Hi I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed that polar (above or below 60) flights in MSFS are completing in shorter times than expected?
I flew the C750 in XP12 and was astonished to see a slower twin jet pass me in Canada, it could not have happened without time accel, but could also be explained if MSFS was an ‘EPSG:3857’ world (unlike XP’s moving origin 4326 system)?
Has anyone else seen this (MSFS flights ‘speeding’ above and below 60)? The ground speed reported was below mine and the flight still passed mine. A little confused by this!
Not really? In my experience, time flown far north matches flight planned times (simbrief) within the same tolerance as at the equator or in between.
Probably simrate, like you say. It’s allowed on the network (as long as other users aren’t negatively impacted, and when under ATC only with approval), and the PMDG 737 and 777 have “smart” simrate that adjusts up and down to fly turns correctly and to prevent the sim from bugging out like it can do with other planes when simrating. With that, the use of simrate is probably higher than ever.
In my opinion, at least some of the time acceleration by pilots is due to an absence of online controllers in the airspace they’re flying in and maybe few other pilots flying in the same region. There’s not much incentive to continue flying at normal speed transoceanic/transpolar when, say, Gander/Shanwick etc ATC are not online. Similarly, if flying from the Canaries to Norway, and there’s only a handful of other aircraft showing on Vatspy until you reach the UK, why would a pilot simply plod along in empty skies when Vatsim controllers are offine, as is frequently the case in many parts of the world? Might as well speed up the sim and hopefully get to a region of (in this case) Europe where there might be controllers online, at least by the time you get there. In summary, I think pilots have more incentive to stay with a normal sim rate when they are subject to ATC control, rather than listening out on 122.8 for hours on end. It’s more immersive when there’s pilots and controllers on frequency.
I don’t agree with that gist, it’s just lazy and making excuses for an impatience I pray no one takes into any real cockpit.
There is plenty of class G (uncontrolled space) IRL where you must maintain a listening watch for hours. ATC also goes offline IRL it happened during the earthquakes here and position reporting is an important skill to develop for those situations.
For example I fly a shorter route if I don’t have the time. You can fit the whole oceanic experience with position reports in 2 and a half hours in the Pacific. No need for time acceleration in my experience, it’s throwing away immersion. Certainly a new phenomenon here.
It’s not new, and it’s not up to you to decide how others manage their hobby. Sometimes people want to do a long haul flight without having the time for it, who are you to say they can’t? The COC permits it (with a couple caveats), and that’s that. If we’re going down this path of arbitrary gatekeeping, I’ll decree here and now that you are forever forbidden from flying multi-crew aircraft on your own, only GA and light bizjets from now on for you! It’s too damn unrealistic otherwise!
The airspaces you refer to are not class G. Class G is by definition uncontrolled, and will not require listening watch*. Oakland OCA and the North Atlantic OCA airspaces are generally class A above FL055, with a few variations.
*In various countries you may find smaller sections of radio mandatory zones (RMZ) in class G, but that’s not what’s happening for regular airliner long hauls.
You are taking this more seriously than me!
The immersion is what I find fun about VATSIM and I know it’s permitted there’s just a kind of ‘sportsmanship’ issue with it, if that makes sense? People using it a little too much has a negative impact on the experience of others and I won’t be maligned by you for speaking up about that.
You might want to check up on the ICAO class G definition. For example a VFR plan is required for flight following in NZ, and fair enough, I wouldn’t login to FAA space and labour a controller requesting following without a plan!
Sure it makes sense, in that you’re just acting like a snob. I recommend you focus less on how others enjoy their hobby, it’s not that big of a deal. I fly and control online regularly, including controlling Shanwick/Gander Oceanic, and it’s just not the problem you’re making it out to be. I hardly ever see it.
I control and fly in real life. I don’t want to boast too much about my book knowledge (because there’s tons I don’t know), but I do firmly believe I’ve grasped the basics of controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
I was intrigued, but could not find this as a requirement in the NZ AIP, the NZ Part 91, or anywhere else. Could you cite the source?
You should feel free to, they’re good at it, and it’s a core function of the US airspace philosophy.
At the end of the day I’m here to have fun and learn along the way, so let’s de-escalate this please. I got an answer to my question.
I’ll accept sounding like a snob but ask that you also consider how this impacts others, when planes are zipping around like UFOs the whole flight simulation experience is negatively impacted, that is what I am trying to communicate (but poorly communicated, would be a fair criticism).
All the best Magnus!
PS. The part 91 rules are here:
But after reading 91.307 again I must correct myself, the term was ‘alerting service’ which is the SAR function, not ‘flight following’ so my mistake there!
It’s a completely fair opinion, but it’s yours. I’ve been reading your messages as to indicate that you think this opinion is a fact, which it just isn’t. If that wasn’t the intent, then good, and I am sympathetic to your point (without agreeing).
There is a very long list of things I find more immersion breaking than the odd TCAS target zipping by, so long it doesn’t even make it onto the second page. And again, I practically never see it. Out of curiosity, how often have you come across it so far?
The past 3/3 flights this (“speeding”) or something like it has happened, on my last out of Narita I got a TCAS alarm when someone spawned in at the downwind end of the runway. Someone spawned/teleported/sped (I’m not sure) in right behind me from our of nowhere.
I don’t want to send the VATSIM police after these people or anything! There’s just a missing conversation about bad VATSIM habits maybe. I’ll try and be more tolerant in any case, I understand not everyone has the time or energy for 1:1 time IFR hauls!
agree with stuart. imo, if you’re flying accelerated time theres literally no reason you need to stay connected to the network. monitor an online coverage map and reconnect when you are ready to fly normal speed.