MCE FO issues with PF3

[BerndB 349]

Hi Gerald, since the last big update of PF3 a couple of months ago i still have some strange issues in MCE/PF3 left i´ve never had before.

1. my FO doesn´t read back taxi instructions anymore as he used to before. Instead he asks after pushback something weird like "sorry, i missed that, is it right? ready for taxi?" That´s anoying because usually after pushback i order the flight controls check which is done by FO as exspected so far, after that, before we request taxi instructions, we go thru the "after start checklist" and then i ask my FO to request taxi. Now he´s keep asking me between those strikt procedure flow this annoying question for taxi in most cases right after pushback is finished. I answer this "no" to keep on the flow items. Then, when i´am ready i ask my FO for "request taxi" as i did all the time before. He then requests taxi instructions as usual and after PF3 has given instructions the FO does NOT read back the instructions anymore. Instead somewhere while we already start taxiing he comes up again with "sorry, i missed that, is it right? ready for taxi?". If i say "yes" he´s reqest taxi again, but without further instructions by PF3 he instantly readback the already given instructions. This is all weird and i´am quite unhappy with this strange "new" behavior of MCE.

2. It still happen very frequently that the initial contact to another center, departure or approach doesn´t establish between MCE and PF3. At least once on every single leg with MCE/PF3 it happens that FO is tuning correctly to the next frequency and comes up with "Munich radar, Eurowings 1998 as filed" but after some seconds PF3 starts asking "traffic at FL300, squawking 1234, contact Munich radar on 124,35". Usually MCE needs to repeat the initial contact 3 or 4 times unless PF3 is answering correct "Eurowings 1998, roger". I can´t say if it´s an MCE issue or PF3. 

3. If PF3 is warning about other traffic while in flight, MCE-FO always answered these by "Munich radar, thank you for traffic information, that´s very helpful" or something like this. This doesn´t happen anymore. 

All in all it seems things got worse since latest updates of PF3 and MCE, at least in P3D, but i´am still in hope it will getting back to the reliable status it has before.

I´am using

- P3D 5.2 HF1

- MCE 2.9.3

- PF3 V.3.10.50  

P.S. I have also noticed, that in P3D, once MCE is started, MCE seems to switch on somehow the red information text with longitude and latitude and FPS etc. which is always switched off in my setting. I havent´t found a setting within MCE to avoid these infotext switched to on. Beside this, MCE also opens automaticly the GSX simconnect window after MCE is ready to go. Weird too, because this also didn´t happen all the time before.

[FS++ 707]

3 hours ago, BerndB said:

Hi Gerald, since the last big update of PF3 a couple of months ago i still have some strange issues in MCE/PF3 left i´ve never had before.

1. my FO doesn´t read back taxi instructions anymore as he used to before. Instead he asks after pushback something weird like "sorry, i missed that, is it right? ready for taxi?" That´s anoying because usually after pushback i order the flight controls check which is done by FO as exspected so far, after that, before we request taxi instructions, we go thru the "after start checklist" and then i ask my FO to request taxi. Now he´s keep asking me between those strikt procedure flow this annoying question for taxi in most cases right after pushback is finished. I answer this "no" to keep on the flow items. Then, when i´am ready i ask my FO for "request taxi" as i did all the time before. He then requests taxi instructions as usual and after PF3 has given instructions the FO does NOT read back the instructions anymore. Instead somewhere while we already start taxiing he comes up again with "sorry, i missed that, is it right? ready for taxi?". If i say "yes" he´s reqest taxi again, but without further instructions by PF3 he instantly readback the already given instructions. This is all weird and i´am quite unhappy with this strange "new" behavior of MCE.

2. It still happen very frequently that the initial contact to another center, departure or approach doesn´t establish between MCE and PF3. At least once on every single leg with MCE/PF3 it happens that FO is tuning correctly to the next frequency and comes up with "Munich radar, Eurowings 1998 as filed" but after some seconds PF3 starts asking "traffic at FL300, squawking 1234, contact Munich radar on 124,35". Usually MCE needs to repeat the initial contact 3 or 4 times unless PF3 is answering correct "Eurowings 1998, roger". I can´t say if it´s an MCE issue or PF3. 

