I'm pretty impressed with Pro-ATC/X!

[captain420 3,099]

I've actually done a full fledge flight using ATC extensively for the very 1st time using Pro-ATC/X. I did a test flight in the PMDG 777 from KIAH to KLAS. Using FS2Crew/RAAS as well, and the experience was amazing. It really made the flying so much more satisfying. It seems to me that with this add-on, the co-pilot really handle pretty much everything, even capturing the localizer and glideslope, to extending flaps all the way down and all. I'm not sure if it can handle vectors in my flight plan though, I had one at the end before lining up for approach, and all it did was said I'm cleared for the next waypoint and to head a certain direction. So at that point I just delete my vector waypoint in my CDU and replaced it with the next one. Not sure if that's how I was suppose to do it. I didn't mess with the HDG selector at all. I just let the CDU automatically take me to the next waypoint by doing that.

 

I'm looking forward for the update. I heard it's currently in beta and hope it will add more useful features and fix more things. Especially with the SID/STAR selection that's mandatory when creating a new flight plan. I hope they remove that, because it's not necessary because SID/STAR will get assigned during clearance and not during the initial flight planning stage. I'm hoping for more diverse voice packs as well.

 

I'm excited to do an international flight with Pro-ATC/X and wonder if it can handle that.

 

Does anyone here use PFPX, FS2Crew, and or Aivlasoft EFB alongside with Pro-ATC/X? These are my must have add-ons when doing IFR flights.

 

I have a question, do you guys do your flight planning on PFPX first or Pro-ATC/X? I've heard mixed things where people say it's best to do it 1st in Pro-ATC/X and then copy it into PFPX. But then other people say the opposite. I'm assuming it's better to do it in PFPX, since it can integrate with TOPCAT and give you takeoff/landing configs, and can provide you with fuel/pax loading numbers, which is more detailed than what Pro-ATC/X can provide.

 

Do you need to export the route to PMDG 777 when using PFPX? Because I know Pro-ATC/X uses it's own format when you type in KIAHKLASCLR, I'm assuming that Pro-ATC/X will export its own file into the PMDG 777 and won't even rely on the one created with PFPX. I've been exporting just 2 files, the PDMG 777 wx and the Prepar3d v3. Is this how you guys do it? I just want to know what the best way to use PFPX with Pro-ATC/X for flight planning. 

[spesimen 135]

 I'm assuming it's better to do it in PFPX, since it can integrate with TOPCAT and give you takeoff/landing configs, and can provide you with fuel/pax loading numbers, which is more detailed than what Pro-ATC/X can provide.

 

agreed

 

this is pretty much my routine:

1. plan route in pfpx (maybe start with a route from flightaware if it is a real world route)

2. export to pmdg format and .pln format   .. i have the boxes checked for 777,737,and pln

3. import the .pln file into pro-atc ..

4. open .pln file in activesky

5. once i get clearance from pro-atc i will go back to double check the takeoff calculations if i was assigned a different runway than the one i guessed at while planning

 

pretty straightforward

 

cheers

-andy crosby

[captain420 3,099]

Thanks Andy. I'm also using ASN as well. Didn't think about importing the flight plan there. Totally missed that step. Seems like a good idea. So what I'll do is:

 

1. plan flight in pfpx, getting real world routes from flightaware.com

2. export 3 files, p3d pln file, pmdg 777, and pmdg 777 wx date file

3. import flight plan (p3d .pln file) into ASN, Pro ATC and Aivlasoft EFB (So that we are synchronized across all the add-ons)

 

What runway do you use for takeoff? the one assigned to you in PFPX or the one given to you at clearance from Pro-ATC?

[captain420 3,099]

I'm finding it easier to make the initial flight plan using Pro-ATC and then cut and paste the route into PFPX for some reason.

 

When I do it the other way around, I'm finding that PFPX will assign me some strange SID or STARS at times, that once I import/load into Pro-ATC, don't seem to quite match.

 

Also why do we even need to export the route to PMDG format using PFPX if we're going to be using the route thats created for us in Pro-ATC anyways? You know the one that is like KIAHKLASCLR, since that's the one we will be loading into the CO ROUTE on the CDU.

[spesimen 135]

I'm finding it easier to make the initial flight plan using Pro-ATC and then cut and paste the route into PFPX for some reason.

 

When I do it the other way around, I'm finding that PFPX will assign me some strange SID or STARS at times, that once I import/load into Pro-ATC, don't seem to quite match.

 

Also why do we even need to export the route to PMDG format using PFPX if we're going to be using the route thats created for us in Pro-ATC anyways? You know the one that is like KIAHKLASCLR, since that's the one we will be loading into the CO ROUTE on the CDU.

 

i usually dont worry about the sid/star that much in planning, the transition is the main thing i want setup correctly in the flight plan..when i ask for clearance it will usually give a correct sid based on the runway it picked and the transtion point...i'm happy to let pro-atc assign me whichever one it wants, and on arrival it can change as the weather changes if necessary.. 

 

for your 2nd question, well, i don't export the route from pro-atc either, i just directly load the one exported from pfpx into the fms. you are correct that you only need to export it once! if they are matching then it doesnt matter which program you export it from.

