Very nice program:  user-friendly everything!  The pro voices are better but too much $$ if you use it for everything including traffic but if you limit it just to the controller not too bad.   I hope they can drop the price for a subscription I might consider it then and then leave LiveATC off.   Performance at level 5 is great w/ FSLTL models.  The problem I foresee is:  how the heck can I tear myself away from this?!  Works well w/ GSX and SLC as well.  I see SLC now has two options for AI voice in their text-to-speech I'm going to check that out next.  SLC is about to undergo a significant update.  That is another piece of software super creatively and well designed.

Do people who don't use charts find the built-in moving map in BATC sufficient to help one find the arrival gate?  It's crude but maybe useful enough.

5 hours ago, Noel said:

Do people who don't use charts find the built-in moving map in BATC sufficient to help one find the arrival gate?  It's crude but maybe useful enough.

The built-in map is extremely sufficient. In fact: charts usually won't help you because they often don't match with what's in the sim. I am not sure why you would call it crude: it leads you to the gate (or to the runway) and it's absolutely impossible to get lost. I'd call that perfect.

Huge update just dropped. Some nice things in there, haven’t tried myself yet but especially the shortcuts on STARs is something I was missing for a while.

Quote

**Minor Update 1.5.30.Experimental**

New Feature - Request a different approach from that initially provided by ATC. The user can request any available approach in their AIRAC, including a visual.

Custom User Data - Updated all airlines, procedures, VOR and noun submissions from the Pilot Portal.

Settings - 'Low performance' mode replaced by a FPS target dropdown of 30, 36, 45, 60, 72, 90, 120 to allow more user choice to match their sim's FPS. Recommended 60.

Procedure - Relaxed rules allowing users to request shortcuts inside a STAR and redid logic to allow better handling of shortcuts.

Traffic - Zig zag contrails completely fixed.

Traffic - Now able to use backtrack runways. Traffic will follow the backtrack runway ATC flow same as the player.

Traffic - Traffic sliders now go to 0 allowing disabling of traffic category.

Traffic - Further fixes for stuck traffic.

Traffic - Further refinement to runway exit paths to allow smoother exits.

Traffic - Taxi speeds reduced.

Traffic - Aircraft will have nav lights on for 20 mins prior to departure.

Traffic Livery Matching - Fix issue with FS Traffic matching due to poor data in FS Traffic aircraft.cfg files.

Traffic Livery Matching - Fix issue with special liveries not being correctly mapped by tail number.

Speed Restrictions - Restrictions should now consider the approx max speed of your aircraft when issuing speed instructions.

ATIS - Either airport's ATIS can now be tuned at any point in your flight. If the player is too far from the airport only static will be audible. If the comm is left open while approaching the airport the static will slowly decrease and the ATIS message will slowly begin to fade in.

ATIS - ATIS now handles negative temps and correctly reports scattered cloud layers as well as VFR conditions.

Performance - Fix to process that could consume CPU and impact BATC FPS.

Performance - Fixed a memory leak that could lead to large BATC memory usage in heavy traffic areas.
BATC Taxi Map - Show traffic departure time when hovering over a traffic icon. As well, display current zulu time in the traffic map.

UI - Added a flight tracking UI showing the progress from your departure airport to your destination.

Premium Voices - 80+ new premium voice additions and a number of fixes and tweaks to premium voice sets globally.

Airport Ops - Added runway operations for 524 airports! 363 airports or 69% have frequencies data included.

Airport Ops - Fixes for bugs reported in ops support forum.

Fix - Fix for fatal WebSocket fatal error when using the BATC toolbar in some cases.

Fix - Fix for fatal gate assignment could lead to a null exception.

Fix - Incorrect STAR mapping when duplicate STARs with same prefix exist for the same runway, e.g. EMPAX5A / EMXPAX5B at EDDF.

Fix - Bug where the player would be handed off to the wrong frequency and be unable to perform any actions due a failure in duplicate frequencies logic matching. 

Fix - Improvements for a specific frequency existing at multiple airports.

Misc - Other small fixes and improvements across the entire app!

Traffic Map - Released new version 1.1.0.

Traffic Map - Configurable dark mode.

Traffic Map - An option to toggle map auto centering on the player position.

Traffic Map - Trails on the traffic aircraft (also configurable) to show their path.

Traffic Map - More information in the popup for each traffic aircraft, including their tail number, departure and arrival times.

Traffic Map - The ability to flag a traffic aircraft for removal. Useful if a traffic aircraft is stuck or blocking your way.

Traffic Map - Current sim zulu time and BATC traffic count added.

Traffic Map - Traffic window should remember position/size on restart.

 

 

59 minutes ago, Speedbird 217 said:

Huge update just dropped. Some nice things in there, haven’t tried myself yet but especially the shortcuts on STARs is something I was missing for a while.

 

Also just read those release notes! And they call this a Minor Update LOL! Shame I won't be able to give it all a try until tomorrow evening. Bummer.

36 minutes ago, mistolip said:

Also just read those release notes! And they call this a Minor Update LOL! Shame I won't be able to give it all a try until tomorrow evening. Bummer.

Haha I thought the same! This is a big changelog, they sure were busy over the holidays it seems. I also like the ability to request different approaches, zap traffic via the traffic map and improved special livery matching (I always had about a dozen BA A319s in BEA retro colours flying around, I hope this fixed that).

