J van, "-Vector waypoints are now always assigned by waypoint ICAO and heading to set." Does this mean we will be getting a heading to fly, to the way points, when being vectored when taking off.

Don't know. Yet. ^_^ I think it means that in case you wander away from the route and you get vectored back to, you won't be simply given a heading to get back on track (as it was up to now) but that you will be given an exact waypoint from your route and a heading towards it. I don't think you will get vectors right after take off and I also don't think this new option means we will be vectored from the end of the STAR to the IAF/FAF.

 

But that's just guessing. ^_^

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?

 

Don't know about FSUIPC but the dev posted on the forum that you can save a flight using the ProATC/X inflight menu and it saves the FSX/P3D flight, the ProATC/X state and the PMDG 737 NGX state... all at once! That sounds good! I will give it a try tonight. Whenever I save a flight I always save it in FSX and also using the MGX FMC save state option. Would be great being able to save everything, including ATC, in one step!

 

EDIT

Gave that save feature a try: it saves a file for ProATC/X, the files for FSX and the files for the PMDG 737 NGX with one click of a button. Nice! To load the flight, start ProATC/X and also FSX. Select the flightplan in ProATC/X which you were flying when you saved the flight (the save files are associated with that specific plan only!) and then go to Flightplan > Load saved flight. You will get a list of the associated saved flight. Click on Load and 1. click on Fly in FSX if you are still at the main menu or 2. when you were already in the FSX world do nothing and everything will be loaded in one go: ATC's status, the flight, the 737 NGX status, everything. Awesome!

 

I tried it with two flights I saved during my last flight (they are saved with the route in the filename and the state of ATC: my files were called ENBRENGM_OnRoute_37 and ENBRENGM_AfterApproachClr_37). The first one worked perfectly, the second one also but I didn't have ATC anymore... Little bug maybe. Or maybe you shouldn't load two saved flights in a row... I will report that on the ProATC/X forum. Anyway, this is a GREAT feature!!!

So cool ! It worked. I loaded up FSX and then right clicked on the flight plan in pro atc and selected load saved flight. It loaded up my ngx in its last current state. Then you have to check in. and it gave me directions to make sure im on course.

 

Not sure if this works on other aircraft. but thats a big feature! Havnt fully tested it but wow!

On another note, perhaps I need to be enlightened of my ignorance, but when I listen to ATC Live.net Im always hearing vectors to the IAF. Well my last flight into KDCA I got the STAR assigned and descent altitudes, but at the end of the SKILS2 STAR it says heading 185 expect vectors for final approach coarse. I didnt get anything. It just forgot about me. So when I checked with Mourad, his response was... "When a SID/STAR has been assigned by a controller, vectors are actually not needed. With the next update a new feature will be added, which makes proatcx assign vectors instead of procedures (optionally and on STARs only)."

 

So Im confused or just dont understand it. I was sure that a STAR is flown assuming its not interfering with anything else and then there would be approach vectors to the IAF unless the STAR specifically flys you directly onto the IAF. Does ATC just assume you will just fly to the IAF? This doesnt make sense as you dont know exactly what other aircraft intentions are.

So Im confused or just dont understand it. I was sure that a STAR is flown assuming its not interfering with anything else and then there would be approach vectors to the IAF unless the STAR specifically flys you directly onto the IAF. Does ATC just assume you will just fly to the IAF? This doesnt make sense as you dont know exactly what other aircraft intentions are.

 

You are right. You should get vectors imho. The new feature that Mourad talks about, is imho a mandatory feature that shouldn't be optional but a must have. ^_^ But it doesn't matter how you call it: I am already happy he will be adding it. But still, I am a bit surprised that he didn't plan to do so already because after some your STARs REALLY need vectors to get to the IAF!!!

 

EDIT

On second thought... it seems Mourad will not actually add vectors that lead you from the STAR to the IAF: they way he puts it is seems he will let you choose between flying the STAR in the FMC or flying the same STAR but now on vectors from ATC... That's not what we need... We need vectors to lead us to a nice approach to the runway...!

 

Little tutorial:

 

How to save a flight

When you feel like saving your flight, open the ProATC/X inflight menu (key 1) and select Save flightplan (which actually should have been called Save flight because it saves the flight, not the plan as such ).

 

That's it. ProATC/X will save a ProATC/X file, the FSX flight files and the PMDG 737 NGX panel state files, all in their own approapriate folder and within a second or two. Quick and easy. The files have logical names like ENBRENGM_OnRoute_37 or ENBRENGM_AfterApproachClr_37

 

Important notice in between: the saved flights are ALWAYS associated with the ProATC/X flightplan you were flying at the time!!!

 

How to load a flight

-Start ProATC/X and start FSX (do not start a flight in FSX).

