1. Does Pilot2ATC totally over           ride FSX default ATC?

2. Does P2ATC allow one to              follow filed flightplan or does        it continually throw heading          and altitude changes at you          as the default ATC does

I find what is the point of realistic IFR flight planning and FMS navigation when ATC commands your track anyway. The cockpit preparations in flight management become a go through the motions if ATC won't let you fly the plan you enter and file anyway. Can P2ATC do better? Thanks for any answers

Edited December 5, 20205 yr by Gary1124

1. Yes

2. For the most part you follow your flight plan. You may be given an initial heading to fly after take off to intercept the first waypoint in your plan. The most likely time for you to be given vectors is on arrival. If your plan incorporates a STAR and/or instrument approach, you may be told to fly them as published--including heading and altitude changes--or you may be given vectors from the last waypoint in the STAR to final approach. If you are off course at any point  ATC will point you in the right direction. There are a lot of variables, including how you configure the various options in P2ATC, so you don't always get the same thing. You should try the demo version, or at least browse throught the documentation, which is very thorough. P2ATC is so much more advanced that the default ATC that it may take you a while to get your head around it. 🙂

1 hour ago, Gary1124 said:

The cockpit preparations in flight management become a go through the motions if ATC won't let you fly the plan you enter and file anyway. Can P2ATC do better?

I'm assuming you mean MSFS 2020 and not FSX, otherwise ignore the following 🙂 

Absolutely. I was in the same boat, disappointed by the poor ATC implementation in MSFS, that's why I started looking into P2ATC. Best add-on investment I ever made, now I can fly my flight plans as intended, and get realistic ATC vectoring.

It also allows me to avoid these 'fantasy' alterations that MSFS makes to your approaches. Once I have the flight plan all ready in P2ATC (usually create them with LittleNavMap and import), with STAR and approach procedure set up, I export the plan again with the option to include the STAR/approach waypoints, and load it up again in MSFS. The flight plan will appear in your GPS / FMS exactly as you planned it. I'm flying the TBM but the following is probably applicable to other aircraft as well.

With ILS approaches I don't have to do anything special, I just fly with GPS Nav on until I get to the approach segment, and switch over to NAV1. Now with RNAV approaches, if you want to use the vertical guidance of the autopilot, you still have to load the RNAV procedure into your GPS, which will now result in having the RNAV procedure twice in the GPS (the realistic one from P2ATC as part of your exported flight plan, and the often fantasy one added by MSFS when loading). What I do is right after I passed the first waypoint of the RNAV procedure, I temporarily switch over to AP Heading navigation, load the RNAV procedure into the G3000, and then activate the leg to the second waypoint, letting the GPS nav take over again, works perfectly for me.

So to summarize, yes definitely give it a try, it's an awesome addition, and support here is top notch.

Dirk

 

Actually, I was referring to FSX. Only have 8 GB of ram. I want to double or triple before trying 2020. Thanks for the answer though.

I like doing the cockpit prep. I fly with RXP either GTN or GNS in most of my GA aircraft and corporate and commercial aircraft I use IFMS App on my Tab. Works great. I think its MSFS compatible now. But I just hate setting up my instruments only to have ATC force me to fly heading hold.

Edited December 6, 20205 yr by Gary1124