just take off with landing lights and taxi lights on. Reach some 5000ft AGL, turn off those taxi lights on the way up, circle around the place, set up for landing, means slowing down to catch the navaids, and command the taxi lights to come on again.

 

 

Still no log file here (Debug=1), so I guess he's understood everything I've said. I think I'll have to show my girlfriend that at least computers can achieve this. ^_^

Thats an interesting one, maybe email support. I dont have the aircraft, but for me i dont select taxy lights on during approach, only high intensity lights and landing lights, maybe there is an inbuilt logic???

I've edited my post.

I think Will could be right, on approach you would switch on the 'landing lights' not the taxi lights. I think in the RW the taxi lights are switched on and the landing lights off when you are clear of the 'active'.

 

I'll find out

from FS++ Team:

 

It's actually the software trying to be too smart.

 

When you command "taxi lights on" when airborne it will assume it's an accidental command, and FO won't do it. He will switch it off though.

 

No problem amending this if it's a nuisance though.

 

Will add a statement like "spurious command ignored" to be shown in FS when such things happen.

 

 

The FS++ team

Thanks again for posting their answer.

 

There is no fixed procedure for the taxi lights or a rule stating that they should be on or off. So you will find pilots turning them on on final, when the gear comes out or leaving them off. The thinking for 'on' may be to be 'lit' when approaching and even more lit when on final.

 

I appreciate the intended smartness of the FO when it comes to leaving this or that setting out in certain phases of the flight. But we may agree, confirming a command and then just not executing it is confusing.

 

I know that he e.g. suppresses some stuff on the takeoff run, and he clearly states this. So that's the kind of feedback a user needs if the FO isn't ok. However, on the taxi lights, it doesn't make sense to suppress this.

 

If the pilot needs lights, he gets lights. If fog is around the plane, he may even switch off some 'vital' ones to catch the runway lights. So the light stuff is very dependant on the situation and won't cause a hazard to be generally suppressed.

 

On a side note. The use of the strobes causes an equal confusion among pilots at times. Some operators carry them from/to the gate, while others (I'm among those) turn them on when entering the runway and off when coming back. In fog, one may not run them at all when looking for outside light sources, so, again, the light stuff receives an impact due to the circumstances.

 

 

Back on the taxi lights stuff. You will find quite some videos being filmed from the runway towards the approaching plane where the taxi lights are on. The nose gear 'spot' as the most prominent indicator. Sorta like these.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MobH1qaE-AU

 

The second video even features some exceptions (or weak nose gear lights?), hence the note on the item not being that clear when it comes to the actual usage.

FO will ask for confirmation (as opposed to ignoring the command), and if pilot wants Taxi lights on when airborne, then so be it.

 

This will be implemented in the next update

Are the taxi lights that dangerous to really need a confirmation? I mean, it's not that I'm calling for the engines to be shut down on final or to open the cargo doors in cruise. From the above videos, one can see that the rw folks come in with the taxi lights on, most likely without the FO asking 'really?'.

 

However, I appreciate the change and, again, the very fast reaction. :good:

Some aircraft have flaps that open up to show the taxi lights, since you hardly ever taxi above 20 knots it is not a problem, but if you open them airborne you can say goodbye to the covers and the lights.

Will, I'm on the 737. Same as on most airliners, you will find the taxi lights right on the nose gear, which makes sense. I'm sure that there are very special setups and operational limitations on some other planes, but I think that those example videos above show what's happening in the case of commonly used airliners. Let there be light! ^_^

 

Some landing lights come with a hinged (retractable) setup, being recommended to only be extended below some 250 kts. Perhaps that's where you are coming from. Either way, thanks for your help folks.

Ah! Sorry mate, forgot you were on the 737 classic. My guess is this issue has to do with a blanket logic issued by the developer nothing else.