What is wrong with ATC Specifically

I said in another thread some time ago that Asobo had no interest in fixing ATC and that they were waiting for an expensive third party dev to come and rescue them.

Regrettably, I see no reason to change that opinion as, to Asobo and Microsoft, scenery seems to be more important than realistic flight; a commercial decision that I understand, given that unfortunately most users of this software seem to be ‘casual’ pilots or sightseers.

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I can’t say … so far I have always looked at the current Wx and forecast and either went VFR all the way or IFR from start to finish. But since ATC offered an option I think the sim did recognize the “pop up IFR” flight as such so it should have workedeo for that as well.

One thing I noticed, but I have to add that I have a really slow ISP with 7Mb max, when using the Azure Live voices ATC is really strange at times. Using the offline voices it is much smoother, but of course sounds prerry bad :slight_smile:

As for busier airport and multiple runways…maybe…but that would likely make the selection also slower and you may be back in that timeout.
I would simply wait for the approach clearance and then immediately pick something else and request it…no matter what. If it works then you have the first piece of the puzzle.

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I just tried a pop-up IFR clearance and while I got an initial approach ATC also did not respond to a change request…so it looks as if that whole sequence only works when you are flying IFR from the start :thinking:

Again proof that while some ATC code may be from the legacy sims…it is defintely not the same.

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I filed a complete IFR plan yesterday evening, and had no luck changing that either, though I may have been due to a timeout.

I also had to cancel it, as I was never given landing clearance. It was one of those approach runway 30, then circle round for an ILS approach on runway 22 type things. I was cleared to a waypoint, and even though I flew the teardrop pattern I saw in Navigraph, ATC never got back to me so I cancelled it, and just requested landing permission from the tower.

A little frustrating to say the least.

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It’s the same with the default nav data, it happens to me every time.

If I decide to ignore ATC and follow my requested new approach, sometimes ATC reach me and aknowledge to my earlier requested approach when I’m on final :man_facepalming:t2:

Another thing I noticed is even if the runway has ILS or RNAV approaches available, ATC 99% of the time assign me a visual or VOR/DME approach when flying the TBM.

I also suffer from the other problems described earlier in this thread.

What I’ve ended up doing is simply requesting a VFR takeoff, then create my flight plan after. I can then follow this at my leisure, and then when near to my destination I can request landing. Sometimes they match what I have already, and if it doesn’t, I can request another runway which usually works. And if it doesn’t, I just keycin the new approach, which is all good practise.

In my experience, when you file a complete IFR flight plan (SID, STAR and APP included in it) you have no problems from departure to land regarding ATC directions (I still face other ATC problems), but ATC at least follow my plan and clear me to land on the planned runway, with the planned arrival and approach.

Other problem related to ATC is AI planes. Several times I was in a near crash situation without ATC alerting it.

Also, a few flights I were cleared to land, I was on final, when I heard ATC tells an AI airliner he was the second to land, and to follow me. But the airliner just fly past next to me and land. So ATC with AI is not working great either.

I would attack the problem of ATC the old way and simply ask why we can’t have working radio comms to allow us to work with the myriad of talented groups that provide a range of services for the sim pilot catering for those new to controlled flight through to the extremely professional and polished services provided by others such as UK317 on FSX.

Another requirement would of course be better mutiplayer visibility and interaction. We have had this for over twenty years now and to lose this longterm, would be a travesty. The programs for controllers are already out there, such as Little Navmap, should that MP visibility be realised.

No matter how good the algorithm, a synthetic service is just that and for those old enough to remember the sheer number of sessions available in the bad old days of Gamespy, it is surely, a wonderful opportunity to share the colossal World that Asobo amd Microsoft have created.

