PiperPilot21

Thanks for the continued interest in this, Bryan. I think I found the issue. It seems my control sensitivity on the iFly is too high, so if I hold the keys for just a millisecond too long it will counteract any attempt to keep the spoilers in the "armed" position. Will have to tinker with my settings and see if I can reduce the sensitivity so that it is flyable if I'm not paying attention to how long my keystrokes are. Again, thanks!

Bryan,I did further testing and cannot definitively confirm whether or not FS2Crew FO quits being heard while flying online. As best as I can tell, it was a one-time issue that hasn't reoccurred since then. I will do more testing and if it is an issue more than one other time, I will report back here. I see no reason why it should quit working. My hardware is setup properly so it must be that my hearing is going. As for the spoiler issue, I'm not sure that it's an iFly issue, as when I was on the ground at the gate before start, I engaged the "Arm Spoiler" and it did just that. I repeated a couple more times to be sure and it worked. After starting FS2Crew, it went back to popping up momentarily before going back down. I got around this by programming my "Down Arrow" for that particular action so that during the approach checklist, I hold the Down Arrow in position long enough for the FO to confirm speedbrake is armed, then release it. After the checklist is complete, I'll manually move the spoiler lever to the Arm position for landing. It's crude, but it works. Again, I will do more testing with and without FS2Crew and report back.

I'm not sure if this is specifically related to online flight, but this is when I noticed it. I flew from KMSP-KPHX on VATSIM using SquawkBox 4, and FSX. Everything was working perfectly during the startup/taxi/takeoff stage. There were no controllers online at that time and I had no problems. About 100 miles from my TOD, I got a call from Albuquerque Center to contact him as he was now online. I dialed him in and was told to "descend at pilots discretion" via the published STAR. As I was currently flying along at FL360, I had previously told the FO to set the dial to FL310 before being told to descend (per charts and FMC readouts), but after I was told to contact him. The FO did set the FL, but I did not receive an audio confirmation that he had. I saw the digits moving and the green bar came up with a textual confirmation but nothing vocal. I switched off the Voice system (I remember this working in the LDS767 version if there was a "catch") but this didn't work, either. He still did what I asked but no confirmation. Also, when I asked for the checklists, I would get no response. My only suspicion is that this is an issue with Squawkbox and not with the program itself, as it has always worked nearly flawlessly. I saw "nearly" flawlessly because there is one other issue which I don't want to make a separate post about. Online and off, when I press "Shift+/" to arm speedbrakes, they arm just for literally a half second before going back down to flight position. The green light comes on in the cockpit saying "Spoilers armed" but then immediately goes off. Setting them by hand, ie opening the panel window and using mouse to move the spoilers to "armed", does not work as the indicator light does not come on, and the FO does not acknowledge them in my checklist as being up ("Are you sure about that?"), but upon landing the spoilers do come up on their own like they should. I'm not sure if this is an iFly issue or FS2Crew related as I mostly fly with FS2Crew now, but I am nearly positive I flew without activating FS2Crew and the spoilers worked like they should. Again, this is with FSX, I have yet to use FS2Crew iFly with FS9. Thanks for a great product, Bryan, and I hope you'll release more. I always recommend FS2Crew to fellow simmers. The iFly version is 100 times better than the 767 edition which is still a great product but a dated payware plane. In fact, I plan on using the 767 with FS2Crew Voice for Cross The Pond this month. You have a lifelong customer in me.

