ATC recommendations

[Narxes081206]

Hello fellow aviators,

I've recently been enjoying FSX, but was wondering if there were any good recommendations for an ATC add on and the benefits it might offer over the stock ATC. I don't have too many issues with the stock ATC built in, but wondering if there are better ones out there.

Fly safe out there!

[Morag]

There's ProATCX
http://www.pointsoftware.de/proatcx_e/index.html

Radar Contact
http://jdtllc.com/

I use Vox ATC
http://voxatc.com/
but I've not used the others

[Narxes081206]

Wow, quite pricey for either of those. You're using Vox, do you feel it's worth it? (I'll def try the trial before buying)

[Morag]

Ye ATC a pretty niche add on product which drives the prices up I guess. I like Vox a lot, it really adds to the immersion for me so definitely grab the trial and see how you get on with it.

I chose it over the others for the voice recognition and the fact it generates and controls its own AI traffic(you need to turn AI off in the sim) - I don't think the others do that.

Another alternative for more realistic ATC is Vatsim
https://www.vatsim.net/

[Ken "Hondo" Gardner]

I use the built in ATC with enhancement useing Editvoicepak XL program

[kevin.finch]

Another vote for VATSIM. You won't always have ATC but you will have a better sense of community. And, if you wish, you can train to be ATC for other pilots. It's free.

[fanta5]

ProATC - as already mentioned - best ever!

[fanta5]

Originally posted by kevin.finch:

Another vote for VATSIM. You won't always have ATC but you will have a better sense of community. And, if you wish, you can train to be ATC for other pilots. It's free.

ROFL - VATSIM - bunch of kids playin ATC! Back off with that crap!

[SteveFSX/P3D]

Originally posted by fanta5:

Originally posted by kevin.finch:

Another vote for VATSIM. You won't always have ATC but you will have a better sense of community. And, if you wish, you can train to be ATC for other pilots. It's free.

ROFL - VATSIM - bunch of kids playin ATC! Back off with that crap!

That's a bit harsh. It's not up to Pilotedge standard obviously, but there are some decent controllers on Vatsim at times to balance the poor ones. The unpredictable human interaction can also add a bit of welcome uncertainty. The community aspect is also worthwhile for many of us who don't want to spend their nights alone with their joystick. :-)

I have tried a few of these ATC packages (VOX) being the latest - none of them have been a total solution in my opinion.

[BN BN]

I can't really complain about VATSIM at all, it's been my primary source of multiplayer for a long time lol. 99% better than most multiplayer alternatives when it comes to 12 year olds just saying ♥♥♥♥ and *** every 3 seconds lol. Only problem is if like me you live in a weird time zone, you have to keep track of when other regions are likely to be active.

One great thing about VATSIM or I suppose Ivao is that you don't actually know how experienced the controller is - it's fantastic practice for the real world - think before you affirm!

I think pilotedge is probably the best ATC, but its $20 a month, $35 for the expansion, and well... it's not a huge area covered really. Okay, it's tiny. Ultimately, I i use it for brushing up, buy (or trial ;) a month at a time).

Vox... pro ATC.. other robots... I've tried them, but really they're only backups to when VATSIM is sparse really. Sure humans make mistakes... some of them on purpose... but at least they are a human lol

Ultimately I think a lot of us have felt your pane for a long time OP :)

[Narxes081206]

Originally posted by BN BN:

I can't really complain about VATSIM at all, it's been my primary source of multiplayer for a long time lol. 99% better than most multiplayer alternatives when it comes to 12 year olds just saying ♥♥♥♥ and *** every 3 seconds lol. Only problem is if like me you live in a weird time zone, you have to keep track of when other regions are likely to be active.

One great thing about VATSIM or I suppose Ivao is that you don't actually know how experienced the controller is - it's fantastic practice for the real world - think before you affirm!

I think pilotedge is probably the best ATC, but its $20 a month, $35 for the expansion, and well... it's not a huge area covered really. Okay, it's tiny. Ultimately, I i use it for brushing up, buy (or trial ;) a month at a time).

