I am looking for the most realistic ATC addon that can go with the 737 NGX and other addon planes that I have purchased.

 

I am a real life pilot so I want to get something that can handle emergencies, alternate airports, SIDs, STARS, etc..

 

I have been looking at Radar Contact, VoxATC and ProFlight Emulator Deluxe. Not sure what else is out there. I know about VATSIM but like to fly offline at times. Not sure when RC v5 is coming out.

 

In your experience what is the best ATC product out there today?

 

Thank you.

I use Pro atc/X, you should read about it too

 

I am a real life pilot so I want to get something that can handle emergencies, alternate airports, SIDs, STARS, etc..

 

To put it bluntly, you're not going to get a program to do all that for you.  Part of the reason we still have controllers in the real world is that computers are absolutely terrible at a number of things - contingencies and emergencies, particularly.  Additionally, I haven't seen any of those programs realistically provide the level of ATC you'd expect in the real world.  Even areas of VATSIM, however, can only give you just enough of that realism, I realize, but in most areas, it's vastly better.

 

Most of the programs tend to be a little overbearing, and taxing.  As an example, I'd never issue a command of "cross 40nm from the airport at 10,000 feet," but I've seen posts here from people saying their program requested that of them.  It's not an invalid instruction, but a controller would be having a pretty lousy (or just plain lazy) day to issue something like that.  There's another thread out there about one of the programs that I've just been watching and shaking my head at, just from what people are writing about how  the program seems to be playing dispatcher, too.  It will tell you a runway is too short, whereas in the real world a controller may mention the runway length, but they aren't going to stop you from testing physics if you'd like to.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a VATSIM controller, so I'm sure you can see my bias in how I'm writing.  Additionally, I fly real world, and my job is to work around controllers and control facilities all day.

I've Pro-ATC too. But it does not handle ai traffic. But you are able to declare an emergency and will be directed to nearest airport. The developer is active in the support forum of the software and takes suggestions from users. Some users wanted to have opus and active sky implemented and it is now implemented. You have also a flight planer inside, but the automatic generation is not as good as fsbuild or flightsim commander. But if you build your routes manually this tool is great. SID/STARS are supported also. Also you can import your flightplans into pmdg md11 and 737 (have only tested md11) and as users wantet it inside axe now.

 

Things I don't like (or use) is the virtual copilot and it's checklist function. Also there are only some voices included but you can record your own voice. Radar contact uses the standard microsoft voice so I do not have this. VoxATC uses speech recognition (this feature will be a payware addon for proatc) and my english is bad so I don't have this too.

I have RC. I wouldn't put it or any other ATC program anywhere near VATSIM or, (if you fly SoCal, Nevada, Arizona), PilotEdge.  Nowhere close.  They are alternatives if you don't have VATSIM or  don't want to fly in the PilotEdge area (which is manned just about all the time).

My vote goes to PFE, at this point, but I can see ProATC-X improving to a point it may succeed it, but IMHO it's not there yet. PFE can handle SIDS/Stars but have to be defined in the flightplan, In addition

Can handle Emergencies, although haven't tried that yet
.
Ground control with Taxi Guidance (Both visual and audible). (It doesn't control AI though, so you still could run into trouble here)

Pushback clearance option.

Runway taxi crossing clearances.

Dynamic Approach runway changes, due to traffic, or wind change.

It appears capable of initiating holds, though I haven't tried that yet.

It comes with about 40 voices, with the optional voicepack + the free XPACK2 pack you can get on their forum, there are 99 voices divided by region. Most sound realistic, although there are a few that sound more robotic.

Transition altitude differences by country/region

Adjustable traffic alert separation, both vertical and distance

Handles Oceanic Positioning reports, with SECAL, when flying across the pond.

Negatives

While there is still forum support, active development is complete, so some of the new ATC changes, like line up and wait, in the FAA region is not implemented.

