Hello guys I recently got to the expert server in IF and really wanted to do a long haul flight but when contacting center when afk I read that there’s an “away” icon that pops up so what about checking in IFR with them? Do you not check in? Or does it automatically check in? As well as automatically make altitude, heading, etc… changes automatically? Thanks!
I mean if you have your device running (I’ll say for an example) all day and you aren’t touching your screen/you aren’t “active,” if I’m not mistaken that’s when you will be marked as being “away.”
Unless I am unsure of how being ‘away’ works, I don’t believe it automatically checks-in for you. Your status, as shown, is just displayed next to your type, altitude, heading, true heading, GS, IAS, and Mach.
I am not IFATC, though if I see someone in my airspace at FL200 or above and marked as ‘away’ for several minutes I wouldn’t request that you contact me. I believe I had the same question before because I was worried of getting reported for failing to contact ATC. I think it’s either the same expectation or at least similar on Expert Server/for IFATC.
If I am ever paying attention on a long-haul and a Center/Radar frequency opens while I am airborne, I check-in.
If you’re marked as away you’re considered immune under Center airspace. You shouldn’t be contacted by ATC and if they try to and report you that should be a relatively easy appeal. Just be aware that the “away” thing is not always accurate as there have been times flying with friends that they show “away 10m” or something when I know for a fact (and asked them afterwards) that they have been away for multiple hours.
You don’t need to check in or adjust anything, just follow your flight plan and maintain altitude. If you try to do so it will mark you as active and then you WILL be responsible if ATC contacts you.
Also, I am not a center controller but I feel like most of the time if you’re cruising you’re not really going to be on a crash course with someone anyways so ATC will most likely not even want to contact you anyways.
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Check in on contact. If you are away make sure not to descend. Center will work around you when you are away. You don’t have to be marked as “Active” when descending or climbing, but if you are climbing or descending you have to be at your device ready to react because you are then responsible for not following an instruction or interfering with another aircraft.
And “Away” means you haven’t touched the screen for X amount of seconds. It does it automatically once you meet the criteria.
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One minute I believe
Personally, (It’s just my theory, at least) I believe that if you turn on the “low power mode” in “settings”, the moment when you see “low power mode enabled” on the top should be around when others start seeing your status as “away”, since both only activate when IF knows that you are not touching the screen for quite a while.
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Alright thank you all of you!
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Alright thanks
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Make sure you do not arm the VNAV button!
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Low power mode in the app turns on after one minute of inactivity, no matter what settings your phone is on. As soon as the low power mode in app is on, your status shows “away” after another minute
Ok thanks guys
Precisely, those two are very closely linked, in my opinion
This might have changed, when I tested this last, low power mode has no effect on it. It is a simple two minute timer.
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The Low Power Mode has no ties to the Away status - its just not touching your device for 2 minutes.
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Well, that was just my inference, after all. I just thought that it would make sense if both the power save and the away status are activated by the same precondition, which is not touching the device for several minutes
It’s true that the power save has no effect on “away”, but what I’m saying is that, possibly, when you see the purple “power save activated” on the top of the screen, your status should show as “away” pretty soon
I’m pretty sure low power mode can come on even if you are making inputs, so long as they aren’t on touching your screen. But “away” comes on after two minutes of no manual activity, just autopilot.
Possibly, since most of my flight is done by autopilot. I haven’t tested what will happen if I hand fly the plane with power save enabled yet.