Vox... pro ATC.. other robots... I've tried them, but really they're only backups to when VATSIM is sparse really. Sure humans make mistakes... some of them on purpose... but at least they are a human lol

Ultimately I think a lot of us have felt your pane for a long time OP :)

I hadn't really thought about getting an alternate ATC plugin until recently when I was flying a short hop from Long Island to CT. It's night and cloudy and I get the all clear from Bradley to land on runway 6. All of a sudden another plane collides with me. (It's only happend once, but kinda took me off guard and I was flying the headings that ATC was giving me). Are these other ACTs better at avoiding midair collisions, or is it that they offer more options? Really appreciating all the replies and opinions you've been giving me!

[Vinniehat]

I don't personally use a ATC addon. I use VATSIM. You play on a server and connect with pilots and ATC. VATSIM is awesome and a lot of Virtual Airlines use VATSIM as a server to fly on. atlanticairlines.site11.com uses vatsim as a server to fly on too.

[TextRich]

Originally posted by Morag:

There's ProATCX
http://www.pointsoftware.de/proatcx_e/index.html

Radar Contact
http://jdtllc.com/

I use Vox ATC
http://voxatc.com/
but I've not used the others

Thanks for listing the most popular options Morag. I am considering an ATC add-on although when I use the default ATC, I enjoy it 90% of the time. :-)

I will pass on ProATC/X and Radar Contact 4 because they do are not compatible with VFR flight plans. I don't want to use my voice when I fly so Vox ATC is a no go for me.

ProFlight 3 (successor to the ProFlight 2000 Emulator) looks like it ticks all my boxes and there is even a demo. Hopefully I'll have time to take it for a spin within the next few days.
http://www.oncourse-software.co.uk/pf3_details.htm

[BN BN]

VATSim and co do have a text interface as well as audio. Actually it's how I started using VATSim. I didn't really care about ATC at all until I decided to try some flying lessons IRL and discovered I had a pretty major case of mic fright! I tried VATSim to get used to coms and build confidence. It took a few weeks, but ultimately ended up saving me probably over a thousand bucks fumbling through my lessons!

[TextRich]

BN BN, I don't doubt that flying with a qualified human controller gives the optimal ATC experience. Some of us are looking for the next best thing in case we don't want to fly online and just want better ATC AI.

[TextRich]

Originally posted by BF Bullpup:

ProFlight 3 (successor to the ProFlight 2000 Emulator) looks like it ticks all my boxes and there is even a demo. Hopefully I'll have time to take it for a spin within the next few days.
http://www.oncourse-software.co.uk/pf3_details.htm

I just tried the ProFlight 3 demo for a couple of VFR flights and will be purchasing the full version. So, yes, I recommend it. :-) Granted, it has a learning curve and you can expect to spend 2-3 hours to get good at using it. It isn't perfect, but it makes my flights feel more realistic and I haven't gotten ping ponged between controllers yet.

Make sure you use the included Remotetext, PF3_display, and TGS_Display applications.

-Remotetext gives you a text window and you can use it to make sure functions are on/off, or turn on captioning so you can get text to go with the audio.

-PF3_display is a constantly updated window of what hotkeys you can use for what ATC functions depending on if it is ground, tower, departure, approach, and so on. No need to memorize the manual.

-TGS_Display is sort of a GPS for taxiing and is used in lieu of the default ATC's yellow arrows. Those of you who want realistic taxiing views without seeing arrows or having to check airport maps will like it. Just remember to get taxi clearance from the ground ATC first or it won't work.

I have a Razer Naga Chroma mouse and recommend it, or any other mouse with a numeric thumbpad, for maximum enjoyment of PF3. I no longer need to use the keyboard or to move the mouse cursor out of my flight window to correspond with the ATC (I always keep ATC windows in a second monitor). I can use that mouse to adjust my radio stack and instruments and acknowledge the ATC message in a split second. Very nice!

I will likely continue to use the default ATC when I fly by VR using FlyInside (since I don't fly for too long in VR). For my longer TrackIR flights, however, I now use and enjoy PF3.