Okay, here’s another Shut Up And Take My Money Like, Right Now moment since eons ago after IF-A and defo am gonna start subbing monthly right away. Will get the lifetime opt first chance I get, thank you so much for including Android! But call me daft, I don’t really know how to use it just yet, so a full tutorial would be awesome. That said, I AM ABSOLUTELY LOVING EVERYTHING IN IT SO FAR!
Also planning to get a separate device just to run this inside my DIY IF cockpit once I finish building it, gets pretty lonely in there r n 'cause for a flight sim that focuses thoughtfully on realism and community, the skies can still feel a bit too quiet on normal days. Your app is going to be the perfect cure for *ESSF! I even left it running at Mock Mode without IF and the ATC chatters are just sooo soothing as background sound as well, so I’m sorry if I abused the purpose to your app but I just successfully cooked a whole complicated dish in the kitchen with your app running in the background as mental support
*(Expert Skies Solo Flavor not Hultsfred Airport Sweden lol)
@William, I’ve finally did a full flight. This app is REALLY great, and adds alot. Here are some additional questions and some suggestions:
Questions:
Everything worked perfectly up to landing (cruise control never transfered me to approach, or tower) and I never got a landing clearance. Any idea why?
Please save me! I am going NUTS with some of the ATC speaking Italian, French or German, when obviously this shouldn’t happen. How do I change/cancel this?
Does the app transfer from one cruise control to the next?
What happens if an airport (e.g. T/O) is controlled? Is there a way to start with controlled ATC, and then continue with the app? Does the former over-ride the latter?
Suggestions:
When lined up on RWY, waiting for clearance, I hear alot of airplanes are also cleared for landing. It would be good if this could be avoided, somehow?
In Cruise, it would be good if the messages could be diversified - e.g. instead of ‘light chop reported’, perhaps requests from airplanes to deviate from ruite due to weather, requests to climb, etc.
I don’t think any of the ATC communications actually provide the QNH (e.g. 10xx hecotpascals), when this is always given
In line with previous suggestions, I think it would be amazing if you managed to tailor the ATC to region. this means, particularly the type of airline flying (callsigns). It would also be SO cool to have some ATC adapt to time of day (good morning/evening, etc), and/or language (buenos dias, bonjour, hello) that sort of thing…
Would be good to have a force ON/OFF button - I hear the ATC go off long after I’ve turned off IF
Did you have a full flight plan with STAR and Approach groups?
Yes, I can look into this, would you like the accents to be regional depending on where you are? Easier on android, limited on iOS
Yes, sector handoffs should happen
Yes it will give you a pop up if a human controller is present on your tuned frequency and will stop the flow. After switching off, it will resume
Can look at the logic but right now announcements are random
Noted
Can look into this, it would be QNH globally but “altimeter” in North America
Noted
I could provide an off switch in settings. For now make sure you close IF then clear the flight, close the app, then swipe alway the live notification if on.
I only loaded a direct approach, no STAR. the issue is that sometimes there is none on offer in IF. would that be the reason and is therefore a limitation?
Yes, regional accents, why not. if you manage to couple that with “local” traffic, that would be amazing.
Just to report what seems like a bug - the connection to IF dropped out a couple of time (once you reload the app, it’s ok, but sometimes it doesn’t seem to identify the flight phase, e.g. spits out ATIS iso of cruise chatter). Unfortunately, I have yet to experience the full landing sequence as well (handover from Cruise, to approach, to TWR/Ground). While I get the clearance to go on descend via the STAR by Center, there’s no handover after that (I had loaded an Approach sequence).
Finally, in addition to the above points, another suggestion for the taxi sequence on departure is to space out the taxi clearance from the pushback. As I understand it, the minute the pushback is finished triggers the taxi request. That’s not fully realistic, and maybe you can delay this similar to what you have when lining-up on Runway?
