PROATC-X is a huge step forward from the default FSX ATC if you want to fly IFR in airliners.

 

1) It let's you fly SIDS & STARS without constantly trying to vector you all over the sky

2) It handles the climb-out and descent phases much better that FSX.

 

Can't comment on Radar Contact as I don't have it. I didn't buy it as it appears development of it has ceased, at least for the foreseeable future.

 

The process is:

 

1) Get a flightplan into PROATC-X from the exit point of the SID to the entry point of the STAR. There are several means of doing that, including importing it, importing it as a text string and by using the built-in PROATC-X planner.

2) Get your aircraft to the departure gate and activate the flightplan on PROATC-X

3) Contact Clearance Delivery and you'll be allocated a specific SID based on the wind & the active departure runway.

4) Load the same flightplan into your FMS as is in PROATC-X. You can import this from PROATC-X or punch it in manually.

5) Fly the route and once in the descent you'll be allocated a specific STAR based on the destination weather and later on a runway

6) Get the STAR into your FMS either by importing it from PROATC-X or punching it into the FMS manually

 

What problems there are are mostly in steps 4 & 5 - they are the just the standard problems FSX has when the wind shifts; i.e. you are taking-off or landing at one end of the runway while AI traffic is using the other end. PROATC-X have made efforts to eliminate this but I don't know how successful they are: I haven't had that conflict lately but that doesn't prove they can't still happen. If you are using AS2012 you'll probably be OK if you have the AS2012 feature activated that locks the departure & arrival airport winds at the start of the flight. I've switched over to OpusFSX which doesn't do that.

I don't have conflicts with AI using the opposite side of the runway. Sometimes AI uses another runway but never a wrong one (they may use 01L while have to use 01R). ProATC/X supports OPUSFSX so it sees what the winds are at the destination from far, far away. There was one version a few weeks ago that had problems with this but that mainly was a programming error which has been fixed.

I've switched over to OpusFSX which doesn't do that.

 

Under download options, it does lock the weather but on Approach. You can set it as per AGL and for how many minutes.

An awesome tutorial Jeroen. Couldn't have organized it better. The features forum has a lot of good info in it too as you learn how to use this program.

 

 

I got his Ultimate collection but now see he has a special edition just for ProATC-X so I would get the edit. ProATC comes with background ATC for Europe so all you would need is the USA background ATC. Glad to see the developer of RealATC set up a special program for ProATC.

 

Best regards,

Jim

 

Thanks, Jim for the mention. The Special Edit V2 of the Ultimate RealATC files for PRO-ATC/X is released today with all but the center files and the real flights so far having passed the muster (about 2502 files)! Awaiting for some special coding from Pointsoft to finish up. Full details at my site.

 

Blue skies,

 

Ralph

PRO ATC is a work in progress but as mentioned above is missing a few key features. IMO it was released to early. With that being said, the flight planner and the SID/STAR implementation makes it almost worth the money... But not quite. For me the biggest missing features are the ability to save your ATC file (so you can save and resume your flight later... a basic function), any interaction with AI traffic, and weather influenced ATC such as holding patterns.... The dev seems involved and the AI interaction I think is coming soon.

 

I owned RC and is very detailed, but doesn't assign SIDS and STARS, really its only drawback. I would wait until some of these key features are implemented in PRO ATC. If they are, then I would buy it immediately as it's quite a nice program otherwise.

Well I think so far I'm a convert! After a dalse start (Didn't realize the original download was not the current version - In fact nothing worked) I found the current update download, and it's working perfectly so fa (Haven't finished my first flight yet, -KPIT to KMCO but no problems so far.). I keep default ATC active instead of the chatter, which works great since ProATC uses the same frequencies they are on. Up til now I used default with editvoicepack + my own modifications, but combining it with PROATC, is better if for anything else I don't get those annoying traffic alerts. True I probably not getting the legitimate ones I should get now, but I can live with that until ProATC adds this feature (Hopefully) The one thing that do need to be done, is to expand it's vocabulary for Airlines, radio centers. Other then that I like what I see so far. I'm looking forward to flying the Star since I don't get any chance with Default ATC!!!

 

Edit: Just finished the flight, and found a few issues (Probably already reported) First initial descent was way too early (70nm before TOD) It did though give me a nice leisurely descent path, rather then the mad dash to get down Spoilers blazing to keep default ATC happy! Next flight I try with the manual descent option. The other issue, is the airport dat seems to be taken from the default AFCAD rather then the current one active. Both KPIT and KMCO showed default parking instead of the extra more realistic parking of the active AFCADs and scenery. KPIT was a AFCAD from the library while KMCO is the Cloud9 payware version. This makes gate assignment useless! So for now I pick my own gate using GSX. Flying the Star had no issues, although I didn't check on the Altitude restrictions yet. I'll do that on next flight. As it was ATC brought me down to a perfect lineup with Runway 35R using the CWRLD2 Star!!

Found the issue with the Gates, MakeRunway and the align airac with scenery had to be run. The thing is there is no documentation not even a readme that came with this package. There is a in app Help function though. How though would I know I needed to do this? I only found this by chance looking at a post in their forum. I'm sure others will fall into the same problem if they don't start to include documentation with the initial package.

I already posted a few times over there a manual is really needed... They think those video's will do the trick but that's not a substitute for a real manual.

 

Here is a link to a tutorial about how to install and setup ProATC/X. It really should be included as a pdf with the installer imho. Now you have to accidently stumble across that Help.exe (an exe! :unsure: ) or search the internet.

 

http://www.pointsoft...4b11e628e23f492

Jeroen, your link does not work, at least for me. Although i know right were to find it

 

Hm, odd, I can't seem so copy a link that actually works...! Anyway, the tutorial is on the ProATC/X forum, http://www.pointsoftware.de/forum/ in the FAQ section and it's called ''Installing and getting started ProATC/X tutorial'.

I already posted a few times over there a manual is really needed... They think those video's will do the trick but that's not a substitute for a real manual.

 

Here is a link to a tutorial about how to install and setup ProATC/X. It really should be included as a pdf with the installer imho. Now you have to accidently stumble across that Help.exe (an exe! :unsure: ) or search the internet.

 

http://www.pointsoft...4b11e628e23f492

 

Yup that's the post, thanks, once I found your post the rest was easy!!

New update. 1.1.4

 

Now includes transition levels

 

And save flightplans during the flight to be reloaded if needed.

 

Also align bug fixed for the AIRAC.

that was quick :rolleyes:

 

I already posted a few times over there a manual is really needed... They think those video's will do the trick but that's not a substitute for a real manual.

 

Here is a link to a tutorial about how to install and setup ProATC/X. It really should be included as a pdf with the installer imho. Now you have to accidently stumble across that Help.exe (an exe! :unsure: ) or search the internet.

 

http://www.pointsoft...4b11e628e23f492

 

 

When was this 'thought' published??.......just a thought

And save flightplans during the flight to be reloaded if needed.

 

Hi.

Does anybody know if this save function will be triggered when you save your flight in FSX/P3D, so it would work with FSUIPC's auto save?

Hi.

Does anybody know if this save function will be triggered when you save your flight in FSX/P3D, so it would work with FSUIPC's auto save?

 

At this moment no one knows how this function works. Apart from the devs, I suppose. ^_^ Someone already asked for instructions about this option on the ProATC/X forum so stay tuned...

 

The new update looks good though! I like the frequency at which they are released too! ^_^