[POLL] I'm reworking the destination time... any advice ?

[Gdoody]

In my opinion .... definately block time, for the following reasons:

1) it is how the real world passengers measure time
2) most VA's use block, and thus far this program has been very compatible and VA friendly,
3) much more realistic.

As for AI Traffic, this is much like real life. Try flying in or out of Laguardia on any day of the week ... does not matter the flight schedules,
nothing runs on time anyway, and you have to build that contigency in. That said, even with it built in, flights are often still late due to heavy
traffic. Also, there are small freeware utilities that will show you the AI Traffic schedule if one needs to be that exact.

I will add one more point ... it would be better to set the block time as a combination of engine start / Brake release to Brake set / Engines
off if possible, otherwise, just go with Engines start / Engines off. The reason for this is that if following procedure, one is not likely to start
the engines until right before taxi, and during the push back if pushback is necessary. One is also highly unlikely to turn the engines off
until the flight is parked. However, parking brakes can be, and are often used after taxi starts .... for example, during a flight last week, I
had to stop partway through taxi to run a couple of checks ... had to set the parking brake so i would not contine to taxi while flipped
thorugh a chartbook quickly. Another instance, during a busy period on VATSIM recently, I was directed to a small parking area and asked
to hold for clearance ,,, that it would be about 5 minutes. I don't want to hold the brake on for 5 minutes, but I am also not likely to shut the
engines down either.

Anyway ... just my two cents! Best of luck on this touchup!

Also, Dan, while you are at it, it would be very helpful to include the movie in the automated services, or even make an additional selection
for automated movie. The Transpacifics (15-20Hrs) now mean havign to jump out of bed every couple of hours to play a movie for the
passengers .... that said, they don;t seem to care if they only have 1-2 over the entire flight.

Again ... thanks for keeping us up to date on the ideas, and for including us in the development of new ones!

[Gibbmusic]

Block time=more realistic...real life airlines have to plan for gate time, traffic, etc when planning arrival times.

My vote is block time.

Gibbmusic

[lightrail]

Block time for me - Dan. Why not use a different trigger, such as opening and closing the main exit door, instead of the parking brakes?

[jboweruk]

Block time here. It's more realistic and what many VA pilots (or ex VA pilots) are used to. Maybe for those who would like it the other way it
could be a setting? So everyone can do which they wish? Or would that be too hard?

[Airtime]

lightrail wrote:
Block time for me - Dan. Why not use a different trigger, such as opening and closing the main exit door, instead of the parking brakes?

I was going to suggest this as well. The main door seems to be a likely trigger. The parking break should be available at other times
during taxi etc.

My vote: block time (with another trigger) If it has to be tied to parking break my vote changes to flight time.

[Giorgio]

I vote for block time.

But setting the parking brake during the taxi should be possible without messing up the timer. So the elapsed time should go FROM the
first time you set them off TO the last time you set them on... or alternatively TO the moment you select "End of Flight".

Giorgio

[DanSteph]

Giorgio wrote:
I vote for block time.
But setting the parking brake during the taxi should be possible without messing up the timer. So the elapsed time should go FROM the
first time you set them off TO the last time you set them on... or alternatively TO the moment you select "End of Flight".
Giorgio

At departure time no problem, the first time set it. block time follow also this definition.
at arrival time I think I can find a solution so it's the last time you set it.

Dan

[timcook]

Block time.

Started by - first time parking brake off.
Ended by - parking brake on + engines off + door open.

Tim

[fruitfly]

Stringfellow wrote:
1- I vote block time as well.
That way you can land at multiple airports for refueling or pretend on anything else, then resume your flight without penalty as long as you
don't set brake in between.
Airborne would not make that possible.

I agree.

Gibbmusic wrote:
Block time=more realistic...real life airlines have to plan for gate time, traffic, etc when planning arrival times.

I also vote for opening of the doors for a trigger.
So if you arrive too early, you simply don't let them out till the time is right !!!

[nem]

DanSteph wrote:

silo wrote:
Apologies if it is a totally unuseful comment but you could disable "End Flight" (grayed out) unless the engines are off.