3. If PF3 is warning about other traffic while in flight, MCE-FO always answered these by "Munich radar, thank you for traffic information, that´s very helpful" or something like this. This doesn´t happen anymore. 

All in all it seems things got worse since latest updates of PF3 and MCE, at least in P3D, but i´am still in hope it will getting back to the reliable status it has before.

I´am using

- P3D 5.2 HF1

- MCE 2.9.3

- PF3 V.3.10.50  

P.S. I have also noticed, that in P3D, once MCE is started, MCE seems to switch on somehow the red information text with longitude and latitude and FPS etc. which is always switched off in my setting. I havent´t found a setting within MCE to avoid these infotext switched to on. Beside this, MCE also opens automaticly the GSX simconnect window after MCE is ready to go. Weird too, because this also didn´t happen all the time before.

Nothing has changed with regards MCE + PF3 since your last input on the other thread.

Maybe something changed in PF3 recently and MCE needs to adjust.

Will be looked at sometime next week.

Meanwhile, if you ned a link to an older MCE version, please get in touch with support.

[BerndB 349]

1 hour ago, FS++ said:

Nothing has changed with regards MCE + PF3 since your last input on the other thread.

Maybe something changed in PF3 recently and MCE needs to adjust.

Will be looked at sometime next week.

Meanwhile, if you ned a link to an older MCE version, please get in touch with support.

Hi Gerald, much appreciated. So, if the anyoing asking by the FO for taxi, as i mentioned in No. 1 isn´t a new feature, do you have an idea what could cause this bahavior?

[FS++ 707]

17 hours ago, BerndB said:

Hi Gerald, much appreciated. So, if the anyoing asking by the FO for taxi, as i mentioned in No. 1 isn´t a new feature, do you have an idea what could cause this bahavior?

It was a new feature, but introduced a while back, after PF3 added a reply such as "clear to push report ready for taxi".

Since Fo is in charge of ATC by default, when he gets that message, he needs to know when you're actually ready to taxi in order to tell controller as part of him complying with the initial instruction

Granted, it may be perceived as annoying when not timed right.

We already mitigated the issue by getting FO only to request for confirmation twice and with a good gap, like more than 3 minutes (he was doing it more often and almost every minute).

Since, by default keeping silent when prompted to confirm means "no thanks", you can just treat it as overzealous FO.

The other option is to tell him before requesting the push "I have the radios", then only hand him ATC after you request taxi following a pushback. No prompt then.

 

[acjet00 0]

Hello Gerald, similar problem here;

 

I've been having a problem with MCE, specifically my copilot(Clive). All my flights have MCE and PF3 connected.

ATC taxi clearance is called for, received and acknowledged by myself or Clive(if he has the radios). As we taxi to assigned departure runway Clive will ask me if I'm "ready for taxi clearance."  This happens whether the plane is at 10 knots taxi speed or stopped. When I tell Clive "no" he always responds in the affirmative. Sometimes he doesn't bring it up again and others he'll wait a few minutes and ask again. Stranger still, Clive will ask about taxi clearance a few minutes

AFTER takeoff and initial climb. 

(Ah, no, we got that a few miles back).  Once I tell him "no", or  "take a look out the window dude, what do you think?" he doesn't ask again.😡

 

This problem really kills the immersion factor of the days flight.

 

Regards,

ACJET00

Running FSX-MCE-PF3

[BerndB 349]

19 hours ago, FS++ said:

It was a new feature, but introduced a while back, after PF3 added a reply such as "clear to push report ready for taxi".

Since Fo is in charge of ATC by default, when he gets that message, he needs to know when you're actually ready to taxi in order to tell controller as part of him complying with the initial instruction

Yes, but it was in the past only when i´ve asked the FO to "request taxi". There was never an initiated request at me by the FO before and that´s what annoys me. Even if  it´s new implemented in PF3 the new phrase for the "push & start" clearance, which introduced the "...report when ready to taxi" would not mean, that the FO would ever have to request or report ready for taxi, unless the Captain allows to do so or tells the FO to do it anyway, so there wouldn´t be a demand for beeing asked by the FO for taxi request. The Captain orders this at the time it´s needed.

