I have long missed the ability to save flights in MSFS 2020 in flight. This would be such a useful function for many things – recovery from a CTD; interrupting long trips; practicing ILS landings at a specific airport, etc.

It looked as though the FlightControlReplay program would provide the answer. So, I purchased and downloaded the program but unfortunately have not been able to install it to work properly.

I can get it to load into the MSFSF 2020 on-screen tool bar but when I click on its icon, it opens a black window and not the program. The attached screen shot shows this situation. I have consulted with the author to no avail. 

Has anyone experienced this problem and found a solution?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Nigel
Vancouver

Sorry, cannot get image to load - will have to keep trying

Nigel

2 hours ago, nigelgrant said:

I have long missed the ability to save flights in MSFS 2020 in flight.

I save flights in MSFS2020.

The option to save a flight is in a MSFS2020 menu.

Edit: After pressing the Space (Load/Save) or Esc (load/save depending on your current screen) key another Bottom Menu appears.

Is that what you used?

So far my saves have been e.g. cold and dark at a specific parking position.

I am testing an in flight save right now.

Reloading a saved flight works ok.

From the startup menu / screen click on :

World

Spacebar

Spacebar

Load from this PC

Select the saved flight

Open

Fly

 

Edited December 15, 20241 yr by vonmar
edit data

You need to run the main program first in order for the toolbar extension to work as intended. After starting it from your Windows Menu just minimze it and then you can use the ingame dialogue. However, I think you will need to use it creatively to achiever your goal, because imho it is more a recording tool and therefore has limitations for your intended purpose, for which I think FSiPanel would probaly be more suitable.

[DELETED]

Edited December 15, 20241 yr by edpatino

Sorry for the delay in replying  and thx for the responses.

Vonmar - I am aware of this function in MSFS 2020 and it works on the default aircraft (some?) but not on the payware aircraft I use. I want all the parameters saved, ie avionics, flight plan entries, etc so that I can continue my interrupted flight uninterrupted. You could do this in FSX and P3D. I have been told that FCR will do this but I have been unable to install it to try.

 

Tom_L - point of clarification what is "main program" - FCR or MSFS 2020?

regards

Nigel

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, nigelgrant said:

I have been told that FCR will do this but I have been unable to install it to try.

Who told you that?

6 hours ago, nigelgrant said:

Tom_L - point of clarification what is "main program" - FCR or MSFS 2020?

FCR! You can use the controls in the program window or - as I use it - run it minimzed in the background and then use the ingame panel. However, it will not do what you expect.

 

6 hours ago, nigelgrant said:

I want all the parameters saved, ie avionics, flight plan entries, etc so that I can continue my interrupted flight

FCR is a replay tool, meaning it records only certain parameters needed in for a visually convincing replay. It does not record the state of the avionics, and certainly not your flightplan entries. While you can use the "Take Control" function and resume a flight you have recorded, those entries will be missing. If you have been told it will do so, than I think the person who told you so was referring to more basic aircraft, where it could work that way to some extent.

I found information in this video:

MSFS Flight Control Replay V5 Detailed Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bErovL16Nio

PMDG and Fenix support mentioned at about 55 seconds into the video : 


PMDG on an approach at about 10:23 into the video then the option to “Relive” the approach and take control of PMDG.

So, looks like the PMDG flight is being saved as it could also be saved in MSFS2020.

Per the video not “all” aircraft are supported to “take control”.

Eureka – I think I may have done it, saved an in-flight situation for a payware aircraft (sort of). But not with FlightControlReplay (FCR). But with another similar freeware program called FlightRecorder (FR) (flightsim.to), in many ways similar to FCR.

I used the JustFlight BAE146 on a flight from CYLW (Kelowna) to CYVR (Vancouver) for my test. I have created a flight plan in LittleNavMap including both a SID and STAR with approaches. I have a shortcut to FR in my Task Bar.

 Phase 1 - I start the sim and load the 146 at RWY34 with the engines running. I load all the avionics and the flight plan into the FMC. I then load FR and start recording the video. Next, I take-off, and when airborne, select autopilot on the runway heading, then connect the flight plan via LNAV and climb until I reach selected altitude.

 Once in stable flight I then decide when I want my in-flight saving to occur, stop the recording in FR and save the *fltrec” file for this recording (In setting up the FR program you have to identify a folder for saving these files). The aircraft would continue flying with the settings I originally chose but I exit flightsimulator.

 Phase2 - next reload the same aircraft at the original take-off airport in engines-started situation and reload the flight plan data in the on-board FMC – both of these are important, (at this time you could also load the original avionics data, but this can wait until your saved flight is under way). 

 Load FR and open the file you had saved – now the video will start to play from take-off.

 In the FR window you will see a sub-window with the recorded flight profile and the actual position of the aircraft at the time. Click the pause in FR and drag the aircraft icon to near the end of the flight profile where you want to resurrect the flight.

 Now the truth!

 Click “stop replay” in FR and the aircraft is immediately flyable and in your control; quickly turn on the autopilot, switch on the altitude hold, switch on LNAV to bring in the flight plan, configure the “direct to" command in the FMC to the next waypoint, adjust the throttles to suit, and enter the avionics you need for the future landing at the destination airport. Now you should be flying where you left off and can continue with your flight.

 I think it vital that you note that when you exit the video, the aircraft assumes the parameters in place at the new start position of Phase2, ie if you don’t enter the flight plan at that time it will not be there for the resurrected flight, ditto avionics, etc.

Not much more hassle really than the old FSX/P3D saved flight startups.

 I could not get this process to work in FCR but I have it working in FR which is good enough for me.

 Nigel