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| Flight Strips suggestion - ATTN: Dave Wave | |
Steve Blankley   18th Apr 2011 20:44:25 | Dave, you always say how you like feedback on stuff.
First off, flight strips n pilot assist are great programs and really help add realism so well done and congratulations/thanks for all your hard work. Just wondered as a consideration for the next update, would it be possible to add a second comment box into flight strips at all? My thoughts were you know you have the comments box at the moment for each ATC to add their own comments which clears when handed off to another controller? Well would it be possible to add a second box below this which does not clear when handed off to another controller in order that a clearance delivery/ground controller can add the clearance given into the box in order to save whispers in TS when flight plans just say direct or non standard departures at all? Maybe labelled up "Clearance given" & a "Clear" button next to it for the next clearance controller to delete it in order to add next clearance in? Could maybe add a drop down box to save time? For example..... options such as "Straight out", "Direct VOR", "SID", "Other" with a text box to enter VOR name or other clearance instructions given. Just a thought that it might help radar/tower/enroute controllers when busy if non standard departures are used? Any comments/thoughts welcomed on the idea. Thanks |
Dave Wave  19th Apr 2011 10:12:15 | Hi Steve,
I'll leave it to atc to decide. Over to you guys! |
Kieran Harding  19th Apr 2011 13:49:31 | Hi Steve,
I have thought about a few of the things you've mentioned before. I do like the idea of having a box for controller notes - to be honest I've never really used the existing comment one, so perhaps (to save time) it would be a good idea to make that one viewable to all controllers. I'd prefer that to a drop down, because then we can use it for more such as: putting in the specific SID, the specific NSD clearance, the holding point for taxi, the block off time on Wednesdays etc. As far as the 'Clearance given' button goes, could be useful. Perhaps it would be more efficient to have some kind of status drop-down to make it easier to coordinate between ground and tower e.g. cleared, push, taxi, departure etc. Personally I'm all for both of the above if Dave doesn't mind. While we're putting in ideas, I have one (for a later date) which is a field to put in the aircraft's squawk code. I'm sure Christian will have some input as well! Kieran |
Steff Missot 19th Apr 2011 13:53:42 | Maybe we can remove the big boxes and just make tables with drop down boxes and text fields?
This is also done on VATSIM But mostly here i know which SID the pilot is flying, and if he has got his clearence so i dont know if we need it:P |
| Steff Missot 19th Apr 2011 13:59:17 | @kieran, didnt noticed ur post:P
But to be honest, most of the time i dont really use the flightstrips. But it can be of use when everything is globally and everyone can view all the statuses |
| Steve Blankley 19th Apr 2011 16:03:46 | Kieran with regards the Clearance Given - I just meant a label for the lower box so that it defines which box would be for individual notes & which one is the global box. So you'd end up with existing strips as they are now but with Squawk code & another text box. Could just put a drop down next to the new box saying "SID" and "NSD" as a clearance type. Will leave it up to Dave really he's the one with the magic touch. I don't know what it possible but it was just an idea really. Maybe one we could experiment with & see what works best for all?
Also Dave (and you'll kill me for suggesting more work ;-) but I'm sure you love it really) but would it maybe be a possibility to add a "Squawk code generator" into the flight strips software? Just another idea as with a lot of ATCOs using ATCA to generate squawks there may be the possibility of using duplicate codes? Thoughts on this (don't know whether or not it would be possible) were maybe to combine the idea of Kieran's "Squawk code addition to the strips" with the code generator so say for example a plane files to fly EGBB to EGPH (UK Domestic), It looks up the destination i.e. UK domestic & uses that to generate a squawk code when a small button is pressed on the strip dependant on departure & destination airports? Don't know if this would be too complex an idea to integrate as I'm clueless with programming to be honest but its an idea. That way most squawks would be generated through flight strips & would almost eliminate the possibility of duplicate squawks & it would also display squawk code on the strip to the next controller? Dave - I'll string up my noose now ;-) haha |
| Christian Smith 19th Apr 2011 18:40:10 | All sounds good to me.
This is what I do when I'm actually controlling... straight in to the actual flight plan. EGBB DCT >N250F050 TNT (NSD Direct to VOR - FL050) EGBB NSD N200A040 TNT (NSD Straight ahead to 4000ft, Speed restriction applied) EGBB TNT4D TNT (SID - No Comments) EGBB TNT4D N200A040 TNT (SID - Speed and Altitude Restriction applied) I appreciate this requires the controller to actually spare some time to read it whereas a ticky box is easier. This system also means that 'Clearance on request' is passed quite alot. But some food for thought. I do like 'Status' boxes. On Vatsim the controllers very easily see the staus of traffic (This is useful if your on tower) yet I'm not sure how we would see when the traffic is black to one side? Just to through it in the mix :p |
| Christian Smith 19th Apr 2011 18:44:33 | Was that confusing?
EGBB DCT >N250F070 TNT N57 POL N601 MARGO DCT TWEED DCT EGPH //RMK/RQST/SSNO//SQ/7475 The aircraft is departing non standard direct to Trent FL070, up to speed of 250kts. The pilot requests No SIDs or STARs and Clearance issued Squawk 7475. Hence why this system is slower :p Not good for events, but generally can work. |
| Kieran Harding 19th Apr 2011 20:01:59 | Christian:
The info you put in is similar to what I would put in, however I don't like putting it into the remarks because the pilot can change that - a controller only text field would be ideal for that. Prefer text to tick boxes always because you can put in the extra stuff. On the status thing - good point about the black - I was thinking it being displayed when you double clicked - or just being there so that planes can't jump to tower and say 'I've had my clearance' (which I have seen happen). But good point - probably not as useful as I originally thought. Steve: I see what you mean now, however I don't think the 'local' box is necessary anyway - and would prefer to have just text field because I can type SID faster than select it :p On the squawk code idea, I'm sure it is possible, however would be a bit too much work to use the accurate real-world squawks as ATCA does (the CAA doc has 5 pages of squawk code allocations for various purposes, and would take too long for Dave to write in all the individual rules). Nice idea, but as we'd still use ATCA for weather and RPS it wouldn't save the controller that much time. |
| Steve Blankley 19th Apr 2011 20:10:02 | Yeah good point I did think about that but wasn't too sure. The only reason I mentioned leaving the local box was for example if we have training atc they could perhaps use it for notes as they give clearances etc etc but I don't know. The squawk & status things could be useful just to have shown on the strips as the clearance level is at the moment?
Maybe the thing to do would be to try different combinations and see what works best? If it is just a text box for squawk & the clearance extra to what's there it keeps the work down a bit. |
| Steve Blankley 19th Apr 2011 20:16:17 | I wasn't thinking of anything complex just a simple box to put clearances in originally now look what I've started ;-)
You could add squawk, speed & clearance text box. For example using Christian's clearances: EGBB DCT >N250F050 TNT (NSD Direct to VOR - FL050) This could then be put in as: Altitude: FL050 (existing boxes) Speed: 250 (new box) Squawk: xxxx (new box) Clearance text box: NSD DIRECT TNT VOR I was thinking keep it simple really. It then gives scope for when no flight plans are posted and allows controllers to post in the new box plane intentions given or something similar i.e. VFR departing south west. Don't want to make too much work for Dave. Anyway let me know thoughts. |
| Christian Smith 19th Apr 2011 21:54:40 | Steve/Kieran... Agreed with all! |
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