I have also been enjoying the FS2Crew 767 Voice Commander. Yesterday I flew across the Atlantic from Stockholm to Kennedy in my first long-haul flight using the software. Unfortunately, I had the "check-check" problem on approach, but I'm not sure if that's due to not installing SP1 properly or another problem. Pretty sure it installed right the first time, but I did it again after the flight just to be sure. But, I digress...I too would second the ability to tune COMMS using the FO. As the OP said, it would make departures and arrivals a lot easier, especially online. Even using the default ATC or Radar Contact where you can tune with just responding to the controller, it still means one extra keypress to tune the radio, a valuable hand that can be instead used for maintaining the throttle or whatever else. It's not a huge issue, but it would be nice as a future feature. Another thing that I miss from the A320 edition (I think it was) is FO conversations. Sure, they get old quick and there aren't many responses, but it would be nice to "speak" to the FO and have him respond with something. Maybe have three or four scripted things he says to certain words, and then the other things he doesn't understand have him say something like, "I didn't quite catch that" or "No, I don't think it would be a good idea to depressurize the cabin." Of course, these conversations should only be allowed in cruise. This is the bottom of the list of "improvements" that could be added to an already perfect software, so I wouldn't care if it's never added, but I think it would be fun. In fact, I've tried to have a conversation with him already, thinking it was a hidden feature, but he didn't reply, so he must have been using the Lav.I'm looking forward to buying for the PMDG 747 and the iFly if you make it a voice edition. Somehow, the button editions just don't have the same realism effect anymore.I have been recommending this product to folks at my VA, as that is how I was informed of the PMDG 747 edition being released, which led me to discover the LDS 767, which I bought this time.As I've mentioned before, the support given here by you personally, Bryan, is above all I've received elsewhere. You are willing to work with the customers no matter how simple or complex the issue, and you don't use standard "form" responses as a lot of other places do. Thanks for the great product and I very much look forward to other future products, as well as the ones I don't have yet.

If you have Vista or 7, you should have the speech recognition program built in. With XP, it's a separate download.For Vista/7, I type into the search box "Speech Recognition" because I'm lazy and don't want to open a bunch of folders. But for the full directory, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Ease of Access and then find Windows Speech Recognition. It's pretty self-explanatory once you're there, but if you haven't ever used it before it can be a bit different. Go slowly and take your time because, as for the 767 edition, it's very worth the effort! And yes, do what Bryan said and read the manual. Study it like the Bible. Don't deviate from the printed instructions of what to say and when to say it. It seems repetitive after a few flights, but I believe it's accurately depicting what goes on in the flight deck, as it reduces errors to know what to say and when to say it. Trust me, the more you put into setting up the program before you even use it, the more you'll get out of it.

Hmm, you're right, Bryan. I have SP1 installed. The mistake was, once again, my own. I have my manual not printed out, but on my second monitor, which is an old CRT one but still works fairly decent, albeit sometimes hard to read. I guess in all the excitement I mistook the FO checklist item written in the manual, "Altimeters:" as being part of the Captains return, which I see now in actuality is only "xx.xx set and cross checked," and not what I thought, which was "Altimeter xx.xx, set and cross checked." Again, my mistake and not with the program. So with this sorted out, I'd say the program is 100%.On a side note, you say yourself you take pride in your level of customer service, and I say you should. By far, this is the best support I've received from anyone regarding their product or service, payware or freeware. Above all else, this is the reason why I purchased this product. Keep up the great program work and excellent customer service.

Simple question but, did you train your PC to understand you? I had a problem with the software not working the first time I tried, but it was my audio driver that had the real problem. Reinstalled it, then after re-trying the training that didn't work the first time, the 767 edition is working nearly perfectly now. Just gotta train myself to work with it.It's not as plug-and-play as the button editions. The more you train your PC, and I suppose in some ways, mess with FS2Crew, the better it will become.

This is partially solved, though I don't know how. I'm doing yet another flight after reinstalling my audio drivers and restarting Windows. This time when I ran the "Approach Checklist," I had no issues with it being performed, except the FO still doesn't like when I say "altimeter". He still hears it as "altitude" no matter how many different ways I say it, which leads to some very interesting climbs and descents.

