FSX-MS How Do You Use Default ATC?

[d33my 0]

As with most people here, I use it when it suits me and seems to add to realism, and ignore it at all other times. Eg sometimes the most popular or best fitting SID will be one which relies on radar vectors and so I am happy in those cases to let MS guide me. Otherwise I choose what's best for me/is most realistic.

[KingGhidorah 209]

Two programs gave default FSX ATC some new life for me. First, with all versions of Active Sky prior to ASN, default ATC would rarely ever assign the correct landing runway, so it was worthless even for the simplest of tasks. That changed with ASN. Next program was Multicrew Experience, which fully interfaces with the default ATC. It is immersive to have the virtual first officer interact with the controllers. Enroute, I don't bother with ATC. I only use it for taxi, takeoff, and landing clearances.

[mabe54 17]

ATC Default always, from beginning to end, at all times.

 

Cheers,

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I use default ATC right up to descend, at which point I request VFR then request Flight Following until I am on the glideslope. When on Glideslope I tune the tower and it gives you landing clearance to land on the runway.

 

Reason being is the vectoring in FSX is horrible, absolute worst part of the programming so I just do real world approaches instead. 

 

I do a lot of real world routes based on what is found on FlightAware and usually fly a route from earlier that day, retrace its exact steps from gate to gate, Also ASN historic flight option is great for this as it injects the same weather from that time. 

[tf51d 284]

AI Smooth: Ensure proper spacing between approaching aircraft by speeding them up or slowing them down.

 

 

No that's "AISeparation" "AI Smooth" will send AI too close into holding patterns.

 

 

Reason being is the vectoring in FSX is horrible, absolute worst part of the programming so I just do real world approaches instead.

 

Actually it's very logical once you understand what it's doing! It will vector you on a parallel course to the runway, either upwind or downwind  Depending on your direction of approach. At around 27nm from runway threshold it will turn you on basically a Base leg Then it will give you the final approach instruction that will put you on a angled course to the localizer. There's a problem though. Unlike your Flightplan which accounts for course deviation due to wind, The approach vectors do not. So as you deviate from the virtual course it plotted when you reach a point, usually a 4nm deviation, ATC will re-vector you back on the virtual plotted course. This is why it seems ATC is issuing unnecessary vectoring instructions.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Actually it's very logical once you understand what it's doing!

 

But it doesn't reflect what is going on in the real world. For example this route into Laguardia runway 22:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/WJA1200

FSX doesn't come anywhere close to that, it will turn you much sooner and vector you in the wrong places.

 

Also FSX ATC is the same programming going back since FS2004 so if you keep following it then that is over 10 years of doing the same approaches. I understood how it worked back in FS2004 and didn't like it even then.

 

I prefer to stick as close to real world flights as possible. SIDS and STARS are good too

[Jimmy RFR 406]

Some good tips here.  Going to have to try that bit about requesting VFR on descent, then flying whatever real world approach you want, then tuning the tower for landing clearance.

 

Most of the time I've just been acting as my own ATC. I can finish a flight and then say 'That controller was one very co-operative and patient chap!'. ^_^

[tf51d 284]

But it doesn't reflect what is going on in the real world. For example this route into Laguardia runway 22:

 

http://flightaware.c.../flight/WJA1200

 

FSX doesn't come anywhere close to that, it will turn you much sooner and vector you in the wrong places.

I didn't say it was realistic, just that it was logical

Actually if FSX didn't have that revectoring issue, it wouldn't be that far off from this. The only difference would be it would plot a parallel course vs a straight in course. More similar to this approach into runway 4

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/WJA1200/history/20150310/1100Z/CYYZ/KLGA

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Actually if FSX didn't have that revectoring issue, it wouldn't be that far off from this. The only difference would be it would plot a parallel course vs a straight in course. More similar to this approach into runway 4

 

Yes this is true. It is programmed a certain way and sometimes it works great. I will admit sometimes I do use discretion and just use the FSX default vectoring in some cases.

 

But for me the real fun comes in looking what is going on daily through Flightaware as they do change things from time to time and closely match a route as close as I can.

 

The PMDG FMC with Navigraph Updates is like a dream these days as the database has so much more now you can closely follow the real routes now. 

 

Navigraph has airport charts too now that is really a must have as well. I highly recommend them:

 

http://www.navigraph.com/

[robert young 2,897]

The default ATC achieves something no addon ATC gets close to. The voices are pretty decent. They might be US-only accents. They might vector you the long way round on approach. They might use a few non-standard phrases. As said above, you have to dip in and out when flying SIDS, STARS and updated approaches. But none of the addon ATC packages come anywhere near to the default voice quality.

 

It's all to do with very careful editing of phrases. It is extremely difficult to make triggered voices sound natural, but it is possible. The default ATC is very clever at making sure single digit numbers or repeated numbers do not come out robotic. The inflections in the voices are miles better than any addon. The volumes are consistent - nothing jumps out. Number strings are smoothly expressed and there is a natural fall at the end of phrases.

 

Compare and contrast to every so-far published ATC addon which have some excellent procedures spoiled by poorly edited, poorly recorded, ill-thought-out voices, which sound amateur, unconvincing and not in the least authentic, or worse still those horrible voice packs of the type that make YouTube how-to videos sound comically naff! For me the voice quality (and by that I mean authentically low-fi and actually sounds like a pilot/controller) is the most important aspect, without which I'd rather just see text-based instructions.

[Mithras 87]

Erm, that's "glidesLope"...

I know, I know!! I type too fast on my iPad and it can't keep up. I actually write history books for a living, my spelling is better there!

[Ronaldo1978 26]

With the default atc it is very important that your approach is not too fast, if then FSX screws up the vectoring from the beginning. Look carefully to your speed.

[Mithras 87]

Well I’m pleased someone else is using it! As I said I am most comfortable in A2A planes, or flying twin props into bush airstrips in bad weather, but I fly airliners now and then for fun.  But I don’t go to the same lengths I do when flying GA. So that means I fly uprated default airliners and a couple of the F-Lite airliners.

 

I guess I’m doing things right, then. 

 

I use EditVoicePack with default ATC to add proper ICAO terminology and pilots signing off with ATC, it also speeds up the talking a bit. I’ve bought some Xtreme Airports as well as GSX for ground servicing. Putting all that together I can fly a great route, following default ATC to ILS interception, for a perfect landing and then taxi to the gate ready for GSX to deboard the plane. In short – I’m having tons of fun!  I do use Ultimate Traffic 2, and although I don’t need it when following ATC, it can clear a path of AI for you.

 

SIDS and STARS and the mysterious workings of the FMC are not for me though,  and I don’t think I am committed to tubeliners enough to get into those.  Because soon enough, I’m back in the A2A Cherokee flying VOR radials and navigating VFR across country.

 

I love the idea of tuning I to ATC, though, during cruise, but not reporting position, because I do find that if I walk away for ten mins I’ve been cut off!! Then if I refile my IFR plan my autopilot wants to refly the entire route and turns back to waypoint number 1!!

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Oh yeah that is the other thing I forgot to mention. When on approach I just pause the sim for a moment then increase time compression to 8x then back to normal and then un-pause. Doing this resets all AI traffic.

 

Other method is CTRL-Shift-A if you are using Ultimate Traffic 2

 

I don't bother with traffic separation addons as these methods work fine and I am against too many addons running at once. 

[Pe11e 812]

Speaking of default ATC, which flightplan will work best with it? VOR-to-VOR? Direct? I love using direct because GPS panel will tell you exact ETA to the destination.