7 minutes ago, Noel said:

So is it fairly accurate to say FA will send say a SWA 738 into KDEN, and MSFS uses that same SWA738, but controls its actual flight path, more or less?

Yes.

I had an interesting experience with the ATC last night. I was flying a 737 from KDAL to KMSY. Right at the ToD, it cleared me unprompted for 10k lower altitude. It did a decent job of managing the descent all the way down to the approach.

22 minutes ago, tup61 said:

I fail to see why that's needed to make default ATC better...? You'd say MSFS can already read its own data perfectly well...!

I don’t own MSFS so don’t know what it can and can’t do. Knowing the location of runways is important. Does the existing ATC know when you’re close to the threshold and are ready to line up and wait?

Regarding controlling other aircraft I’d leave that until your own aircraft can be successfully handled from taxi out to post landing. Get the basics right then worry about what is and isn’t possible with Ai that tend to have a mind of their own if FSX / P3D is anything to go by.

Just now, Ray Proudfoot said:

Does the existing ATC know when you’re close to the threshold and are ready to line up and wait?

Yes,

Once you hit the hold short point, assuming you are on the taxiway it told you to use, you will either be given a take off, line up, or hold short command.

The taxing control and the AI is an area MSFS actually does a decent job at.

2 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Does the existing ATC know when you’re close to the threshold and are ready to line up and wait?

I do think so but it's been a while since I used default ATC.

3 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Regarding controlling other aircraft I’d leave that until your own aircraft can be successfully handled from taxi out to post landing.

Well, I use FSHud and that addon controls ALL traffic so no worries there. That's the nice thing about FSHud: I am not prioritized in any way or given special treatment: FSHud talks to me just like it talks to the AI. I am simply one of the many airplanes it controls. Far more immersive than being the only controlled plane in the sim while all other planes fly around like uncontrolled ghosts. 😉

3 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Does the existing ATC know when you’re close to the threshold and are ready to line up and wait?

I occasionally get the instruction to line up and wait but not all the time. .. and when I do, there is no other traffic anyway !! go figure. !!

5 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

The ability to read and extract flight sim data similar to how MakeRwys does in FSX and P3D.

If I am not mistaken, Asobo has made it possible to fetch runway and other airport data directly from MSFS through SimConnect:

https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Programming_Tools/SimConnect/API_Reference/Facilities/SimConnect_AddToFacilityDefinition.htm#runway

3 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Does the existing ATC know when you’re close to the threshold and are ready to line up and wait

Yes it's done this well from early on.  You won't get a very good sense of what's actually quite good in MFSF ATC in this thread.  My sense is it will not take huge work to improve it to the point where most won't care to go outside to a 3rd party solution.  That is awesome to learn from Tuskin38 that ATC takes over from FlightAware this sound like the best of all worlds in terms of accommodating actual RW routes and traffic and yet still being able to control traffic.  This is why I asked, what's really needed to get it to a satisfactory level.  Since MS/A announced ATC is on the agenda for 2024 my guess is they will very likely get it there, or even before 2024 debuts.

13 minutes ago, BrammyH said:

Yes,

Once you hit the hold short point, assuming you are on the taxiway it told you to use, you will either be given a take off, line up, or hold short command.

The taxing control and the AI is an area MSFS actually does a decent job at.

Good. Then it’s all the other aspects that need to be as good as that.

The final 40 miles are the most critical. Heading and descent instructions so you’re below the glide slope and flying a 30° intercept heading for the localiser.

I see other replies but I won’t be replying to each. I’m just responding to the topic title. For those of you who still use P3D and Radar Contact use that as a template.

6 minutes ago, JacquesBrel said:

If I am not mistaken, Asobo has made it possible to fetch runway and other airport data directly from MSFS through SimConnect:

https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Programming_Tools/SimConnect/API_Reference/Facilities/SimConnect_AddToFacilityDefinition.htm#runway

Even for those third party airports bought from the Store where the files are encrypted?

1 minute ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Even for those third party airports bought from the Store where the files are encrypted?

Yes, I believe the main reason for Asobo adding those SimConnect interface methods was so you'd be able to get this sort of data from all installed addons, including Marketplace airports.

This post by one of the FS Dream Team devs was where I first heard about it. He confirms the data includes encrypted Marketplace addon data:

https://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=28723#msg187311

3 hours ago, robb13 said:

I occasionally get the instruction to line up and wait but not all the time. .. and when I do, there is no other traffic anyway !! go figure. !!

Never happens here--it's always because of incoming or planes that haven't left the runway after landing.

I should of added I get aircraft I cannot see but can hear in msfs20 but which show up in LNM.  But there are instances where I get told to wait and there is nothing displaying in LNM either.

There never has been a simulator with really good  default ATC, and I am betting there never will be. Get a 3rd party ATC that you like, and you are done. 

Edited June 21, 20232 yr by Bobsk8