I have had Pilot2ATC (v2) for a while and will almost certainly update to version 3 in a day or two. I also have BeyondATC, which I bought mainly because I like the idea of it treating me as just another part of the traffic. I've just been sliced in two by an A320, about a mile from R26L at EGKK. I was in a C172.  😀 Pilot2ATC warned me of the traffic (FlybyWire injection) but made no attempt to 'control' either aircraft.

The quality of the voices doesn't matter much to me. What is important is for the ATC to be able to decipher less than correct requests and responses.

I also use X Plane, so Pilot2ATC is god for that reason.

I also have Say Intentions downloaded but I've, as yet, done nothing with it.

Latest update seems to have included another improvement. Was on approach to OSL and told to continue, while another aircraft was cleared for take off. Only as soon as it had lifted off was I given landing clearance. Before that, I was cleared to land even with the runway not clear... this may be realistic in the US but even there you would get a sequence number when there are aircraft landing before you. BATC gets better and better.

Edited March 16, 20251 yr by thepilot

I didn't want to open a new thread for this so maybe others using BATC or other can help out.  The arrival I just did happens too often and I wonder how others deal with this.  Here it is:  we're arriving into KLAS from CYVR in 2020 for a 'visual approach into 8R' at KLAS.   We're essentially close to the route 'my own NAV' would put me for an RNAV approach.  We're now about 8mi out heading north at 5000' per BATC's instruction.  Before BATC give me the 'turn right to heading 80 degrees we're WELL PAST alignment with 8R.  This  makes for a messy approach.  THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC in the vicinity so why the heck doesn't it tell me to turn right as we're APPROACHING alignment with 8R, not well past it?   Had I just followed my 'own navigation' which was RNAV to 8R all would have been fine.  

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Noel

36 minutes ago, Noel said:

I didn't want to open a new thread for this so maybe others using BATC or other can help out.  The arrival I just did happens too often and I wonder how others deal with this.  Here it is:  we're arriving into KLAS from CYVR in 2020 for a 'visual approach into 8R' at KLAS.   We're essentially close to the route 'my own NAV' would put me for an RNAV approach.  We're now about 8mi out heading north at 5000' per BATC's instruction.  Before BATC give me the 'turn right to heading 80 degrees we're WELL PAST alignment with 8R.  This  makes for a messy approach.  THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC in the vicinity so why the heck doesn't it tell me to turn right as we're APPROACHING alignment with 8R, not well past it?   Had I just followed my 'own navigation' which was RNAV to 8R all would have been fine.  

That is the one issue I have with BATC. They always want to give you a visual approach with vectors, even when you have an approach in the flight plan. Sometimes the vectors make no sense, they should have a button that says I want a published approach, no vectors.

 

7 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

That is the one issue I have with BATC. They always want to give you a visual approach with vectors, even when you have an approach in the flight plan. Sometimes the vectors make no sense, they should have a button that says I want a published approach, no vectors.

This is something that surprises me with how long BATC has been out and with its mostly deserved accolades because this seems so basic.  Hopefully they will address it soon

10 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

That is the one issue I have with BATC. They always want to give you a visual approach with vectors, even when you have an approach in the flight plan. Sometimes the vectors make no sense, they should have a button that says I want a published approach, no vectors.

 

You can ask for another approach if you don't want the one it gives you.

7 hours ago, Alvega said:

You can ask for another approach if you don't want the one it gives you.

And 90% of the time it says"unable".

 

8 hours ago, Alvega said:

You can ask for another approach if you don't want the one it gives you.

But only when certain prerequisites are met. Currently you can't when you are already on arrival frequency. It tells you "You are already on approach. Unable", and I want to scream at it "I'm not even at the IAF yet!"

The approach phase seems to be the weakest part of AI followed by taxi progression. Does BATC even offer the ability to request and fly a full published approach and actually get it as expected? I know with SI you can but currently its not trying to sequence other traffic so curious if traffic is the reason why BATC seems to only offer vectors. I found with both BATC and SI, I sometimes have to take control and switch from approach, fly the approach as I wanted and then switch to Tower when established and state what I would normally say after being handed off from Approach to Tower and I get the cleared to land. Thats my go to work around until these AI controllers become more efficient  at their jobs. Ha!

Edited March 18, 20251 yr by Ident

1 hour ago, Farlis said:

But only when certain prerequisites are met. Currently you can't when you are already on arrival frequency. It tells you "You are already on approach. Unable", and I want to scream at it "I'm not even at the IAF yet!"

Or how about  you haven't even started descent yet from cruise, you ask for a different approach, and you get "unable". 

21 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

That is the one issue I have with BATC. They always want to give you a visual approach with vectors, even when you have an approach in the flight plan. Sometimes the vectors make no sense, they should have a button that says I want a published approach, no vectors.

 

I think this must be a US thing, as I fly using it predominantly in the UK and Europe airspace and have never been given a visual approach. It's almost always either vectors to an ILS/RNP, or a published procedural approach. The only things that are annoying sometimes are that you can't shortcut a long procedure - sometimes it insists you fly it all including the hold when in reality ATC would normally just clear you direct to the final approach fix if it's not busy. And also sometimes the altitude assignments clear you to descend too late leaving you far too high on approach, forcing a go around.

Edited March 18, 20251 yr by Tom Wright

43 minutes ago, Tom Wright said:

And also sometimes the altitude assignments clear you to descend too late leaving you far too high on approach, forcing a go around.

With SI on IFR flights, they usually give you an expected time when they will start your descent and the option to request lower prior. I havent noticed this with BATC. Also I cant remember BATC giving the altimeter every time you check in with a new controller when below FL190.

The here is an example of being able to request and get a full approach with SI. I was already heading to the SNS VOR so not sure if that why ATC didnt say anything about flying direct to SNS with its instructions of being cleared for the approach.

 

5 hours ago, Ident said:

With SI on IFR flights, they usually give you an expected time when they will start your descent and the option to request lower prior. I havent noticed this with BATC. 

That sounds better. No, BATC doesn't do that, in fact it often asks you to report when ready for descent and then even if you're not ready tells you to descend anyway.

Like I said, it isn't perfect, but it's evolving and has improved even in the short time I've been using it.

The main barrier to SI for me vs BATC is the paywall. The subscription model of it is too much to justify for me I'm afraid. BATC wins hands down in that regard.

5 hours ago, Ident said:

With SI on IFR flights, they usually give you an expected time when they will start your descent and the option to request lower prior. I havent noticed this with BATC. Also I cant remember BATC giving the altimeter every time you check in with a new controller when below FL190.

The here is an example of being able to request and get a full approach with SI. I was already heading to the SNS VOR so not sure if that why ATC didnt say anything about flying direct to SNS with its instructions of being cleared for the approach.

 

How do you get voices playback on the right side? I don't have those and can find any option for it in the app.

30 minutes ago, Denco said:

How do you get voices playback on the right side? I don't have those and can find any option for it in the app.

Pilot Portal Click on Flight Logs on the left vertical menu and that will bring up all your flights. Then click on the Com Log for whatever flight you want to review and you will see it as my example shows. This is with the full version, not sure if thats not featured in OpenSky.