Before anyone asks, yes the system is currently limited to 20 AI aircraft. Even if you decide never to use the ATC system directly, just having the hustle and bustle of a busy airport is a win. My point is, airports now FEEL like airports. It may not seem like much but when you turn the AI traffic off, you’ll feel very alone. That means they play nice, it means they follow you around to some extent so that the world is alive wherever you go. Before, AI aircraft just flew around doing whatever they felt like…almost like zombies. Of course, there’s air traffic control to give you instructions but more importantly (I’d argue) is the AI traffic. The ATC system is really two pieces in one. Like the scenery system and many other systems in X-Plane, there’s ALWAYS something that can be done to make things better.Īnother thing to consider that may not be obvious to a lot of people. If you think you have a list of requested features, I’m willing to bet that my list is longer. I’ve completely started from scratch and come up with a system that can be built off of so that it gets better and better. Until now, the ATC system has been very stagnant with little improvement or change in many versions. What I can say however is that it’s a system that’s designed to get better. Humans add a touch of randomness to every decision from the simplest thing such as phraseology to the most elaborate thing like vectors for an instrument approach.
There, I said it! The ATC system is a tough thing to model not just because of its complexity but also because humans are inconsistent and unpredictable. A very respected Photographer Jerry Ghionis always says “You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be better than last week.” I’ve tried to keep that in my head while working on the ATC system because like you, I too want it to be the best…and that’s the long-term goal, but I have to be honest, the ATC system in X-Plane v10.0 is not perfect. I’ve always been into photography as just one of my many expensive hobbies.