P2ATC 3.0 RC2--starts descent FAR too early, other issues

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April 28Apr 28

Two flights in a row since updating to RC2, P2ATC3 is computing the TOD and starting my descent far too early--over 200nm from destination. With an anemic 1000 fpm descent, it still had me down at 3000 ft rooting around in the weeds 50nm away. The flight is a SID to an approach without a STAR.

Also getting a large number of radio calls with the early syllables/words truncated off and ATC repeating things as if it does not understand the copilot transmissions (sent from SayIt/text menu). Also getting audio transmissions overrunning each other.

When calling for engine start, the clearance is truncated every time to "ngine start approved..." without the leading "E", so it sounds like "JINE start approved"

Log attached (click "next page")

Bob Scott | President and CEO, AVSIM Inc
ATP Gulfstream II-III-IV-V

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April 29Apr 29

Commercial Member

Thanks Bob.

I'll try flying the flight and get it fixed. There have been issues with the waypoint tracking where it jumps ahead and triggers these early events.

Dave

April 30Apr 30

Author

I see this:

2026-04-28 12:34:31.7543|INFO|P2ADataLinq.FlightStateMgr| DistToFirstSTARWpt: 1.79769313486232E+308 DistToTOD: 164.210659521549 DistToVectorApprStart: 273.336015782659 Seconds To ArrivalSetup: 1205.375

and then one minute later:

2026-04-28 12:35:34.4035|INFO|P2ADataLinq.FlightStateMgr| DistToFirstSTARWpt: 1.79769313486232E+308 DistToTOD: 70.4567296833131 DistToVectorApprStart: 266.404263998581 Seconds To ArrivalSetup: 387.8322

The DistToTOD value dropped around 94 miles in that one minute, but the DistToVectorApprStart value dropped a normal ~7nm.

The only slight weirdness I saw in the intervening log text was a change to "Washington Control" rather than "Washington Center". No other clue in the log that I can see.

Also, now every time I am handed off to a new controller, it asks me to squawk ident and reports "radar contact <position>". That should not be happening when flying IFR in controlled airspace once initial radar contact is established...when controllers hand IFR acft off sector-to-sector in the US they don't re-state "radar contact" ("radar identified" in the EU) at every changeover, and the rare squawk code change, if it happens at all, usually only occurs when switching from center to approach control. Ident is normally not requested except when first establishing radar control or when changing squawk code. A new squawk is given to VFR acft when transiting Class B/C airspace or initiating flight following, and instruction to "squawk VFR" (1200) is normal when FF is terminated. Oceanic flights squawk 2000 when leaving radar coverage and handed off to the oceanic controller and then you get a new squawk near landfall when first re-establishing radar contact. Internationally, sometimes the squawk code will change when crossing into a different ARTCC region (e.g. crossing to/from a Eurocontrol sector to an eastern european one).

Bob Scott | President and CEO, AVSIM Inc
ATP Gulfstream II-III-IV-V

May 1May 1

Commercial Member

Thanks Bob.

TOD does get recalculated during the flight, which might explain the large change. I believe the problem with the early descent is a bug in the waypoint tracking that makes ATC think the aircraft is further along than it actually is, but it could be the TOD calculation being off also. I'll look into both.

Recent AIRAC updates have changed some Center controllers to Radar Control controllers which is what causes Washington Control instead of Center. That's on the list to fix also.

And you're right about the "radar contact" only being done once. You should be getting only a greeting like "Good afternoon" for subsequent controller handoffs in most cases. If somehow the controller loses contact or can't find you on his busy screen, he might ask you to Squawk Ident and then you would get another "radar contact" call. So there must be something wrong in that area as well....possibly not enough randomness in that possibility.

Thanks for the detailed reports!

Dave

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P2ATC 3.0 RC2--starts descent FAR too early, other issues

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