Microsoft Flight Simulator

[beachBOYken]

Woot, first ever manual landing today at Missoula International in Montana. And I flippin forgot to save the video clip for it.

I wish there was an in game replay button for landings.

I'm enjoying the ILS approaches at the moment and inputting them manually, I just started cold at a small airfield and entered Gatwick code into the garmin and I then selected an ILS approach and it set my flight plan up for me, was pretty sweet taking off and AP following the plan I manually entered. Hit approach at about 2000ft once on the direct path to runway and my skyhawk 172 done the rest, I just disabled AP as I was above runway.

I think a new world update releases tomorrow along with bug fixes, hopefully it fixes the crashes on xbox, I have had a few on occasion.

 

[byeo]

Pretty proud of myself, just done a quick hop in the A320, flying into East Midlands via ILS but for whatever reason I didn’t catch the glide slope (too high I suspect). But I disengaged the AP and manually landed it with the controller. I do find the reverse thrusters quite powerful on the Airbus, even on low.

Feeling pretty confident in the A320 now, that’ll change when I start using SimBrief for my flight plans..

I think a new world update releases tomorrow along with bug fixes, hopefully it fixes the crashes on xbox, I have had a few on occasion.

Yeah I’ve had a few crashes, one on finals into Charlotte, North Carolina, very frustrating.

 

[beachBOYken]

Pretty proud of myself, just done a quick hop in the A320, flying into East Midlands via ILS but for whatever reason I didn’t catch the glide slope (too high I suspect). But I disengaged the AP and manually landed it with the controller. I do find the reverse thrusters quite powerful on the Airbus, even on low.

Feeling pretty confident in the A320 now, that’ll change when I start using SimBrief for my flight plans..



Yeah I’ve had a few crashes, one on finals into Charlotte, North Carolina, very frustrating.

What exactly is simbrief, what’s the difference say to using the world map in game to create flight plans and sim brief?

Thanks

 

[byeo]

What exactly is simbrief, what’s the difference say to using the world map in game to create flight plans and sim brief?

Thanks

I'm not 100% certain but from what I understand it uses real world flight plans. You can input the exact details of your flight (an EasyJet A320 will be slightly different to a BA A320 which is different to a JetBlue A320) which when put into Sim Brief will then calculate everything you need exactly as it should be.

I've not used it properly yet but it's free to sign up and there's plenty of tutorials on YouTube to help.

As easy as the in game flight plan is, sometimes I do find it annoying when you select a certain arrival & approach and it sends you WAY out of the way just do to a 180 and come back around. The good things about Simbrief is, when you set up a flight plan, it'll give you 5 other plans which users have filed on the same route which you can opt for if you like. Plus, whichever routs you fly, it'll save for you if you want to use it again.

It may not be the best option out there but for free I think it's definitely up there.

 

[chrismscotland]

I'm not 100% certain but from what I understand it uses real world flight plans. You can input the exact details of your flight (an EasyJet A320 will be slightly different to a BA A320 which is different to a JetBlue A320) which when put into Sim Brief will then calculate everything you need exactly as it should be.

I've not used it properly yet but it's free to sign up and there's plenty of tutorials on YouTube to help.

As easy as the in game flight plan is, sometimes I do find it annoying when you select a certain arrival & approach and it sends you WAY out of the way just do to a 180 and come back around. The good things about Simbrief is, when you set up a flight plan, it'll give you 5 other plans which users have filed on the same route which you can opt for if you like. Plus, whichever routs you fly, it'll save for you if you want to use it again.

It may not be the best option out there but for free I think it's definitely up there.

Yeah that pretty much it; its really good on PC as the FlyByWire A320NX mod actually connects to SimBrief and will load the flightplan from there for you into the plane!

 

[beachBOYken]

I'm not 100% certain but from what I understand it uses real world flight plans. You can input the exact details of your flight (an EasyJet A320 will be slightly different to a BA A320 which is different to a JetBlue A320) which when put into Sim Brief will then calculate everything you need exactly as it should be.

I've not used it properly yet but it's free to sign up and there's plenty of tutorials on YouTube to help.

As easy as the in game flight plan is, sometimes I do find it annoying when you select a certain arrival & approach and it sends you WAY out of the way just do to a 180 and come back around. The good things about Simbrief is, when you set up a flight plan, it'll give you 5 other plans which users have filed on the same route which you can opt for if you like. Plus, whichever routs you fly, it'll save for you if you want to use it again.

It may not be the best option out there but for free I think it's definitely up there.

Cool, will check out the tutorials, but if i create a flight plan on sim brief how do I get it into fs2020 on xbox?

 

[byeo]

Cool, will check out the tutorials, but if i create a flight plan on sim brief how do I get it into fs2020 on xbox?

You'll need to input it into the in-cockpit FMC, again, there are tutorials on YouTube. I've not started the Airbus from cold yet, once I can do that (there is an achievement for doing it) then adding the route into the FMC just adds another layer of realism into the game, imo. I forgot to say, on Simbrief, you can also add an alternative airport, if for example the weather is too bad at your chosen airport, you can then go to the alternative. It'll be all set up in your FMC before you take off.

Check out https://www.youtube.com/c/Easyjetsimpilot he's got some really good tutorials which helped me out as well as a multi-part series where he takes you from cold starting the Airbus A320 all the way to landing it. I have a feeling he's got some knowledge to flying real world aircraft but could be wrong., he is on PC but for the majority, it's all the same.

