"Airline Procedure" what excatly does it take into consideration?

mikejenlyons · January 31, 2025, 6:26pm

Digging through the Cargo Mission XML file there is a section that calculates the “Airline Procedures” score - here’s the section:

<SimMission.Calculator id="Airline procedure calculator" InstanceId="{6CA45158-2C65-42BA-8A68-6A894BC49991}">
            <SimBase.Descr>Airline procedure calculator</SimBase.Descr>
            <WorldBase.Activated>true</WorldBase.Activated>
            <CalculatorFormula> (X:ProcedureTotalScore) </CalculatorFormula>
            <CalculatorParameterList>
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ProcedureTotalScore" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ValidationRef_ContactNewCenter" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ValidationRef_ContactTower" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ValidationRef_ContactApproach" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="RequestFlightFollowing" OnActivatedValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="SquawkAcknowledged" OnActivatedValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="RadarContactAcknowledged" OnActivatedValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="FullStopAcknowledge" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="FullStopOnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="RunWayInsightOnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ContactApproachOnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="RadioContactClimb" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCClearedPushBack" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCclearedIFROnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCAcknowledgeIFROnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCclearedIFR" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="StopPushBack" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="IFRCanceled" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCclearedApproachOnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="AcknowledgeClearedApproach" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="TowerContact" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="PatternEntryAccepted" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCclearedApproach" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="AnnounceFinal" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCclearedLandingOnGoing" StartValue="0" />
                <FormulaParameter NameInFormula="ATCclearedGateOnGoing" StartValue="0" />
            </CalculatorParameterList>
        </SimMission.Calculator>

So those appear to be the graded parameters during career cargo flights. The file also contains references to the grading criteria that measure each of those items but without access to the decoded files that contain the code I can’t say exactly how they’re graded but there are some clues - here is the section that appears to measure the initial “Radio Contact” after takeoff…which I assume is triggered after takeoff on climbout:

      <SimMission.ExecuteListAction id="RadioContactClimbAction" InstanceId="{0ACD298B-7669-4636-A019-D875CD42C534}">
            <SimBase.Descr>RadioContactClimbAction</SimBase.Descr>
            <Immediate>false</Immediate>
            <Actions>
                <WorldBase.ObjectReference id="Pause_3s" InstanceId="{12357B3B-571F-4F2E-9664-91CC099BDBAD}" />
                <WorldBase.ObjectReference id="DeActivate Step : Contact radio center" InstanceId="{4D037ADC-5851-47AC-B1CA-D8F66EF1F4EE}" />
                <WorldBase.ObjectReference id="DeActivate Step :Request Flight Following" InstanceId="{C303A2A9-EFB2-42FA-8AE6-BF155C8EE410}" />
            </Actions>
        </SimMission.ExecuteListAction>
        <SimMission.ExecuteRPNAction id="RadioContactClimb" InstanceId="{032AE737-9996-4D2F-AD63-83BD5EE2ACA9}">
            <SimBase.Descr>RadioContactClimb</SimBase.Descr>
            <RPNCode> 1 (&gt;X:RadioContactClimb) </RPNCode>
            <WorldBase.ObjectReferenceList>
                <ObjectReference id="Airline procedure calculator" InstanceId="{6CA45158-2C65-42BA-8A68-6A894BC49991}" />
            </WorldBase.ObjectReferenceList>
        </SimMission.ExecuteRPNAction>

So that appears that this action triggers and gives a pass to either the “contact center” or “request flight following” action by deactivating their flags after about a 3 second delay from the trigger point. The next section appears to flag that successful completion of this step is a graded item for “airline procedures” - passing a RPN code of 1 for RadioContactClimb.

What I haven’t found yet is the “script” that the mission grading follows…announce taxi, announce takeoff, request flight following, request IFR, announce position on arrival, announce on final, announce taxi to parking…and the additional steps for IFR flights. Once we have that script we can map out the graded process for career missions.

Why isn’t this faster - well all the files are hidden behind the streamed virtual file system and are encrypted.

CorvusCorvid538 · February 2, 2025, 12:22pm

I just got 38% for Airline Procdures (100% for cargo integrity, 96% for respect condition and 100% for aviator performance). I thought it was a really good flight.
The things that went wrong were: I was cleared for takeoff but then told by ATC I wasn’t cleared for take off after I’d taken off. Then I was asked if I had heard ATC’s last transmission after I’d landed but there wasn’t a transmission and I checked the log. I was also asked 3 times to leave the runway in pretty much quick succession (not sure if I lost marks for this but ATC sounded a bit frustrated with me ) which was stupid as I was gradually making my way to the hold point which was at the ‘start’ of the runway. We are losing rep because ATC is a mess. I’m not saying I was faultless but docking us for their own failings is poor show.

CharlieFox00 · February 2, 2025, 3:38pm

You in the beta? I’ve been getting weird skips and penalties since then, too. Can’t exactly put my finger on when/why it happens to replicate and capture it.

CorvusCorvid538 · February 2, 2025, 4:11pm

Yes I am.
It’s got me thinking now you mention it. I know I’ve missed ATC comms before by mistake but these were clear errors on their side.

Seb851 · February 3, 2025, 4:30am

What is encrypted ?

rOSTykk · February 3, 2025, 11:26am

Its bgl files, you need to decomp them (and we dont know what career mode used - maybe serverside as well). I will try to look for override for procedures - but what i seen in definition: prodedures magically referencing to communication

SaprPavel6630 · February 3, 2025, 11:49am

Does anyone have any tips how to get 100% for Airline Procedures on B737 in passenger missions? I always get 75%. Only one time I had 100% and I have no idea how.
Other missions like first flight, cargo, SAR, etc… I always had 100%

SaprPavel6630 · February 3, 2025, 11:55am

For passengers satisfaction, check Intercom from time to time. There is a bugged button which you need to press manually.
When I don’t forget about it and make the smooth flight sometimes I get more than 90%. But never 100% though…

mikejenlyons · February 3, 2025, 2:23pm

The files are in a hidden file area that can only be seen after turning on the virtual file system setting in developer mode. Then you can see the files in the directory…that is where the working files are kept while the sim is running…it shows up under the MSFS2024 folder as VFS or VirtualFIleSystem or something like that. The files in question are BGL files (like rOSTykk said) and i just don’t have the s/w to decompile them (I’d bet it’s in the SDK but I don’t really want to install that whole package right now). The streamed data is also stored there for use (and cached in the MSFS2024 directory to save some bandwidth/time). There are some files in that virtual folder that will literally hide themselves when you try to open them…they are going to pretty great lengths to keep their data hidden…i’ve seen that with the aircraft config files as I was trying to see what settings were avaialbe for the C208…i can see the file but when i try to open it it disappears.

weirdNumber · February 3, 2025, 2:41pm

I thought I would come and take a look at this thread since I had a flight that gave me -38% for Airline Procedures and during the shutdown phase my passenger remarked something like “I’m going to report to the company, that flight was horrible”. My reputation then tanked from S to low C.
The flight was good I thought, apart from the usual ATC garbage - not clearing me to descend in time, asking me to expedite my climb to FL290 when I was 10 miles from the airport, getting yelled at 3 times to take the next taxiway 5 seconds after landing and before I have even reached the next taxiway. The usual MSFS ATC garbage that we have become normalised to. No different to any other flight as far as I could tell except that usually I never get above 75% and this time I got -38% (not sure that is how percentages work) and my passenger was angry.

MadMax76CZ · February 16, 2025, 2:27pm

Please check this bug report and vote if it behaves the same way for you.

Thx, P.