This would annoy people that want to end their flight immediattely
and complicate a bit the things (ie: we'll be flooded by "I caaaaaaaaaaaaaant stop my flight" post)
for only a litle benefit. (what I can do at arrival is run the counter as long as your parking brake are not set
so even if you stop to cross landing strip the counter will restart when you unset them... not 100% cool
but definitively not so uggly)

Also a lot of people don't like to start/cutoff engine and even don't know how to do it.

Dan

Oh, come on.
Put it in the manual and anyone asking for it will get a nice and friendly "RTFM!!!1".
And people who don't even know how to start/stop the engines will run into multiple problems with FSP anyway ("Lights? I have to use lights? Why? It's
broad daylight out there!").
The benefit is not at all little in my opinion. This is how it's done in the real world (the "this is just a sim" argument lacks validity, as
with this reasoning we could all just shove down all realism sliders to zero and fly around the world non-stop with a paper plane), it solves the
problem that arises when depending on parking brake alone and it will add to everyone's immersion (especially for those who will now hear the
satisfying hum of the engines coming to a standstill for the first time).

I mean, it's not like FSP is the first utility which has to detect the end of a flight. I definitely second silo's suggestion.

[Ryanamur]

I would say block time but given the fact that people could set the parking brake multiple times during the flight, I'm more inclined to say other:

Start of time: Start of FsP flight
End of Time: End of FsP flight

I know that that one also leaves problem (people boarding, starting engines and everything) but it would also allow people to do multiple legs (even
if I'm dead against it!).

Phil

[scandahl]

Hi All.

Block time.

Could this work? :
Start - Last passenger enters plane.
Stop - First passenger leaves plane.

Kind regards,
David

[DanSteph]

no, no no and no (don't worry its just that I love to say "no"

passengers boarding unboarding would not work as not anyone make delayed load/unload
same for engine running or door openning, things must remain simpler as possible and fit everyone
style of flight.

Anyway it's almost done and it work as follow:

1-At departure first time you unset the parking brake, you cannot stop the counter after that.
2-At arrival the LAST time you set the parking brake.

Detail:

the mini display will show you "Planned arrival in xxhxx" as long as the "counter" is running
if at arrival you want to set the parking brake to make a momentary stop it will show
"Planned arrival in xxhxx (P)" (stand for "parking brake" or "pause" whatewer you like)
but if you unset the parking brake it refresh MINUS the time you spent on parking brake
(as obviously it was not the last time)

in "short mode" it will show "xxhxx" or "xxhxx (P)"

That will answer almost 95% case while staying simple.. for the resting 5%
I'm ready to answer here

Dan



Post Edited ( 07-27-05 12:19 )

[nem]

Though I still don't see what the problem is with requiring users to shutdown the engines , this is a good solution as well.



Post Edited ( 07-27-05 12:30 )

[pegase]

Seems to be a dilemma.

I don't know anything about the real life from the pilot, company point of view but had experienced plenties of felay for various reasons as passenger
and could hear the remarks around. Usually, they blame almost anyone but not the real responsible. One blame the staff who toke sooo loong to register
their boarding. The other (it was in fashions some years ago) tells "It's always like this with Air France because it is a state company so they are
not acountable about anything and then don't care ".
Most often, the pilots and crew are spared by the passengers irritation but:
Once in a very long taxi trip a guy was sure that this stupid pilot was lost in the airport .
Another time when arriving before scheduled time I heard a brave lady telling that she indeed noticed the pilot was flying too fast...

So the one who want to test his/her capacity to schedule a flight time the best is time airborn.
The one who want to stay close from the passenger feeling and enjoy the spice and realism of random AI traffic events like take off waiting or go
around will prefere block time.

I think I would go for block time because it is more flexible:
The day I don't want to wait for take off I turn off AI traffic and or board/unboard the passengers at the edge of the runway

My father always says that when we must choose between 2 possibilities we must find a 3rd one... So, may be it could be a user's parameter setting ?