A question(s) for the BETAs

[CaptCraig 226]

Are you flying the -300 yet?  How do you like it?  Does it really feel different from the LR?  

 

How do the "fixes" on the LR make her a way better bird to fly than initial release? 

 

Does the WXR add a level of realism never seen before in FSX and have you had to adjust your track a lot to move around weather?  Have you tried flying through the bad weather to see if it impacts the flight?  

 

Can you say anything about data link?  Any hints for us as to what is does in the simulation?  Any hints as to what it doesn't do?  

 

 

Yep, some stupid questions for you, and some questions you probably can't answer but at least I tried.  

 

 

:canada-flag:

Cheers

 

[EGLL77W 1,508]

No 77W yet.

 

The change is so good I'd find it hard to fly the RTM build now. Which is funny - a lot of the changes are so subtle and small, but so powerful to someone like myself that adores the thing. It just flies so much more beautifully too! 

 

Data Link? PMDG will put a post on it. I will say this; don't expect the communications page to be modelled! I've seen people think it's that and unfortunately, not yet, it's not. Maybe when Vatsim release their CPDLC client - PMDG will get their magic wands out. Who knows! Apart from that, the 777 really is complete.  :biggrin:

[CaptCraig 226]

No 77W yet.

 

The change is so good I'd find it hard to fly the RTM build now. Which is funny - a lot of the changes are so subtle and small, but so powerful to someone like myself that adores the thing. It just flies so much more beautifully too! 

 

Data Link? PMDG will put a post on it. I will say this; don't expect the communications page to be modelled! I've seen people think it's that and unfortunately, not yet, it's not. Maybe when Vatsim release their CPDLC client - PMDG will get their magic wands out. Who knows! Apart from that, the 777 really is complete.  :biggrin:

 

Thanks Luke.  

 

What was the biggest bug that took some enjoyment out of the plane that is fixed in your beta at the moment?  I guess you'd have to think back to the RTM to answer as I'm sure you haven't flown a 777 (sims don't count)! 

 

Heh I tried on the data link thing.  I tried.  I'm hearing good things about the client.  I remember flying out of KATL one night though and everything was "CDPLC" automated.  Now it's like no one uses it.  I know we are trying to implement it at CYYZ.  They've been working on it for a bit but I haven't gotten an update for my euroscope in awhile so who knows.  

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Are you flying the -300 yet? How do you like it? Does it really feel different from the LR?

 

No - just the SP1 build.  As stated in a few other places: iron out the -200LR issues, then move onto other things.

 

 

 

How do the "fixes" on the LR make her a way better bird to fly than initial release?

 

Without going into specifics, the whole experience is just more rounded out.  I feel like everything is more "in place," and nothing truly takes me out of the moment as certain things did in the past.

 

 

 

Does the WXR add a level of realism never seen before in FSX and have you had to adjust your track a lot to move around weather? Have you tried flying through the bad weather to see if it impacts the flight?

 

It's a nice addition.  It's nice to be able to see what's going to affect you.

 

 

 

Can you say anything about data link? Any hints for us as to what is does in the simulation? Any hints as to what it doesn't do?

 

Not really.  As Luke mentioned, we'll wait for someone to make an official announcement, but it's a cool feature that adds to the experience.  I will caution that there some clashes with terminology in the aviation realm.  In aircraft, data link is a generic term essentially referring to the transport of data from a ground source to an aircraft.  DataComm is a specific subset of that related more to communication, instead of data transmission in general.  CPDLC is, of course, part of that whole realm.  Given that there's no client out there, specifically, to handle CPDLC/DataComm-like transmissions, that isn't what this is going to be.  As Luke mentioned, though, there is some sort of initiative over at VATSIM to create one (OpenSource Pilot Client or something like that - not the vPilot project, which is meant to be very simple compared to what's out there currently).

 

Some controllers attempt to approximate CPDLC by using the text chat feature built into the pilot and radar clients, but it's just a workaround.  As a controller, it does (as the link above mentions) free up a ton of frequency space by reducing the amount I spend keyed up, and listening to (and possibly correcting) readbacks.  At the same time, I still have to type that out, even at least partially through aliases (which I usually don't remember), which takes my eyes off of the radar picture.  On the pilot side, it just feels wrong looking at a text window when I know it should be coming through a comm page.

 

 

 

Quasi-tangent (feel free to skip):

As with everything else on VATSIM - and occasionally even in the real world - acceptance of a procedure is both facility, and controller-dependent.  As an example, the real world Potomac TRACON (PCT, serving IAD/BWI/DCA/RIC/CHO + sats) NOTAMed the PRYME/STOIC SIDs out of service as soon as they were released because PCT - specifically, in the Shenandoah (IAD) and Mount Vernon (DCA) Areas - is more of a hands-on facility.  They didn't really have any pilot-nav/hybrid-nav SIDs out of IAD and DCA until recently because of the "culture" of the controllers.  Those areas preferred not to relinquish that control.  It's not a bad thing.  Just not something they're used to.  Atlanta TRACON (A80), on the other hand, is all about pilot-nav SIDs.

 

As for myself, when I was controlling on VATSIM and saw someone going out of IAD on the PRYME/STOIC SID, unless it was busy at IAD, I just let them do it.  The path I would've vectored them on would have been essentially the exact same thing.  It freed me up to pay attention to more pressing matters.  That can be a lot when you're controlling DC_CTR with nobody "below" you in the VATSIM tiers:

"Hey DC Center, ASQ3442 at Norfolk, requesting IFR clearance to JFK."

*aww eff...what ops is ORF in???* <F2> KPRF <ENTER> *ugh...* <F2> KPRF KORF <ENTER>

ASQ3442, cleared to [...] read back squawk only.

"5642, ASQ3442."

ASQ3442, readback correct.

JBU918, cross HOGGS at FL180.

"Dee Cee Centerrrrrrrr, Cessna November 22423 requesting IFR clearance from [some obscure field I can barely remember the ICAO for...] to [some equally obscure field in my airspace]."

Cessna N22423, clearance on request, standby.

UAL554, fly the PRYME2 departure. Wind 340 at 7. Runway 30, cleared for takeoff.

[back to checking information about N22423's obscure fields]

[jgoggi 65]

No 77W yet.

 

Does this mean that you will have to beta test the 77W after you finish with the SP1? Oh, we will not see the SP1 before autumn, then...

[Michael Moe 495]

Does this mean that you will have to beta test the 77W after you finish with the SP1? Oh, we will not see the SP1 before autumn, then...

 

Maybe two weeks for the SP1 and two weeks for the 77W ? Around may i guess ?

 

Michael