Getting the AI pilot to actually work

[Langeveldt 281]

I know the product is for flying and not sitting back and relaxing while someone else flies, but that's what I like to do while I work. 

The implementation of AI piloting is clearly a bit half baked, and of course there are more worthy things to worry about, but does anyone else like to just sit back and watch the AI pilot take over while doing something else?

Sometimes the plane lands at its intended destination, sometimes it flies into a mountain, sometimes it lands into a house near the runway..  I'm trying to see if setting a STAR helps matters so the plane can at least come in for a landing.  Does anyone have any tips as to what's worked for them?  Do some aircraft behave better than others when under AI control?

[captain420 3,099]

I would love to have something like this, as I also like to sit back and relax and use the different cameras like drone external, etc to see a replay or my plane in action as well. Sometimes I just want to simulate being a co-pilot or passenger and just take in the sights and sounds of a flight.

I haven't experienced or played much with the AI assists yet. But only use it to take me to certain POIs. I would love for the AI to handle full complex IFR flights and have it follow me entire flight plan complete with starting up the plane, to engine start, to taxiing to the runway for takeoff and follow SID, STAR and approaches all the way down and taxi to gate and shutdown. If they can get the AI to fully simulate a real flight, that would be amazing!

[orchestra_nl 930]

Before SU5 or SU6, the AI pilot functioned reasonably well. I could create a flightplan and when started on the runway the AI pilot took off and completed the entire flight, even made a somewhat decent landing.
The only issue I found was that it was climbing too slow after take off
The main reason I used the AI pilot was to do a test flight when I did not have my controllers connected.

After these SU's the autopilot cannot take off. In fact, I don't know how and if it still works at all after these updates. Instead of the former On/Off function one has to select a POI to fly to instead, but selecting one doesn't make it take off. Even so, I just want it to fly the flightplan from start to finish. It is just sitting pretty on the runway instead.

[Langeveldt 281]

2 minutes ago, orchestra_nl said:

Before SU5 or SU6, the AI pilot functioned reasonably well. I could create a flightplan and when started on the runway the AI pilot took off and completed the entire flight, even made a somewhat decent landing.
The only issue I found was that it was climbing too slow after take off
The main reason I used the AI pilot was to do a test flight when I did not have my controllers connected.

After these SU's the autopilot cannot take off. In fact, I don't know how and if it still works at all after these updates. Instead of the former On/Off function one has to select a POI to fly to instead, but selecting one doesn't make it take off. Even so, I just want it to fly the flightplan from start to finish. It is just sitting pretty on the runway instead.

That's weird.  I'm getting the A/C to take off..  Sometimes it gets stuck not asking for pushback though or clearance.  Make sure you test these things with default A/C if you arent already. 

[Bobsk8 12,722]

I wonder when someone will develop and add on that will start MSFS,launch a flight, from takeoff to landing, and you don't even have to be home or around your PC for this to happen. Think of the hours you could rack up. 😉

[captain420 3,099]

I would love to have a Virtual Passenger simulator addon for MSFS!

[UAL4life 239]

Even if they put it “on rails” it would still be pretty cool to sit back and relax. 

[orchestra_nl 930]

49 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I wonder when someone will develop and add on that will start MSFS,launch a flight, from takeoff to landing, and you don't even have to be home or around your PC for this to happen. Think of the hours you could rack up. 😉

Ah, the perfect tool to boast all the hours that I almost virtually flew a flight simulator🤖
I get what you are getting at, but the AI pilot was actually quite useful for me to test why the sim was CTD'ing all the time.

[bosflo 53]

I do exactly as you where I select a departure and arrival airport and watch it fly. I also have the same results with mountains and crashing into buildings and even landing on the taxiway or grass. I feel your pain and this is why I have been using "another" flight sim that does all I want and more. I just can't resist coming back to MSFS because everything else for me is much much better than the other sim. I have been following the discussions on ai or live traffic or whatever they want to call it and it's a mess. The only thing that I can help you with is when you select a flightplan you have to select high altitude and so far I haven't crashed into any mountains along the way but landing in mountain areas may not work that way. 

