At runway with motor off

[Quijote 4]

Hello, Yesterday I wanted to fly VFR from Chicago. But I accidentally left the box for start with engines running unchecked. So there I was dead on the runway. I started the engines and called the tower. They told me to contact ground and request permission to taxi. I couldn't seem to find a way to just take off.

I'm trying to get my feet wet with this new program by flying VFR and having my problems. It could be me but it seems that there are two conflicting IF statements in the program - IF the user has just started the motor, contact ground - and IF the user is at the runway, request takeoff.

Anyway, I'm very enthusiastic about actually having ATC. I wish the radios and dialogues could be in a thin ribbon at the bottom (or top) of the screen with a toggle to shows the maps and FP.

I want to run your program on a second laptop with Windows 7. If anyone knows of ways to get additional voices on Win 7 (more than just the one default), I'd like to know the secret.

Thanks

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

If you want to start on a runway and just takeoff on that runway, then do the following:

1) Make sure "Force Pilot Runway Selection" option is ON (checked)

2) When you contact Ground, tell them you are "....ready for departure Runway xx".  They should then send you to tower frequency.

3) Contact Tower and tell them you are ready for departure

You can use the minimize key (above the Power light in bottom left) to get a view of P2A that is just the bottom area.  Then press again to get the full view.  When minimized, you can adjust the size and position to whatever you like.

Win7 Enterprise and I believe Pro allow installation of additional language packs.  If you install language packs that include voices, like India and Espana, then you can install those voices.  They will then work in English with a strong accent.  Of course, purchasing additional voices is the most straight-forward way to get them.  There are no good "free" voices that I've found anywhere.

 

[Quijote 4]

Dave, Your quick response was amazing. However, your suggestion didn't work. Tower keeps sending me back to taxi and although ground accepts me being ready for departure, tower sends me back to taxi.

And this time, I started with the motor running - so that had nothing to do with it. Force Pilot Runway Selection was already toggled.

I tried various times, but now my wife is calling me to lunch.

I have successfully connected and your program is on a companion laptop on Windows 7 connected via wifi. So far so good. I will look into buying some voices. When I officially buy your program, I would sure like the freedom to either run it from the main computer or from the laptop - depending on availability of the laptop.....

Thanks again.....

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

If you're flying without a flight plan that has a SID, you may need to include the Runway request when you call tower:

"<CallSign> Ready for Departure Runway xx"

Licensing of  the software is for a single computer.  You can transfer it from one to another by contacting me and having me reset the license server.  If you need a second license, you can contact me for a discount.

Dave

[Quijote 4]

I tried that I am quite sure. But I'll try it again. Basic vfr departure from a big airport like I used to do it on FS9. Another thing. If I make a flight plan using named intersections or vors, when I export it to xplane, the named waypoints come in as lat/long, no? Or maybe I'm doing it wrong. It ooccurred to me that the waypoint database could have an extra field for the name as well as lat/long. That way the export routine could use the fields preferred by each sim. When I have a FP loaded into the GPS, lat/long waypoints all look similar and are hard to visualize on the map. 

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

There are waypoints generated by Pilot2ATC, including the Top of Descent (TOD) that are not a regular fix in the database.  These will be exported as a "user waypoint" with the name being the Lat/Lon.  This is the X-Plane standard.  The flight plan will not work if you try and make that a name of some sort.

ICAO waypoints with an identifier all have names associated with them.

If you've got a GPS or FMC that lets you enter SIDs, STARs and Approaches, export the flight plan without the SID/STAR/Appr waypoints and add the procedures in the plane.  That should let the plane fly the route correctly sync'd with P2A.

[Quijote 4]

Siesta completed, I'll go to the computer and try naming the runway. I'm pretty sure I tried that. It seems that ifr from a gate goes a lot more easily. I am trying to fly circuits vfr and I'm sure I'll eventually get it figured out - especially when I can talk to the machine. 

Ionly exported a flight plan once and I didn't see named waypoints so I deleted them all and entered them manually - which is really easy on the Eclipse. I'll try again. 

[Quijote 4]

Dave,

I tried your exact syntax for takeoff as given above - plus I tried all the other combination that the program would permit. Ground transfers me to the tower for takeoff, but the tower sends me back to ground for taxi instructions.

I give up for now, I need to fly the Eclipse from Chicago to Denver.....

EDIT: In flying the Eclipse, I had the very same problem trying to takeoff from Chicago starting on the active runway. Finally I just took off and then the controllers picked me up and are doing flight following.

Thanks for your attentive responses. You can't believe how much I appreciate it....

Edited July 18, 2017 by Quijote
new developments

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

If you can email me (admin@pilot2atc.com) the log file and a screenshot of P2A with you on the runway requesting clearance, I will see if I can figure out why it's not working.

Log files are located in:

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\P2A_200\Logs

where <UserName> is your PC user name

A new one is created each time you start Pilot2ATC.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Quijote 4]

I shall do that at once. Thanks..... How do I close the program without harming the log file - just a simple exit???

EDIT: Damn, it just worked! I used the long syntax callsign-request-runway name - and tower cleared me for takeoff. I am humiliated. I think I'll stop bothering you.....

 

Edited July 19, 2017 by Quijote
new developments

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

No worries.

Glad you got it to work.

Dave

[Quijote 4]

I'm not a new simmer, but after a long absence I am doing what a real world pilot would do - I am trying to fly circuits around a local airport and want to be able to advise traffic (or a tower if there is one) when I am on downwind, base, final, etc. Your program (and some of your competitors) is very  good for IFR and planning, but circuits and touch-and-goes are also part of the game.....

I really appreciate the support. Now I am going to start working on my speech.

Ahah, just thought of something else. I use xEnviro for weather. I don't know if your program can read the conditions that xEnviro imports into Xplane. You don't list it among the weather engines, but I do hope that you and it can play together......

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

I believe xEnviro updates the METAR.rwx file in the X-Plane root directory.  If so, just check the option to get weather from the SIM and be sure the X-Plane root folder path is correct.

Dave