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The simulator screen

The radar has two bars, one at the top and one at the bottom. The top bar gives information about the airport and opens panels. The bottom bar controls the items that the radar shows.

Top bar

Section titled “Top bar”
The top bar. ICAO, QNH, transition level and runways are on the left. The COM, TFC, CLOCK and SETTINGS buttons are on the right.
An earlier top bar. The table below describes the current controls.
  1. ICAO — the airport code.
  2. QNH — the altimeter setting at this time. Give this value to pilots.
  3. TL — the transition level.
  4. RWY — the arrival runways and departure runways that are in use.
  5. COM — the commands that the game heard, clearances and pilot readbacks.
  6. TFC — the flight strip of the selected aircraft.
  7. CLOCK — the clock panel in this earlier layout.
  8. SETTINGS — the six settings tabs.
ControlFunction
ICAO, QNH, TL, RWYAirport data. Click TL, then a level, to set the transition level.
Radio stripThe radio and transmission condition.
COM, TFC, VPROFOpen or close the command log, flight strip and vertical profile.
ClockSimulation time in the top bar.
−, ×n, +Simulation speed: ×1, ×2, ×4, ×8, ×16, ×32 or ×64. Each session starts at ×1.
PAUSEStop or continue the traffic. The P key has the same function. Your speed selection stays the same.
SETTINGSOpen the six settings tabs.

To move COM, TFC or VPROFILE, drag its title bar. To close a panel, click its × or its button in the top bar.

During a scored shift, the top bar also has a SHIFT button. In the Spain skin, the selected SHIFT button has dark text on a light background, as COM and TFC have. New in 0.6.3.4

The pressure indication uses ALT for inches of mercury and QNH for hPa. The game uses the default unit of the region, for example inches at U.S., Canadian and Japanese airports. If the airport data sets a unit, the game uses that unit first. If a region has no known default unit, the game uses hPa. Give the setting that the screen shows to pilots.

For each instruction that you send, the COM panel shows one YOU line that is easy to read. Below this line, the panel shows the pilot transmission with the callsign of the aircraft. Internal command names and procedure codes do not show in this panel. If voice recognition does not operate correctly, one HEARD line shows the command that the game heard. A SYS line tells you the part that you must transmit again.

The radio strip in the top bar shows the condition of the frequency and of your transmission: RX, TX, BLOCKED and PARSING. When the game sends your instruction, the strip shows SENT. The strip has no UNDO button. To cancel an instruction, speak the callsign and disregard.

When the game heard you but sent no instruction, the strip shows NOT SENT and the cause. Refer to Voice troubleshooting.

Bottom bar

Section titled “Bottom bar”
The bottom bar with the MAPS, PROCS, AIRSPACES and TAG menus, and the controls for prediction, speed and the removal of drawings.
An earlier bottom bar. The simulation-speed control is now in the top bar.

MAPS, PROCS and AIRSPACES stay open when you change a selection. Press Escape or click outside the menu to close it. Drag its title bar to move it.

MAPS — navigation and background

Section titled “MAPS — navigation and background”
The open MAPS menu with the VOR, NDB, FIX, airway, geography, runway, MVA, misc and ILS layers.
The MAPS menu.

This menu shows VORs, NDBs, fixes, low and high airways, geography, runways, minimum vectoring altitudes and other drawings. L shows labels for the layers that have labels. ILS shows localizer centerlines. Its control sets the length of these lines in nautical miles. Geography stays continuous and clear when you zoom in or zoom out. The boundaries of minimum vectoring altitudes have the correct thickness immediately when the radar opens.

