OnCourse Software

Dave,

I don't see anywhere to post about possible errors (?) in FDC so I hope it's OK for me to use this thread to report things about FDC that seem not quite right and which could perhaps be corrected in a future update. If it is me who is wrong, I apologise in advance and I hope that whatever posted here won't be seen as a criticism (far from it) of a very nice programme! Also, although I have read through the manuals for FDC I am fairly new to the programme and it may be that some of the things are configurable and I just haven't worked out where and how to do it.

For now, just one item comes to mind. In all aircraft manuals I have read, the pilots turn on the BEACON lights before pushback and the STROBE lights along with the landing lights before entering the runway. FDC has the co-pilot turn on the strobe lights before pushback, instead of the beacon lights, but does nothing about the strobe/landing lights at the runway. Latter no problem of course, I do it manually - but maybe the beacon lights issue could be looked into?? This is the usual procedure I think:

NAV - On at all times, except when parked & shut down for extended periods of time.

Beacon - ON before engine start or pushback whichever is the case, off at engine shutdown.

Taxi - ON just after receiving taxi clearance, but before starting to taxi.

Strobes - Turn on as a/c enters the runway for takeoff, turn OFF as I exit the runway after landing.

Landing lights - Turn on when lined up on the runway for takeoff. Turn off when climbing through 10,000' MSL, or when reaching cruise altitude, whichever is the case. Turn on when descending through 10,000' MSL, or when starting descent if cruising below 10,000'. Turn off again before exiting the runway, once the aircraft has reached a suitable speed.


Thanks,

Martin

Hi Martin,
What you're describing are checklist calls which are very much configurable. Please take a look at the checklist editor

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S

Thanks, I've looked into this but don't seem to be getting too far. As an example, I am having problems trying to set up a checklist for the PSS Boeing 757-200/300. I have downloaded an FDC checklist for this aircraft from flightsim.com and installed it OK: I now have these files (and only these) with 757 in the name:

FDC\Data:
Boeing 757-200.pro, Boeing 757-200.uco, Boeing 757-200_FDC_Controller.dat / Boeing 757-300.pro, Boeing 757-300.uco, Boeing 757-300_FDC_Controller.dat

FDC\Data\User:
Boeing 757.ucl, Boeing 757.ufs, Boeing 757.uir, Boeing 757.urp

The .ufs files are the checklist files I assume and I have looked at "Boeing 757.ufs" in notepad. In the Pre-Start Checklist section, it does not contain anything about 'Window Heat', for example, but when I select either of the only two available 757 options in the main FDC control window (Options/Select Aircraft), "User: Boeing 757-200" or "User: Boeing 757-300", the checklist that is read out in FS9 has nothing to do with the Boeing 757.ufs file above - "window heat" is read out in the pre-start check for example, but it's not there in the ufs file.

If I go into the main FDC panel - Options/Checklist Editor and choose edit, there is one entry only for a 757, "Boeing 757". If I choose to edit that, the window heat option box is not ticked there either. So what checklist might FDC be reading when I choose "User: Boeing 757-200" or "User: Boeing 757-300" under 'Select Aircraft'? How would I get FDC to use the 757 checklist when I select a B757 instead? I tried copying the 757 ufs file from the user folder to the data folder (I did back up the folders first!) but this made no difference, even after renaming it to match the 757 files in the data folder

Thanks,

M.

You do have to ensure you're looking at the correct checklisin the editor, the name displayed is the name down in the file header if you open it in notepad, so check what the title is before going into editor. It's obviously difficult for me to give you a definitive answer without actually seeing the files.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S

Sorry Dave, I edited the post whilst you were replying - there is only one ufs file with a 757 in the title and when I select a 757 from the main FDC interface, I am not getting that checklist read out.

M.

Hi Martin,
follow the links on our website under "Tutorials" by me,it will take you to all tutorials i've done and one is for FDC and creating a performance file,i believe it also tells you how to edit the file,if not e-mail me directly at david_leesley@hotmail.com if you is having problems with those files and i'll see what you're doing right or wrong,

OK, thanks.

Er, I go to http://www.oncourse-software.co.uk/ and click on the tutorials tab. I get a page, http://www.oncourse-software.co.uk/tutorial_videos.htm, with the following tutorials:

TGS Installation; Installing PFE; Rebuilding the PFE Database; Creating a Basic PFE ADV Flight File; SIDs and STARs for Advanced users

Nothing about FDC at all - are they somewhere else?

Thanks,

M.

Hi,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1FlGDsmmPg

Ok, downloaded the video and will watch it ASAP.

But I am mystified as to the checklists. As an 'experiment' I wrote down what was included in the Prestart checklist being read out for my current a/c - it starts "Flight instruments... window heat... irs... circuit breakers... " and so on. I then opened up every ufs file in the FDC folder with notepad and none of them has the same combination of items as is being read out. So where is the checklist as being read in FS9 coming from? Are checklists read from anywhere else but a .ufs file? It wouldn't matter, but there are items being included under prestart (and other sections) that belong elsewhere (e.g. I don't want a strobe light check in pre-start, that should come before take-off).

I wonder if it wouldn't be better for me to remove all the ufs files from FDC and create just a few of my own, either in notepad or in the FDC consolde (would it matter?). One for heavy jets, one for light aircraft and so on - the checklists I have at the moment are not too realistic (many are 3rd. party I suppose) with standard checks, such as battery switch, appearing in widely varying checklist stages from aircraft to aircraft - better I have have just a few accurate (or at least logical) ones - in the end a checklist for a 737 is not SO different from a 777 (e.g. battery switch will always be checked in pre-start).

Can I therefore remove all ufs files and make my own - will FDC recognise and use them, or do I need to include other files. Maybe better I do it via the FDC interface???

This may all seem a bit 'pernickity', but clearly people buy FDC to add a touch of realism to their flights - if the checklists being read out are very inaccurate compared to real-world ones, I am sure you will understand why I would want to correct them!

Thanks again!

Martin