didfem

Thanks again, Dave. As usual, right on the money! Didier

I couldn’t understand why the P2ATC Copilot often did not acknowledge the controller’s clearance or request, such as a takeoff clearance or a frequency change. This happened frequently, but not always. Today, I found out that if I repeated the very same request, exactly the same way, I would get once more the controller’s reply BUT, after this second time, the copilot would acknowledge the controller’s statement and the exchange would continue normally from then on. This is puzzling. My work around does the job, but I sure would like to know why I have to go through this rigmarole... Didier

Planned a flight from Lima, Peru (SPJC) to Cuzco, Peru (SPZO). Get the ATIS as displayed on the left freq box. On the right, the box displays 118.5 SPJC ClrDel. Click on the box to swap frequencies. However, 118.5 SPJC ClrDel freq. that was on the right becomes 118.5 SPIM ClrDel on the left. When asking for clearance, the exchange is as follows: Avianca One Four Three Ready to Copy IFR Clearance; Aircraft calling JORGE CHAVEZ International Clearance Delivery on One One Eight Point Five It appears you may be on the wrong frequency. Check your frequency and try again. NOTE: All calls are automatically generated; microphone is not used. Please check and advise. Thank you. Didier

I still believe there is a major bug in Pilot2ATC that needs to be corrected. Again, when at FL370 I requested FL390, and the controller replied: "Negative. Your requested altitude is below the minimum altitude for your route. Climb and maintain FL590." It is absurd for two reasons: first, this happens when I'm flying over an ocean, not over the Himalayans; second, no airliner in current usage flies at FL590. Generally, the maximum operating altitude is 450, that is 14000 feet below the altitude the P2ATC controller wants me to fly at! This bug is really "bugging" me because after this preposterous clearance, the controller keeps repeating: "Climb and maintain FL590" and "Expedite climb to FL590". When the destination airport is still four hours away, it puts you on edge. I know a computer "works in mysterious ways", but I am puzzled by the fact that such a bug could even exist. Didier

I'd like to know what airline flies the SR71; I'm ready to book a flight 😉 I did ask the new altitude of FL350, but it appears that the controller was one-track-minded ... (His wife confirmed!) While I'm at it, I also found that controllers are a bit twitchy. When they give a clearance to a new altitude, they get back right away with an "Expedite climb to ..." From my experience (35 years as an airline pilot), I know that controllers allow at least a minute for the crew to set up the aircraft for the climb. Same thing with headings: those P2ATC guys have no patience at all! Also, I don't recall controllers assigning headings to the nearest degree; it's always to the nearest 5 or 10 degrees. This being said, automatizing ATC controllers and pilots is almost an impossible task. Way back then, it was believed that airline pilots could get away with memorizing standard phrases in English and using them almost automatically. In 2003, ICAO realized that pilots and controllers had to be fluent in English because there would always be an unavoidable "human element" in ATC. It takes guts, and faith, to try and create something like Pilot2ATC. Kudos. Didier

Airbus 350 in X-Plane 11.50. Flight from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia; WMKK) to Nadi (Fidji; NFFN). Initial altitude FL350. About half way, ask for FL370. Controller replies "Unable", this altitude is TOO LOW for my route and instead clears me to FL590! I check the speech to text and my request was correct. I request FL390, hoping that this request would trigger something, to no avail. I say "Unable FL590", and still no joy. For the last half-hour, the controller has been repeating "[Call Sign] climb and maintain FL590" and then "Expedite climb to FL590". I know for a fact that NO airliner is able to fly at FL590; even a Concorde, most of the time, could not make it to that altitude. Beside the obvious bug, is there anyway to tell the controller to quit the broken record?