 

[beachBOYken]

You'll need to input it into the in-cockpit FMC, again, there are tutorials on YouTube. I've not started the Airbus from cold yet, once I can do that (there is an achievement for doing it) then adding the route into the FMC just adds another layer of realism into the game, imo. I forgot to say, on Simbrief, you can also add an alternative airport, if for example the weather is too bad at your chosen airport, you can then go to the alternative. It'll be all set up in your FMC before you take off.

Check out https://www.youtube.com/c/Easyjetsimpilot he's got some really good tutorials which helped me out as well as a multi-part series where he takes you from cold starting the Airbus A320 all the way to landing it. I have a feeling he's got some knowledge to flying real world aircraft but could be wrong., he is on PC but for the majority, it's all the same.

Thanks, I wonder how long it would take to input a complete flight plan manually from simbrief as normally I think you can import the files and load them on pc, but that’s not possible on Xbox.

/edit

I found his video for inputting flight plan and waypoints, I might try a short flight with less waypoints to get the hang of it as that shouldn't take as long to input.

Do you use Ai ATC assist, might disable that, as I find that as soon as I switch on the power in the plane my co pilot requests for pushback, before I have even set up flight plan, and got other things set up.

 

[byeo]

Thanks, I wonder how long it would take to input a complete flight plan manually from simbrief as normally I think you can import the files and load them on pc, but that’s not possible on Xbox.

/edit

I found his video for inputting flight plan and waypoints, I might try a short flight with less waypoints to get the hang of it as that shouldn't take as long to input.

Do you use Ai ATC assist, might disable that, as I find that as soon as I switch on the power in the plane my co pilot requests for pushback, before I have even set up flight plan, and got other things set up.

I fly without ATC.. for the moment. Once I can be bothered to set up my wireless keyboard and mouse I’ll then start using ATC as it’s too fiddly with just the controller.

 

[beachBOYken]

I fly without ATC.. for the moment. Once I can be bothered to set up my wireless keyboard and mouse I’ll then start using ATC as it’s too fiddly with just the controller.

Yeah I might just disable while I’m starting my aircraft from cold and then once everything is ready activate atc assist, apparently it is quite realistic like that, as someone said co pilot handles atc normally anyway irl.

 

[chrismscotland]

How are things after the update yesterday?

 

[beachBOYken]

Not played yet with new update, I read that night lighting is broken though across Xbox and pc, hopefully they release hotfix very soon.

 

[byeo]

Not played yet with new update, I read that night lighting is broken though across Xbox and pc, hopefully they release hotfix very soon.

Not had as many crashes since the update but then again I'm not even sure they address it so I could have just been lucky..

 

[beachBOYken]

Not had as many crashes since the update but then again I'm not even sure they address it so I could have just been lucky..

I’ve not either but not played loads. Still enjoying it when I do though.

Trying to create some real world flight plans, and although a bit fiddly the world map is great to do this as it has all the waypoints if you do a search via world map, in filter as well you can enable all the nav aids on map.

I’m still trying to work out what automatic approach does?

I normally select ILS approach.

 

[byeo]

I’ve not either but not played loads. Still enjoying it when I do though.

Trying to create some real world flight plans, and although a bit fiddly the world map is great to do this as it has all the waypoints if you do a search via world map, in filter as well you can enable all the nav aids on map.

I’m still trying to work out what automatic approach does?

I normally select ILS approach.

Automatic approach..? I’ll have a look and see what I can find. You’re not getting confused with automatic landing are you as if you set the A320 up right it’ll do that for you.

 

[beachBOYken]

Automatic approach..? I’ll have a look and see what I can find. You’re not getting confused with automatic landing are you as if you set the A320 up right it’ll do that for you.

Nah it’s in the drop down on world map, no worries I use ILS approach normally anyway.

 

[byeo]

I don't suppose anyone knows how to activate the refresh mode on weather radar? I can view rain on the radar fine but there should be a setting for the radar to swipe and update every few seconds just like IRL. I can refresh it if I switch the terrain mode on then off but that's not the right way really. I'm not sure if this is a mod for PC or is actually implemented tbh.. It would be a shame if it's not in game as the wiper blades are and they do absolutely nothing.

 

[chrismscotland]

I see the Fly by Wire project have confirmed that the A32NX and A380X won't be coming to Xbox Series X; thats a blow as the default A320 is fairly dire in comparison.

FlyByWire, MSFS Marketplace and Xbox - FlyByWire Simulations

 

[beachBOYken]

I see the Fly by Wire project have confirmed that the A32NX and A380X won't be coming to Xbox Series X; thats a blow as the default A320 is fairly dire in comparison.

FlyByWire, MSFS Marketplace and Xbox - FlyByWire Simulations

That sound's like they are pulling both from PC as well, apart from the a320. I was hoping to get the fly by wire a320 if and when it became available on xbox, oh well.

*ah just marketplace, so PC is ok still.

 

[chrismscotland]

That sound's like they are pulling both from PC as well, apart from the a320. I was hoping to get the fly by wire a320 if and when it became available on xbox, oh well.

*ah just marketplace, so PC is ok still.

I can't blame them; they're apparantly looking at getting some bits of it to run in an executable which sits outside of MSFS which just isn't possible on Xbox; that seems to be the way forward for the more complex/sim level stuff.

Its a shame; over on the MSFS forum there's a very dismissive attitude to those folk playing this on an Xbox; I think its a great feeder route for getting people into Flight Simming in general and this in particular especially given the perfomance on a console thats only £450 (v spending upwards of £1000 easy to get it running nicely on a PC)