OnCourse Software

Hello,

I noticed two observations with PF3. It's worth noting that I've used PF3 with X-plane 10.45 via the PFEToXplane plugin.

1. When I press zero to request clearance (on the ground frequency), the pilot states "request push and start" instead of requesting clearance. ATC replies with issuing the clearance. Pilot readback works okay.

2. ATC speed restrictions during approach. Why does this happen even if there is no traffic at all? Is it possible to add an option to disable these calls unless ATC needs to separate you from the AI traffic?

Best regards,

Kyrre Andersen
Norway

kyrre1978 wrote:

1. When I press zero to request clearance (on the ground frequency), the pilot states "request push and start" instead of requesting clearance. ATC replies with issuing the clearance. Pilot readback works okay.

You can disable asking for start and/or pushback in the options.

kyrre1978 wrote:

2. ATC speed restrictions during approach. Why does this happen even if there is no traffic at all? Is it possible to add an option to disable these calls unless ATC needs to separate you from the AI traffic?

You can configure a value that is added to the approach speeds in the (Edit: advanced) options or in the aircraft profile. Just set this to something very high.

ThomasAH wrote:

kyrre1978 wrote:

1. When I press zero to request clearance (on the ground frequency), the pilot states "request push and start" instead of requesting clearance. ATC replies with issuing the clearance. Pilot readback works okay.

You can disable asking for start and/or pushback in the options.

kyrre1978 wrote:

2. ATC speed restrictions during approach. Why does this happen even if there is no traffic at all? Is it possible to add an option to disable these calls unless ATC needs to separate you from the AI traffic?

You can configure a value that is added to the approach speeds in the (Edit: advanced) options or in the aircraft profile. Just set this to something very high.

Thanks,

But in the advanced options and INI file, I try to input a number for a high approach speed. No manual input possible. I could only select it up to 100 kts.

In the aircraft profile menu (where I load the flight plan), I cannot set it to more than 200 kts. It's kind of inconvenient to be slowed to 200 kts in a 737, way out on a vectored downwind leg.

As for the pushback question, I might have been a little unclear (english is not my first language). I want to use the push and start feature, but what hotkey am I suppose to use in order to request ATC clearance?

Other than that, the program actually works quite neat. I cannot get it to interact with AI traffic in X-plane, but I guess that's more like an X-plane issue.

Best regards,
Kyrre Andersen

kyrre1978 wrote:

But in the advanced options and INI file, I try to input a number for a high approach speed. No manual input possible. I could only select it up to 100 kts.

In the aircraft profile menu (where I load the flight plan), I cannot set it to more than 200 kts. It's kind of inconvenient to be slowed to 200 kts in a 737, way out on a vectored downwind leg.

Enabled and 100 kts in the options means: Flaps up stall speed +100kts, so for the default 737-800 it would be 142+100=242 kts. If disabled it is 190kts.

kyrre1978 wrote:

As for the pushback question, I might have been a little unclear (english is not my first language). I want to use the push and start feature, but what hotkey am I suppose to use in order to request ATC clearance?

I never used the Push and Start feature. Maybe it does not work if there is no separate Clearance frequency? I don't know.

ThomasAH wrote:

I never used the Push and Start feature. Maybe it does not work if there is no separate Clearance frequency? I don't know.

At airports such as LIMZ which only have a Tower frequency the push and start feature even if selected doesn't operate. That's pretty much correct actually. An airport with just a single Tower frequency is not going to be very busy so you don't actually need "clearance" to push and start. Very often these airports will have drive through stands as does LIMZ.
In my case when I take-off from LIMZ in the VC10 I do push back simply because it is a large a/c for that airport. The largest they have actually had there was a 757. The 10 needs to be pushed back because of its rear engines. LIMZ does have tugs so the real life option to pushback does exist there. So what would a pilot do in real life at an airport such as LIMZ? Probably he/she would ask for pushback out of habit. But it is not required because of the drive through stand. And in fact the 737s and airbuses that use it don't pushback.
If the airport has dead end stands with or without airbridges then it is most likely that there will also be a ground/pushback frequency as well.
So PF3 is pretty much on the ball. If you are at an airfield with just a Tower frequency then having selected the pushback option in PF3 doesn't operate. So pushback at your discretion.
If you see here contact with the Tower is after about 2 minutes of pre-flight. I pushback by myself. If any changes were to be made in PF3 for this situation the "Pushback at your discretion" would be the only option.