Community Forums

by **AS 77 John McCormack** » 27 May 2006 23:09

If you have any suggestions for things you would like to see added, changed, or removed from the Active AirSource (AAS) program, please feel free to post your suggestions here. All suggestions are very welcomed and appreciated. If it is something that seems that it would be best to solicit a vote from the AirSource pilot community, one will be created and the results will determine if the suggestion(s) become a programming task or not.

Please provide as much detail as possible so that it fully conveys your ideas. If any member of the EMT staff has any questions about your suggestion(s), we will either reply here or contact you directly via email.

Thank you sincerely,
John McCormack

by **AS380 Mark Richards** » 28 May 2006 06:49

Hi John. Thanks for continuing to develop this superb application. Some thoughts from me with a quick think, there might be more.

1. Timer records BLOCK TIME only, i.e. Parking Brake off to Engine Shut down. It could continue to limit the ground time because of lengthy taxis.

2. Option for no movie on low-cost airlines or aircraft that would not normally have movies (ie. Small turbo-props)

3. Option to record to HDD (similar to MyAAS) at the same time in case the server stops for some reason so that flights would still be verifiable. This file could get deleted when successful filing of an online flight is achieved to avoid double recording.

4. Option to show if the user is online on VATSIM (similar to FSHost and Team Speak currently) by user entering their VATSIM ID in the settings.

5. User-Customisable sounds for events (Laura, Debbie and the girls need a vacation!)

That's for starters.

Mark

by **AS 2 Tom Little** » 28 May 2006 10:59

Might wanna wait until FSX release for this one if you like it

How about super-random failures on/off? Random? Hmm- maybe, or maybe if you put them ol' engines at 100% for 15 minutes on takeoff there might be a higher chance of...

Or - 3.5g's on landing MAY have hurt the gear?

Or - Complete hydraulic failure just becuase we're lucky

by **AS380 Mark Richards** » 28 May 2006 15:42

Adding to my list:

6. Adding numbers of PAX like you can when you manually PIREP so that earnings/losses are reflected to the airline/bid etc.

Mark

by **AS 77 John McCormack** » 29 May 2006 06:52

Mark,
Thanks for your suggestions. I just have a few questions and comments below.

Mark what did you mean by

1. Timer records BLOCK TIME only, i.e. Parking Brake off to Engine Shut down. It could continue to limit the ground time because of lengthy taxis.

Are you suggesting changing the amount of time allowed or changing when it starts and stops based on condition of aircraft. Can you explain further?

2. Option for no movie on low-cost airlines or aircraft that would not normally have movies (ie. Small turbo-props)

Not sure if I would able to tell from the 400+ airlines which ones would not show movies, however it is based on flights that are at least approx. 3 hours or longer, but I could also check the engine types and limit it to only jets I believe. I would have to check into that.

3. Option to record to HDD (similar to MyAAS) at the same time in case the server stops for some reason so that flights would still be verifiable. This file could get deleted when successful filing of an online flight is achieved to avoid double recording.

My initial thought would be that this could be a really tough one to try to achieve, but it might mean integrating myAAS with AAS and have some sort of cross-over during temporary server/internet issues, which could require the pilot to finish and PIREP flight using myAAS.

4. Option to show if the user is online on VATSIM (similar to FSHost and Team Speak currently) by user entering their VATSIM ID in the settings.

I could prompt for and allow the pilot to enter in their VATSIM ID, however FSHost and TeamSpeak images shown on the AAS map pages are only shown if the pilot clicks on them through AAS and it doesn't try to validate if they are really using either of them. But, doing the same for VATSIM would be easy enough. I just need a good quality small image that I could use within AAS and on the map pages. If you have one, please send to me via email - thanks.

5. User-Customisable sounds for events (Laura, Debbie and the girls need a vacation!)

I agree that the sounds could get old fairly quickly. Adding some functionality to allow the pilot to choose their own files from their hard drive wouldn't take too much work. I had looked into buying some speech generating software that would have the pilot and crew speech based on the actual condition of the aircraft and environment. Such events would be the pilot telling the passengers that actual altitude, estimate arrival time and weather condition expected, however it was extremely expensive at the time. I even look into trying to use Microsoft agent to generate speech but it just didn't sound good enough. If anyone has any suggestions on something to look at or has done something similar to this, I would be very interested in discussing this further. But, a good work around would be to save off the current sound files and change the existing ones in /SOUND folder where ActiveAirSource.exe is located, just making sure that the sound files have the same filenames that is listed in the sndlist.txt file.

