PRO ATC X flightplans and NGX

[Guest]

Hi Mike... ?? So what's different with my setup? I only get a departure runway when asking for taxi clearance!!

 

Did you check the ingame Flight info menu...? ATC often doesn't tell me which runway too use (which is a bug the devs are aware off) but I always look at the Flight info menu to see what runway and SID I've been assigned. I have to do this anyway because usually I can't understand what ATC is saying... ^_^

 

So if you don't get a runway assigned, check that menu!

[Rocky_53 1,604]

So if you don't get a runway assigned, check that menu!

 

Hi Jeroen, if you are referring to the green scrolling message across the top of the screen, sure, that too has no mention of a runway. Oh BTW, another little gem the program has just thrown up at me... Just about to fly the same route from Bristol to Belfast as yesterday, to check once again everything... guess what, the CDU flightplan is showing a TC at 2 miles out of departure, even before the first waypoint... magic! I can only assume it must be finger trouble on my part, although for the life of me I can't see how.

[Guest]

Hi Jeroen, if you are referring to the green scrolling message across the top of the screen, sure, that too has no mention of a runway.

 

No, that's scrolling text, not a menu. ^_^ I am talking about the menu you see when you press 1. Press 1 and look for Flightplan info (or something like that). It shows you all you need to know: the assigned altitude, the planned cruise alt, the assigned runway and SID, the transition alt and later on the assigned landing runway, STAR and transition. I seldom pay attention to what ATC is saying during clearance but I simply open the menu... ^_^

[Rocky_53 1,604]

No, that's scrolling text, not a menu. ^_^ I am talking about the menu you see when you press 1. Press 1 and look for Flightplan info (or something like that). It shows you all you need to know: the assigned altitude, the planned cruise alt, the assigned runway and SID, the transition alt and later on the assigned landing runway, STAR and transition. I seldom pay attention to what ATC is saying during clearance but I simply open the menu... ^_^

 

Hmm, OK, I can't imagine I didn't do that, although I may not have. I'm away from my rig until the weekend, but I'll try another flight then. Cheers...

[Guest]

the CDU flightplan is showing a TC at 2 miles out of departure, even before the first waypoint... magic!

 

Well, the CDU TC is calculated by the PMDG 737NGX FMC and NOT ProATC/X so if the plan itself looks okay (the one you loaded) then you must have made a mistake settings things up somewhere else, I think... If the flightplan itself is different (which I can't imagine) then the problem could be with ProATC/X. But first check your finger technique. ^_^

[Rocky_53 1,604]

Hey Jeroen, I'm the first to admit it may be finger trouble! So at the moment I'm giving the whole software the benefit of the doubt... :unsure:

[messifan34 10]

with proatcx 1,2 my ngx is still missing waypoints or do not intercept them,is it the ngx or the proatc program,that is the problem here

[Rocky_53 1,604]

I'm also STILL having issues. Just niggling things that just don't work. Overflew the TD and then there's no contact from ATC... Tried to file a flightplan from LGAV to LFMN and it kept telling me the runway was not long enough... it also failed to load any waypoints... it seems to me that unless every single, dot and rule is adhered to 150% the program goes AWOL! I feel it is just too linear... I'm still giving it the benefit of the doubt and will try, yet again, for another flight tonight...

[Rocky_53 1,604]

I am at the moment flying from Bristol to Lisbon and so far so good, except that it threw a message up telling me that the runway at Bristol was not long enough even though the details are correct on the aircraft options page. The same is also true for LXGB and LFMN... so unsure what that can be...

[shahie 0]

Hi,

 

thinking of the Pro ATC X soon. how far from the arrival airport you get the "expected runway approach" from the controller.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

thinking of the Pro ATC X soon. how far from the arrival airport you get the "expected runway approach" from the controller.

 

Usually somewhere around 30 nm from the last waypoint before the airport, which is usually is the first waypoint of the STAR. So there is no certain distance from the airport that you get the expected approach. It can be 70 nm and it can be 120 nm.

