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To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?

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martinlest
Post subject: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:40 pm
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By default, ATC often seems to wait too long to request descent and I end up having to come down much too fast- the a/c gains speed even with idle throttles. Or I have to circle near the airport while I lose speed...

Is there a way to get all flights to start their descent earlier, by default, somehow? I have to tinker with the altitude values in flight plan options, but it doesn't always work, by any means. I end up creating a 'step descent' but often I am not cleared down to an approach altitude in time.

Thank you. :)


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 11:41 pm
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Are you using version 3.0.3 ?

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

I don't know if my memory is getting worse as I get older...
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martinlest
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:05 am
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No, v.2.15. When I check for updates (or the programme checks itself) I am always told that I have the latest version.. Can't see any reference on the website to a later version - under 'latest releases' there's only PFE version 2.15 (19/04/14) shown. If there's a later version it is pretty well hidden..

M


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martinlest
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:13 am
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Oh, I see when I go to the store that there's a whole new programme, PF3. That's news to me, I am a bit slow off the mark on this one! I clearly haven't been reading the forums closely recently..

But £34.99. Is there an upgrade price from v.2? Haven't located any information yet...

M


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:26 am
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Sorry I was replying to forum posts on my phone and didn't notice your post was in the PFE forum. PF3 is free if you purchased PFE from me since 1st November 2015

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

I don't know if my memory is getting worse as I get older...
...I just can't remember how it used to be!

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martinlest
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:35 am
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Hi Dave,

I bought it of course, but as you know, I've been 'a loyal customer' a lot longer than since November last year :) - I bought FDC first (as an upgrade to S-Combo (which you may or may not remember, you gave me free, in exchange for some beta testing - or something like that - that I did; wow, that was some time ago!) and PFE a bit later.

How does that leave me with purchasing PF3?

I'll try the demo, but I see that PF3 doesn't actually replace PFE - you say in another thread that PF3 and PFE work fine 'side by side'. So to get the best possible ATC I need PFE and ProFlight 2000 plus PF3?? But I see PFE has been withdrawn, so that can't be the case :? (I should try out PF3 alone, without running PFE too, I suppose??).

Bottom line is I really don't think I can justify £34.99 right now to start from scratch when I've already bought PFE + optional voice packs. I am sure you have your reasoning but in one sense it doesn't seem quite fair to give newcomers a free upgrade but those who have supported OnCourse for some years don't even get a discount....

Thanks,

Martin


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Dave March
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 12:15 pm
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Hi Martin,

No, you don't use PFE and PF3 together. Yu only use one at a time. They can both be installed at the same time though, that's what I meant.
Quote:
it doesn't seem quite fair to give newcomers a free upgrade but those who have supported OnCourse for some years don't even get a discount....
Knowing what's fair is a really difficult one and there is no way I would be able to please everyone. Of course I appreciate our supporters, if it wasn't for people like yourself there would not have been a PF3. What would you say is fair?

PFE was originally released in 2007 and since then there have been 35 FREE updates. Do you know of any other addons that are continually improved and have been free for 8+ years?

Yes PFE has been withdrawn from sale but it is still being supported and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

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Dave March

Email: dmarch@oncourse-software.co.uk

I don't know if my memory is getting worse as I get older...
...I just can't remember how it used to be!

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martinlest
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 12:42 pm
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Well, like others, I am not posting to quibble over price, or your pricing policy. I think a reasonable discount for exisiting PFE users might have been a good thing, 'psychologically' at least, especially as new users get the programme for free, but as you and I are coming at this from opposite ends of the spectrum, so to speak, we are bound to have slightly different views :)

I have posted asking some PF3 users to say why they would encourage others (or not) to uninstall PFE, and pay a not inconsiderable sum for PF3. It will be interesting (if anyone responds!) to read the replies..

I have installed the PF3 demo and (apart from the nice new interfaces) the immediate and most obvious benefit is being able to load FS9 flight plans directly, rather than having to go through the slow process of adapting them via ProFlight 2000. That's a huge advantage (when I have about 2000 FS9 pln files at current count). I take the point about the years of free upgrades for PFE, but I still think that the 'carrot' of an 'upgrade' price nearer to £25 than £35 might be enough to tip the scales for many people. I am sure you have done the maths though and have come to your pricing decisions after much thought.

Well, maybe when I have had a few glasses of wine tonight, my caution over the £££s will go out the window and I'll find myself getting the credit card out - but I think before then, I still need to see in what ways PF3 is a £34.99 (exactly what I paid for FS2004) step up from PFE.

Regards,

Martin


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martinlest
Post subject: Re: To get ATC to begin descent to destination earlier?
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 11:35 am
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I am afraid, having just found on the purchase page that £34.99 (which I was about to fork out), is not the price I'm going to have to pay, but £41.99, and with no discount in respect of PFE at all, for now at least I have decided against PF3, great as it may be. PFE works just fine for me, though it is a lot more messy to set up.

Pity...


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