35 minutes ago, Adrian123 said:

Skin care product?

LOL!

Man, I wish I could be a fly on the wall at the PMDG HQ right now... this thread, must be hilarious reading for them. 

36 minutes ago, Adrian123 said:

Skin care product?

"I use PMDG: because I'm worth it".

                   PMDG Pheromone Drops

“Just a dab behind my ears and they come a runnin’”

”PMDG,

Promotes

Masculinity

Damn 

Good”

I don't think this is about an add-on aircraft.

I think it could something along one of these lines:

• A new sim to succeed P3D, without all of the licensing restrictions of P3D. (seems very unlikely)
   
• Or, rather than a new sim, maybe some kind of software translation layer that lets you run your P3D/FSX add-ons in X-Plane.  (again, seems unlikely given the differences in the two sims, but who knows?)
   
• A new aspect of flight simming not currently well-modeled - maybe a suite of integrated flight dispatch and planning tools akin to PFPX, or maintenance tools, or ACARS, or ???
   
• Something hardware-oriented.  Maybe PMDG-branded computers that are spec'ed to run P3D extremely smoothly, targeted to the home cockpit and professional simulation market.  Or PMDG-branded flight-sim computer peripherals to make home cockpits and professional sims more realistic.
   
• Probably something else completely out of left field that I didn't think of here, and will make us all go, "whoa!" when it is announced.

Wherever they are, I'm sure PMDG staff is having a few good chuckles over these ideas.  But hey, guessing is fun and keeps us busy in between flights, right?

Some really good theories as to what the announcement could be.

I agree with many of you that this won’t be another aircraft.  If PMDG has been working on this since 2008, this is something on the scale of a major addon.

Looking at some of the gaps that remain with FSX/P3D, it might be one of the following:

• ATC engine enhancement – If PMDG has a partnership with Navigraph, maybe an ATC engine addon could integrate with their data (SIDS, STARS, Compulsory Reporting Points, trans-oceanic procedures, etc.) providing a much more realistic and immersive flying experience. Not having a current AFCAD file for the airport you are operating out of could be problematic though.
• Global AFCAD update – What good is having current nav charts and nav data when the airport you are operating out of visually represents what it looked like over a decade ago and doesn’t account for new or updated runways, runway designations, taxiways, ramp and terminal areas not to mention the many new airports that came online since the release of FSX. The thought crossed my mind again when I saw the airport moving map display for their upcoming 747-8. I can think of a number of airports where the moving map won’t represent the default airport AFCAD.  If PMDG has a partnership with Navigraph, this might be another opportunity. Maybe in the form of a subscription service where airport updates are released quarterly or annually.
• Some sort of airline career or airline operations addon - Something that adds more immersion into their airline / cargo line of products. 

I think the following gaps are already being address by other providers and I don’t see PMDG going into a market that’s heavily competitive or saturated. Some of which integrate with PMDG aircraft (FS2Crew, Navigraph, Active Sky).

• Weather engine enhancements
• Scenery (Mesh/ individual airport modeling / visual enhancements)
• Flight planning
• Nav Data
• Ground handling
• Flight crew assistant

Initially I thought they could be working on a new sim. XP11, P3D, and FSW all have their own strengths and shortcomings.  Unless PMDG designed a platform that clearly raises the bar to a completely new level in the flight sim market, I don’t see them doing it. Plus, they have a strong customer base using FSX/P3D.

 

Whatever it is, I’m excited and look forward to it.

One thing that comes to mind for me is that most things PMDG does also have a commercial application beyond FSX/P3D users, so I would guess that whatever this is will also be in that vein.

Perhaps that thought will help guide the guesses, keep em coming! ;)

Dave Reage

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by regis9

My impression was that whatever it is has something to do with ACARS/CPDLC/some kind of communication feature, as interfaces for those things mysteriously popped up in the QOTS II FMS and I'm sure Kyle had some cryptic image in his signature with a pigeon inside another aircraft that was later blanked. How cool would it be to have a Takeoff Data Calculator and ACARS loadsheet that we could print off on our own printers, just as in the real aircraft?

I have to say, I currently use PMDG's in-built weight and balance configurator inside the FMS as a sort of digital loadsheet, but it's not the same when you're just pretending to have an ACARS loadsheet.

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by rondon9898

57 minutes ago, rondon9898 said:

My impression was that whatever it is has something to do with ACARS/CPDLC/some kind of communication feature, as interfaces for those things mysteriously popped up in the QOTS II FMS and I'm sure Kyle had some cryptic image in his signature with a pigeon inside another aircraft that was later blanked. How cool would it be to have a Takeoff Data Calculator and ACARS loadsheet that we could print off on our own printers, just as in the real aircraft?

I have to say, I currently use PMDG's in-built weight and balance configurator inside the FMS as a sort of digital loadsheet, but it's not the same when you're just pretending to have an ACARS loadsheet.

This is exactly what I would love for the NG. 

The most uber~Precisely written Manual ever Developed by their Group of employees

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by Torbinator

...and all their airliners becoming available for X-Plane 11 

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by Torbinator

A discount coupon?

I'd love to see a comprehensive Disatch/ATC client complete with NavData(SIDS/STARS), ACARS and CPDLC integration compatible with their aircraft line. 

Dispatch would calculate the flight.  ActiveSky integration (much like their weather radar link with AS) would give dispatch awareness of departure/enroute/destination weather, impacting the flight in appropriate ways (extra fuel for weather, holds, deviations, etc).  Dispatch would send ACARS messages relating to fuel uploaded, final passenger/baggage weight, delays, etc.

Alternatively, ActiveSky integration with ATC to make it "weather aware" and cause weather related delays and holds (thunderstorm over the field, etc).  Flight clearance and Oceanic Clearances would be handled by CPDLC.  ATC would be "smart" and handle AI aircraft appropriately for departure, enroute (using appropriate routes), and arrival (including taxi in and out).

Pipe dream, I know.  We can all dream, right??  :)

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by netshadoe

I myself dream of a pmdg p3dv4 md11....

4 minutes ago, Boomer said:

I myself dream of a pmdg p3dv4 md11....

Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!  That was never clear brother!!!   lol!!!

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by netshadoe

It's the Wood Pigeon! Has to be!