Let me tell you about my flight... (Or why I love MSFS & SI)

[Redge 268]

This weekend I had probably the most immersive flight simulation experience I've ever had, with some surprises along the way. A combination of factors contributed to it — fantastic (i.e. terrible) real-world weather conditions, a magnificent add-on aircraft (The Blacksquare TBM 850) and an insanely immersive air traffic control experience (SayIntentions.ai) that pulled it all together.

Over the weekend I found myself with a bit of spare time in the evening for a quick flight. Having paid close attention to the new IFR features on SayIntentions.ai ATC service (which I've been subscribed to for the last couple of weeks), I decided to try them out on a quick hop from KHVN (New Haven, CT) to KCDW (Essex County, NJ), which should have been a 25 minute flight.

The weather on Saturday around New York was terrible. IFR or Low IFR conditions, ceilings at or below 200ft everywhere and strong easterly winds. Light rain was reported around KHVN, but the observations at KCDW were showing a higher ceiling of 400ft with heavy rain. The Foreflight radar indicated that the conditions were likely to improve within the hour at Essex County.

I opened Simbrief and planned my IFR flight. I'd planned to fly via CMK V623 SAX. I'd be IMC the whole way, with moderate icing expected from 6000ft all the way to my cruise altitude of FL180. SayIntentions (SI) now has the ability to read your latest flight directly from Simbrief, so as soon as I'd generated the flight, it was 'filed' on SI.

I powered up the radio in the TBM to get the ATIS, and then requested my IFR clearance: The controller had my flight plan and provided my CRAFT clearance as well as letting me know the expected departure runway — a nice added touch since I'd last tried the interim IFR experience.

I got the plane started, requested taxi (and received correct taxi instructions!) and headed to the runway for takeoff. Tower dutifully cleared me for takeoff (after an instruction to line-up and wait). I was handed over to departure shortly afterwards and was into the soup at around 500ft — I wouldn't see the ground again (or anything else, for that matter) until just before my final approach.

I reached my initial altitude of 2000ft and cleared to climb directly to my cruise altitude — a lucky break for the skies near New York (and something I believe they are fine-tuning on the SI side. I've had other IFR flights where I'm cleared to much higher altitudes in multiple steps).

I was handed over to another controller (Boston Center), all the while monitored my wings for icing and the radar scope for precipitation on the way up to my cruise altitude. The radar returns were showing oranges and reds ahead of me (I've rarely seen such heavy precip in MSFS!), something I'd normally ignore, being a sim pilot, but I figured I'd try asking my SI controller if I could deviate around the weather. I expected the controller to ignore my request but the response I got actually surprised me!

Brian, the lead developer of SI is currently implementing a huge number of features across the board. The software was launched very much as a VFR-Only service, and as soon as the pricing was announced, I think that's where most people left it in their minds (too expensive!). The truth is that since launch just a few weeks ago, he's already rolled out huge improvements, including global ICAO support—which has also added quite a few country-specific changes in places like Australia and Germany–FSS Flight Service, and of most interest to me, IFR coverage from clearance thru approach (and landing of course).

There's a general rule in SI as well, which is, if they haven't specifically programmed it in (yet), it doesn't mean it won't work! This is based on GPT-4 after all. If you tell the controller what you want, they will most likely respond accordingly.

And so it was on my flight. I'd requested to deviate to the left around the weather, and the controller came back to me to approve a deviation 20º to the left and to please let him know when I was back on course. I hadn't said anything about the weather ahead, and it just so happened that the only 'corridor' between me and the other side of the intense rain was exactly 20º to the left! I know this was all just a coincidence, but in that moment it didn't matter. It was absolutely perfect, and incredibly immersive! I avoided the weather, turned back on course, was handed to the next controller and then prepared for my descent into Essex County by checking the latest foreflight weather.

Another recent improvement to SI is the increased ATIS ranges. MSFS ATC only gives you ATIS coverage within about 20-30 miles of your destination in my experience, but on SayIntentions the range depends on your altitude (and can be up to 100 miles around FL300 I believe). This is going to be further improved upon in the near future, when terrain obscuration will be added to the radio reception modelling mean that, like on Pilot Edge (and possibly others), if you're too low, or between mountains, you might not be able to pick up what ATC is saying to you.

The ATIS information is taken directly from public sources, and matched my Foreflight weather for KCDW. Winds were still coming from the east, but the ceilings had lifted slightly (to 800') and no rain was mentioned any longer. It was looking like the RNAV 10 approach would be my best bet, with minimums of 428' AGL. 

I asked the controller which runway I could expect for the approach and he told me Runway 22. I'm not quite sure of the logic that is used to determine landing runways (I think it's based on sim weather, rather than real world ATIS) and I believe that might explain the discrepancy here, but I decided to ask him if I could get the RNAV RWY 10 approach anyway and he approved it. A couple of minutes later told me to begin my initial descent.

