ATC-pie: Difference between revisions

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v1.6.4
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| developedby            = Michael Filhol
| developedby            = Michael Filhol
| initialrelease        = February 1, 2015
| initialrelease        = February 1, 2015
| latestrelease          = 1.6.1 (April 22, 2019)
| latestrelease          = 1.6.4 (March 15, 2020)
| writtenin              = Python3
| writtenin              = Python3
| os                    = Any
| os                    = Any
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}}
}}


'''ATC-pie''' is an [[air traffic control]] simulation program featuring solo sessions, multi-player network connections (through [[FGMS]]) and tutorial sessions for teacher supervision of an ATC student. It can simulate en-route centre control (CTR) as well as airport-based services (TWR, APP, GND...), and allows 3D tower viewing through [[FlightGear]].
'''ATC-pie''' is an [[air traffic control]] simulation program featuring:
* solo sessions, incl. voice instruction recognition and pilot speech synthesis;
* multi-player network connections through [[FGMS]];
* tutorial sessions for teacher supervision of an ATC student.


It is essentially designed for realism and simulates many tasks and situations of real-life ATC such as:
It can simulate en-route centre control (CTR) as well as airport-based services (TWR, APP, GND...), and allows 3D tower viewing through [[FlightGear]]. It is essentially designed for realism and simulates many tasks and situations of real-life ATC such as:
* strip rack and sequence management;
* strip rack and sequence management;
* radar monitoring and transponder identification;
* radar monitoring and transponder identification;
* handovers to/from neighbouring controllers;
* handovers to/from neighbouring controllers;
* ATIS recording;
* flight plan filing and editing;
* routing and conflict anticipation;
* routing and conflict anticipation;
* voice instruction recognition and pilot speech synthesis in solo sessions.
* flight plan filing and editing...


The program is free and open source, and programmed in Python3 for Qt5 hence system-independant. Only Python3 and its Qt5 bindings must be installed. That done, it is meant to work straight away, with no make/compile command to run or external resource to install. The whole world is immediately available on radar. Tower viewing requires the appropriate FlightGear aircraft and scenery.
The program is free and open source, and programmed in Python3 for Qt5 hence system-independant. Only Python3 and its Qt5 bindings must be installed. That done, it is meant to work straight away, with no make/compile command to run or external resource to install. The whole world is immediately available on radar. Tower viewing requires the appropriate FlightGear aircraft and scenery.
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=== Strips ===
=== Strips ===
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-stripDetailSheet.png|thumbnail|The ATC-pie strip detail sheet]]
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-stripDetailSheet.png|thumbnail|The ATC-pie strip detail sheet]]
Your basic traffic flow and sequence working unit is the '''strip''', each representing a controlled (or soon expected) aircraft. Strips are created, filled with details and moved along and across ''racks'' until handed over to a different controller or discarded. Strip details include:
Your basic traffic flow and sequence working unit is the '''strip''', each representing a controlled (or soon expected) aircraft. Strips are created, filled with details and moved across ''racks'' and ''bays'' until handed over to a different controller or shelved. Strip details can all be manually edited, and include:
* most importantly, the aircraft's ''callsign'', to be used on the radio;
* most importantly, the aircraft's ''callsign'', to be used on the radio;
* information like aircraft type, airspeed, route... that can be specified by the pilots themselves when filing ''flight plans'';
* information like aircraft type, airspeed, route... that can be provided by the pilots themselves when filing ''flight plans'';
* transponder code and flight parameter assignments (or vectors: heading, altitude/FL, speed).
* transponder code and flight parameter assignments (heading, altitude/FL, air speed).


=== Linking strips ===
=== Linking strips ===
Strip details can be manually edited, but every strip can also be '''linked''' to a flight plan and/or a radar contact. Linking to a strip will automatically:
Every strip can be '''linked''' to a flight plan and/or a radar contact. A linked strip will automatically:
* make the strip display the missing elements available from the linked aircraft transponder or flight plan;
* display its missing elements when available from the linked flight plan or aircraft transponder;
* if you use radar, inform the contact label with useful details provided on the strip, e.g. assigned altitude.
* populate the linked aircraft radar tag with useful details, e.g. assigned altitude.
Any detail mismatch between a strip and its linked flight plan or radar contact will be reported for you to resolve.
Any detail mismatch between a strip and its linked elements will be reported for you to resolve.


=== Radar identification ===
=== Radar identification ===
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-radarIdentification.png|thumbnail|Radar identification: both matched strip and radar contact marked in blue]]
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-radarIdentification.png|thumbnail|Radar identification: both matched strip and radar contact marked in blue]]
When using radar, ATCs can rely on different things to ''identify'' an aircraft and link the right contact to a strip. They can read an aircraft's callsign straight away if its transponder has mode S turned on, tell from reported positions and altitudes, or use a transponder code.
When using radar, ATCs can rely on different things to ''identify'' an aircraft and link the right contact to its strip. They can read an aircraft's callsign straight away if its transponder is squawking mode S, tell from reported positions, or use a transponder code.


For instance, say a transponder-equipped VFR traffic makes radio contact giving their callsign and approximate position. ATC will typically pull out a new blank strip and give the pilot a unique transponder code to squawk, writing it on the strip alongside the announced callsign, then wait for it to appear on the radar. This allows for '''radar identification''' of aircraft–strip pairs such that:
For instance, say a transponder-equipped VFR traffic makes radio contact giving their callsign and approximate position. ATC will typically pull out a new blank strip and give the pilot a unique transponder code to squawk, writing it on the strip alongside the announced callsign, then wait for it to appear on the radar. This allows for '''radar identification''' of aircraft–strip pairs such that:
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== Detailed feature list ==
== Detailed feature list ==


=== General ===
Available session types:
Available session types:
* FlightGear multi-player network connections
* FlightGear multi-player network connections
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For all session types:
For all session types:
* airport mode (for ATC positions such as TWR, GND, APP, DEP at a selected airfiled)
* Airport mode (for ATC positions such as TWR, GND, APP, DEP at a selected airfiled)
* en-route centre (free positioning of radar, no base airport or runway-related options)
* En-route centre (free positioning of radar, no base airport or runway-related options)


=== General ===
Common data sources:
Common data sources:
* Airport and navigation data retrieved from [http://data.x-plane.com X-Plane] sources (whole world default file set included)
* Airport and navigation data retrieved from [http://data.x-plane.com X-Plane] sources (whole world default file set included)
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* Position/track vs. assignment mismatch warning system
* Position/track vs. assignment mismatch warning system


Tower viewing (airport mode, requires FlightGear):
Tower viewing for airport mode (requires FlightGear):
* Renders view of airport, aircraft, weather, time of day
* Renders view of airport, aircraft, weather, time of day
* Internally started or through an externally running instance
* Internally started or through an externally running instance
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Strips and racks:
Strips and racks:
* User-defined racks with configurable colours for linked radar contacts and ATCs to collect strips from
* User-defined racks with configurable colours for linked radar contacts and ATCs to collect strips from
* Strip auto-print for expected departures
* Strip auto-print for expected departures or arrivals
* Runway boxes with automatic WTC timers when freed
* Runway boxes with automatic RWY separation timers
* Loose strip bays with customisable backgrounds
* Loose strip bays with customisable backgrounds


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