ATC addons comparison (first draft)

[Virtual-Chris 682]

4 minutes ago, SierraDelta said:

The data is not complete, nobody has added information for ProATC/SR yet

It's there... just a few posts up.  Which is why I asked about approach assignments, and someone confirmed it doesn't do it on arrival, only during preflight, which doesn't make sense.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Virtual-Chris

[Wothan 180]

Pro ATC SR does assign STAR and Approach during flight and nOT during preflight.

It does NOT support VFR flights.

[threexgreen 3,156]

1 hour ago, Virtual-Chris said:

Can someone explain this further?  Does it make sense for ATC to assign an approach during pre-flight?  That is usually done by ATC at the arrival airport.

Previous replies aren't entirely accurate on this. ProATC-SR (at least in P3D) does not assign an approach during preflight. All it does is display the expected/forecast approach in a subsection of its menu for those that need it. It doesn't tell you the approach in the clearance and only assigns it during approach or descend clearance, both of which are realistic depending on the airport. The STAR is also just a forecast in the same menu and will be assigned before crossing the transition.

An edit of the original post would be good.

Edited August 17, 2022 by threegreen

[Virtual-Chris 682]

4 hours ago, SierraHotel said:

 

ProATC/SR

SID, STAR and approaches
Assigned by ATC during preflight
Assigned by ATC during the flight
Planned procedures can be changed during the flight by ATC depending on weather
Planned procedures can be changed during the flight by the pilot

 

4 minutes ago, Wothan said:

Pro ATC SR does assign STAR and Approach during flight and nOT during preflight.

It does NOT support VFR flights.

So @SierraHotel can you explain what your wrote above?

[SierraHotel 988]

2 minutes ago, Virtual-Chris said:

 

So @SierraHotel can you explain what your wrote above?

Is it a firing squad offence?

I stand by what I said, the SID and STAR are available during preflight, however the STAR/Runway might change due to the wind/weather, which is why you should not add SID or STAR to a Simbrief flight plan. Regarding VFR, every VFR flight I have done has been supported and works fine, next question?....................................

[SierraHotel 988]

18 minutes ago, Wothan said:

Pro ATC SR does assign STAR and Approach during flight and nOT during preflight.

It does NOT support VFR flights.

Oh yes it does.....................

[SierraHotel 988]

1 hour ago, Virtual-Chris said:

Can someone explain this further?  Does it make sense for ATC to assign an approach during pre-flight?  That is usually done by ATC at the arrival airport.

ProATC is a computer program (GAGO) not an AI, therefore it looks at the current weather and assigns a SID and STAR and a DEP and ARR runway, you can check this via the menu, however should the weather change during your flight PATC will assign a different ARR/RWY or once you are in contact with approach you can ask for a different ARR/RWY. I never said, nor would I, that ProATC/SR is perfect, far from it. But, in my opinion, it is one of the best and getting better (I am testing the latest update as I write this).

[SierraHotel 988]

I also think it's great that we are discussing ProATC/SR and not the competitors, rock on🤪🙃 By the way I am just a beta tester that has LOVED this program for almost 10 years and the developer has my upmost respect for carrying on with this project considering he lost most of his hand in an accident.

[threexgreen 3,156]

30 minutes ago, SierraHotel said:

Oh yes it does.....................

This is a misunderstanding. You're right, it shows you the expected STAR and approach with runway during preflight in the menu. But it doesn't tell you this during initial clearance, therefore doesn't actually assign it at that point, which I think is what @Virtual-Chris meant.

[Virtual-Chris 682]

Thanks guys... I think we're all on the same page. Bottom line is that Pro ATC ultimately does what it should do, which is assign an appropriate approach on arrival, even if it's thinking ahead.

@SierraHotel can you comment on any other updates coming to Pro ATC?  One of the annoying bugs I've witnessed in a few YT videos, is that sometimes the ATC will use multiple voices in a single sentence which is obviously bizarre.  Also, any chance of a trial option?

Edited August 17, 2022 by Virtual-Chris

[vadriver 248]

12 hours ago, tup61 said:

Voices
Pre-recorded real voices
Text-to-speech (fixed set of voices)
Text-to-speech (new voices can be added)

would you like to better define what i understand are the options.....for example

Pre-recorded real voices
Pre-recorded Text-to-speech (fixed set of voices)
Text-to-speech (many voices can be added)

& excluding ATC chatter, for PNF & ATC or PNF, ATC & AI

 

[SierraHotel 988]

14 hours ago, threegreen said:

This is a misunderstanding. You're right, it shows you the expected STAR and approach with runway during preflight in the menu. But it doesn't tell you this during initial clearance, therefore doesn't actually assign it at that point, which I think is what @Virtual-Chris meant.