This even doesn´t explain why the FO doesn´t confirm the taxi instructions given by ATC anymore, if i ordered him before "request taxi" as usual. I have to answer his own request for allowance to request taxi by "yes", and why he´s then requesting taxi again, even if he did that already on my order, he readback the instructions to ground.

20 hours ago, FS++ said:

We already mitigated the issue by getting FO only to request for confirmation twice and with a good gap, like more than 3 minutes (he was doing it more often and almost every minute).

I would prefer, to get the FO NOT even requesting this, because there is absolute no reason why he should and it doesn´t work well, but destroys the immersion, (at least the part that i´am the Boss in the flightdeck) 🤔

[FS++ 707]

9 hours ago, acjet00 said:

Hello Gerald, similar problem here;

 

I've been having a problem with MCE, specifically my copilot(Clive). All my flights have MCE and PF3 connected.

ATC taxi clearance is called for, received and acknowledged by myself or Clive(if he has the radios). As we taxi to assigned departure runway Clive will ask me if I'm "ready for taxi clearance."  This happens whether the plane is at 10 knots taxi speed or stopped. When I tell Clive "no" he always responds in the affirmative. Sometimes he doesn't bring it up again and others he'll wait a few minutes and ask again. Stranger still, Clive will ask about taxi clearance a few minutes

AFTER takeoff and initial climb. 

(Ah, no, we got that a few miles back).  Once I tell him "no", or  "take a look out the window dude, what do you think?" he doesn't ask again.😡

 

This problem really kills the immersion factor of the days flight.

 

Regards,

ACJET00

Running FSX-MCE-PF3

You're very likely using an older version of MCE.

In most recent versions, it's unlikely he would ask for a confirmation for taxi if the plane is moving, let alone after takeoff. You're advised to update to latest.

Edited July 22, 2021 by FS++

[Fighter Guy 10]

Gerald,

41 minutes ago, FS++ said:

Sometimes he doesn't bring it up again and others he'll wait a few minutes and ask again. Stranger still, Clive will ask about taxi clearance a few minutes

AFTER takeoff and initial climb. 

I can confirm with the latest version, 2.9.3.0, I too have had the F/O ask for taxi clearance while in air during departure. This does not happen often but it does occur. Why? I'm not sure. I cannot seem to find a rhyme or reason for that one. 

 

On 7/21/2021 at 5:54 AM, FS++ said:

The other option is to tell him before requesting the push "I have the radios", then only hand him ATC after you request taxi following a pushback. No prompt then.

As stated from my posts from March, this issues occurs for me when the F/O (DOES NOT HAVE COMMAND OF THE RADIOS). In fact in my initial flows I have a script that insures that I am in control of the radios to avoid the F/O from talking over me. 

 

6 hours ago, BerndB said:

I would prefer, to get the FO NOT even requesting this, because there is absolute no reason why he should and it doesn´t work well, but destroys the immersion, (at least the part that i´am the Boss in the flightdeck) 

I too would prefer that the F/O not say anything when it comes to taxiing. I understand the need for him monitoring certain items, but when it comes to taxiing, the Captain will request taxi or ask the F/O to request taxi and that should be the end of it.  There should be no timing for him to monitor since the request to taxi would only come from the Captain and as such he should not say anything until requested.. Again from an immersion standpoint, it's an absolute killer. 

Again, thanks for an absolutely must have product and stellar support, this issue not withstanding.

 

Tony J

FSX/MCE/PF3

 

 

[FS++ 707]

Since it appears there is concensus on this. WIll be removed in next update.🙂

Edited July 22, 2021 by FS++

[BerndB 349]

1 hour ago, FS++ said:

Since it appears there is concensus on this. WIll be removed in next update.🙂

the most important concensus is apart from small "bugs" the fact from Fighter Guy:

3 hours ago, Fighter Guy said:

Again, thanks for an absolutely must have product and stellar support,

You know, Gerald, there´s not much to claim about MCE anyway.