Hello guys,
After my couple of visits to my local atc facility I have tried to determine what we do not have yet that they do. I concentrated on things that are doable and that aren’t too complicated to get used to. I also thought of solutions to some features so that it can be adapted to our way of controlling (which means it’s not exactly what they have).
I have have made a list of features and linked them to their feature request topic if they have one. What I am hoping is that those topics which now don’t have many votes get some. Some really have small ideas of things to implement but they actually have a really big impact in my opinion for the atc part of the sim. I am also hoping that by doing this staff will maybe look into doing an update just for atc (as in a big one with lots of new tools). I can understand that their main goal is to make the sim attractive to new customers but I have a few arguments that show why it would boost it on the long therm.
So like I said FDS want the sim to be attractive. Showing lots of liveries and planes obviously is brilliant and they’re doing an excellent job. But think about it, there’s a big part of the sim which is ATC. It’s the best sim for ATC out there in my opinion (on mobile) since there aren’t many anyway. So why not try to promote that side of the sim even more?! Making that part better also means the flying part will be better on long therm. We will have people installing IF just for ATC and they will become expert controllers. More controllers=more open atc frequencies. It makes it even better for pilots and more and more realistic. And on a shorter therm… having better possibilities for us air traffic controllers means that we will manage more traffic and it will make it more realistic for both us and pilots. This is why I think a full ATC update would really be worth it for ATC, pilots and FDS.
Now let’s get to this list. Here’s what I thought of. Please choose your favourite topics and go vote for them! The more the votes the more likely they’ll do this such needed update!
The list you’ve been waiting for
ATIS:
No direct RW crossing ATIS || no direct RW crossing
ILS approaches only
Approach:
Map:
Terrain map
Custom waypoints Approach/Pilot waypoint feature request
Custom routes Map sketching (radar frequencies)
Display:
Waypoints and VORs seen when de zoomed Make vors and fixes seen without zooming in so close
Seeing pilots FPL ATC and Flight Plans
Airspeed visible too
Become green when cleared Aircraft tag become green when cleared on approach
Lock aircraft tag Lock Aircraft tag on approach
swipe aircraft directly on radar screen ATC || swipe aircraft directly on radar screen
Remove data tag after swiping flight strip Remove data tag when swiping flight strip away
Custom map (second one zoomed on localiser) ATC || Customise different views on radar and camera
Commands:
Deny because pattern not allowed (check atis)
VS command
Procedure:
Contact further than 50nm or everyone at 50
Tower:
Tool:
Drag and time feature ATC Drag and time feature
Display:
Customise map (zoom on runway end) ATC || Customise different views on radar and camera
Aid to visualise sequencing Enhanced Radar Map for Sequencing
Command:
Line up behind ATC Commands
Speed commands Tower ability to issue speed restrictions
Altitude command (go around stay underneath)
Exit via xyz Exit Runway Via… Turn Onto Taxiway…
Maintain runway heading “Maintain Runway Heading” Instruction
Approaching the wrong runway end warning An ATC warning if someone approaches to the wrong runway
Maintain separation with nearby traffic command
Ground:
Tool:
Drag and taxi “Drag and Taxi” Feature
Commands:
Follow x aircraft ATC Ground - “Follow X Aircraft”
Aircraft too big for gate
Display:
Cuatomise map (zoom on localiser to see if runway soon in use) ATC || Customise different views on radar and camera
Taxiway map Improved Ground ATC Experience
See more aircrafts on ground Tap to Show Aircraft for ATC
Customise camera angles (different parts of airport) Tower split screen view for Air Traffic Controllers
Special ground camera angle New ATC camera option
Procedure:
Gate reservation Gate Bookings | Infinite Flight Ground
Departure:
Map:
Terrain map
Custom waypoints Approach/Pilot waypoint feature request
Custom routes Map sketching (radar frequencies)
Commands:
VS command
Display:
Custom map (second one zoomed on localiser)ATC || Customise different views on radar and camera
Waypoints and VORs seen when de zoomed Make vors and fixes seen without zooming in so close
Airspeed visible too
Remove data tag after swiping flight strip Remove data tag when swiping flight strip away
swipe aircraft directly on radar screen ATC || swipe aircraft directly on radar screen
Procedure:
Preferred cruise altitude File Cruising Altitude in Flight Plan
Unlikely possibilitie (needs some more thinking as to how to implement):
Procedure:
Clearance delivery Clearance Delivery Frequency
Slot system
Center Center Control - Automatically Control Aircraft
If Center comes:
Map:
Custom waypoints Approach/Pilot waypoint feature request
Custom routes Map sketching (radar frequencies)
Display:
Waypoints and VORs seen when de zoomed Make vors and fixes seen without zooming in so close
Custom map (second one zoomed on certain parts)ATC || Customise different views on radar and camera
Airspeed visible too
Lock aircraft tag Lock Aircraft tag on approach
Remove data tag after swiping flight strip Remove data tag when swiping flight strip away
Seeing pilots FPL ATC and Flight Plans
Commands:
VS command
Procedure:
Preferred cruise altitude File Cruising Altitude in Flight Plan
other:
Reminder if checking help pages if user got one on the last flight Notice: Check Help Pages
change airlines callsign to match their icao airline code Change airline’s callsign to match their ICAO airline code
There are a few features that haven’t been requested yet so here’s the explanation and reason for them
Terrain map
To make it simple I was thinking of a minimum vectoring altitude map. That’s what they use here at LSGG and I think we could easily use that. It doesn’t have to be the official one for the airport as with some code it can be made (an approximation that’s already helpful.) @DenverChris is already working on something similar for his website but unfortunately he probably won’t have time to finish the MSA kind due to work. (But he’ll do normal terrain!)
