Spoken ATC

Screenshot showing Spoken ATC in action.

rleibner is working on an atc.nas script, and it's time to share with you the beta version. The module is not intended to compete with FGComm, Festival or other similar features. On the contrary, its use is indicated if these are not available (eg, few hardware resources, no Internet connection, etc.)

Spoken ATC allows the pilot to listen to the directives of the Air Traffic Controller.

Work in progress This article or section will be worked on in the upcoming hours or days. Note: Although still incomplete, the information it contains is valid and available. See history for the latest developments.

Preface

Typically, you should tune the ATC-station frequency and make a request by pressing "<" key. You may hear something like:

• "Charlie X-ray Bravo Echo X-ray , this is Montevideo Carrasco International tower. QNH 1024 or 30 point 24 inches. Join left pattern Runway 1 9 and report."

So, you enter in the base leg and press "<" again:

• "Charlie X-ray Bravo Echo X-ray , Wind 1 5 0 degrees, 3 knots. Runway 1 9 cleared to land."

After landing and while you are braking, you press "<" once more:

• "Charlie X-ray Bravo Echo X-ray , Exit Runway at first taxiway and contact Ground 121 point 82."

That is only an example of standard VFR Phraseology that you can expect from Spoken ATC.

How to install

Note  This is the latest version, v.2.1 (Ago 7, 2017)

1. - Download the spoken_atc.zip. There you will find a "spoken_atc.nas" file and a "spoken_atc" directory with 6 files inside.
2. - Extract all into the $FG_HOME/Nasal directory (keeping the directory structure !).
3. - Edit the $FG_ROOT/keyboard.xml file and include the following lines in order to bind

the "<" key:

    <key n="60">
        <name>less-than</name>
        <desc>Spoken ATC</desc>
        <binding>
        <command>nasal</command>
        <script><![CDATA[
              spoken_atc.speak(15);
              ]]>
        </script>
        </binding>
    </key>

And that's all !
If you prefer, you can bind an unused joystick button too.

How to use it

Launch FlighGear (or re-start it) and tune Comm1 to an available ATC frequency (you can find them at Menu/Location/Airfield information), and press the ">" key to transmit your request.
You will hear the ATC's answer according the standard VFR phraseology, depending on your current position, weather and previous messages:

• If you are on ground =>
  • The code interprets it's a taxi request (if you are far from the runway or you've just landed),
  • or a take-off request (if you are on the correct Runway or at his holding point).
• If you are flying =>
  • The code interprets it's an approach request (if you tunned an APP station),
  • or a landing request (if you tunned a TWR station),
  • or a departure request (if you tunned a DEP station. and you are climbing after a take-off).
    

Note that only TWR stations can deliver landing or take-off clearances, and only GND or TWR stations can deliver taxiing ones.
Where there is not a specific GND or APP-DEP freq., TOWER can take their tasks.
If they do exist, TWR will redirect to the specific frequency.

Only at initial contact, the ATC message includes his station name & type, and the current QNH.
APP stations will give a vector to the runway threshold in use (if you are far from there) or order to contact TWR (if you are inside the CTR).
TWR stations will give instructions to join pattern or make direct final (depending on your position).

Tips

a realistic behavior

To achieve realistic behavior, follow a logical sequence of communications, viz.:

• Contact GND (or TWR) prior to taxiing.
• Contact TWR prior to take-off or land.
• Contact DEP (if available) after take-off to leave the CTR.
• Contact APP (if available) prior to enter the CTR.
• etc, etc.

Phraseology customization

You can customize the phraseology by editing the "phraseology.xml" file.
There you can find groups of tags like:

    . . . . 
  <foo type="string">Hello world. </foo>
  <foo type="string">It is a good </foo>
  <foo type="string">day </foo>
  <foo type="string">to fly. </foo>
    . . . .

which will be read as a single sentence ("Hello world. It is a good day to fly. "). These are literal sentences that you can change by the strings you want.

Besides that, you can call the spoken_atc.say() function at runtime to check your customization.

phrase_test() function

You can ... [TODO]

On screen voice

If the writen messages bother you, when binding (see above) you can call the function as

 <script> <![CDATA[ spoken_atc.speak(n); ]]> </script>

with n seconds you want, even 0 meaning no messages at all.

And remember this is VFR: heed the instructions of the ATC but keep your eyes wide open !

References

References