An airport can set the layers that show and the length of the ILS lines when you open it. The changes that you make at that airport stay. Not in 0.6.2.552

The FIX row has a CUR / ALL button. New in 0.6.3.4

Point modeThe map shows
CURThe points that the airport selects, or the points that its procedures use
ALLAll navigation points in the map area

Click the button to change the mode. The button shows the mode that is active. CUR is the default, and the game keeps your mode for each airport. The layer switches and the points that you show or hide yourself apply in the two modes. When the airport selects VORs and NDBs, these rows also use the mode. If the airport has no point selection, the button does not show. In the US skin, the button stays grey and you cannot click it. Not in 0.6.2.552

Map content that overlapsDisplay sequence
Procedure lines and custom drawingsIn front of MVA boundaries and labels
MVA boundaries and labelsIn front of the sector background

Each airspace label shows the altitudes of the part of the airspace that it is on. Not in 0.6.2.552

Not in 0.6.2.552 A point name stays in one place next to its symbol at all ranges. It does not move when you pan, zoom or open a window. When there is no space for the name, the game hides the point and its name together, and shows them again when you zoom in. A thin dark edge around each name on the map cuts the lines below it, so you can read the name. Runway names, for example 14L, show next to the runway ends when you zoom in on the airport.

Use GEO to set all environmental geography to on or off. In its + menu, you can control COASTLINES, LAKES and RIVERS independently. At the start, all three layers are on, and the game keeps each selection. The large rivers include the Potomac, which helps you with the visual approaches at Washington.

PROCS — procedures

Section titled “PROCS — procedures”
The open PROCS menu with the SID, STAR, IAP and HOLD switches and their controls for labels and altitudes.
The PROCS menu.

This menu shows SIDs, STARs, approaches and holding patterns. L adds waypoint labels. A adds altitude constraints. With +, you can select only the procedures and transitions that you want, not all of them.

In the + menu, each SID, STAR and approach row has two marks. Not in 0.6.2.552 DRAW shows the procedure on the radar. SPAWN lets the game give the procedure to the traffic that it makes. These two marks operate independently. Draw all and Draw none set every DRAW mark in the list.

  • The top of the list shows Spawn: airport default. At an airport with community data, the default is the community selection. At other airports, the default is all procedures. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • When you change a SPAWN mark, the mark shows a corner notch, and the line below counts your changes. Click a mark with a notch to use the default again. Restore default removes all of your changes in that list after you confirm. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • When you set a STAR SPAWN mark to off, new arrivals do not use that STAR. This includes arrivals that the game already prepared but did not show yet. Aircraft that are on the radar keep their STAR. This is the same at all airports, with or without community data. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • If an arrival has no STAR that is on for the active runways at its entry fix, the game does these steps in order: Not in 0.6.2.552

    1. It uses another STAR that is on at the same fix.
    2. If there is none, the arrival starts already cleared direct to the nearest STAR entry that is on, on the same side of the airport, as if the upstream centre cleared it. The entry must be within 45° of the bearing of its own entry. The turn must be 60° or less. The direct leg does not cut through the terminal area. The arrival then follows the STAR from that entry.
    3. If no entry is in reach, the arrival keeps its filed route and holds at its entry fix. It expects vectors from you.

  • When you set a SID SPAWN mark to off, new departures do not use that SID. This includes departures that the game already prepared but did not show yet. Aircraft that are on the radar keep their SID. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • If a departure has no SID that is on for its filed exit fix, the game does these steps in order. A switch never stops a departure from appearing. Not in 0.6.2.552

    1. It uses another SID that is on to the same exit.
    2. If there is none, it uses the radar-vectors SID of the airport, for example LEMD1N or LEMD1W at Madrid. The departure climbs, and then you give it radar vectors to the exit.
    3. If the airport has no radar-vectors SID, it uses the SID that is on and whose track passes nearest the exit. The departure then goes direct to the exit.
    4. If there is no such SID, the departure leaves on the runway heading. You give it vectors.

  • When you set an approach SPAWN mark to off, new arrivals do not expect that approach. A new arrival expects another approach that is on for its runway, and an ILS is the first choice. If no approach is on for the runway, the arrival expects no approach, and it expects vectors at the end of its STAR. The route of the arrival does not change. You can still clear any approach by voice. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • At an airport without community data, PROCS keeps the last SID and the last approach on. To set every SID or every approach to off, use a community file. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • Below a procedure, the list shows a transition only when you can select between transitions. The list does not show runway transitions, because the group title shows the runway. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • Approach rows also have S. The IAP list does not show approaches that are not available. The radar does not show them either. Not in 0.6.2.552

  • In IAP, available named visual rows show below their runway. You can use them only to show the procedure on the radar. They have no S button. In this menu, you cannot give them to the traffic that the game makes. The names are in capital letters, for example RIVER VISUAL. They do not have entry-landmark suffixes. On the map, the label shows the landmark above the name and the runway, for example RIVER VISUAL 19. An altitude constraint comes after them. Landmark names do not include “(chart-traced)”.

