Help with PROATC/X

[bishups 4]

I don't know if this is the right section for this topic but, I couldn't find anything more specific. I am having some trouble with ProATC, everything works great with my PMDG a/c. When I tried to load a flight plan to my iFly 737ng I can't get the plan to load to the fmc. When I start the sim, I'm tuned to the local ATIS and I can access my ProATC menu, but. When I ask for clearance I get no response no matter which frequency I use. I went into the settings of PATC and checked the folder locations and everything is correct. I did notice one thing though. PATC is using the file extension .fpl for the iFly 737 flight plan folder but, the included flight plans with the iFly 737 are all .FLPLN format. Anyway, is there something I'm missing or doing wrong. I really hope that ProATC works with brands other than PMDG! thanx a bunch

[Jim Young 2,356]

ProATC-X has some great forums.  I posted there recently and got great help. 

If you make a flight plan at the startup screen for fsx/p3d, it will save it as a *.pln.  In iFly and ProATC-X, it will not recognize this.  I could be wrong but I do know the PMDG has an option to search the sim flightplan folder and you can select that but ProATC-X won't recognize it as the flight plan has to come from their program.

16 hours ago, bishups said:

I did notice one thing though. PATC is using the file extension .fpl for the iFly 737 flight plan folder but, the included flight plans with the iFly 737 are all .FLPLN format.

According to "MY" copy of ProATC-X, under Options>Folder Paths, the format for iFly 737NG is *.rte.  For the 747 *.fltplan.  That's what the developer of the iFly programmed the FMC to "see".  PMDG has an option to load any flight plan in your Documents/Flight Simulator X folder or the Documents/Prepar3D Files.

When you make a flight plan using ProATC-X and load your flight and then you right click the ProATC-X flight plan, you will see the option to Fly Now.  When you do this, you will then see a screen to select your aircraft (i.e., iFly, PMDG, etc.) and then click okay.  If you did every thing right, you go to COM and switch the COM to Ground ATC.  You can then hit Ctrl+1 and you should see an option to contact ATC.  After you do all of this, then you can start setting up your FMC.  If the plan does not show up in the FMC (and it should if you indicated in Options>Folder-Paths the exact location of the ifly 737 if ProATC has not done so).  ProATC-X needs to know the folder to send the flight plan after you hit Fly Now and then select the aircraft you are flying.  It's all super easy.  If the flightplan still does not show up in the FMC as an option, you still have another option - click on Moving Map.  When you do this, the whole NAVLOG of the flight ProATC-X loaded will show up in the left column.  You can then manually enter the waypoints.  I have had to do this a couple of times as the FMC cannot find the flight plan.

Hope this helps.

[bishups 4]

Thanks for the help Jim. I was thinking an update would fix this, but. I don't want to update past the version I currently have because of the "you have to be connected to the internet" stipulation. Just kinda aggravates me that they make it mandatory, so I'll just use what planes I can that will auto load the plan, and manually load the ones that don't. Thanx a lot for the reply and help.

[rmeier 473]

I use Pro-ATC/X for most of my flights. Have you considered using SimBrief to create your flightplans? They (SimBrief) have a good selection of 3rd Party Aircraft flightplan formats to upload to your aircraft FMC. Personally, I like the OFP (pdf) report that SimBrief generates for the route with all information needed.

It's very easy to cut and paste the SimBrief plan into Pro-ATC/X.

Just a suggestion!

Rob

[Jim Young 2,356]

https://www.simbrief.com/home/

[JasonPC 173]

Depending on how the add-on handles COM radios you may have to use a workaround for some plane add-ons.

The workaround is to map a key to the Swap COM1 radio frequency command. When you start ProATCX you should hear ATIS and it should place the clearance frequency in standby frequency. Press your mapped key to swap the frequency and you should see the clearance frequency as the active frequency and you should be able to request flight plan clearance from ProATCX. From that point on if you have the program set to automatically handle COM radios, everything should work for the rest of the flight.