Many simmers want realism balanced with ease of use. Going through an entire checklist in a 747, and executing a complete startup is a very involved, time consuming procedure.
Some want to learn it, others don’t but still want much realism. How about an auto checklist- the copilot reads the checklist and the sim executes each step. This allows the simmer to watch and learn and feel like it’s a real startup, instead of just starting at the runway with everything running.
Same with FMC. Auto entry into the FMC after the flightplan is created.
These features will draw in more users and make the airline experience more enjoyable for those who have no interest in the whole shebang but still want more realism than past sims. In other words, give us a choice- ultra realism or medium realism, without sacrificing the steps needed to do an airline filght from gate to gate.
I guess we’ll find out. There are a HUGE number of FSX users who enjoyed airline flights and ran into a brick wall at the complexity of things like PMDG, etc. An auto checklist/startup would probably be very welcome.. Or even a complete autostart, but from the gate, not the runway. Watching the checkliost or FMC being executed would also be a huge learning experience (if someone wants to learn) and be realism without the enormous complexity. Otherwise, you are losing a whole segment of casual simmers. I’m not suggesting we dumb down the entire fleet- I’m saying let there be a choice, just as there is with graphics/performance settings.
I have to update my original post. I just learned from a YouTUbe video that FS2020 does indeed have a function if you go to the options menu and choose assisted checklists. It says it will do the procedures and read them back to you. I wasn’t awre of this. Has anyone used it? Does it work well?
At least on the ones I have used (747/787/A320 V2) I cant remember if it works on the PMDGs as I am so used to them that it takes me a few minutes to setup everything from the gate.
For assisted checklists to work, the XML file for the checklist must have a TEST section. An example from Aerosoft TwinOtter:
<!-- Parking Brake SET -->
<Checkpoint Id="DHC6_Parking_Brake_Set">
<CheckpointDesc SubjectTT="Parking Brake" ExpectationTT="SET"/>
<Test>
<TestValue>
<Val Code="(B:LANDING_GEAR_ParkingBrake) 0 !="/>
</TestValue>
<Action CoPilot="True" Condition="TestValueFalse" Once="True" Code="1 (>B:LANDING_GEAR_ParkingBrake_Set)"/>
<Instrument Id="DHC6_Park_Brake"/>
</Test>
<Feedback Name="The Parking Brake lever is at the bottom of the control column"/>
</Checkpoint>
The parking brake checklist item will wait until the parking brake is set and will continue automatically once the parking brake is set without for any other input from the user. This is an excellent system, but not all the developers adhere to it.
Simply select free flight, airplane of choice, departure and arrival.
It will spawn you onto treshold and you’re ready to rock’n roll.
Happy
In addition: When you want to start at a parking and don’t want to run through the cold and dark and checklists, simply use ctrl + e, just like in MSFS 2020
If, for whatever reason this doesn’t work for you instantly, check the key bindings on your kb.
Think you may find many aircraft have this option on their EFB. I don’t know how many cos I rarely use the EFBs but all those I have used it on, had the option.
