Hi all, 

Been using FS2020 for some time now and am totally fed up with the useless built-in ATC so need a change. I was recommended Pilot2ATC and here I am :0

Having watched many videos, I cannot find an answer to my main question - can you plan a successful flight directly in Pilot2ATC?

Most videos show other apps being used like Simbrief etc and then bits being cut-and-pasted into Pilot2ATC - this just seems like a complex workflow and I like to keep things simple as it increases my chances of using/doing them more.

I'm just looking for the best/most accurate/simplest workflow for VFR/IFR flights in GA planes.

Any help appreciated, thanks

For shorter flights you can just enter the departure and arrival airports and then press the AutoPlan button and P2A will add the SID, STAR and Approach for you.  P2A just doesn't select airways on its own, which is why many users plan with SimBrief.

The latest version of P2A has a direct import from SimBrief so there is no copy and pasting.  Just create the plan in SimBrief, press the FP Import button in P2A.  After entering your SimBrief pilotID, you then just press the Import from SimBrief button near the PilotID and the plan will be imported.

Dave

That sounds good, I'll have to have a closer look at simbrief maybe.

I guess for VFR flights its far easier?

I'd install the trial but i'm not in a position at present to have enough time available to get useful results from  the trial period unfortunately.

VFR flights or IFR flights using VOR to VOR type routes can be done easily using the mouse and right clicking the map to create user waypoints, or right clicking nav aids to make them waypoints.

Dave

Hi all, I got the trial period up and running, P2A connects ok with my FS2020 sim.

I need a lot more help with a workflow please...

I tried creating a plan in P2a, that worked, saved it, exported it - all good.

Loaded it into FS2020 - showed up on the map ok

Tried loading into my plane (Cessna CJ4/WT) and it only showed departure and arrival airports, nothing else.

 

I need to know how and when to use each program in the chain as it is totally new now and far more complex than just loading a flight and pressing "FLY" - my elderly brain is having difficulty figuring out when to go to what stage in FS2020, when to connect, when to export, load and so on.

 

I think I could live with doing all my planning in P2A even though I prefer to use LittleNavMap so that might get rid of one step but the rest??  

 

Any help really would be much appreciated here :)

With MSFS, once it's loaded into the map, it is also loaded into most aircraft.  Some 3rd party aircraft may require loading into the GPS/FMS manually.

If your aircraft requires a separate load, it likely only loads the route and you have to enter the SID, STAR and approach separately.

You may need to turn on the option to Import/Export SID/STAR/Appr Wpts if the procedures are not showing in the MSFS Map after loading.

Your workflow sounds fine.

Dave

I tried a few options and nearly succeeded.

There is definitely some issue with loading plans into the CJ4, it sort of worked with a plan from LittleNavMap but messed up the last few legs as the waypoints were missing in the sim, but the plan from P2A only loaded the departure and arrival airports, no route at all.

I entered it all manually just to test but even though I got a verified and filed flight-plan in P2A, it refused to talk to me. I tried many messages, and the most i got was “Assigned Ctrllr: Tower on xxx.xx” in text in the msg box, no speech at all.

Went back to the FS world planner screen and then ATC starts yabbering on, speaking all the answers to the many messages I passed!

Now, I can’t figure out why it would not speak in the cockpit but will in the FS menu screen ??

On a positive note, the speech recognition looks pretty solid ;)

 

I would recommend starting a fresh new flight after shutting down and restarting P2A.

be sure to try checking the Import-Export SID/STAR/APPR Waypts option on the Flt Plan tab of Config in the Export Options area.

It sounds like you may have had MSFS paused when you were talking to the controller.  This will queue up a bunch of speech interactions and play them back when the SIM is unpaused.  Could have been some other issues similar to that.

 

Ok, ill try again tomorrow, will check the export options, I know it wasn't paused as i was taxiing around the ramp while messing about :)

I might try another plane too, just in case.

I don't think it's working out for me.

Tried another route today, nice and simple, it connected once, then somehow disconnected, it refused to re-connect despite the plane being on and running in FS. 

I wanted simulator weather but it kept switching back to NOAA weather but the sim does not use that so the two do not match.

It did export the plan and it did load into the planner and then the plane ok however.

No speech was recognised presumably because of the failure to connect. It also takes a long time when pressing validate.

The radio button (power) was green.

Not sure what else to try.

