Thanks for this thread everyone.  I want to re-assure anyone who's doubting or worrying that FSCaptain development continues and the next major release (1.5) will be seeing the light of a beta within a month or two.  I'll quote the post I made on the forums:

 

 

The final beta of FSCaptain 1.5 has been held up for various reasons, some technical and some related to some health problems I experienced earlier this year. I apologize for the delay. The health problems are done, as well as a move, so I should be free to concentrate fully on a new release.

While the technical problems are being figured out (they only affect 2% of the flights but that's too much) in the meantime enough bugs and problems have surface in 1.4.4 to warrant an interim release.

So, as soon as possible we'll be releasing FSCaptain 1.4.5 which will concentrate on fixing bugs. Following that will come the beta of 1.5, hopefully soon. I'll keep everyone updated.

Dutch

Good news Dutch, glad your healthy now too

Dutch wasn't the only one of the FSCaptain team to have real world issues this year.  Aside from all of that that we look to be good to go for the remainder of this year and into 2014.

 

The next FSCaptain release will be 1.4.5 instead of 1.5 as it's mostly bug-fix related, but... a few new items have been worked in.  If you're interested, come on over to our site to check out the new fixpack.

 

Besides the little bugs that Dutch has fixed here and there, there's a new "Detailed Load" feature that will let Dispatch control the loading for Captains for "individual seating aircraft" (both for smaller GA & bizjet sized a/c and even for airliners such as the CaptainSim 707 and 727 series).

 

Also, the aircraft interface is currently being expanded.  As of a weekend or so ago we were able to enable Majestic Q400 Captains to make flights.  And as of this afternoon we are testing a new window into having our FOs call out V1-Vr-V2-VRef speeds on several complex aircraft without need of the SPEEDCALL tables.  I hope to be fitting up the CoolSky DC9 and Aerosoft Airbus Expanded in the next day or so for public release....

 

The next point release for FSCaptain will have brand new features for Captains to utilize.  And as always, all updates are free for customers... and since we're so confident in the appeal of FSCaptain, updates are even free for those who aren't customers and who remain in "demo mode."

I can highly recommend Fscaptain.

never use FSX without.it just adds an edge to fsx which as  a long time user i needed.probably got a bit bored just going from A to B.now i'm almost consumed with getting a higher rank and use FSX more than ever.

as for the clapping by passengers in all my flights(over 300)only heard it 2-3 times.

i was a FSpassengers user,once the support stopped...so did i. :smile:  and after reading about FScaptain i bought it.one of the best purchases i've ever made for FSX

 

    steve

How well does it work for general aviation flying? If I want to start a passenger service using a C172 or whatever, is it still a useful addition? It seems more geared to the heavies, but glancing through the manual, it seems like most features could perhaps still be used well for any type of flying.

 

How does the route generation work? If I'm at a small bush strip, will it find some routes to other nearby strips? In other words, does it find routes outside of heavily travelled flight lanes?

Mark,

 

FSCaptain fully supports GA flying, and we have a number of bush pilots.  I myself like flying the smaller piston pounders into the remote strips in Alaska where you never know what you're going to get weather-wise.

FSCaptain will find all routes and destinations appropriate to the landing requirements of your airplane.  If you can land on a 1500FT grass strip you'll get missions to those strips.

You can also define your own airline with its own policies and schedule.  So in that way make scheduled flights to and from the destinations you're interested in, then use the "Get Assignment" button to have the system give you a mission, or a charter if you configure your airline for them.  You can carry cargo, passengers, or do a combi.  Cargo manifests are generated automatically to fit the type airplane you are flying.

 

There's lots and lots of flexibility.

How well does it work for general aviation flying? If I want to start a passenger service using a C172 or whatever, is it still a useful addition? It seems more geared to the heavies, but glancing through the manual, it seems like most features could perhaps still be used well for any type of flying.

 

How does the route generation work? If I'm at a small bush strip, will it find some routes to other nearby strips? In other words, does it find routes outside of heavily travelled flight lanes?

 

 

It's certainly geared at line flying but ridiculously flexible:

 

I just defined a hub for my brand new T7 and had FSC generate schedules from which I can pick my next flight.

