Ideal Flight Accessibility phase 2

[Steve Waite]

I'm now setting up the plucks to keep on course for the Final approach. Also I am thinking about adding a warning about gear up during final or down after take off.

In the meantime, has anyone found after completing and saving a flight, committing the flight record, the departure airport, is back to before that flight? The departure is always where we last landed, except with introducing a Tour in the Airport Subsets on the flight generator page.

[Steve Waite]

The direction back onto the line is calculated rather than the direction to the next waypoint so that the plucks guide me back onto the line. This is especially handy during final approach since otherwise I might be merely parallel to the runway rather than landing right onto it. The closest point on the line is found then the direction to a point up ahead on the line is computed, finally the effect of the wind speed and direction is computed into that direction.

[Steve Waite]

...for best results I make a plan with IDF and FAF (initial departure fix and final approach fix). On the flight generator page I choose a plan type with approaches, and on the mission page I set up the approach and departure with IDF and selection from FAF. The FAF is included with Computed and STAR approach types. The IDF is included with SID departure types, if not then IDF can be chosen in the departure box.

[Steve Waite]

With long distances to the next waypoint, example over 10 miles, the AI traffic, Autopilot and GPS location on the line can be up to 2 miles off in certain locations following a parallel line to the real line on the great circle wgs84. Visually on the GPS we can see the Autopilot and AI traffic following a line parallel with the GPS magenta line.

Ideal Flight uses a bespoke (codelegend.com) implementation for accurate Lat Lon locating across the Earth ellipsoid. So to avoid hearing plucks when the aircraft is more or less on line following the Autopilot, I have implemented a massaging function to avoid plucks sounding in those circumstances.

[Steve Waite]

19/June/2020:

Latest IF versions include screen reader support and in-sim voice callouts by codelegend.com

Preview 22:

Ideal Flight Professional P3D v4/5
Ideal Flight 10 Professional P3D v2/3
Ideal Flight 10 Special Edition
Ideal Flight 10 Original

This version improves on the tones and plucks. Tones with pitch are adjusted for static pitch of the aircraft. Plucks with direction include double precision on the runway and improved directional awareness with winds and GPS great circle computations.

[Steve Waite]

Jordan spotted that the parallel runways listed in the assist form repeat the Left and Right rather than show the opposite Right and Left. Will be fixed next update.

Also on the agenda is adding the info page showing nearby airports

[Steve Waite]

The nearby airports page is inserted at page 9 and now there are 12 pages. Remember that the page required can be accessed quickly by repeating the hot key Shift+Control+B or N, Cycle assist functions Shift+Control+J, and repeat info page Shift+Control+K (default keys). Keys are settable in the Assist and Voice setup windows.

Setting off from EGKK runway 08 Right I chose the info page 9:
EGKR at 8 O Clock and EGKK at 6 O Clock:

Information Page 9. Nearest Airports: EGKR, Redhill, United Kingdom, Distance 3.7 Nautical Miles, Bearing 327 Degrees, 8 O'Clock, N51° 12.8' W0° 8.3', Altitude 221 Feet, Runways 08R 26L Grass 2936 Feet, 18 36 Grass 2787 Feet, 08L 26R Grass 2236 Feet.
EGKK, Gatwick, London, United Kingdom, Distance 4.1 Nautical Miles, Bearing 258 Degrees, 6 O'Clock, N51° 8.9' W0° 11.4', Altitude 202 Feet, Runways 08R 26L Asphalt 10867 Feet, 08L 26R Asphalt 8403 Feet.

[Steve Waite]

I've revised that to include a precis at the start of the page:

Information Page 9. Nearest Airports: EGKR 8 O'Clock 3.8 Nautical Miles, EGKK 6 O'Clock 4.4 Nautical Miles.

[Steve Waite]

I found that the FSX version Assist window was including the occupied parking and is now fixed.

XML aircraft groups can now be disabled in the Prepar3D version. A new menu item is included in the indexing submenu on the start page. The aircraft indexing would otherwise index all the AI aircraft models and insert those into the IF AI list on the mission page, often not required. The add aircraft menu item is for older FSX style aircraft installs.

[Steve Waite]

Would it be good to provide Autopilot switches in the Assist window, or are the in-sim key commands good enough? Example: Selecting AP on and off, Heading hold on/off, Approach hold on/off, choosing Nav 1/2 and so on?