Hi

 

I love the autocruise and auto time compression features. Very innovative.

However, I am coming across with procedural problem if I want to use these features with Radar Contact. If I am flying with Radar Contact ATC, leave the radio to the copilot and autocruise with copilot, I don't think I can depend on copilot to request for flight level change at point of step climb.

 

That would mean I would still have to come back to my PC, switch off the auto time compression, request for flight change and then do the step climb. This would defeat the purpose of auto climb.

 

Has anyone come across with this scenario for those who are flying with the ATC? How did you manage it?

I too use RC and I see no workarounds honestly.

I don't know how Radar Contact handles flight levels, nor do I plan to use auto-cruise modes. But if I did, my suggestion would be to request a cruise level change to match your final flight level before starting auto-cruise.  Presumably Radar Contact will eventually give you the level you requested and so when you come back to your PC you will be at this cleared level and in sync with the system.  The alternative is to simply ignore ATC en-route especially if doing things like this. 

 

I use FSX ATC only for departure and arrival phases. I silence ATC by not contacting the next controller when it hands over after departure.  ATC assumes I should be at the intermediate level I was cleared to at that time, even though I am actually at cruise level.  In this way I can step climb at will during cruise and ATC will never dump my IFR flight plan if I don't respond.  At TOD I wake up ATC by calling the controller. This call announces I am descending to this previously cleared altitude, so I get a descent when I want to, not stupidly early as FSX ATC wants.

Aaah, Vatsim... Gotta love interacting with humans, instead of AI Artificial Idiot ATC

Aaah, Vatsim... Gotta love interacting with humans, instead of AI Artificial Idiot ATC

 

+1000

I can see no way of negating this using any type of ATC addon (or native FSX ATC for that matter!) unless you just chose to simply ignore ATC lol.

 

The only option would be if somehow the aircraft could automatically contact the ATC you are using, request the FL it whats to step to, confirm whether the request is accepted or denied, and then carry out the appropriate action based on the ATC instructions.

 

Of course, no harm can be done in the virtual world if you just chose to let the aircraft do it's thing and let ATC scream at you or just turn it off! But if we want some sort of realism then auto interaction with ATC would be a nice feature.

 

But then again, with realism, why would we need the auto climb feature? Should we not be in the seat at all times? Or have someone else relieve us when our 'shift' is over  .

Aaah, Vatsim... Gotta love interacting with humans, instead of AI Artificial Idiot ATC

Is a human idiot better than an AI one? :ph34r:

Is a human idiot better than an AI one? :ph34r:

 

Yes, because you can yell at them and make them change their mind. AI never changes it's mind and never feels bad

Is a human idiot better than an AI one? :ph34r:

depends on the human  :He He:

 

 

But then again, with realism, why would we need the auto climb feature? Should we not be in the seat at all times? Or have someone else relieve us when our 'shift' is over 

 

Sure, as long as for a 16 hour flight I get paid twice  B)

Aaah, Vatsim... Gotta love interacting with humans, instead of AI Artificial Idiot ATC

 

True.. except for the 95% probability that a controller won't be online for your flight (unless you like doing mostly all of your flights on the east or west coasts).  Either way you'd still have to request an altitude change with a real controller.

 

It isn't that Radar Contact is stupid or unrealistic, it is the fact that he is trying to do Auto Step-Climbs without having to request altitudes changes from ATC.