 

For GA/bush flying you could:

 

- define your home strip as your "hub" in FSC

- define the min and max flight distance from/to that strip

- define a min runway length (like 1.500 ft suggested by Dutch)

- and let FSX create tons of flights fitting into your definitions

My earliest FSCaptain flights were in a Caravan.  I toured all of the PNW, delivering food and campers here and there.  One day I felt brave enough to hop into a CRJ and went on from there to fly cross country and trans oceanic.

 

One of the reasons that FSCaptain is so flexible is that Dutch feels "why should we make users follow arbitrary rules, when what users want to do is fly."

 

Now certain aviation rules are tracked and flagged in FSCaptain.  Crashes are usually bad.  Flying Pax or Cargo upside down can break things.  You must have your recognition lights on when your engines are running, or you'll be dinged.  Etc.

 

But if anyone wants to limit the type of aircraft they can fly, or the regions they can fly from, or to consider such-and-such airport as their base, have at it!

 

FSCaptain is all about tracking what you say you're going to do - which is fly an aircraft from point a to point b in a certain time frame while following a few mandatory rules, and whichever optional rules you want to.

 

If you don't want to bother with seeing that your PAX get meals and snacks, turn "service" off.  If you want to be put in peril if you don't keep your engines' igniters on during icing conditions, turn that Hazard Pack option on.  Then tomorrow you can reverse the polarity of the neutron flow and require service while ignoring icing.

Hi all.  

 

Because there was interest in some of our long-promised features of an external ACARS, extra enhanced weather effects, and ground de- and anti-icing procedures, I'd like to announce the public Beta Release of FSCaptain 1.5.0.

 

It's been an ongoing practice that if you have not tried FSCaptain before, you can sample all features for an unlimited time when departing from KSEA, KOLM and KPDX.  But because we realize that those airports may not have weather conditions conducive to ground icing, we decided to allow full use of our enhanced weather package - including ground de-icing and anti-icing procedures - for the rest of 2013 to any interested FSX and P3D users.

 

Details of how you can participate in the Beta Release program as a non-customer can be found here.

 

Thanks for reading; fly safely!

 

Today November 23rd is a special day indeed.  ^_^

Thanks Travis.Been looking forward to 1.5

Thank you for your kind consideration Julian!

 

This version brings together two "professional / aviation-focused" things that we started designing many years ago - enhanced Weather Hazards (engine loss and better turbulence conditions in thunderstorms... slick runways and taxiways... and better in-flight icing) as well as introducing the need for Ground De-icing and Anti-icing procedures.

 

And since we could allow this via the external ACARS module (which is FSX and P3D only for now), we decided to allow worldwide free usage for everyone (non-customers that is) for all of 2013.

 

Dutch and I have spent the past three weeks refining the basic processes and adding subtle changes to give  users the need to monitor extreme weather conditions and the state of their aircraft in chilly conditions.  I focused moreso on the jetliner-based "fluid application" processes while Dutch ("Mister Ice Pilot") brought in the ability to model rampies (the ones with brushes and hot-air heaters) to handle aircraft at smaller airports.

 

For instance, while MSFS doesn't model something as common as frost, suddenly with FSCaptain you need to be aware that if you're wanting to take an early morning flight out at 5C... with over 50% humidity... and no-to-light winds... you stand the chance of having to consider that you have frost on your wings.  Which could easily turn to ice... which could be very bad for your flight.

 

Then too, we have an initial model of the condition known as "Cold Soaked Wings" that users must now consider.  CSW is the condition you would find yourself in if you were to fly your aircraft long enough at levels with sub-zero air so that the fuel in your tanks would cool to very low temperatures and then land in well-above freezing air that was humid.

 

Imagine taking a can of soda and nearly freezing it, and then sitting it on your deck chair's armrest on a pleasant afternoon.  Condensation would immediately form on its surface.  Now imagine placing that same can on your deck chair's armrest on a cold evening.  Condensation would form... more slowly... but would begin to turn to ice at the first whiff of wind.  Now imagine taking that can and putting it on a bicycle that's peddling a mile towards a runway start point....  :huh:

 

If you were in the real world and were charged with taking a commercial aircraft with passengers from A to B, you would be subject to having your aircraft's surfaces clear of ice before takeoff.  Your company will know what you've done and unless they subscribe to some bizarre insurance plan (which is actually a pyramid scheme), they're going to have it out with you should you violate that "clean wing" policy.