 

BTW I reinstalled ProATC/X and went back to the previous version because the 1.2 update (hailed as a step forward by a lot of people) doesn't work well for me: ATC screws up every approach by not letting me descend on time. I also miss the assigned altitude in the flight menu. All in all it didn't offer what I expected. I am quite disappointed with it, really. Instead of fixing the things that need fixing (ATC!) they added things to the interface and to the options which I don't care about that much. I simply want ATC to talk to the other planes and to give me good vectors to the FAF. Imho they don't have their priorities right...

[Rocky_53 1,604]

I agree Jeroen, and have to say I am getting a little tired of it. I have yet to fly a route with the 1.2.1 version but hopefully will do so later today. Like you, I was getting calls from ATC far too late on approach entailing unrealistic descent procedures. It may be finger trouble, but I have yet to be allocated a STAR on approach! Also, if I have not received any instructions from ATC by the time I hit TOD I have requested a descent and then told by ATC to remain at my current altitude... then I sit there until which time it sounds like they've forgotten about me and then give me descent instructions which are too late. I then end up having to burn off altitude with speedbrakes and LG down, which is rediculous!

[Guest Mik75]

I agree Jeroen, and have to say I am getting a little tired of it. I have yet to fly a route with the 1.2.1 version but hopefully will do so later today. Like you, I was getting calls from ATC far too late on approach entailing unrealistic descent procedures with insufficient height for descent. It may be finger trouble, but I have yet to be allocated a STAR on approach!

 

Yesterday I did my first flight with v 1.2.1 from ULLI to ESSA, and it went flawlessly. T/D was spot on, the descent was commanded correctly and altitude constraints didn´t cause any trouble.

V 1.2 did mess up things pretty badly during approach and descent phase for me, but the last flight yesterday was really good. I´ll give it another try tonight...

[megs8888 20]

So it's still not worth buying then? I want to buy it but reading all this neg press makes me wonder! I might wait till its right.

[Jarkko 59]

Hello!

 

I have yet to purchase the Pro ATC X, but was planning to do so over the coming holidays. I currently have VoxATC and RC4 and some of the posts got my attention and would like to ask (and comment) about a few:

Do they offer a departure runway before taxi, nope, is this normal

I read about a similar situation on the official forum. The clearance delivery (sort of) "gives" you an expected runway. The problem is that (at the moment) the CD doesn't do so verbally. The expected runway will be "color coded on the map" (IIRC).

but then I am told to increase to FL10,000 before I even get to 5,500, then I'm told to increase height to FL190 before I get to even 7000'

To be honest, I wish my current ATC programs would do this. Here's why:

 

I mostly fly JS41 and E135 (manual throttle, manual trim). I hate it when I start to level of (at the first assigned altitude) only to get assigned a higher altitude after 5 seconds of level flight. 

 

Yesterday I did my first flight with v 1.2.1 from ULLI to ESSA, and it went flawlessly. T/D was spot on

The TOD part got my interest. If we think of some of the things that effect the calculated TOD point you see in your aircraft:

 

- Descent cost index you have entered

- The predicted winds you have entered into the box

 

On top of that, In Europe, the ATC assigns you the STAR. This means that the initial TOD point is calculated based on direct route from your last way point to your destination (until you know which STAR to fly). STARs are always longer that direct route, so the initial TOD calculated by the aircraft is "invalid".

 

When you consider these things, it would be very lucky coincidence if the ATC's TOD would match you aircraft's TOD.

 

The arrival part is also the thing that I would like to ask a question about. Does Pro ATC give you the STAR "clearence" in which form:

 

A) cleared via <STAR name> (you fly the altitudes that ATC gives you, basically only LNAV) or

B) descent via <STAR name> (it is your job to follow the altitude restrictions without ATC help, LNAV + VNAV)?

 

I have yet to find an ATC program that would allow for option B. This is why I'm interested.

 

Thanks!