Good evening everybody,Before spending some cash on a program that enhances the default AI traffic, I really want your opinion on what is the best program on the market.Main worry.... yep, framerates.Even with a more than average system at my disposal, I frequently have to struggle hard to keep those framerates acceptable.Weather, complex panels, high definition textures, they all get away with some of those precious cycles and force those figures down.I have tried 'FsTraffic 2004' from a friend and I can live with that but I know nobody with 'Ultimate Trafic'. Can somebody comment on that program?I would really appreciate it.ThanksLuc BrusselmansBelgium

I really cant justify myself paying for AI when all they are going to do is land on top of each other, with no spacing,whats the point of that?As real as it gets? huh?

Project AI works fine for me and it is free so if you don't like it take it off.

Most Realistic AI Traffic (MRAI) is awesome and so is PAI. I've managed to use both successfully and don't really see any serious impact on frame-rates.I was also in the same situation as you until a week ago and was considering picking up either My traffic or UT - but really didn't have a top-end system to that extent, so went for installing MRAI and PAI instead. It just takes a bit of time and effort initially, but its definately worth it.Infact I live in India, am a frequent traveler, also listen to ATC frequencies so I know all flights and flight numbers in and around very well...and it really was awesome hearing the those same flight and airlines bound for all local destinations - Its just makes the experience so real and exicting than having Soar and Landmark flying around. Infact I get into the Jetranger and hover near the runway and maintain a radio and visual watch just to listen to these AI real-birds do thier thing! Awesome!I think MRAI and PAI works well....Cheers,-Pranav

A simple search of the forum would reveal the fact there are several threads of the 'best' AI program. I use 'ultimate traffic' and think it is a great little program, and is so easy to use.

I use to have My Traffic. It took forever to load and I never really liked the planes and the textures it came with. I ended up not using it. I then read a review from Avsim on Ultimate Traffic and I do not remember if it received 4 or 5 stars, but it did well. I decided to download it (easy by the way and also easy to re-download when I upgraded my computer). I immediately liked it more than My Traffic. It had updates so you can stay current. It seems to put more realism into the AI. It comes with software to configure traffic how you want (too much for me, but if you wanted you could spend hours working with it). I just installed it and all the airports so far have the right traffic. I have had it about 6 months now and would not fly without it. The FPS are not bad at all, in fact they do not seem any worse then the default AI. I keep my setting at 80%, seems to be fine. I would have gone other avenues like project AI, but I just wanted to install it and be done. Maybe the other programs are just as easy, I do not know. I would rather spend time learning different planes than setting up routes. But that is just me. Check out the review here at Avsim for more info. As far as planes landing on each other, yeah it happens, but not too often. Only once in a rare while to I have to change the clock a few min when landing in order to grab some space, but I find that is a small price to pay for more realism.

THanks guys,It seems my searching days are not quite over yet.Even a guy like me, looking at the different simsites almost every day, can't know evertything and some of the programs you mentionned here are unknown to me.So time to start digging up some of those addon's and try them out.ThanksLuc BrusselmansBelgium

I've been using Ultimate Traffic for 5 months now and I really like it. What I have found to be useful is the flexibility of picking exactly which airlines to include in your AI file. Last week I did a flight from KMIA to St. Maarten (Had to try that over the beach approach which BTW the default scenry even has the warning sign on the beach...cute detail from MSFS). I did a new compile of the traffic to include some island hopper airlines. After, I reinstated my regular traffic file. Just be sure to remove the FS default traffic before running UT. Planes landing on top of each other is an MSFS issue, not a traffic program issue. FS spawns AI traffic too quickly for the ATC to handle. The workarounds are to reduce % at the large airports. I've found about 80% works fine at my most troublesome which is KEWR. I run 100% just about everywhere else. Mike

"Most Realistic AI Traffic (MRAI) is awesome and so is PAI."Yeah, I used to use MRAI but PAI is vastly easier to install airlines for (e.g. no need to look for textures and install them on each plane), so I now have PAI with a few MRAI airlines that PAI don't support and a few custom flightplans. Works pretty well for me, with decent frame-rates even at places like Heathrow, which are just full of AI planes.

Hey Luc, From my experience there is no real clear-cut "winner". Very subjective. It really depends what you want to put into it to get the maximum out of it... that "it" being either time or money.IF you want something simple and quick and money is not a concern go with one of the packages like MyTraffic or Ultimate Traffic. If you have more time than money you can build your own complete AI system to you own likeing and probably achieve the best FPS that way.I started with MyTraffic and moved onto Ultimate. Now I am slowly replacing the UT aircraft with AIA as I really like their look and FPS.It's all good...

>Hey Luc, From my experience there is no real clear-cut>"winner". Very subjective. It really depends what you want>to put into it to get the maximum out of it... that "it" being>either time or money.>>IF you want something simple and quick and money is not a>concern go with one of the packages like MyTraffic or Ultimate>Traffic. If you have more time than money you can build your>own complete AI system to you own likeing and probably achieve>the best FPS that way.>>I started with MyTraffic and moved onto Ultimate. Now I am>slowly replacing the UT aircraft with AIA as I really like>their look and FPS.>>It's all good...Hey Ponyboy, what is AIA?

"what is AIA?"'AI Aardvark', I presume: www.ai-aardvark.com

Exactly. I once used UT all by itself. Back then I was content just to have planes flying in and out of airports.Now I've replaced most of the models with AIA and FSP using MRAI flightplans. UT still runs a lot of smaller airline flights but the AIA and FSP models are beautiful. Thank god for multiple traffic files I say!

I've built my AI manually from a variety of sources.I have to say that I appreciate greatly all those who provide freeware for FS, but for good looks, good FPS and a great website, you can't beat Aardvark aircraft. If only they'd do some Airbuses!! I'm in the process of switching over to MRAI flightplans - largely to eliminate all those airlines that have gone bust since I started!I was sitting at an airport the other day preparing for a flight. Being a bit of a pedant, I'd looked up the relevant flight number from the real-life airline website for the route I wanted to fly and had put that into FS and had also set the clock to the correct time.What does this do?Well of course, the MRAI flightplan is so accurate that just as I'm about to get clearance, an AI aircraft with same flight number got in first for clearance for the same destination!Half of me was impressed and the other half .... well no bad language here.

Ultimate Traffic adds a whole new dimension to FS9, I have purchased a vast array of add ons over the years and I can safely say this is without doubt one of the best investments to simming. No problems with the kit either, comes with handy utils which has allowed me to introduce AIA, Aardvark, and FSP aircraft. Performance impact is good if you have a decent spec too.Highly recommended.Del.