Dear Jorg/Seb,
I often fly offline using MSFS ATC (IFR-rated PilotEdge simmer). I’m aware of the requests for major improvements of the ATC system. However I believe that a few minor tweaks can already make a huge difference. Hoping you could sneak these ones in during any of the upcoming updates.
(1) I like to “fake-talk” to ATC myself during my flights for training purposes as opposed to hearing the AI Pilot/Copilot phrase everything for me.
To this end, please add the option in the Menu to skip all Pilot/Copilot ATC call-outs in communication with ATC; ie. not just muting the pilot/copilot call-outs, but skipping the phrases entirely, as such keying any ATC Option would yield an immediate response by ATC.
Given this option, we could simply bind ATC Options 1 to 5 to our joysticks, configured ‘On Release’ as opposed to ‘On Press’, and fake-talk to ATC ourselves while pressing/releasing these joystick buttons to get responses by ATC. No need for fancy voice recognition software. Please add.
(2) In line with (1), please standardize the list of available ATC Options in the ATC menu across airfields/frequencies/controllers. This makes it possible to reliably bind and use the same ATC Options for the same communications with ATC during flights; thereby bypassing the need to open/reference the ATC menu to make sure we key the intended command (as some times the ATC Options list is ordered differently).
Specifically:
‘Request Clearance’, ‘Request Taxi’, ‘Request Takeoff’, Acknowledge … ', 'Contact … ’ should always be ATC Option 1. By doing so, one could complete an IFR flight from beginning to end by only hitting ATC Option 1 during each phase of flight (except when want to do something special).
In addition, ‘Say again’ should always be ATC option 2 after having received ATC instructions/responses (see also point 3).
(3) ALL of the ATC instructions/announcements should require to be Acknowledged by the pilot/copilot. Currently, some trivial ATC call-outs don’t require a response from us. This is unrealistic, and frustrating at times, as it leads me to hitting the usual ATC Option 1 button/key to ‘Acknowledge’ the call-out, but because there is no Acknowledge option in these special cases, hitting ATC Option 1 makes me announce or do something unintended instead (see also point 2). Please add.
For example, after checking-in with Departure after takeoff, we receive ATC instructions something along the lines of ‘… Continue as planned’. There should be an ‘Acknowledge’ required by pilot/copilot in this case (in terms of a simple Roger/Wilco or repeating one’s reg number), just as in real-world practice. Same goes for ALL other (trivial) ATC call-outs.
(4) Taxi instructions that involve routings along many taxiways are voiced by ATC far too fast for any mere mortal to follow and read back. Simply adding commas after each taxiway assignment may help the AI controller to insert short breaks, I imagine, and help us to follow along with paper and pencils. Please fix.
(5) Clearances of Instrument Approaches should be given by Approach controllers, not by the Tower. Currently, when checking-in with Tower, Tower provides the IAP clearance at the last moment when in fact we were already flying the approach. Currently, Approach only tells us to ‘Expect …’ whatever approach. Yet the system actually expects us to fly the approach already (thus meaning to say Cleared).
Please swap the Expect phrase with a Cleared-to phrase. And when established on the final segment of the approach, Approach should then instruct us to switch over to Tower to simply receive landing clearance.
(6) Please provide a keybind/toggle for the headset simulation effect. The sound effect is very nice and practical. It is frustrating to go into the menu each time to enable/disable this effect during my flights.
Thank you for considering!
Tim