The descent was a little less successful than the climb. I had to request to continue my descent each time, but this is all par for the course. This code is really new — like, initially released last Friday or something, so there are bound to be issues that need to be ironed out. Improvements with SI are coming in thick and fast multiple times a day!

I emerged from the clouds, to a beautiful view at around 5000ft. Far to the west the weather looked bright and clear, and a thin layer of broken stratus lay below (since when did MSFS render stratus correctly!) while heavy rainfall blanketed the airport. Things were looking a little dicier for the approach than I'd hoped.

I established myself on final approach, and was handed over to the Essex County tower. As I got closer, the rain got harder. Then suddenly, I hit a wall of rain that obscured by visibility to almost nothing. 1000ft, no contact. 800ft, no contact. 600ft, no contact.

This was just meant to be a quick 25 minute flight, but... How does SI handle missed approaches I wonder? There's only one way to find out. So when I still couldn't see anything at 500ft I went missed and informed the tower.

I'm a lazy sim pilot who doesn't really know what he's doing, so my missed approach procedures are rough at best. But I told the tower I was going missed. Tower responded, asking me to enter the pattern for a new approach — obviously the wrong response in these conditions. So I told her I was in IMC and couldn't comply, and that I would follow the missed approach procedure (stating that I was turning left and climbing to hold at WOKPU). She responded, confirming and repeating what I'd said, and once I got there I radioed again to say we were going to remain in the hold a little longer to figure out what to do next. She responded with an affirmative, and to take our time. Marvellous! 

Missed approaches aren't a thing yet in SI. But if you just talk to the controller as if they are a thing, the ATC won't break and will work around its own limitations to keep you immersed!

SI was holding up fairly well up to this point, how much further could I push it? I decided to find out by trying to divert to another airport. I checked foreflight for the nearest MVFR or VFR airport. The list of options was short. The nearest one was KAVP (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl), about 15 minutes away. I decided to see how SI handled diversions.

I called the tower back, asking to divert to KAVP. She responded with a brief, "understood. Standby for your new clearance." What!? Was that an AI-ism, or was she really going to give me a new clearance? I waited a little bit to see what happened. Sure enough, about a minute later, she contacted me again, "Cleared to the Wilkes-Barr/Scranton International Airport via DIRECT. Climb and Maintain 4000". My jaw dropped a little at this instruction. I read back my new clearance and went on my way.

The further west I flew, the clearer the skies were around me. A layer of mist was settling below and there was quite a lot of blue sky above by this point. I absolutely love how the mist and visibility in MSFS live weather has been fine-tuned lately. No more clouds of fog in a circle around each reporting weather station. Its blended in so well, and looks especially good around hills, with their peaks poking up above it.

I started preparing for my arrival. Getting the weather, and figuring out what approach to expect. I was looking at my iPad for airport frequencies, when I suddenly heard the RPM drop on my TBM. Had I accidentally knocked the prop lever? I checked my Bravo, but it was still at max. I looked up, and saw a 150 RPM drop. I cycled the prop level, but I couldn't get it to increase beyond this level. Huh? I decided to check the Blacksquare Failures mode on the radar and Lo and Behold, I had a prop governor failure! My first ever random failure on the TBM 850. I opened the user guide PDF quickly to find the emergency checklists. The first line: "Land As Soon as Practical" and "Do Not Attempt Go Around" — Yikes! I'd already had one of those today, and the visiblity below me wasn't looking promising.

I quickly entered all the arrival data on the panel and decided to inform ATC of my predicament. I told them I was having power issues, but that I was explicitly not declaring an emergency, I was just informing them at this point, but that I would like to land at KAVP as soon as possible. The controller responded calmly to say that he understood, and that I should keep him aware of the situation.

Shortly afterwards the mist began to dissipate, and I was cleared for the ILS 4 approach (the approach I had been expecting). Luckily I didn't experience any further power issues aside from my lower RPM, and the winds were favourable making the landing as simple as possible. I taxied off the runway, and was handed over to ground, allowing me to taxi to parking and face a likely expensive (albeit virtual) phonecall to my mechanic about my broken plane.

My 25 minute flight turned into 1.5 hour ordeal, with IMC, diversions and mechanical problems to add to the drama. Even without the icing on the cake of the random mechanical issue it would have been an incredible first experience of a full SayIntentions IFR flight.