9 minutes ago, Speedbird 217 said:

Haha I thought the same! This is a big changelog, they sure were busy over the holidays it seems. I also like the ability to request different approaches, zap traffic via the traffic map and improved special livery matching (I always had about a dozen BA A319s in BEA retro colours flying around, I hope this fixed that).

Yes, and I also like the ability to request a shortcurt during a STAR! Would be even better if BATC gave you a shortcut when possible but the ability to request one is a nice step already!

11 hours ago, Noel said:

Performance at level 5 is great w/ FSLTL models.  The problem I foresee is:  how the heck can I tear myself away from this?!  Works well w/ GSX and SLC as well.

Were you able to check how many aircraft were in a major airport, when setting traffic levels to 5? Knowing you, performance must be great for you to use it 😉

2 hours ago, mistolip said:

Yes, and I also like the ability to request a shortcurt during a STAR! Would be even better if BATC gave you a shortcut when possible but the ability to request one is a nice step already!

Agreed, hopefully we get there eventually.

In the meantime it will be nice to be able to take some shortcuts on STARs when appropriate.  The other night I was flying a cargo A300 into Leipzig being told to follow the entire lengthy out and back STAR thinking “there’s no way I’d be doing this whole thing at 1am IRL”.

Edited January 14, 20251 yr by regis9

1 minute ago, regis9 said:

Agreed, hopefully we get there eventually.

In the meantime it will be nice to be able to take some shortcuts on STARs when appropriate.  The other night I was flying the A300 I to Leipzig being told to follow the entire lengthy out and back STAR thinking “there’s no way I’d be doing this whole thing at 1am IRL”.

I share your pain. I did some SAS ops out of ENGM over the last few weeks and they have ridiculous transitions for all their runways. I started to get quite frustrated in the end, especially as a lot of those domestic hops are quite short (beautiful scenery and challenging weather too!) but I had 20+ minutes added to all my flights by flying across half of Norway on transitions that never get flown in reality.

2 hours ago, mistolip said:

Also just read those release notes! And they call this a Minor Update LOL! Shame I won't be able to give it all a try until tomorrow evening. Bummer.

Yes, remarkable isn't it. They a very keen on how they present themselves. The minor update seem rather major to me. 

I was pleased how many good things are presented. They also have a super UI layout. Simple, easy understandable and still all you need buttons and sliders very well sorted presented. 

BATC is a experienced company. They bring functionality, user requirements and UI simplicity to our desktop ...and even to VR via their VR toolbar. 

Say-Intentions struggled with their UI....not usable in VR for me at least. 

I UPVOTE BATC and like what I see. 

 

8 minutes ago, regis9 said:

Agreed, hopefully we get there eventually.

In the meantime it will be nice to be able to take some shortcuts on STARs when appropriate.  The other night I was flying the A300 I to Leipzig being told to follow the entire lengthy out and back STAR thinking “there’s no way I’d be doing this whole thing at 1am IRL”.

What the shortcut given by BATC could lead to, is the struggle users can get when they are NOT able to maintain the decent angle or speed restrictions. So, BATC needs also a "Pilot Reaction" answer, when pilots report not being able to follow instructions. 

But we will se how they will handle this. 

The way they have implemented this now is according to software methodologie....agile.....keep it smart and simple AND minimum viable functionality....and see how users will use it, how often, how many and probably BATC gathers this feedback and then creates solutions for that. 

Just good to do it this way.

..step by step....

6 minutes ago, mpo910 said:

What the shortcut given by BATC could lead to, is the struggle users can get when they are NOT able to maintain the decent angle or speed restrictions. So, BATC needs also a "Pilot Reaction" answer, when pilots report not being able to follow instructions. 

But we will se how they will handle this. 

The way they have implemented this now is according to software methodologie....agile.....keep it smart and simple AND minimum viable functionality....and see how users will use it, how often, how many and probably BATC gathers this feedback and then creates solutions for that. 

Just good to do it this way.

..step by step....

Good point on the unable. With that said, most STARs already account for standard shortcuts in the published altitude constraints. If you take a look at ENGM STARs they keep you flying level at 9,000ft for 20+ miles as in reality they would just give you a shortcut from that waypoint to the FAF at 5,000, so you wouldn't have to take the scenic route at level flight for miles on end. Even EGLL transitions often have vectors instead of following the published procedures (they keep you at 7,000ft for a long time). I suspect vectors to FAF on a published STAR are more difficult than just shortcuts as EGLL usually involves swirly S curves, at least on 27s.

3 minutes ago, Speedbird 217 said:

Good point on the unable. With that said, most STARs already account for standard shortcuts in the published altitude constraints. If you take a look at ENGM STARs they keep you flying level at 9,000ft for 20+ miles as in reality they would just give you a shortcut from that waypoint to the FAF at 5,000, so you wouldn't have to take the scenic route at level flight for miles on end. Even EGLL transitions often have vectors instead of following the published procedures (they keep you at 7,000ft for a long time). I suspect vectors to FAF on a published STAR are more difficult than just shortcuts as EGLL usually involves swirly S curves, at least on 27s.

Yes. I have experienced that also at EDDF, OMDB, OTHH etc. 

It's that kind of instructions wich also makes me feel to have "life" instructions. Really great done. 

Thanks for sharing!

5 hours ago, mistolip said:

The built-in map is extremely sufficient. In fact: charts usually won't help you because they often don't match with what's in the sim. I am not sure why you would call it crude: it leads you to the gate (or to the runway) and it's absolutely impossible to get lost. I'd call that perfect.

I might be wrong bit LittleNav Map seems to get it's gate data from the sim.