Nope, no misunderstanding, the Arrival info is available as soon as you ask for clearance. Start watching at 9:00.................................

Edited August 18, 2022 by SierraHotel

[Wothan 180]

14 hours ago, SierraHotel said:

Is it a firing squad offence?

I stand by what I said, the SID and STAR are available during preflight, however the STAR/Runway might change due to the wind/weather, which is why you should not add SID or STAR to a Simbrief flight plan. Regarding VFR, every VFR flight I have done has been supported and works fine, next question?....................................

Then please tell how to use Pro ATC SR for VFR flights !

• How about VFR flight following request / cancel
• VRP entry points at airports.
• Visual approaches and landing pattern.

Pilot2ATC does all of this, but not Pro ATC SR.

 

I 

[tup61 1,641]

2 hours ago, SierraHotel said:

Nope, no misunderstanding, the Arrival info is available as soon as you ask for clearance. Start watching at 9:00.................................

Yes, misunderstanding. 😉 The information is indeed available but only 'in the background', if you open that menu and look for it. Just as threegreen said it shows you that info in the menu but it does NOT tell you during clearance. If you don't look at that menu (which you normally wouldn't do) you won't know anything about the STAR and approach until it is assigned to yo uduring cruise. So what you posted...

SID, STAR and approaches
Assigned by ATC during preflight
Assigned by ATC during the flight
Planned procedures can be changed during the flight by ATC depending on weather
Planned procedures can be changed during the flight by the pilot

...should look like this:

SID, STAR and approaches
Assigned by ATC during preflight
Assigned by ATC during the flight
Planned procedures can be changed during the flight by ATC depending on weather
Planned procedures can be changed during the flight by the pilot

It is not ASSIGNED to you during preflight: ProATC simply figures out already what it probably will assign later on during cruise but that's something different. If you simply use ProATC as it is and don't dig for background information the STAR and approach ARE assigned by ATC during flight.

And even if you regard that menu as 'ATC assigning the STAR etc. during preflight' then STILL ATC will assign it to you again during the flight so... I don't really understand why you put a line through that option.

[RALF9636 1,998]

PF3

 

Features

SID, STAR and approaches

Runways assigned according to weather. Optionally the user can close any runway for takeoff and/or landing in the settings.

PF3 either gives vectors to the first waypoint resp. from the last waypoint to final or clears for a procedure at pilot's discretion. So a SID and a STAR can be flown but is not assigned by PF3.

Simbrief support
Loads a downloaded Simbrief .pln-file.
 

Speech recognition
Not native, but PF3 works with hotkeys (no menu) so can easily be used with speech recognition either using Multi Crew Experience which fully supports PF3 or with another voice recognition software like VoiceAttack.

Voices
119 Pre-recorded real voices with adequate regional accents

QNH in hPA and InHg
Yes. Mostly accurate by default and adjustable via settings.

Transition altitudes and levels
Yes. Mostly accurate by default and adjustable via settings.

Terminology
Realistic
 

VFR support
Yes

Virtual Reality support
Since it works with hotkeys and no menu is needed probably yes (I don't use VR).

 

Needs other tools/plugins/addons (like FSUIPC or Makerunways)
FSUIPC, Makerunways

Navigraph support
No

Needs to create database
Yes (after addition of airport)

Requests that can be made during the flight
Another take off runway

Direct to

Another (cruising) altitude

Descent

Vectors

Emergency

Change between VFR / IFR

Flight following (VFR)

Clearance to final at pilot's discretion

Another landing runway

Alternate destination

ATC vectors
Yes

Controls AI aircraft and Chatter
I use PSXT so PF3 obviously does not interact with that. I'm not sure how far it can interact and chat with traffic in MSFS (it did in P3D).

Starting position
ATC needs to be started with the initial clearance. You can save a flight any time and continue with the loaded flight.

Holdings
Yes. The user can set a probability for a holding and the holding waypoint.

Declaring emergencies
Yes

Co-pilot
Yes (handles communications and various other tasks)
 

Flight planning tool
Yes (edit imported plan)
 

Respects MSA (no vectoring into terrain)
No

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by RALF9636