Radio Navigation and Air Traffic Control.

[Fozzer]

I'm very pleased with the way that ATC works in FS 2004....VFR/IFR, Flight Plans, Flight Following, etc...
...but one extra thing may be useful...

The option to "Taxi to the Fuel Pumps", including the coloured "Progressive Taxi" aids, (where they exist on the Airfield), to refuel after leaving the runway upon landing, in addition to "Taxi to Gates", and "Taxi to Parking".

(For FS Navigator users, the precise location of all the Fuel Pumps is shown on the FS Nav GPS Map of the Airfield, which is always very useful).

Any more suggestions for improving the existing Radio Navigation/Communications, etc?

Paul....G-BPLF..FS2004...FS Nav.. 8-)...!

[SeanTK]

Good subtopic choice, Paul. 

I think a redo of the FS IFR system would be nice. Holding patterns, crossing points at certain altitudes....the elimination of the zig zag malarkey on approach, etc.

Plenty more things will come to mind later....

[Travis]

I think the VFR navigation in FS9 was pretty darn good, but the IFR section needed drastic improvements.  I never got ahold of FSX long enough to get into a real IFR flight, but I suspect there wasn't much difference.  A bit of work in this area would not go amiss.

Also, along the lines of what Fozzer was saying: it would be nice to have options to taxi to the fuel spots as well, but could we possibly eliminate the need for those purple dashes that lead you everywhere?  How about a dedicated "Follow Me" truck?  Or even just directions from the tower saying "turn right next taxiway"?  The dashes just detract severely from the realism when I'm trying to complete a flight by real-world standards.  So much so that I just leave the directional arrows off and follow a real-world map of the airport.  Unfortunately, many airports in the FS world don't correspond to their real-world counterparts.  Lots of issues, there.

[SeanTK]

A few more ideas:

Maybe a Bendix-King GPS, such as the KLN 89 or 90?

Ability to pick up radio stations through tuning the correct NDB signal (could be amusing).

Nav Aid reliability problems (especially NDBs) based on weather conditions, and maybe just a random state of the station.

Ability to speak to the ATC service rather than pressing a button (although that option should still be available).

[DaveSims]

I would like to see ATC completely overhauled.  They should provide actual separation between aircraft (to keep planes from getting stacked on top of each other).  ATC should be able to sequence arrivals and departures much smoother, which would alleviate the traffic jams so common on FS. 

If they began utilizing actual IFR arrivals, departures, holding patterns, etc., they would be able to accomplish a lot of that.  One last thing, allow aircraft to "line up and wait" (as the new term goes) when aircraft land until they clear the runway. 

[Flying Trucker]

Goodly morning all...

Yes excellent topic Paul.

I read in one of the other posts regarding MSFlight about being able to go back in time in the program.

Perhaps there could be three choices for Navigation and this is just a thought.
1...Modern Aids to Navigation that are used to-day.
2...Aid's that were used during the time period 1939 to 1965
    for example.  I would like to see the Second World War
    Nav Aids up to the invent of the VOR perhaps.
3...1909 and the First World War Years 1914 to 1918 and up
     to 1939 or the start of the Second World War.

I think this would be interesting to have a choice for the type of flying and aircraft one uses.

However this should not stop the use of a VOR, ADF or GPS being used during any time period in any aircraft if selected and that I think is very important.

Map Reading and Navigation is very important even to-day so having a very good map would be important to have in the system which should be capable of using while flying and not having to bring it up separately like FSX or FS2004 unless one is using two monitors.  Something like they do with the GPS now in FS2004 or FSX.

Just my input on an interesting topic.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Fozzer]

[quote]

Also, along the lines of what Fozzer was saying: it would be nice to have options to taxi to the fuel spots as well, but could we possibly eliminate the need for those purple dashes that lead you everywhere?

[machineman9]

(Rough copy-paste from another thread)

Emergencies - If I set my transponder to an emergency number, I would appreciate it if the ATC took notice and landed me first. If my engine is on fire I don't want to be 4th in line and have to go around!

Realistic transmissions. ATC has changed over the years a bit and some commands are now different and need updating. A slightly more realistic speaking voice would be nice too. There should be different voices for different countries, but if you're talking to some controllers they should be a little more casual. A nice 'good morning' or something like that.

More support for multiplayer ATC, or ATC mode? Allow you to run an airport when you're in that area? Again with the 'real world trains, planes and walking' suggestion, if you could just hop into the role of an ATC that would be interesting. If there was some story line/character progression then time as an ATC seems quite interesting.

Some kind of distortion and increased speed of voice would make it more realistic yet. Some people aren't veterans of flying and need the ATC to speak slower so that they can be understood, but real world pilots may get annoyed at having to listen to the ATC droning on. So if they picked up the pace for you (through an option) and added radio distortion depending on your location/distance/weather/general radio qualities then there would actually be a reason to have the 'repeat last instruction' button.

[Spindrift]

A slightly more realistic speaking voice would be nice too. There should be different voices for different countries, but if you're talking to some controllers they should be a little more casual. A nice 'good morning' or something like that.

Here is something else they can take from Colin McCrae: DIRT 2, your co-driver, reading the track notes sounds VERY realistic, never sounds like "Short Circut's"Johnny 5! varying pace and tone, even commenting on your mishaps! this would achieve an awesome level of immersion for ATC!

these are great ideas peeps, I hope and pray MS is reading this stuff!

[f-35simpilot]

I would like a new option

"Nightmare 7-1 cleared for takeoff"
"Nightmare 7-1 requiest unrestricted"
"Nightmare 7-1 hold position..."
"Nightmare 7-1 cleared unrestriched to flight level 180"