 

In this case, FSCaptain will not reward you for "doing the right thing" but it will dock you for "doing the wrong thing."  :mellow:

 

But that's for revenue flights.  If you want to take a piston out for some GA flying, then... if you want to fly around (in non-revenue mode) with ice building up on your wings... well Dutch and I made sure that if you ignore common-sense precautions, then you can expect controls to be limited and possibly freeze.  And just try taking off in a fuselage-mounted turbojet with a sheet of clear ice.  You can count on losing an engine if not on the takeoff roll, then very soon thereafter.  :lol:

 

I'll take a moment here to mention that our Ground De-icing and Anti-icing module uses Holdover Time (HOT) data from the latest FAA circular.  That, combined with the ability to customize service availability at any airport leaves us in a good position for future expansions.  And because FSCaptain offers the use of ACME Brand de-icing and anti-icing fluids on a worldwide basis, we have to adhere to SAE average standards.  (Remember, ACME Industries' Fluid Division's motto is, "We're standard!")

 

I'll admit this is a small start, but if users like it (and some are already asking for more) then there's lots more to do just in this one area.  And there are more areas that FSCaptain will be moving in to....

 

(...)

This version brings together two "professional / aviation-focused" things that we started designing many years ago - enhanced Weather Hazards (engine loss and better turbulence conditions in thunderstorms... slick runways and taxiways... and better in-flight icing) as well as introducing the need for Ground De-icing and Anti-icing procedures.

 

And since we could allow this via the external ACARS module (which is FSX and P3D only for now), we decided to allow worldwide free usage for everyone (non-customers that is) for all of 2013.

(...)

I'll admit this is a small start, but if users like it (and some are already asking for more) then there's lots more to do just in this one area.  And there are more areas that FSCaptain will be moving in to....

 

 

 

I'm sorry to contradict ( ), Travis, but this is an enormous upgrade! 

 

Structural icing for every aircraft, runway braking degradation, without paying for even more addons (as far as braking efficiency is concerned ...).

 

I've noticed two small, purely cosmetic issues so far:

• the mouse over the external FCDU (*.exe) is always a pointer, and never a hand/finger, even when hovering over a key (it's functional, though)
• some of the new weather-related messages don't fit into a single text line, so they get truncated at both ends

Thanks a lot for continuously updating FS Captain; the latest "feature pack" really boosts my motivation for simming once more!

 

P.S.: My destination's significant wx reads "Beware active frost on surfaces" - yes!!!   :yahoo: 

I have a question regarding check-rides. I created new pilot profile, and new airline. Checked that check-rides are required, made a flight in flight dispatch via specify flight details, loggein in via FCOM, and didn't saw any check-ride message, or anything simliar. It was a typical flight. How I can activate check-rides, and how I can see is that feature activated in FCOM?

I have a question regarding check-rides. I created new pilot profile, and new airline. Checked that check-rides are required, made a flight in flight dispatch via specify flight details, loggein in via FCOM, and didn't saw any check-ride message, or anything simliar. It was a typical flight. How I can activate check-rides, and how I can see is that feature activated in FCOM?

 

So you wanna do a checkride?  This had me scratching my head a bit.  In the early days check-rides generated so much negative customer feedback that we sort of tucked them away where you had to really want to do one.   Here's how to set one up:

 

1.  Be sure the Checkride option for your employer is set to Required.

 

2.  Climb into an airplane that you have never flown on a revenue flight for your employer, then choose the "Select Flights" option (F1 on the FCOM, LSK1 on the FCDU.

 

Instead of a list of available flights you'll be told you have to pass a check ride on that airplane and you'll be on a page that will monitor your progress.  Meet the listed requirements of 10 successful normal landings, one emergency engine-out landing, one steep turn, and one stall recovery and you're done.  You can do these in any order.  Much easier than in real life...yet many simmers find it too hard, which is why you can turn off the option, and it is off by default.

 

I just tried this on the FCDU -- it's been a while since I have done it -- and noticed the screen formatting is messed up a bit.  That'll be fixed before the final 1.5.0 is out.  The FCOM looks fine, but I never use that anymore.

 

Dutch

Ok, thank you for explaining.

 

To be honest, I totally misunderstood what check-ride is, heh. :blush: I've read in the FSC manual what that feature is, and what I understood is that the check-ride is a complete flight, same as typical scheduled one, except if you don't pass it (bad flight) you can't start a career for that airline.