If you ever find yourself getting lukewarm or outright bored (you know, after you've finally got it setup all perfect and now it's time to just....fly!) in using P3D/FSX consider picking up FSCaptain.  It is far and away the most impactful $39 I've ever spent on a hobby that costs thousands to support and I've used it for years and have been flight simming for decades.   Customer service for FSC is excemplary.  It's quite easy to setup once you understand it, and if you're not familiar with FSC it's a utility that lets you set up your own airline and pilot career, and it monitors and evaluates each of your flights as to how well you've kept to best practices--how deep you want to go there is configurable as well.   Since installing FSC I've done zero flights w/o it, except to test or troubleshoot is about it.  They will release a P3D v5 compatible version or may already have not sure.  

http://fscaptain.net

Cheers 'n Happy Contrails 

Cool...Kinda sounds like fspassengers back in my fs2004 days.

This is also fun and freeware now - works in P3D 4.5 - (not sure about 5 but I think it uses simobject so it should)

 

36 minutes ago, flyinpilot212121 said:

Cool...Kinda sounds like fspassengers back in my fs2004 days.

 

It's very similar and has developed a lot of features over the years. I've enjoyed the enhanced weather features that make icing actually a concern as well as simulation of deicing procedures including hold-over times. It recognizes GSX's deicing at the gate, or you can set up de-ice pads that you have to taxi to like many larger airports have. It also communicates with GSX to recognize all it's phases from deboarding through pushback.

FSCaptain is awesome.  I am now starting to use it again to figure out flights where to fly to.  It kinda makes a scenario which works for me.  Even creates conditions about alternate airports, engine failure etc - it can do super complex things.  

It is very nifty product.

I tried FSPassengers for awhile eons ago. One thing I found entertaining was the passengers would groan if I flew poorly, especially after a bad landing and cheer if I made good landing. Does FSCaptain do this?

Ted

3 hours ago, AlaskanFlyboy said:

It's very similar and has developed a lot of features over the years. I've enjoyed the enhanced weather features that make icing actually a concern as well as simulation of deicing procedures including hold-over times. It recognizes GSX's deicing at the gate, or you can set up de-ice pads that you have to taxi to like many larger airports have. It also communicates with GSX to recognize all it's phases from deboarding through pushback.

Do you have to fly defined routes or can the user fly from any point to any point that they want while using the program.

It's versatile. I put my VA's schedule into it, but it can create random charters, or you can specify the route. It's got a free demo mode you can try:

Please note that the full version you download here is the "free trial" version which can be turned into the full version by purchasing FSCaptain using one of the links to the right. They will allow you to purchase a registration code and then enter it into the program. The only difference between the limited demo and the full version is the demo is limited to six airports you can take off from - KSEA, KOLM, KPDX, EGCC, EGGD, EGJJ.

Edited May 3, 20206 yr by AlaskanFlyboy

5 hours ago, Ted Striker said:

I tried FSPassengers for awhile eons ago. One thing I found entertaining was the passengers would groan if I flew poorly, especially after a bad landing and cheer if I made good landing. Does FSCaptain do this?

Ted

 

 

No. But if you have Travis as your FO, he is prone to make comments on greased landings or hard landings, as well as forgetting lights or doors, or when the aircraft starts picking up ice ("If you pass me a coffee cup I'll reach out the window and scrape up some ice, and we can have snow cones.")

Like I said before, they have a full demo with the only restriction being you have to takeoff from KSEA, KOLM, KPDX, EGCC, EGGD, or EGJJ. You can also see the full user manual here which goes over the features: http://www.fscaptain.net/downloads/User Guide.pdf

Edited May 4, 20206 yr by AlaskanFlyboy

Have use FSC almost since moving from FS9 to P4D since no FSP available, I have to say it's better than FSP for so many ways.

When I searching for FSP replacment, I came to FSC and read their manual online, I fond this product is really crafted by someone know how my flight hobby is like and many of it's function like "running into a stoped AI will not count as collision" is really well thought...

18 hours ago, Ted Striker said:

I tried FSPassengers for awhile eons ago. One thing I found entertaining was the passengers would groan if I flew poorly, especially after a bad landing and cheer if I made good landing. Does FSCaptain do this?

Ted

Hey Neighbor!  Yes, Flyboy apparently doesn't fly quite poorly enough 

15 hours ago, AlaskanFlyboy said:

they have a full demo with the only restriction being you have to takeoff from KSEA, KOLM, KPDX, EGCC, EGGD, or EGJJ.

 

2 hours ago, Noel said:

Yes, Flyboy apparently doesn't fly quite poorly enough

Thanks all, I'm going to give the demo a try.

Ted

12 hours ago, Noel said:

Hey Neighbor!  Yes, Flyboy apparently doesn't fly quite poorly enough 

Apparently not.

9 hours ago, Ted Striker said:

 

Thanks all, I'm going to give the demo a try.

Ted

Have fun, and if you have questions the FSCaptain developers are pretty responsive on their forum.

22 hours ago, AlaskanFlyboy said:

FSCaptain developers are pretty responsive on their forum

That is really good to know. It has gotten to the point in this hobby that I don't even consider addons that aren't from enthusiastic and passionate developers with good support.

Ted

I have been using FSC since the earliest versions, and it is great. The support from Dutch, Travis and Peter is second to none. They have never charged for updates and are always keen to engage with their customers.