13 minutes ago, DJJose said:

I just started to do some research and might consider trying Pilot2ATC out.

Here's what I like so far:

Your can add ATC Chatter files.

You can download free MS English voices and enable them in the Config.

I LOVE that it has a moving MAP. Since it's a planner, I don't need LNM open.

You can import from Simbrief or .pln saved by LNM files. LNM is great for VFR planning.

You can integrate with Navigraph charts.

What I need to learn now is how to set up my headset/mic to communicate with Pilot2ATC. I have not found a video yet. I have to have this feature for added realism.

In the future, I would love to see layered weather radar the same way I see in SimToolKitPro.

Flying IFR or Airliners (IFR) requires easy access to info. I have a second monitor specifically for LNM or Pilot2ATC. I also have tablet to view my charts. Too many utilities makes things confusing. This is right up my alley if the voices sound right.

 

You can add Amazon Polly voices too to get natural voices.

11 minutes ago, DJJose said:

I just started to do some research and might consider trying Pilot2ATC out.

Here's what I like so far:

Your can add ATC Chatter files.

I do this using (free) LiveATC.net.

11 minutes ago, DJJose said:

You can download free MS English voices and enable them in the Config.

I LOVE that it has a moving MAP. Since it's a planner, I don't need LNM open.

I've actually been making the flight plan in Pilot2ATC and then using the "Export" button in P2ATC to save as a .RTE file.  I can save it directly to the folder that the PMDG FMC uses (let me know if you need that path), so that I can load as a company route in the FMC.

LittleNavMap doesn't seem to have an .rte export option at present (it seems like it used to have that, but somehow I've lost my skills/knowledge or it has disappeared).

P2ATC isn't really a flight planner though and doesn't have for example fuel profiles.  But in terms of the raw routing it works well if you want a CO ROUTE simulation within your sim.  I do not save SIDs or STARs with my .rte file, reason being, winds change etc. and I want my flight plan to be re-usable no matter the destination winds.

11 minutes ago, DJJose said:

What I need to learn now is how to set up my headset/mic to communicate with Pilot2ATC. I have not found a video yet. I have to have this feature for added realism.

I don't recall having to do anything in P2ATC for mic setup, and I don't see anything in P2ATC's config screen for that.  I simply have my mic set up in windows and I just talk into it and that's that.  I did set up a push-to-talk button on my yoke within P2ATC's config screens.

16 minutes ago, Johnny Wyatt said:

You can add Amazon Polly voices too to get natural voices.

I watched that YT video a long time ago. I will try the free voices.

9 minutes ago, Mace said:

I do this using (free) LiveATC.net.

I've actually been making the flight plan in Pilot2ATC and then using the "Export" button in P2ATC to save as a .RTE file.  I can save it directly to the folder that the PMDG FMC uses (let me know if you need that path), so that I can load as a company route in the FMC.

LittleNavMap doesn't seem to have an .rte export option at present (it seems like it used to have that, but somehow I've lost my skills/knowledge or it has disappeared).

I read this at AVSIM:

"Use the MultiExport function, just need to set it for PMDG and locate the correct path."

Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\pmdg-aircraft-737\work\Flightplans

2 hours ago, DJJose said:

What I need to learn now is how to set up my headset/mic to communicate with Pilot2ATC. I have not found a video yet. I have to have this feature for added realism.

 

Worth checking P2A can hear you - it gives you the option to play yourself back. If it can hear you then it's probably hearing you, but not understanding - there is a training option in there which launches the MS voice training. It MUST be done through P2A though, doing the MS training through windows doesn't seem to help.

 

I find it better to get my copilot to respond to complicated stuff, I tend to do change overs and altitude requests myself, although sure some people do a lot more than I via voice so ymmv

 

G 

2 hours ago, DJJose said:

You can download free MS English voices and enable them in the Config.

 

You can download the non-English voices from MS as well, and they will speak English with an accent!  Just flew a few flights in Japan with co-pilot Sayaka.  

11 minutes ago, ShawnG said:

You can download the non-English voices from MS as well, and they will speak English with an accent!  Just flew a few flights in Japan with co-pilot Sayaka.  

I like the different accents. Neat!

1 hour ago, DJJose said:

I watched that YT video a long time ago. I will try the free voices.

I read this at AVSIM:

"Use the MultiExport function, just need to set it for PMDG and locate the correct path."

Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\pmdg-aircraft-737\work\Flightplans

Thanks for this tip.  I had not used multiexport before.   Seems like LNM used to have a straight-out export to PMDG .rte file which I used a few years ago but maybe not.

The path the MSFS PMDG737 uses to find CO ROUTE's on my installation is:

 c:\users\yourname\AppData\local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\Packages\pmdg-aircraft-737\work\Flightplans

It is a lot to enter but I've done it once in Pilot2ATC's export field and I've never had to enter it again.

18 minutes ago, ShawnG said:

You can download the non-English voices from MS as well, and they will speak English with an accent!  Just flew a few flights in Japan with co-pilot Sayaka.  

Need to careful though, some work perfectly, some seem to launch into their own language. 😉

 

G

16 hours ago, captain420 said:

Great to know! Is there a better alternative than Pilot2ATC for offline flying? Or is this the best one? Also will the co-pilot handle all the radio comms while I'm flying? That would make flying the A320 much more realistic.

If you have a Navigraph subscription, then you can update P2ATC the same way you update your aircraft and MSFS itself.

28 minutes ago, Avwriter said:

If you have a Navigraph subscription, then you can update P2ATC the same way you update your aircraft and MSFS itself.

This was the biggest thing for me in the Navigraph purchase.  I pull real active flights (and their flight plans) from FlightAware.  Since those are current real world I really wanted SimBrief, MSFS, P2ATC, Fenix to all be on the same data.  Really nice.

Is there a (noticeable) impact on FS2020 performance by using Pilot2ATC?

Thanks.

8 minutes ago, hvw said:

Is there a (noticeable) impact on FS2020 performance by using Pilot2ATC?

Thanks.

I tried Pilot2 ATC a couple of years ago, and it slowed everything down ( I was using P3D at the time)  I looked at task manager and it was using over 20% of CPU cycles.  That was a deal killer for me, so I went for PF3 instead. 

6 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I tried Pilot2 ATC a couple of years ago, and it slowed everything down ( I was using P3D at the time)  I looked at task manager and it was using over 20% of CPU cycles.  That was a deal killer for me, so I went for PF3 instead. 

Thanks, Bob. I didn't know that there already was a FS2020 version of PF3. You didn't experience any negative performance hit with PF3?

1 minute ago, hvw said:

Thanks, Bob. I didn't know that there already was a FS2020 version of PF3. You didn't experience any negative performance hit with PF3?

PF3 uses an average of 1% or less when running. 

 

https://www.oncourse-software.co.uk/pf3_trial.htm

Edited July 10, 20223 yr by Bobsk8

1 minute ago, Bobsk8 said:

PF3 uses an average of 1% or less when running. 

Thanks again. On my way to download their Demo.