I see what you mean, but many of us will use autopushback, and so there’s no way to disconnect towtruck. is there a way round this?
the taxi out instructions are a bit cryptic. the taxi to the ground movement area immediately precedes the taxi to runway. is the former necessary?
while on flight, departure instructs me to a direct waypoint which I’m either already flying to, or that I have passed.
is it possible to include in callsigns letters (e.g SWR6AT? - alpha Tango?). I tried many ways, but it just reads it as SWR6. IF recognises it correctly
other than that and the previous suggestions, it’s looking great.
At the end of the auto pushback the tug is automatically removed and that also triggers it.
The taxi instructions are generated from the OSM data with realistic taxiways from the map. It background mode, they would be cryptic if you dont know the airport. In regular mode, a map is displayed with the route.
It currently uses the next waypoint but if your waypoints are close it’s possible you passed it.
Once more, I think you have a really cool app that adds real value to IF. In my view, you’ve got a clear USP. I am outlining below several developments which I think could bring significantly better value, unmatched by other apps and IF as far as I can tell:
with the new Checklist feature in 26.4, how about a voice call out for each of the items once they are ticked?
Matching/aligning with real-world travel data as much as possible (and ATC voices ) : I’m not a developer, but if I understand, you could try to grab API (e.g. here or here) so that the AI ATC somewhat aligns with the real world. Without a knowledge of your business or membership model, if money is the issue, perhaps you could consider offering a higher subscription fee if the App aligns better with some of this, e.g. 5$/month, iso of 3$ or something like that. I’d definitely give it a go!
Developing a web-based, desktop version of this. I don’t think IF players all have 2 devices, but assume it’s more likely they will have at least a PC/laptop, and a device. What I find really cool, but haven’t yet been able to test out, is the Push to Talk button with ability to read-back. This is definitely a big deal, and as far as I’m aware, not something IF is even considering
Again, without a good understanding of the technology underlying this, but moving forward, I could imagine you could also consider having more interaction on the ground with dispatch. E.g. when you attach the tug or disconnect the jetbridge, perhaps this could be some trigger for an audio message from the dispatcher giving you the final loadsheet and that sort of thing. IF still missing this ground servicing element, and likewise I don’t think there’s any other app out there doing this.
Great if you thought/are planning any of these. Really exited to see how this app develops. I’ll continue testing and messaging.
Just checking in. Been tied up the past few weeks but I am still investigating options for a web app and will also get to some of the requested fixes. Will probably get something out next week if all goes well.
Ok you asked, it’s here. Latest release will have a web app mode. It still uses the iOS/Android app that you can run in the background on the same device as IF but you can sync it with a web app at web.ifatccompanion.com. The web app acts like a remote control for the iOS/Android app. This is just the first release so let me know what you think. You’ll find the new setting to turn it on in iOS/Android as soon as the stores release the update.
After several days of use, I have to say that I really liked the new function of adding the QNH. I noticed that before the handoff between one sector and another was much more precise lately I’m finding a lot of inaccuracy when I move from one sector to another, sometimes it doesn’t even give me Handoff for the new sector.
I find it very difficult when I have to park at the assigned gate. The gate number you assigned me never coincides with that of the airport where I am. I ask for greater accuracy in this function. I would also improve the conversations with the approach, perhaps not assigning step by step altitudes. I would like more precision in the speed indications by the tower or the approach such as when they authorise me to go down, or when I have to go down to 250knts etc. the system tells me always authorizes me at the same speeds 220/180, I hope I’m wrong. Then I would really like it to really connect to the flight of Infinite Flight maybe when another plane is about to land announcing that we have to wait before entering the runway would be fantastic, or since on Infinite Flight there is no TCAS integrating it with IFACT it would be wonderful.
) : I’m not a developer, but if I understand, you could try to grab API (e.g. here or here) so that the AI ATC somewhat aligns with the real world. Without a knowledge of your business or membership model, if money is the issue, perhaps you could consider offering a higher subscription fee if the App aligns better with some of this, e.g. 5$/month, iso of 3$ or something like that. I’d definitely give it a go!