Doesn't control AI including ground (It does fully interact with it though). Since FSX AI is vectored, you still get vectoring instructions for AI at cruise altitude, when they should be flying their own flight plan just as you are. (Same as FSX, though maybe not as frequent)

Here's a flight I did with it.

Hi Tom,

Very good. Did not seem to create havoc with unrealistic descents. This must be a pretty old piece of software now? Hopefully, they can apply improvements in the future. ProATC-X maybe be a contender one day, but from what I have read in some of the threads, very frustrating for users and still some way to go for the very hands on developer in achieving PFE standards. I notice you use GSX as well. Now that is a very good little add-on.

Regards 

 

Radar contact uses the standard microsoft voice so I do not have this.

 

 

Radar contact uses its own voice recordings in a range of accents, It does not use the standard microsoft voice.

My vote goes for proflight emulator. Takes a little longer to set up a flight, as is basically a mission and use proflight 2000 as its base.

 

I used Radar contact for a while but got fed up with no ground instructions, just taxi to gate, vectors to the runway with no SIDS and unrealistic crossing altitudes. Radar contact 5 might be a lot better, if it ever arrives.

 

Looked at pro-atc but i think it is a while me replacing pfe

 

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk 2

I agree with Tom and Craig. PFE is the best for now. But I would keep an eye on Proatcx.

the program seems to be playing dispatcher, too. It will tell you a runway is too short

 

From what I have read, I'm unable to agree (at the momement). The reason for the warning is explained on the product's support forum. To give a short summary:

 

The program reads the required runway length through SimConnect. If the aircraft doesn't report these values, the ATC program does not know what runways the aircraft is able to use. More informative message could be "I don't know your aircrafts performace figures, so please request a runway that is most suitable for you"

 

You might have to request a specific runway in the rw. Just watched Just Planes DVD where a flight from Stockholm to Newark was too heavy to depart from the assigned runway. They had to request a longer runway.

 

So even people with professional systems might have enough data to make "correct" desicions. How about a computer that knows even less? The point being, I personally believe that the program isn't playing a role of a dispatcher. Just trying to warn that it doesn't have enough data to work "correctly".

 

The program reads the required runway length through SimConnect. If the aircraft doesn't report these values, the ATC program does not know what runways the aircraft is able to use. More informative message could be "I don't know your aircrafts performace figures, so please request a runway that is most suitable for you"

 

Shouldn't it just say that?  E.g. "What runway will you be requesting at blahblah?"  I don't have the product so I don't know what the message is implying but, RW, an air traffic controller would simply ask the pilot what runway they would want there.  The only people on the ground that would express an opinion about a runway being wrong to a pilot would be a dispatcher or an airport manager (an airport manager could deny an aircraft to an airport in an non-emergency.)

I was in the same predicament which one to choose..I did all my research most of it here  I went with P.F.E. Deluxe with the extra voices and I must say it's very close to the real thing.The only thing is you have to read the manual I mean read the manual again and again and try everything... once your know it..You can have allot of fun.Especially when flying across the pond. 

 

 

good luck choosing

Carlo

 

Hi Tom,

Very good. Did not seem to create havoc with unrealistic descents

 

You can adjust your rate of descent, and distance of TOD when you compile the flightplan in the PF2000 modle. I find 3000fpm good for airliners.

 

You can adjust your rate of descent, and distance of TOD when you compile the flightplan in the PF2000 modle. I find 3000fpm good for airliners.

 

Hi Tom,

It seems that PFE requires you to load a flight plan complete with sids and stars,compile it and transfer it to fsx. What happens in the case where you prepare a 12-14 hour plan say YSSY-SAEZ with FSC9 for the PMDG 747, with no sid/stars and then when you are in the a/c, loaded with fuel, pax and cargo, work out what runways to use and build your sid then, when close to destination, program the FMC with the runway and star. I usually use real world weather update. Can you change the PFE loaded flight plan, and therefore the ATC interaction via the later fmc changes or is it a case of you must create your entire plan up front? I thought the video you posted really nailed the ATC interaction for that flight

Regards