6. Adding numbers of PAX like you can when you manually PIREP so that earnings/losses are reflected to the airline/bid etc.

Not really sure what part PAX will play for the new website design that is in the works. But, if PAX will play a part in the data collection for the new site, we will have to come up with something.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. I???ll see what else comes along before compiling any kind of list of items to tackle.

by **AS 77 John McCormack** » 29 May 2006 06:58

AS 2 Tom Little wrote:How about super-random failures on/off? Random? Hmm- maybe, or maybe if you put them ol' engines at 100% for 15 minutes on takeoff there might be a higher chance of... Or - 3.5g's on landing MAY have hurt the gear? Or - Complete hydraulic failure just becuase we're lucky

OMG, I have a hard enough time flying with all failures off, I would be making ASHA work really hard everytime I fly doing search and rescue flights to fnd where my plane went down :-)

I can hear it now... the reason why my 1 hour flight took 5 hours was because my landing gear busted on landing and I had to have all the passengers get out and push the aircraft to the gate...lol

by **Anthony Fluhart AS167** » 29 May 2006 17:56

I was wondering if it would be possible to make AAS a module. So that I could access inside of FS without having to Alt Tab out of it (i.e. to start AAS or to pirep) or at least to start the "timer" or to stop the "timer".

by **AS 77 John McCormack** » 29 May 2006 18:18

afluhart wrote:I was wondering if it would be possible to make AAS a module. So that I could access inside of FS without having to Alt Tab out of it (i.e. to start AAS or to pirep) or at least to start the "timer" or to stop the "timer".

I certainly like the idea, and thank you for the suggestion, I'm just not familiar at all in making a module for FS. I would like to learn at some point and when/if I do, I would certainly try to convert AAS stand-alone app. over to an FS Module. If anyone has any good information on how this done, please let me know for future reference.

by **AS380 Mark Richards** » 30 May 2006 12:14

AS 77 John McCormack wrote:Mark,
Thanks for your suggestions. I just have a few questions and comments below.

Mark what did you mean by
1. Timer records BLOCK TIME only, i.e. Parking Brake off to Engine Shut down. It could continue to limit the ground time because of lengthy taxis.

Are you suggesting changing the amount of time allowed or changing when it starts and stops based on condition of aircraft. Can you explain further?

I shouldn't make suggestions when I am tired. What I suggest is that the timer starts and stops based on condition of the aircraft. I know that you are already getting the values from FSUIPC because of the changes in announcements. What I am suggesting is that it would mean a pilot could only be credited time for pushback, taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, landing, taxi and shutdown, thereby reflecting the real world way of logging block time. Pilots would not gain credit, up to 50 minutes for sitting watching aircraft come and go. Would see more accurate recording of times for Air Source.

2. Option for no movie on low-cost airlines or aircraft that would not normally have movies (ie. Small turbo-props)

Not sure if I would able to tell from the 400+ airlines which ones would not show movies, however it is based on flights that are at least approx. 3 hours or longer, but I could also check the engine types and limit it to only jets I believe. I would have to check into that.

I wouldn't expect you or anyone to check the 400+ airlines! I was suggesting adding a check box. Be great if you could check by engine types but that would be in the "nice to have" category!

3. Option to record to HDD (similar to MyAAS) at the same time in case the server stops for some reason so that flights would still be verifiable. This file could get deleted when successful filing of an online flight is achieved to avoid double recording.

My initial thought would be that this could be a really tough one to try to achieve, but it might mean integrating myAAS with AAS and have some sort of cross-over during temporary server/internet issues, which could require the pilot to finish and PIREP flight using myAAS.

Thanks, was just a thought I had had during the ATWIED Concorde challenge when AAS stopped recording at 80mins for some reason and one of the rules of the event was to record the flight in AAS or MyAAS so I was trying to think of some way to ensure flights were verifiable. I love using AAS because other AS members can see the flights that interest me.

4. Option to show if the user is online on VATSIM (similar to FSHost and Team Speak currently) by user entering their VATSIM ID in the settings.