Bryan, thanks for making such an awesome product. After struggling for days with whether I'd buy this version or the 747 one, I decided I'd go with the 767 for now and wait on the other, simply because I fly the 767 more and am more familiar with it. Despite my computer not really recognizing anything I say even after running the training, FS2Crew is working nearly flawlessly.One major thing that's bothering me is on the flight I just tried into DFW. Everything went as smoothly as I could hope for the first time until it was time for the Approach Checklist. Normally I try to get things done as soon as possible so I can prep for landing, so after passing 10,000 feet I called for the App. Checklist. The FO just stared at me and was unresponsive, almost coma like. So I figured it was too early to call for it and waited until the manual said, at 7,000 feet. I called for it again, but same response from the FO. I checked my voice connection by giving another command, "Off ATC for the PA" and he replied, "check". So I knew he was listening.I kept trying every hundred feet or so for the checklist but he wouldn't give it or acknowledge it. Finally after reaching 5,000 feet, I call out again, "Approach checklist" with just a bit of hostility in my voice. The FO responds with, "check". Furthermore, I can see on the green bar that my words are being picked up correctly, so I know the program is hearing what I say. I figure that maybe the FO is supposed to do a silent flow first, so I check the overhead and every other panel, but nothing is different. Maybe, then, I'm supposed to call out the checklist items. "Landing Briefing," I say. No response. "Touchdown elevation." Still nothing. "Touchdown elevation, six zero seven feet," I say, sure that maybe I'm supposed to read this out in whole. No response. Getting closer to ILS capture, I blurt out, "Raw data on your side." "Check", he says, but I'm not sure he actually did anything. "Flaps 1." "Check". Flaps don't move. Now what? "Arm Localizer." Nothing. Gahh! I'm about ready to throw him out of the plane without a parachute. Obviously something didn't trigger, although the Approach Checklist is highlighted in yellow on the Control Panel. The only thing I can figure is my "failure" to call out my altimeter reading. However, I did this but FS2Crew understands "altimeter" as "altitude", whether I say it as "al-TEE-mee-tar", "al-TIM-eh-ter", or "all-TAH-mee-ter," or any other possible way of saying it. Any ideas for why the FO neglects my call for the Approach Checklist? Might have to report him to the FAA if he keeps doing that.Thanks,Matt

So then I would be set with my planned keyboard macros with minimal issue? Great! I honestly don't mind if I do have to open the overhead, as I have to also open the FMC panel, so it's not a big deal, but the majority of things probably could be done via keyboard for max realism. Thanks for the quick reply and I look very much forward to buying and using the voice editions of FS2Crew.

Brian,I've known of FS2Crew for a while now and it is a really great program. I own the WIlco Airbus version (which is unfortunate since I get terrible frame rates in Wilco and no longer use it) and am especially interested in buying the PMDG 747 Voice Edition and the LDS 767 Voice Edition upon the request of one of my fellow Virtual Airline friends. He has bragged about the 747 and posted his own videos on our VA forum since he bought it and has given nothing but great reviews of it. Within the next couple weeks, I am expecting to buy one or both of these in the next few weeks and have just a few questions before I do so. On both the PMDG and Level-D drop downs from within FS9, users are able to change the key strokes for certain systems and switches. I am slowly working on a secondary keyboard set up with a freeware program called HIDMacros which simulates multiple keypresses into just one button (for example, instead of Shift-Cntl-Q you can just press the 'A' key on the second keyboard to simulate this, and still use the main keyboard normally). This, I believe, will make the simulation much more realistic as it allows one to reach up to the "overhead" panel to turn on the battery instead of actually having to open the panel or remember which keys combination to press.Now, I assume both of these planes, made by different companies, will have different key presses for each event. PMDG might use Shift-Cntl-Q for the "battery" while LDS may use something totally different. My question is does FS2Crew use simulated Co-Pilot "key strokes" to turn switches on and off? And would changing either of these planes' default key presses negatively affect the operation of FS2Crew? Either way, I still look forward to buying such a promising product but it would be really great if I could make my FS life even easier by synchronizing all my aircraft controls to each other so I don't have to remember what each one does.Thank you in advance.Matt