[tonicfan 2]

There is a program that will fly the plane for you.

 

FSXPilot.

Or FSPilot.

Its been around for a long time.  I know the developer.   It still requires you to do a few things, but mostly it will follow a flightplan and take off and land the plane for you.   But you should monitor it for landing speed etc.

[turbomax 3,285]

On 9/20/2021 at 9:43 PM, Bobsk8 said:

I wonder when someone will develop and add on that will start MSFS,launch a flight, from takeoff to landing, and you don't even have to be home or around your PC for this to happen.

that add on exists already: the FMC does 90% of that already. a friend of mine does most of his transatlantic crossings in real time and goes to bed shortly after take off. he has now more hours in his log book than many real captains. 😊

[JYW 2,980]

13 hours ago, tonicfan said:

There is a program that will fly the plane for you.

 

FSXPilot.

Or FSPilot.

Its been around for a long time.  I know the developer.   It still requires you to do a few things, but mostly it will follow a flightplan and take off and land the plane for you.   But you should monitor it for landing speed etc.

I've just looked into this app, but there's no mention of it piloting the aircraft.   Just that it "teleports" your plane to anywhere is the MSFS world, instantaneously.

Can you confirm that it will definitely pilot the plane across an entire flight, as that doesn't look to be the case?

Edited November 22, 2023 by JYW

[tonicfan 2]

2 hours ago, JYW said:

I've just looked into this app, but there's no mention of it piloting the aircraft.   Just that it "teleports" your plane to anywhere is the MSFS world, instantaneously.

Can you confirm that it will definitely pilot the plane across an entire flight, as that doesn't look to be the case?

FSXPilot is an autopilot for Flight Sims.  Its been around forever.  I will say it has some issues with MSFS with certain planes.  The landings are a bit rough.  However in FSX it worked really well.  You can set up an entire flight plan and the program will take over.  It will not taxi perfectly to the runway for you, you must do that unless you want it going over grass.   But once you select Run Flightplan  It will take off and do the flightplan you entered even the SID and STARs..   However, one must monitor the landing and speeds depending on the plane.   I used it last night in MSFS 2020 on the default Airbus 320neo   and it worked ok.  The landing wasnt very good.  Taking over manually was needed.  I think it has something to do with MSFS having control of the flight controls if you do something weird.  The settings in MSFS that control the AI copilot for example, setting the trim and other things need to be shut off in order to use FSXPilot effectively with MSFS.  Since I just got MSFS2020 I cant tell you it works flawlessly with every plane.  In fact, I know that the landing for the PMDG 737 was absolute chaos.  The approach was terrible.      

You can basically use a GPS autoland to autoland at any airport in the sim as well which is why I originally got it.  Because I got sick of FSX's GPS and just wanted more of an easy FMC to control the plane.   It works great for that.   Its free, you can try it and test it out.

As far as something that will take you from gate to gate without you doing anything at all?  Not sure its possible.  Although I have seen videos on  youtube with guys doing it with the Airbus A320 all run by the AI in MSFS.  Also Ive seen one with Xplane 12.    I havent tried either yet.  I planned on trying a short flight today to see if the AI would take off and land and fly the entire flight plan without my assistance.    I am debating whether or not I should buy Xplane 12 because its on sale now for $40 and the price is going up to $80  in January.   Im not sure I like MSFS that much.  The scenery is great, but some of the planes leave something to be desired.

http://www.fsxpilot.com/index.php

[Bdub22 1,611]

You could always watch one of the many really well made and produced YouTube videos of actual planes flying. I do this sometimes when I want something in the background on thats aviation related. There's a live KLAX channel that's pretty good. There's also really good videos of flight deck operations from planes ranging Cessnas to A350's. 

[Flyfaster_MTN002 412]

Have been hoping they would implement the real world Garmin stuff: "Autoland" and "Smartglide" 

The AI was nice for handling comms only when the sim first came out... but haven't been able to find that setting since.