 

whichever way works for you is the best one! i also do not mess around with the wx file, since the 777 reads the active sky weather, which works if you have the .pln file loaded for active sky..etc..

 

cheers

-andy crosby

[J. Eberhardt 3]

I'm finding it easier to make the initial flight plan using Pro-ATC and then cut and paste the route into PFPX for some reason.

 

When I do it the other way around, I'm finding that PFPX will assign me some strange SID or STARS at times, that once I import/load into Pro-ATC, don't seem to quite match.

 

Also why do we even need to export the route to PMDG format using PFPX if we're going to be using the route thats created for us in Pro-ATC anyways? You know the one that is like KIAHKLASCLR, since that's the one we will be loading into the CO ROUTE on the CDU.

 

Hi,

 

i'm also use PFPX, Pro-ATC, EFB, ASN, Topcat, PMDG..

 

My rough steps:

 

- before press calculate button in pfpx, i'm edit the flightplan (press the edit button)

- remove the sid/star (set to --) and press the save button

- now i'm calculate and release the flightplan and export it to Pro-ATC, EFB and PMDG format

- import the flightplan into Pro-ATC, EFB and at least PMDG CDU

- After activate the flightplan in EFB, ASN get automatically the flightplan, too.

- after i get clearance from ATC, select the given runway and SID in the PMDG CDU and the EFB

 

Regards

Jens

[Guest]

Especially with the SID/STAR selection that's mandatory when creating a new flight plan. I hope they remove that, because it's not necessary because SID/STAR will get assigned during clearance and not during the initial flight planning stage.

 

Take note that the SID/STAR that ProATC assigns during the planning phase only are expectations. So yes, they are mandatory to complete and save a plan in ProATC (and it would be a good things if this will be changed) but they aren't hardcoded into the plan you will be flying: ProATC will actually assign the correct SID and STAR at the appropriate times and they can be different, depending on the weather, from what you saw during the planning phase.

The SID and STAR also aren't saved in the plan you can load into the plane: you will always have to load them yourself. I myself load the SID when I am assigned one by ProATC during the startup phase and I load the STAR when I assigned one (usually) during descent. I never ever look at the SID and STAR that ProATC shows during planning.

 

I stopped using PFPX because creating a plan in ProATC is done in seconds and I only fly the Airbus (whenever I fly airliners) do I don't have TOPCAT anyway. The fact that the SID and STAR in PFPX are often different compared to ProATC isn't a problem at all because, as I said, I always ignore them during the planning and simply wait for ATC which assigns them to me which is far more realistic. (I even made a habit of not even looking at SID and STAR in ProATC while planning: I don't want to know them at all: I want ATC to tell them to me at the appropriate time.)

[nealmac 260]

This is my flow:

 

I plan everything in PFPX. ProATC doesn't plan your fuel and payload. It also doesn't have planning for takeoff and landing performance (if you use TOPCAT).

 

I then export my route into all formats needed (ASN and ProATC, and then formats for various aircraft PMDG, Aerosoft etc).

 

Next step is to import the PLN file into ASN and manually add in my primary alternate (alternate doesn't seem to get exported from PFPX).

 

Then I import the same PLN file into ProATC. There are several things that need to be changed here, like the flight number, parking position, alternate airport etc. I usually go with whatever runways/SIDS/STARS/Transitions that ProATC assigns (although it will work perfectly ok if you change any of these values). However, I find that ProATC does a much better job of runway prediction than PFPX does. Obviously I have ASN likned to both, but it seems to work better in ProATC for some reason. It's also worth remembering that SIDS/STARS/Transitions/Runways DON'T form a part of the flightplan, and that's why ProATC usually displays differing values to what PFPX assigns you.

 

I then load the plan into the CDU/FMC in P3D/FSX. I add the SIDS/STARS/Transitions/Runways as provided by ProATC. Once I have to route set up, I cross-reference it step by step and make sure every waypoint (including waypoints within a SID/STAR) match up exactly to the plan shown in the ProATC interface. There will almost always be a couple waypoints missing in the CDU/FMC (usually waypoints within a SID or a STAR) so I just manually add the ones that are missing.

 

And that's pretty much it. Once I'm up in the air, if I get cleared direct to a waypoint, I can be guaranteed that the waypoint I'm being cleared to will already be in my flightplan.

[warbirds 555]

Only two airplanes supported? Does this mean that the copilot feature is only good for the PMDG 737 NX and the Areosoft Airbus?

[nealmac 260]

Only two airplanes supported? Does this mean that the copilot feature is only good for the PMDG 737 NX and the Areosoft Airbus?

The co-pilot function was only tested with the default aircraft as far as I know. However this doesn't mean it won't work with addons. The Aerosoft Airbus has it's own co-pilot function built in so that's not a problem. But there's no reason why it shouldn't work with other aircraft. Having said that, the actual ATC part will work with any aircraft, and that's what's important.

[Guest JustanotherPilot]

The latest update is currently in beta testing, for final release not too far away, it has many more features added - should be good. Really like the way it assigns SID and STAR procedures.

[warbirds 555]

Wish they would put out a demo,,,hate to  spend that much and find I don't like the software.