Connected Flight Deck future

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

As we continue with the development of the Bus projects, the Connected Flight Deck is one of the aspects we are looking at. So if you have any new ideas, wishes, corrections etc, do let us know right here.

HOWEVER, this is NOT about connection problems. We know they are a main issue but simple fact is that there is little we can do about those. Any time you set up a P2P connection between two complex software products on different computers on different subnetworks there will be many issues. But they are all related to the connection and not the software. There is simply almost nothing we can improve there. So please do not discuss those, this is about new features and possible enhancements. 

[Emi 5161]

How about a third pilot being able to connect? Since the A330 is a longhaulplane flights are usually flown with a reliefpilot.

Wouldn't it be nice if we included this ability?

I'd also be a nice tool to teach somebody who is new to flightsimming to get into onlineflying, learning the plane, etc. as he could just sit there and watch things happen without fearing to screw something up!

[matty260191 23]

fix the bugs like the retard callout and the QNH not syncing up. I will be buying the 330 but the 3rd pilot seems like a good idea.

[skelsey 103]

Hi Mathijis,

Here's my wishlist, in no particular order:

- 3rd pilot/observer (would also mean an observer could see a crew at work: e.g. for training/check ride purposes)

- Proper independent, synchronised displays for FO & Capt (so, for instance, PNF could have Terrain or raw data displayed on ND and PF could theoretically glance across and see this)

- FMA synchronisation (in the real aircraft, one side is master and drives the FMA for both unless there is a problem that leads to split FMGC operation)

- Synced standby altimeter (and, whilst we're at it, could the issue where the stby resets every time you pull STD/push QNH on the main altimeters be fixed? Fairly sure the real thing doesn't do this, but prepared to be corrected)

- Ability to assign a joystick button/keypress to switch controls (saves going head down & would speed transfer of control in situations where the controls need to be transferred quickly e.g. during an RTO).

- In that vein -- priority takeover pb? Thinking of training situations where occasionally it might be necessary for the instructor to temporarily take over e.g. in the flare

- Properly split MCDUs and the ability to offside tune radios on the ACPs (basically, make the sim a bit more flyable from the RHS: at present the TLs get in the way and make it quite difficult for a right-seater to easily tune COM1 or type in the MCDU without completely changing views. Also, most SOPs have the PF and PM displaying different MCDU pages at different stages of flight. Likewise if the aircraft is being flown from the RHS, the same problems arise for the LHS pilot tuning VHF R).

- Any way of improving the ability to resynchronise on the fly if things go wonky -- at the moment I find setting the connection to 'off' temporarily doesn't always result in a full disconnect!

- Ability to change partners 'on the fly' (i.e. entering the IP in to the MCDU rather than the Configurator with FS shut down) would be handy (and would make troubleshooting connection problems easier without having to exit & reload FS constantly).

- Finally for now -- ability to give PM control of the thrust levers/thrust reversers? Not that common, but there are airlines (I'm thinking of one particular Big Airline in the UK) that has PM handle the reversers during landing & RTOs. More commonly, most airlines (though, oddly enough, not that one AFAIK!) require the Captain specifically to have his/her hand on the TLs to V1 as only the Captain may call & handle an RTO: so there is basis in "normal ops" for this.  

That's all for now -- will have a think and see if I can come up with anything else.

Cheers,

Simon 

(Edited for formatting -- for some reason Tapatalk on my phone seems to ignore paragraphs & line breaks -- and added suggestion re: thrust levers).

[A346 16]

A synchronization of the WX radar from the Master to the Slave. So that the slave would see the same weather on the radar as the master. This would make it possible to discuss alternate routings for example.Even if the weather radar of the slave would then not display the actual weather of the slave, the pilots would have the same "base" to discuss required actions.

A working "connection off" button. So if a button or the doors would be out of sync for any reason, we could turn the connection off, sync it manually and then connect again.

Keyboard MCDU input.

 

 

[skelsey 103]

A synchronization of the WX radar from the Master to the Slave. So that the slave would see the same weather on the radar as the master. This would make it possible to discuss alternate routings for example.Even if the weather radar of the slave would then not display the actual weather of the slave, the pilots would have the same "base" to discuss required actions.