AIRSPACES — boundaries

Section titled “AIRSPACES — boundaries”
The open AIRSPACES menu with ICAO classes, CTR, TMA, CTA, free route, restricted, danger, prohibited, military areas and FIR/UIR boundaries.
The AIRSPACES menu.

This menu shows ICAO classes, CTR, TMA and CTA, free-route airspace, restricted, danger, prohibited and military areas, and FIR and UIR boundaries. The game calculates the radar coverage radii. There is no manual control for the radius.

All and None select or deselect all airspace types. The PROCS + list has the same controls.

The game saves your selections in MAPS, PROCS and AIRSPACES for each airport setup.

LBL POS, range, prediction and clear buttons

Section titled “LBL POS, range, prediction and clear buttons”
  • LBL POS — the label position: AUTO, SEMI or MANUAL. MIXED shows when the labels do not agree. In AUTO, the labels move apart and do not overlap. They also stay inside the window. Not in 0.6.2.552 In AUTO, a label now sits behind and to the right of its aircraft and stays there. It turns once when the aircraft settles on a new direction. It moves only when another aircraft’s label covers it, and it slides into place. When there is no free place near its aircraft, it stays and overlaps. To move a label, right-drag it. It then shows MANUAL. Select an aircraft and click LBL POS to change its label from AUTO to SEMI, or back to AUTO. With no aircraft selected, a click puts all labels back to AUTO. To turn a label around its symbol, right-click it. The distance of the label from the symbol does not change. Before, this cell was TAG. The US skin shows LDR DIR. New in 0.6.3.8
  • NM — the radar range across your screen. − decreases the range and + increases it, around the radar center. These buttons use the same limits and scale steps as the mouse wheel. The value also changes when you use the mouse wheel.
  • v — the number of minutes forward for each prediction line: v0, v1, v2, v4 or v8.
  • CLR QDM — removes all QDM lines. This includes a line that you make at that time.
  • CLR ROUTES — removes all orange TAB route previews.

The two clear buttons operate independently. They do not change clearances or guidance. You can safely press them when the radar shows no drawings.

With Multi QDM on, each completed line stays on the radar. A usual QDM line that you made before you enable it stays too. Not in 0.6.2.552 A line from or to an aircraft moves with it and goes away when that aircraft leaves the radar.

TFC — the flight strip

Section titled “TFC — the flight strip”

The TFC panel is a strip that you can move. It shows all data for one aircraft. Click a target to show its data in the strip. The strip stays on that aircraft until you select a different aircraft.

FieldData
CallsignThe name of the flight on the radio.
AirlineThe name of the airline or its three-letter code.
Departure / arrivalThe ICAO codes of the origin and the destination.
Flight rulesUsually IFR.
Cruise levelThe cruise flight level in the flight plan, for example F360.
Aircraft typeThe type of the aircraft, for example A320.
Wake categoryHeavy, Medium or Light.
SquawkThe four-digit transponder code. New codes from the game use only the digits 0–7.
RouteThe en-route routing that the aircraft flies.
Next fixThe direct-to target or guidance target at this time.

When samples are available, the traffic from the game uses the callsign patterns of airline flights on the same route, or of the same airline. If no sample is available, the game uses a four-digit flight number.

The route field does not show the departure and arrival airports. If a route is too long for the field, arrivals show the destination end and departures show the origin end. That end is the part that you control next.

Clock

Section titled “Clock”

The clock is in the top bar, adjacent to the simulation-speed control. It shows hours, minutes and seconds. The clock stops when you pause the session.

Alerts

Section titled “Alerts”
A conflict alert between two aircraft that move nearer to each other.
CA — a conflict alert.

