Hi Dave,
I just recently got back to using your amazing piece of ATC simulation software and set it up for use with MSFS
Skipping a lot of versions I was also delighted to see all the additions to the VFR side of PF3, something that I found a bit lacking in the past but now my experience is much better!
It also works nicely departing and arriving at controlled airfields.
There is one feature I'd love to see added in some shape and that is transiting through (vfr-)controlled airspace (usually over an airport), because I think it is one of the most interesting parts of VFR flight planning. Obviously there are like a 100'000 ways those transits work in real life but I think it would just be nice to be able to simulate it a bit better. Right now I simulate it by changing my flight plan to IFR on FSS when entering e.g. Bravo Airspace and changing it back to VFR when leaving it. It kinda works but is very cumbersome and not immersive at all and there's probably also some information lost along the way, at least that was my impression.
Basically the way I imagine it as VFR you'd need some kind of hotkey to request transit and then you would get a discretionary squawk code if you don't have one and some kind of cleared to transit message and then you can be vectored or just left alone. Then when leaving the pilot would need to report leaving over the same hotkey again and be assigned squawk vfr and resume own navigation (unless I guess he already had a discretionary squawk before). I guess it's kinda self-service transit. Of course, one could even imagine chance of being denied to clear the entrance into the airspace
.
Obviously this is just a rough idea. To give some examples of how this works also for people interested I have searched some real life videos from different countries where you can hear the clearance to enter:
UK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeIOMBoOyWA
Switzerland:
https://youtu.be/fZlIz4MOrOQ?t=754
US:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI9xkEvouhY
Australia:
https://youtu.be/3ffZ1DcI_KE?t=96 (for sightseeing not transit but the idea still works)
Netherlands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp_W8H5zcso&t=774s
Short summary: Right now you can depart controlled airspace and arrive at controlled airspace under VFR nicely but you cannot transit through. I'd love to see a feature to simulate the transit through airspace where vfr traffic is controlled to simulate crossing a busy airport's airspace under VFR to close that gap for exciting vfr flight plans
Best,
David