Odd "atc_id" behaviour when only "Call Sign" is used

I spawn in with the N427RC registration Cessna 414, which has the following configuration:

atc_id=“N427RC”
atc_flight_number=“N427RC”

I don’t know why they did this, but anyway.

I then noticed I had put my tail number in the call sign box by accident.

When I contact ATC I see this:

image

It’s reported my custom tail number, as well as the tail number built into that livery.

Now, if I open the Behaviours window, and do a quick reload, then contact ground again, I now see this, and this is without me changing anything.

image

So call sign, and flight number will override the config file even if they are present,

It is now no longer reporting my custom tail number, but the manufacturer as defined here:

atc_type =“$$:CESSNA”

If I remember right, the only way to get your custom tail number to show is to blank the “atc_id” field, as it overrides the custom one.

So if I change that to:

atc_id=“”

I now see this:

image

It looks like the call sign is overriding the manufacturer, but is this intentional?

image

Blanking both “atc_id”, and “atc_flightnumber” in the config, then shows neither of the two values above:

image

Unless you go back to the main menu, and it only works that one time. Any reloading, and it breaks again. I think this last is perhaps an old issue I first saw with Carenado planes, as they were one of the first to work out how to get dynamic tail numbers on liveries.

image

And if I add the flight number as well, it does not show the tail number at all, just call sign, and flight number.

image

But again, only if you don’t reload:

image

So the callsign on its only only overrides the manufacturer, not the tail number.
Callsign plus flight number displays only those two values, and overrides both manufacturer, and tail number in the config file.
Tail number on its own displays the manufacturer, and tail number in the config.
Using all three only shows the call sign, and flight number, so if you want the tail number only, never mix the three values.

I’m sure this is old news, but I can’t say I ever noticed this before, and only did because I populated the wrong box in customisation.

The only “bug” here perhaps is that using the SDK to reload the plane then removes the customisations, and either a restart or back to main menu is needed to restore them.

1 Like

I love all these weird sim anomalies you go down the rabbit hole to find!

1 Like

I can’t help myself. :slight_smile:

If I see some odd behaviour that I don’t understand, its fun to explore all the various permutations to see what effects what. This started out as being a precursor to logging it as a bug, but I’m not sure it is, just perhaps undocumented behaviour.

I’m pretty sure the aircraft reload issue is a bug though as that shouldn’t change the behaviour of how ATC interacts with you, and not a new one either as I think I saw that when Carenado released their 182.

1 Like

I’ve been finding oddities with how ATC identifies aircraft lately. I think since SU12, mainly.

There was this:

And then the AAU2 beta, I’ve flown the 787 quite a bit and they just identify it as “Boeing” rather than the type designator. I think they are also describing AI aircraft this way, too, as I’ve head ATC warning other aircraft of “Boeing” well after I’ve landed and parked.

1 Like