A CA is a warning that two aircraft are too near. Examine the two aircraft. Then change a heading, an altitude or a speed to make the distance larger again.

A minimum vectoring altitude warning on an aircraft.
MVA — below the safe vectoring altitude.

An MVA warning shows that an aircraft is below the safe vectoring altitude for that area. It can also show that the aircraft has a clearance below that altitude. Tell the aircraft to climb. As an alternative, put it on a published procedure again. That procedure must give its own terrain protection.

The label of the aircraft also shows the alert as a word that blinks until you click it: STCA or MRVA in the Generic and Germany skins, VAC or MRVA in the Spain skin, CA or LA in the US skin. See How to read a label.

Not in 0.6.2.552

In the US skin, the LA/CA/MCI list shows each pair of aircraft in conflict on one line. When three aircraft are in conflict, the list can show more than one line. Each line names the two aircraft to examine. New in 0.6.3.8

In scored shifts, each pair counts while at least one aircraft is yours. Its penalty stops when the pair separates. These corrections use new scoring boards. Earlier results stay on their existing boards. New in 0.6.3.8

Two panels that help you to prepare

Section titled “Two panels that help you to prepare”
The vertical profile panel. It shows altitude and speed against distance, with the top of descent and published restrictions.
Shift+V — the vertical profile of the selected aircraft.

Shift+V or VPROF opens the vertical profile. It shows the part of the flight that is complete, and the altitude and speed that the aircraft will fly. It also shows the top of climb, the top of descent, the deceleration point and published restrictions.

The profile follows the aircraft, as the vertical display of an Airbus A350 does. It shows the path ahead of the aircraft to its next level-off. When you use −, +, < or >, the profile stops and stays where you put it. To follow the aircraft again, click RST.

The distance in the profile follows the actual flight. This keeps the descent line aligned with the aircraft far from the airport. Not in 0.6.2.552

A second header line says what the aircraft will do, for example V/S -1000 → DES PATH LVL 6000 IN 42 NM · 9 MIN: it descends at 1,000 ft/min, joins the descent path, and levels off at 6,000 ft in 42 NM, about 9 minutes from now.

A rate from you shows as V/S -2000+ for or greater and -2000- for or less. New in 0.6.3.7

Each mode starts with its phase: DES V/S -1000 → DES PATH LVL 6000 IN 42 NM · 9 MIN. The phases are CLB, CRZ, DES and APP. After the phase, PATH is on the planned path, SPD is above the path at a speed, ALT* captures a level, ALT is level and V/S is a vertical speed. An open climb or descent shows as OP CLB or OP DES. The V/S value is the rate that the aircraft flies, to the nearest 50 ft/min, without + or -. Not in 0.6.2.552

The line ahead of the aircraft has three colours: early descent, path, and level at the cleared level. A LVL marker shows where it levels off, and the path after further descent is dimmed. The legs table has a V/S column.

A dashed CFL line shows the cleared level. At or below the transition altitude it shows feet, for example CFL 8000. Above it, it shows a flight level, for example CFL FL120. All other levels in the profile, in its header and its tables, use the same rule, with feet rounded to the nearest 100 ft. In the legs table, the values under AT FIX are the targets at the end fix of each leg. For an aircraft that Centre still controls, the line shows each step of the descent that Centre gives, down to the level where it stops. A descent that also slows down is flatter on the line. Not in 0.6.2.552

The TAB route preview with waypoints, time estimates and constraints along the route.
TAB — the route that the selected aircraft will fly.

TAB shows the route of the selected aircraft with time estimates and constraints. To remove the route from the screen, press TAB again. Named SID climbs and vector discontinuities stay on the screen as breaks. The game does not make them smooth. An open preview updates when you change the route or the approach. But the preview operates independently of the clearance. CLR ROUTES removes all previews. Not in 0.6.2.552 In the Assisted and Manual label tagging modes, it shows the route that you wrote on the label.

A curved approach leg keeps the shape of the approach that you cleared, also when a different approach uses the same waypoint. This applies to the TAB preview and to the route that the pilot flies. Not in 0.6.2.552