I'm fairly sure this feature already exists: just select "Sync ND Overlay".

[A346 16]

I'm fairly sure this feature already exists: just select "Sync ND Overlay".

No, this option only synchronizes the mode (WX or terrain), not the data.

[skelsey 103]

Aha -- my apologies, thanks for drawing my attention to that thread and the fact that the manual is/was incorrect. In that case -- I throw myself wholeheartedly behind your suggestion!

[Emi 5161]

Sync ND Overlay synchronises the selected modes, but not   the actual overlay. I agree that could have been named better.

Snyching the WXRs would mean that the PM would see wrong WXR returns... so while on the PFs side everything is fine the PM could get into the biggest thunderstorms which might turn him upsidedown (the way ASN handels these things gives our CFD no chance to counteract. It ASN wants to turn you upsidedown it'll do exactly that, no matter what CFD tells it should really happen.)

[DaveCT2003 2553]

Wow, that's great feedback guys, especially from Skelsey. The good news is that we've already been speaking about each of the reccommendations made in this thread so we're all on the same page so far.

The relief crew function is something we've been  talking about.

 

 

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Hi Mathijis,

Here's my wishlist, in no particular order:

 

Good post Simon, thanks.

[cgentil 163]

Good ideas there, like.

[Lukas Agerskov 16]

Simons list hits it spot on! Of those idea these are the closest to me: 

 

- Ability to assign a joystick button/keypress to switch controls (saves going head down & would speed transfer of control in situations where the controls need to be transferred quickly e.g. during an RTO).

- In that vein -- priority takeover pb? Thinking of training situations where occasionally it might be necessary for the instructor to temporarily take over e.g. in the flare

- Any way of improving the ability to resynchronise on the fly if things go wonky -- at the moment I find setting the connection to 'off' temporarily doesn't always result in a full disconnect!

To add to the third option, making sure the two aircrafts will reposition to a specific place in the air, in case things goes wrong, so a crashed simulator doesn't ruin the flight 

[Zephyr RU 3]

I want that AIRBUS will have this function.

• Connection check menu
  CONN ERROR is difficult to understand for not Network engineer guys. I mean, we can't understand which TCP/UDP packets go to other side. or not.
   

for example.

push MENU "CHECK Connection"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Master->Slave: Error. check your FireWall's allow list/Port Fowarding."
"SLAVE->Master : OK."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Zephyr RU 3]

one more thing. I want this function. cause when we did multi crew flight. we got problems many times.

• Checking AIRAC Cycle function.
  when Master and Slaves are different. I want to see Caution. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Master: NavaDataPRO 15/11: OK
  Slave:    NavaDataPRO 15/11 : OK

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Master: NavaDataPRO 15/11: OK
  Slave:    NavaDataPRO 15/10 : ERROR - check your AIRAC Cycle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Master: NavaDataPRO 15/11: CAUTION
 Slave:    Navigraph 15/11 : CAUTION - check your Navigation Data Source.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
etc....

[Seb1 1]

Hi,

I d like to add/suggest:

1. "A pointing device" - something like a semitransparent sphere to point at stuff inside the VC or any kind of control highlighting feature. For example: PF turns a knob/presses a button - PM sees a red sphere around it for some seconds for easier xcheck during flight. Pointing at stuff to help new pilots orient themselves inside the VC.

2. Maybe an alternative central server/user based connection system (I know it's a big wish). That would make the whole connection part much more user friendly.

Cheers,

Seb

[The Dude 6537]

16 minutes ago, Seb1 said:

 

1. "A pointing device" - something like a semitransparent sphere to point at stuff inside the VC or any kind of control highlighting feature. For example: PF turns a knob/presses a button - PM sees a red sphere around it for some seconds for easier xcheck during flight. Pointing at stuff to help new pilots orient themselves inside the VC.

 

+1

[DaveCT2003 2553]

On 2/8/2016 at 2:22 AM, Seb1 said:

I d like to add/suggest:

 

That's a great idea.  In fact I recommended this to Majestic several times over the years and they are currently looking into doing this.