I could prompt for and allow the pilot to enter in their VATSIM ID, however FSHost and TeamSpeak images shown on the AAS map pages are only shown if the pilot clicks on them through AAS and it doesn't try to validate if they are really using either of them. But, doing the same for VATSIM would be easy enough. I just need a good quality small image that I could use within AAS and on the map pages. If you have one, please send to me via email - thanks.

I will find a suitable one and send it you. Just another nice to have. It should be possible through the VATSIM who's online to verify by ID if someone is online but a simple button like FSHost and TS would be a great addition.

5. User-Customisable sounds for events (Laura, Debbie and the girls need a vacation!)

I agree that the sounds could get old fairly quickly. Adding some functionality to allow the pilot to choose their own files from their hard drive wouldn't take too much work. I had looked into buying some speech generating software that would have the pilot and crew speech based on the actual condition of the aircraft and environment. Such events would be the pilot telling the passengers that actual altitude, estimate arrival time and weather condition expected, however it was extremely expensive at the time. I even look into trying to use Microsoft agent to generate speech but it just didn't sound good enough. If anyone has any suggestions on something to look at or has done something similar to this, I would be very interested in discussing this further. But, a good work around would be to save off the current sound files and change the existing ones in /SOUND folder where ActiveAirSource.exe is located, just making sure that the sound files have the same filenames that is listed in the sndlist.txt file.

Don't go spending money like that but what an awesome idea, I love your thinking. I learned a long time ago not to play with things I knew nothing about but if those wave files can be altered without upsetting AAS I might have a play.

6. Adding numbers of PAX like you can when you manually PIREP so that earnings/losses are reflected to the airline/bid etc.

Not really sure what part PAX will play for the new website design that is in the works. But, if PAX will play a part in the data collection for the new site, we will have to come up with something.

I guess this one is just a wait and see between you and Tom then. Just something I thought might be a good idea.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. I???ll see what else comes along before compiling any kind of list of items to tackle.

You're welcome. My mother taught me many years ago that if you don't ask, you don't get so I thought I had nothing to lose.

Thanks again for your hard work.

Mark

p.s. I like the idea of the module. I'll make some enquiries in my part of the world and see if I can come up with anything.

by **Greg AS#147** » 31 May 2006 02:55

AS 77 John McCormack wrote:
AS 2 Tom Little wrote:How about super-random failures on/off? Random? Hmm- maybe, or maybe if you put them ol' engines at 100% for 15 minutes on takeoff there might be a higher chance of... Or - 3.5g's on landing MAY have hurt the gear? Or - Complete hydraulic failure just becuase we're lucky

OMG, I have a hard enough time flying with all failures off, I would be making ASHA work really hard everytime I fly doing search and rescue flights to fnd where my plane went down

I can hear it now... the reason why my 1 hour flight took 5 hours was because my landing gear busted on landing and I had to have all the passengers get out and push the aircraft to the gate...lol

Well, never mind that John, trying landing after a few beers. I see two runways and don't know which one to pick...lol. My passengers wouldn't be able to push because they had to much to drink as well...LMAO.

by **AS 77 John McCormack** » 31 May 2006 03:33

Mark, thanks for all your feedback!

LOL Greg... I thought I was the only one who had that problem of seeing double runways. So maybe the next enhancement should be a Breathalyzer test in order to start AAS, where you need a blood alcohol level of at least 0.30...hehe. After all AAS does stand for Alcoholics Anonymous Sky-captains :-)

by **Ken Bolish** » 02 Jun 2006 00:55

But, a good work around would be to save off the current sound files and change the existing ones in /SOUND folder where ActiveAirSource.exe is located, just making sure that the sound files have the same filenames that is listed in the sndlist.txt file.

I have set up different sound folders with different language accents. When I want a change, I rename a folder to "sounds" and then start AAS.
I kept the default sounds for the US.

by **meeberg** » 02 Jun 2006 15:13

John

Could you make AAS available for non-English speaking countries without changing the regional settings

by **AS 77 John McCormack** » 04 Jun 2006 20:26

Good idea Ken, sounds like that will work nicely.

Thanks Henk for reminding me to add the non-English programming to the list.

by **AS380 Mark Richards** » 05 Jun 2006 05:38

AS 77 John McCormack wrote:Good idea Ken, sounds like that will work nicely.

Such wit and humour John, SOUNDS like that will work nicely... Sorry I could not resist!

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