Improved pushback system is needed

Official Microsoft Flight Simulator Wishlist
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1

I really hope the pushback system will be amended and/or improved.

I find it so annoying to call ATC to ‘request pushback’, and then call them again to ‘request push to left’, and then again to ‘stop pushback’, with ATC replying every time that the message has been passed to the engineer.

It is needlessly repetitive and needs a distinct overhaul.

The extra commands in the ATC menu are absolutely fine, but I don’t believe they all need to be voiced and replied to every time, do they?

What I’m saying is, it would be more practical and efficient to receive an ATC reply to the first request, and then as the aircraft is moving back, maybe use a left and right key binding to ‘signal’ him to turn the aircraft; then when I select 'stop pushback, he could simply wave & pull away from the aircraft.

I believe this, or something along these lines, is more realistic, immersive, and removes the repetitive ATC responses.

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I think its more likely that Better Pushback will be released for MSFS2020 before Asobo fixes the in game pushback. Hope I’m wrong

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Yeah, I’ve worked on the ground at an airport before, and the air crew don’t contact the pushback on the radio, they have direct contact with them because the ground crew plugs a headset into the aircraft to have no lag or middlemen in their communication. It would be nice to simply have a direct connection to the pushback, and have an option to simply enable it with a keystroke and control steering with your rudder/tiller wheel.

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How do you turn during pushback ? When I press Shift P it only seems to go straight back?

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You must contact ATC and ask to turn left or right with the ATC window

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In addition to the above suggestions, sometimes it seems that pushback is not offered at the gate until after engine start (787 at KSFO for example). AFAIK, this never happens in real life.

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Thanks that does seem a bit unrealistic.

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It is, there generally isn’t middlemen for pushback.

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Just wanted to reply to this post because this is something that is desperately needed in this game (be it a rework of the native pushback process, or a 3rd party option). While I’d love to be able to plan my pushback, like it’s done in Better Pushback, I’d even just love the ability to steer the cart myself. Either way, a new system is needed.

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10

Yes, I thought the pilots had direct communication with the pushback crew. I believe FS2004 and FSX had that kind of pushback no? You just used the rudder pedals to steer.

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No, vanilla FSX and FS9 only pushed straight back.

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Actually, there was a left and right in FSX.

Press shift + P to pushback.
Then (after pressing shift+P, and before pressing any other button) press 1 for left or 2 for right.

1 = tail to the left
2 = tail to the right

Wait patiently - the aircraft pushes back, and after a set distance, turns to the left or right.

(I haven’t yet tried it in MSFS to see if they’ve included the same keys).

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I have :slight_smile: - While Shift+P works in MSFS, using numerical keys to specify a direction does not.

The idea of using rudder pedals to steer during pushback would be a bit odd, as the tugs take care of that. I would rather a dialog window popped up when requesting pushback that asked you to select a destination node.

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14

The free Better Pushback app for XP11 works great. I would like to see a system like that for MSFS.

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15

This is something that is really horrible. Because push back is so time consuming I start up my engines when still on the stand rather than when pushing back. Also it would be great if ATC had an approve start up function as well…

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16

What about being able to pushback an aircraft and being able to steer it? A2A did this great where roll axis steered left and right and Pitch axis controlled forward and backwards.

The pushback guy that’s seen in Sim was a nice touch instead of automagically moving backwards. He looks like a Steve: “Pushback guy Steve”.

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A system like in the XPlane ‘Better Pushback’ plug-in would also be great.

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It’s not even that it’s unrealistic. It’s clunky and cumbersome.

In the real world you Call ramp or ground ready for push back, get approved, then tell the guy plugged in at the truck and they do it. You don’t direct them, they know where you’re supposed to go they do it all day.

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I just use the power-back procedure :wink:

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Yes, something like Better Pushback would be great. I don’t know about other airports, but in my homebase, TBM cannot even ask for pushback before engine is started. And then the poor guy is just stepping with his tow cart into spinning propeller. So recently, I am not even asking for pushback with GA crafts and just steer forward, wing going straight through the heads of ground pesonell. :frowning:

4 Likes