* * *

I didn't really expect this write-up to turn into a 2000 word essay, so well done for sticking with me all the way to this point, but my three takeaways from this adventure are:

1. If you haven't reverted to MSFS' own real-weather engine lately, then you really should give it another chance. It has been FANTASTIC the last few months! It was always better in Europe, but the US seems to have gotten a bit of love lately too.
2. I can't say enough good things about the Blacksquare TBM 850. There are of course some extra features I wish it could have, but everything that's already included is so immersive. It's my goto plane in the simulator (and I secretly hope a new update is coming with even more features).
3. SayIntentions is the ATC I always wanted in a flight simulator. It's mind blowing at times, and adds so much to my enjoyment. There's a global 24-hour demo where you can try whatever you want for 24 hours - please just go and install it and give it a whirl! Brian, the lead developer, mentioned yesterday that 75% of demo users end up subscribing (!!) That's huge! Give it a go and you'll see why.

Edited March 4 by Redge

[JYW 2,991]

This was brilliant to read!  I'd normally scoff at a post this long but I started reading, and got more and more into the experience you were having (as well as the helpful updates on new SI features).  Don't you love those flights where everything is amazing and they just stand out and leave you flabbergasted at just how staggering this hobby has become!

I'm so close to trying SI.  This post led me one step closer.

[Redge 268]

I really recommend it! I probably sound like a paid promoter, but I promise I'm not 😄 — I just love how much the product adds to the experience... One more anecdote from the flight that I forgot to mention (with a bit of context)...

The service is single-player (mostly). But if you choose to, you can hear other pilots (and let other pilots hear you) so that it adds a lot of chatter to the experience, to make everything more immersive.

Over the weekend the added a bunch more voices to the service (I think there's 50+ at the moment) and one of the new US controllers has a a pretty sleepy voice (someone described him as being the kind of voice you'd hear from a controller about to sign off his shift!).

While I was flying, I heard another pilot interacting with him, and the (real) pilot added something a long the lines of, "...and don't feel so bad buddy" at the end of his transmission. The ATC responded with the correct ATC response followed by, "...Oh don't worry - I love my job buddy". 😆

[AnkH 2,297]

4 hours ago, Redge said:

but my three takeaways from this adventure are:

1. If you haven't reverted to MSFS' own real-weather engine lately, then you really should give it another chance. 

I always use it, unless I want to fly VFR in any region like Alps, NZ, Sacandinavia and huge parts of mountaneous world. Where it regularly results in a total failure due to totally wrong snow coverage...

[abrams_tank 7,552]

Glad to hear you are enjoying MSFS. I think MSFS has been the best release for a civilian flight simulator, probably ever.  I even think MSFS is more successful than FSX at this point.  And FSX was a huge release back in the day.  This is really the golden age of civilian flight simulation, thanks to MSFS.

[mspencer 450]

How is the IFR experience so far?

I'm happy to see they're working on expanding the feature list, I'd pick up a sub for at least a few months if the IFR features work decently.

[Redge 268]

1 hour ago, AnkH said:

I always use it, unless I want to fly VFR in any region like Alps, NZ, Sacandinavia and huge parts of mountaneous world. Where it regularly results in a total failure due to totally wrong snow coverage...

I hear you! When not flying in the US I spend much of my time flying over Norway. It’s not perfect, and you can definitely see where Meteoblue data shines (and where it doesn’t), but it is getting better as time goes by. The US visibility improvements (which might be universal, I just haven’t checked) are something that wasn’t announced afaik, but is a really welcome upgrade. 

[AnkH 2,297]

2 minutes ago, Redge said:

and you can definitely see where Meteoblue data shines (and where it doesn’t), but it is getting better as time goes by.

It does not, the meteoblue data regarding snow coverage is the same as we had on release, there was never done anything improving snow coverage and as such, it remains equally bad everywhere. All they did was improving the calculations based on snow depth leading to frozen waters (at least).

[Redge 268]

1 hour ago, mspencer said:

How is the IFR experience so far?

I'm happy to see they're working on expanding the feature list, I'd pick up a sub for at least a few months if the IFR features work decently.

It’s definitely usable. It’s not up to PilotEdge standards yet (that’s the only comparison I have I’m afraid - I’ve never really used Vatsim) but it’ll handle a flight from A to B with a few quirks here and there. The IFR logic is really new - literally a week or two old - so there are definitely bugs, but the change log updates can be measured in hours, not days.

Late one night last week I experienced a bug while trying the new mid-air IFR clearance pickup feature. I headed to the discord and mentioned it. Brian (the lead dev) immediately asked me to show him. The next morning I checked in and saw the bug fix had already been pushed out in the next release.

I’d say go ahead and try it. Aside from the 24 hour limit, you get to sample the full product, and if you don’t think it’s ready you can try again after a month to sample the improvements. These guys (Brian and the whole team) just want people to experience it, so they’re pretty flexible about everything, and are really receptive to people, especially those who help test and try new features to help them make it a better product. The whole community there is really positive. I’ll stop there as I think I’m starting to sound a bit cult like 😂. 

