I've never used any of the RC sims before and don't know anyone who has. My question is, can tower controllers actually see out of a virtual tower down onto the airport they are controlling like pilots can see out of the airplane they are flying?Or are you having to use radar like app/dep/ctr controllers?Curious.

I don't know about a virtual tower, but in the real world, tower guys do look out onto the ramp to see the aircraft, or ones on approach/departure. Big airports do also have ground radar so they can see exactly where every little truck and cart and plane is, especially in the fog and around buildings they can't see around. They also have local radar (just around the airport) for separation and to know exactly where someone is in the air.

Thank you Scott. I fly in the real world so I'm familiar with airport operations.Maybe a virtual tower controller will stop in and answer this.Cheer's to you too!Michael

Okay, sorry.As far as RC's Tower, version 4.1 will be able to see the AI on approach and departure and if there's something on the runway. With aircraft on approach or departing RC v4 can vector them and you to avoid conflict. But it won't be able to see the traffic moving around the ground. It would take MS relasing an ATC SDK to get the info needed to see them and to know what taxiways are. So RC's Tower can sort of see.As for any other program or ATC system other than FS's, I don't know.Is that more what you're looking for?

Yes, thanks Scott.