OK, I have said my bit. Goodnight ! :slight_smile:

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LOL the latter can happen IRL as well … though usually with some severe consequences to the offending pilot :slight_smile:
KCMA on a Saturday was always a beehive of activity and Tower ATC was sometimes juggeling 5 airplanes on a left and right downwind and then a zipper like sequence to the single runway. Throw in a few Jets or “smart” guys flying the IFR approach which resulted in a straight in setup and it could be a bit hair raising at times.
On one occasion a Beech Bonanza that was supposed to be following me, pushed up the speed and cut in line…only to float forever down the runway and missing the usual turn offs…Tower was not happy with him and immediately asked for a call on the phone :smiley:

In the sim ATC does seem to have no idea how to sequence and of course unlike in real life where on rare occasions even a 757 is asked to fly a few S-turns if the sequence is getting to tight the sim ATC can only call for a go around. Or at least it did that in FS9/X.

What I find most annoying though are the AI pilots that can’t seem to set their Altimeters OR control their Flight altitude.
On a short flight from GCLP to GCLA today almost the entire time I listened to a TBM at FL320 either being 400ft above or 300ft below assigned altitude.
That bug needs to be fixed soon…

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There are several issues with ATC, but the one that I find most irritating revolves around transitions. Many times I have been told to descend to perhaps 3,000 ft. Then I am given the approach transition. Sometimes this transition involves flying to a waypoint which had already been passed many minutes ago, and then the flight continues on a normal path. As you approach your destination, ATC then tells you to ascend several thousand feet because they assign the altitude at which the newly assigned transition captures the glide slope.

On flights from LA to Las Vegas or Phoenix, I have been instructed multiple times to fly right into the mountainside. How can a flight simulator have such a flaw at all. Certainly many users have reported this error during beta stage or since rollout to the market.

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Lots of good stuff. Here are a few more.

  • Inability to just request the altitude that you want.
  • ATC often gives you the expected approach way too late
  • Inability to ask for the expected approach
  • Artificial step climbs/descents. Don’t make me wait until I exactly reach my intermediate altitude before clearing me higher/lower.
  • Calling traffic in IMC or when it is behind you
  • “Continue as planned” instead of “Radar contact”
  • Needing to talk to ground control for ground services
  • Needing to talk to ground control for pushback
  • Lack of ramp control
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Try to request another approach at a large airport and you get this

Some of those I did fix, the “forward to operator” for example. Changing the text-to-speech does mainly correct the phraseology and not the core ATC system. But overall I’m happy with the result. Finding a way to distribute it as it is in the fs2020 language file, no clue if you could just overwrite the entire file on another computer. And next update its gone and has to be redone…

What bugs me is altitude change requests due to weather. First time I tried it (on release) I was assuming it was going to be a request for a specific altitude so I didn’t read the instruction too closely. When it came back it looked like I had made a request of x ft above or below current altitude. Fine, but it didn’t always seem to work that way, especially if you are already descending or climbing. Don’t tend to use it anymore and just declare IFR

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I think the altitude above / below is referenced to the filed altitude and not the currently cleared altitude.

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That kind of makes sense but it would be helpful if it were related to current altitude or, as I thought at the outset, a specific altitude in order to avoid IMC conditions

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I have fixed a lot of phraseology issues for people flying in EU, I just have to find a way to distribute it now. The issue you are mentioning is harder to do as its in the core system. I could change the text in the ATC window to “Request cruising altitude +- … ft”, I’m not sure what it even displays now. Keep an eye on this thread:

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From the release notes of the new patch, I spied this:

  • ATC should respond to requests for changing an approach into an airport

That would explain why I they ignored me, so I will give this a go tonight!

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Yeah, I hope this is fixed. With the badly broken weather, they often assign incorrect approaches that are completely crosswind when there are valid runways heading upwind. ATC would ignore any request to change approach prior. Let’s hope it’s actually fixed. I honestly take anything in the changelog with a grain of salt until I see it working for myself.

The speed at which the speak is way to slow. and the time it takes for the options to become available is also pretty long. That should be reduced and an option to choose the speed at which the controller and pilot speaks should be available. As in editvoicepack for previous sims.

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