Here’s what it could look like:
Airspeed visible too
This is would be handy if for example you want a plane to slow down a bit but not too much. You can easily see which speed to give instead of trying to guess what speed he’s at and then subtract what you want. At LSGG what the controller had is they could see what the pilots had as information and what they selected on the autopilot. The autopilot part isn’t really needed but the info I think is
Tower: altitude command
It would be handy for example if there’s a go around. You wait a bit and then clear the aircraft for takeoff and clear for a certain altitude. You also clear the go around with a slightly higher altitude like that separation is kept and you can clear a bit earlier for takeoff. (That’s what they do at LSGG)
Tower: Maintain separation with nearby traffic
the idea is that people on tower often get too close to nearby traffic / traffic they are sequence behind and either break separation or are at risk for doing so … if egregious we ghost but it would be nice to have a command that lets them know what they are doing wrong … similar to the command “maintain safe distance from aircraft ahead please” on ground … but for tower
VS command
The VS (vertical speed) command is something that could be helpful for approach. Sometimes you have some pilots that are descending really slowly and the only solution is a delay vector or say “expedite”. The expedite command is really confusing because you have to make the link between that and the altitude. With the VS command there is no more confusion and it is more realistic. Sometimes it may be useful too in situations where there is terrain and you have to maintain a certain VS or you won’t descend fast enough to intercept the localiser. For example at VNKT it’s too risky to directly give the clearance for 6000 so the controller will keep you a bit above and on the last turn will give you the descend command. Unfortunately some pilots may not know that it’s important there to not go at 500ft/m and that is not enough… no delay vector is possible in that situation and you’ll have to go around. So this is a feature that won’t be used very often but when it is used it is really valuable.
Contact further than 50nm or everyone at 50
Here’s a simple change in procedure (not really much to ad to IF other than a tutorial and informing of the change. The problem we currently have is that pilots contact approach at varying distances. In those conditions it can be hard to plan in advance and form a good line of inbounds. The problem is that pilots can tune in really far away (if I remember correctly 200nm) which is good and gives us space to work with but at the same time if they want to they can wait until 50nm… so for example if a plane is inbound from the east and our approach line starts north east of the airport if he contacts far away from the airport we send him directly to the end of the line. If he doesn’t contact us until 50nm he might start going south east of the airport and then when he contacts us he might not be in a handy situation to be vectored anymore or he might be interfering with other aircrafts already (but we can’t ghost since he’s not on the frequency…) another problem is for example some people will stay above FL 180 and contact when they are very close (even closer than 50nm) that’s very annoying since we can’t just give a random vector away from the airport and altitude since we don’t know when he’ll have reached a certain altitude and if it may create conflict… this is a really helpful change if it comes and would greatly help approach in my opinion.
Please if you want to help all IFATC and promote even better service go vote on a few of those topics! Here I have also made a little poll to get an idea of your opinion. It is just to get an interesting stat but to really have an effect we need to promote those little topics and give them some votes.
- Yes I would like an ATC only update
- No, it is not a priority nor a problem
If it’s a no please tell me why as I am happy to hear your point of view. It’s always interesting to have a little debate and different points of view😉
I hope FDS reads this post and tries to make ATCs experience on IF even better and more realistic.
Simple things can really be game changing and this is an example of why!
image credits: Reddit - Dive into anything