[Redge 268]

12 hours ago, AnkH said:

It does not, the meteoblue data regarding snow coverage is the same as we had on release

OK, well then I mean MSFS' interpretation of the data that they're getting — snow aside. But that's getting beyond the main point I was trying to make in this thread.

Edited March 5 by Redge

[abrams_tank 7,552]

SayIntentions.AI looks interesting, but it's the monthly fee that I am concerned about.  Because if BeyondATC can do what SayIntentions.AI does, but with the free voices, I think I will purchase BeyondATC instead because there isn't a monthly fee associated with it.  From my understanding, if you use the offline mode with the free voices for the ATC controller that speaks back to you, and you use the offline mode and free voices for the AI as well, you incur very little transmission time, and that transmission time can last you for months to years. The drawback is that you are listening to the free voices in offline mode which are not as high quality as the premium online voices, but from the sample of the free voices I heard, it was tolerable.

BeyondATC can also do both VFR and IFR, I believe.  So from a cost perspective, BeyondATC looks to be much cheaper than SayIntentions.AI because of the amount that you can save - there isn't a monthly subscription fee, and the transmission time can last you months to years, if you use purely offline mode and use the free voices. If you can afford it though, it looks like SayIntentions.AI is a great stopgap program, until BeyondATC comes out.

Edited March 5 by abrams_tank

[Redge 268]

Yes, with only the free voices, it's a one-time payment, in which case you can apparently get unlimited AI ATC at that initial price. The carrot/stick is in the free credits. I think the idea is that once you try the basic/advanced voices, you won't want to go back.

BATC I believe won't ship with VFR on day one (unless they've since changed their minds on that?). They've opted for a slightly different route (IFR and traffic injection from the start, and add VFR later), whereas SayIntentions went with VFR and IFR initially, with their own traffic injection coming later on. IFR departures via the SID / arrivals via the STAR are already a thing, and vectoring has also been added on departure (when appropriate) as well as when picking up IFR in the air, but there's still more work to do on that front.

I believe SI's initial expectations were that IFR would be announced in the summer and rolled out then around Expo time, but its proved to be a lot quicker (and simpler than VFR) to implement, so it's been brought forward to right now instead. I guess traffic injection (for which they apparently already have a working prototype in-house) will then be worked on, once IFR is sorted, a few months ahead of schedule.

I honestly love what both teams are doing, and I'm sure if the feedback is good for BATC I'll also give that a go (Brian is super supportive of BATC as well as the other online ATC services, and genuinely loves the technology, no matter who is implementing it,  and what it enables us to do now in MSFS). In the meantime though, there's only one gig in town and my experience so far is so much more impressive than I had expected from just the release videos. The demo is there for anyone to sample it all before they have to spend a penny.

[abrams_tank 7,552]

45 minutes ago, Redge said:

Yes, with only the free voices, it's a one-time payment, in which case you can apparently get unlimited AI ATC at that initial price. The carrot/stick is in the free credits. I think the idea is that once you try the basic/advanced voices, you won't want to go back.

BATC I believe won't ship with VFR on day one (unless they've since changed their minds on that?). They've opted for a slightly different route (IFR and traffic injection from the start, and add VFR later), whereas SayIntentions went with VFR and IFR initially, with their own traffic injection coming later on. IFR departures via the SID / arrivals via the STAR are already a thing, and vectoring has also been added on departure (when appropriate) as well as when picking up IFR in the air, but there's still more work to do on that front.

I believe SI's initial expectations were that IFR would be announced in the summer and rolled out then around Expo time, but its proved to be a lot quicker (and simpler than VFR) to implement, so it's been brought forward to right now instead. I guess traffic injection (for which they apparently already have a working prototype in-house) will then be worked on, once IFR is sorted, a few months ahead of schedule.

I honestly love what both teams are doing, and I'm sure if the feedback is good for BATC I'll also give that a go (Brian is super supportive of BATC as well as the other online ATC services, and genuinely loves the technology, no matter who is implementing it,  and what it enables us to do now in MSFS). In the meantime though, there's only one gig in town and my experience so far is so much more impressive than I had expected from just the release videos. The demo is there for anyone to sample it all before they have to spend a penny.

A very good answer 👍. Anyways, I think we are lucky that all these advanced ATC programs are coming out for MSFS. MSFS definitely has the momentum with the 3rd party development scene now, and all these 3rd party devs are making wonderful applications for MSFS 👍

[Kaboki 443]

I encourage anyone too try out SI demo for free, just to get a taste for things to come. Its an awsome experience:)

Edited March 5 by Kaboki

[lpburke86 9]

On 3/4/2024 at 11:12 AM, JYW said:

I'm so close to trying SI.  This post led me one step closer.

I'm gonna take you a step closer..... Our free 24 hour full access demo time resets every month or so. So even if its not quite ready for you to pay for at the moment, it won't cost you a thing to come back and try it again so see the progress.

Edited March 5 by lpburke86