 

-In ProATC/X select the flightplan you were flying when you saved the flight.

 

-Click on Flightplan (or doubleclick on the flightplan in the list) and choose Load saved flight. (If that option us greyed out there aren't any associated saved flights!)

 

- You will get a list of all the saved flights associated with the selected flightplan. Choose the one you want and click on Load.

 

- Go to FSX and click on Fly now! It will load the FSX flight, ATC and the PMDG 737 NGX state at once!

 

BTW You can also load a flight when you are already flying: repeat the procedure above and instead of having to click on Fly now! everything will load immediately.

You are right. You should get vectors imho. The new feature that Mourad talks about, is imho a mandatory feature that shouldn't be optional but a must have. But it doesn't matter how you call it: I am already happy he will be adding it. But still, I am a bit surprised that he didn't plan to do so already because after some your STARs REALLY need vectors to get to the IAF!!!

 

EDIT

On second thought... it seems Mourad will not actually add vectors that lead you from the STAR to the IAF: they way he puts it is seems he will let you choose between flying the STAR in the FMC or flying the same STAR but now on vectors from ATC... That's not what we need... We need vectors to lead us to a nice approach to the runway...!

 

Thats what I thought, Because ATC has to line you up accordingly with other aircraft. You cant just do it on your own intuition. So im not sure what he actually means.

Thats what I thought, Because ATC has to line you up accordingly with other aircraft. You cant just do it on your own intuition. So im not sure what he actually means.

 

 

 

Guys, we will have another look at this one

I think you guys mixed up some things, so the IAF is the point where the STAR ends and from there, there is almost always only one possible transition to your assigned RWY either assigned with the STAR or by vectoring to the FAF (ILS/LOC). In case of Traffic ATC should handle this.

Sorry for my poor English

I think you guys mixed up some things, so the IAF is the point where the STAR ends and from there, there is almost always only one possible transition to your assigned RWY either assigned with the STAR or by vectoring to the FAF (ILS/LOC). In case of Traffic ATC should handle this.

Sorry for my poor English

 

As per my above post, the STAR ends on a heading of 185. Be it the very final Waypoint or before. The runway heading is 006. The STAR specifically says, wait for approach vectors to the LOC or IAF/FAF. IF I just turned on my own, I dont know what any other aircraft has intentioned. There could be an aircraft heading straight in heading 006 already at the same time Im turning in.

 

I did the last part of the flight again (using the saved flight -Yeahh!) and I had to head out waaaayyy out 25 miles past the FAF to the very last Waypoint and turn back in before he chimed in that im cleared for the ILS and intercept the LOC. Normally they would vector you way before. Maybe 10-12 miles out of FAF. I think. IMHO

The STAR specifically says, wait for approach vectors to the LOC or IAF/FAF.

 

Oh sorry, I missed that ! That would be a big issue for any ATC in fsx i think. BTW I don´t own PRO ATC yet......BUT :rolleyes: ...

Its not to spite ProATC. They have made tremendous improvments from when I bought it. And the issues get ironed out. And the little nuances of vectors and instructions are probably not very easy to program.

 

Maybe its different rules in Europe as that is where the developer is from. I just thought something like that should be universal.

Has anyone tested the saved flight feature with FSUIPC autosave? Nonetheless it's one major gap that's now been filled. I'm feeling a bit better now about the purchase!

Has anyone tested the saved flight feature with FSUIPC autosave? Nonetheless it's one major gap that's now been filled. I'm feeling a bit better now about the purchase!

 

I had FSUIPC auto save on however I didnt need it as the loaded flight was via Pro ATC and it restored my NGX, and the flight itself from Pro Atc nearly fully. It was pretty neat an all in one restore.

Maybe its different rules in Europe as that is where the developer is from. I just thought something like that should be universal.

 

 

Well, it IS indeed a problem that the rules aren't universal. ProATC/X as it is now is indeed a bit more European. In the US you add a STAR to the flightplan before you have taken off but in Europe you usually get a STAR assigned when you get close to the destination, when the runway is known. But even in Europe there are differences because some countries (or airports) have STARs that belong to a specific runway (which end with the plane in an okay position to approach) but others have STARs that belong to the airport (which end with the plane in the middle of nowhere, so you would need vectors to get to the right runway).

 

A good ATC addon has to take care of all these possibilities and situations... ^_^ but obviously it's pretty hard getting all of this into one ATC addon so it isn't strange choices have to be made. I fly in Europe nowadays so I am rather happy the dev is European... ^_^ Still, I really want vectors to the runway after STARs that leave me in the middle of nowhere! ProATC/X is coming along nicely and I've seen HUGE improvements in the few weeks I've been using it already, but there still are a few things missing which prevents me from shouting out 'GET IT'! As it is now I would say 'You might want to get because it is GREAT already it but...'.