Disconnecting is most likely a problem with the SIM or FSUIPC not being installed or running properly.  P2A doesn't disconnect on its own.

You must be connected to the SIM to get SIM weather, so if you get disconnected, or do anything that uses weather before you connect, you will get switched to NOAA weather rather than just getting an error message.  You can switch back to SIM weather after you get connected.

MSFS doesn't pass weather to FSUIPC, so P2A won't get it and will revert back to NOAA.

You do need to be fully connected for voice recognition to work.  

With MSFS, a minimum of 32GB of memory is needed to ensure continued operation.  If you have less, then that could explain all the problems you seem to be having.

Dave

Thanks,

How do we synchronise weather if it does not go from sim to P2A? What does "Use sim weather" do in that case?

I'm not sure if i accidentally disconnected or not, but it certainly did not want to reconnect, it did file the plan though.

Is there a list of exactly what settings to tick/check when used with FS2020 alone somewhere?

I do not want the automatic co-pilot setting and would rather use voice or key-press option at my discretion  [say-it]??

I have a PC with an i12900K, RTX3080ti & 32Gb so it should be ok?

This is the flow i tried...

In P2Atc:

• choose a destination airport
• choose an arrival airport
• press the AutoPlan button if desired
• export as .pln to flight plan folder
• press ‘connect’ to sim

In MSFS 2020 at the world planner screen:

• load up flight plan just saved above
• choose to start on runway or on ramp
• decide time/weather options etc
• press ‘fly’
• start engine/avionics

In P2Atc:

• validate/file plan with atc
• choose airport ground frequency and copy IFR clearence if you want IFR flight

 

That sort of works but the weather / ATIS is wrong as the plan is created before the weather is set in the sim or am I looking at weather wrong here? Yesterday it was certainly wrong as i selected 5kts wind and P2A ATIS was telling me 24kts !

 

Its like i'm almost there but not quite ;)

Sim Weather works for X-Plane and FSX and P3D, but not FS2020 because Microsoft/Asobo doesn't publish weather such that FSUIPC can pass it along.  At some point in the future, maybe they will.

In the meantime, use Real Weather in MSFS 2020 and NOAA Weather in P2A and it will match close enough.  You just won't be able to set the weather.

Your workflow looks fine except it leaves out "Connect to SIM" right before validate/file Flt Plan.

You can monitor your Memory usage looking at TaskMgr.  As long as it stays below about 75-80 % you should be fine.

Dave

9 hours ago, Dave_JK said:

Thanks,

How do we synchronise weather if it does not go from sim to P2A? What does "Use sim weather" do in that case?

I'm not sure if i accidentally disconnected or not, but it certainly did not want to reconnect, it did file the plan though.

Is there a list of exactly what settings to tick/check when used with FS2020 alone somewhere?

I do not want the automatic co-pilot setting and would rather use voice or key-press option at my discretion  [say-it]??

I have a PC with an i12900K, RTX3080ti & 32Gb so it should be ok?

This is the flow i tried...

In P2Atc:

• choose a destination airport
• choose an arrival airport
• press the AutoPlan button if desired
• export as .pln to flight plan folder
• press ‘connect’ to sim

In MSFS 2020 at the world planner screen:

• load up flight plan just saved above
• choose to start on runway or on ramp
• decide time/weather options etc
• press ‘fly’
• start engine/avionics

In P2Atc:

• validate/file plan with atc
• choose airport ground frequency and copy IFR clearence if you want IFR flight

 

That sort of works but the weather / ATIS is wrong as the plan is created before the weather is set in the sim or am I looking at weather wrong here? Yesterday it was certainly wrong as i selected 5kts wind and P2A ATIS was telling me 24kts !

 

Its like i'm almost there but not quite 😉

plenty of  utubes  out  there  showing  how  to set  it up  and etc

On 1/4/2023 at 6:44 PM, Dave_JK said:

Most videos show other apps being used like Simbrief etc and then bits being cut-and-pasted into Pilot2ATC - this just seems like a complex workflow and I like to keep things simple as it increases my chances of using/doing them more

simbrief is  quite  easy  and  fast  to do  once  you have  done  a couple  of  flights just  simple  copy  the  route  and  paste it  in p2a,  probably  takes  longer  to type  your  route  manually  in  🙂

Edited January 9, 20233 yr by pete_auau